Preschool Education

Ramat Rachel offers eight small-scale frameworks for preschool education:‎

• Two infant care centers each with 6 to 10 babies.‎
• Two toddler care centers for children between one and two years old (divided into ‎younger and older groups).
• Two childcare centers for children ages two and three.‎
• A pre-kindergarten, and kindergarten, each with ‎approximately 24 children, kindergarten teacher and childcare assistants.‎

Each of these facilities is run by a regular, experienced staff, and all preschool programs ‎benefit from the presence of a pedagogical advisor (who helps design the activity ‎program and optimize the kibbutz/community relationship), a psychologist (who advises ‎the staff on the development needs of the children), and an occupational therapist (who ‎monitors the children’s psychomotor development). In addition, the staff work in cooperation with the learning center "Lemida Be-Rama" on the kibbutz. Managing the preschool programs is ‎a kibbutz member responsible for the overall and daily functioning of each facility.‎

Schedule
‎The preschool facilities operate year-round, apart from the weeks of Passover and Succot ‎and the final two weeks of August. They are open Sundays through Thursday from 7:00 ‎to 15:45, and on Fridays and holiday eves from 7:00 to 12:30.‎

Enrichment Classes
From the age of two, the children participate in enrichment classes that are appropriate ‎for their particular stages of development and led by professional instructors.‎ The program includes nature activities at Eyal's Farm, on the kibbutz.

Nutrition
A full, nourishing breakfast is prepared daily by the staff of each facility. A hot lunch (a meat meal) is ‎cooked by an experienced children’s chef. The children are also ‎served morning and afternoon snacks.‎

Daily Activities
The overall activity plan is based on the values of kibbutz education, with an added ‎emphasis on Jewish tradition and community ties. Daily activities include movement, arts ‎and crafts, walks, playground play, holiday celebrations, Sabbath songs and challah-‎baking, and nature study.‎

After-school Programs
There are 2 after-school groups - 1st grade, through 3rd grade, and 4th through 6th grade. Groups of 15 children are led by an experienced Madrich. A coordinator and pedagogocal advisor are also closely involved in the planning and ‎operation of the after-school program.‎
Schedule
The after-school program spans the entire calendar year. During the school year, about 14 ‎hours of activities take place per week: on Sundays and Tuesdays between 12:30 and ‎‎16:00, and on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays between 15:00 and 16:30. The staff ‎accompanies the children on prearranged transportation from school, and on Sundays and ‎Tuesdays they serve the children a hot lunch in the kibbutz dining hall. The activity ‎center for each group is well equipped and maintained.‎
Activities
The program aims to develop the children’s social skills, with emphasis on community ‎relations and Jewish tradition. The participating children are responsible for organizing ‎and taking part in several community events, including a Rosh HaShana ceremony, a ‎‎“Bravo” performance at Chanukah, a Tu B’Shvat environment day, and a Purim carnival. The program also includes nature study at Eyal’s Farm (an ‎ecological learning center), art classes, and social gatherings. There are occasional visits ‎to the kibbutz swimming pool as well. ‎

Summer Camp
The groups that are active throughout the school year form the basis of the summer and ‎holiday vacation programs. The vacation program balances outdoor and indoor activities: ‎nature hikes, arts and crafts, workshops, and social-oriented projects appropriate for each ‎age group.‎