Gan Teva Educational Philosophy
Gan Teva Tests Its Mettle
10/29/2021 11:16:03 AM
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About a month in, Gan Teva at Ner Shalom finally had its first real rainy day of outdoor early childhood education. It was an exciting opportunity for Ms. Sarah to test the limits of our outdoor play, and for the kids to learn about the world in a new light. And they LOVED...Read more...
Gan Teva: Milestones and Benchmarks, FAQs, and More
08/04/2021 07:49:25 PM
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Check out this presentation!
Mixed-Age Play Groups
07/22/2021 07:49:15 PM
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At Congregation Ner Shalom, we believe strongly in Mixed-Age play and learning. Our Tot Shabbat programs, Religious School classrooms, and Youth Group activities all invite a range of ages: 3-5, 5-12, and 13-18, respectively. There is almost nothing that is done by a single grade, and Gan Teva at Ner Shalom will be no exception.
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Creating an Outdoor Sacred Space
07/11/2021 02:22:10 PM
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Rabbi Lizz has talked about this before: the need for dedicated sacred space, and the importance of connecting spiritually in nature. While we don't want Gan Teva at Ner Shalom to feel alienating to non-Jewish families looking for a natural early childhood learning center, we do feel strongly about our Jewish values leading the education, including the values of protecting the environment and of cultivating healthy spirituality in our young...Read more...
Outdoor Education is the Future
07/05/2021 11:18:01 AM
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We've said it before and we'll say it again: Nature-based learning is the future. While we of course will not have children outside in dangerous weather, we intend to keep them outdoors as much as possible and to encourage their growth and learning by engage with the real world around them. Studies show that gross motor skills and sensory concerns are better served through outdoor play than what we have come to expect from classroom learning....Read more...
Kids Who Spend More Time Outside Are Happier Adults — Here's Why
06/26/2021 10:18:16 PM
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More and more, safe and free outdoor spaces are harder to find. More and more, technology takes over our lives. It is imperative for mental health to spend more time in nature, and it starts young!
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Outdoor schooling raises resilient children
06/20/2021 04:41:56 PM
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“It’s not just teaching outdoors but using the outdoors to teach in real, hands-on ways. It makes education more relevant to students’ lives. When they experience something, it’s more meaningful to them.” - Jeanne McCarty, CEO of Out Teach
Learn More here!
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Exploring the world and developing skills through play and nature
06/10/2021 01:25:13 PM
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Check out Gan Teva at Ner Shalom's Tiktok for great tips on early childhood learning, more info about our preschool, and the importance of nature and play-based learning!
We Encourage Jumping in Puddles
06/07/2021 10:54:46 AM
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The grounds at Ner Shalom invite so many types of gross motor skill development and ways to engage in the world, including a universally beloved pasttime for all children - playing in puddles!
Check out this article on the science behind Gan Teva's encouragement of such activities!
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Why Gardening is a Valuable Teaching Tool
06/01/2021 12:50:19 PM
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Gan Teva is so excited to utilize gardening in our teaching!
Check out this article for some bullet points on its importance.
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Reading Recommendation
05/20/2021 01:28:50 PM
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“The future will belong to the nature-smart—those individuals, families, businesses, and political leaders who develop a deeper understanding of the transformative power of the natural world and who balance the virtual with the real. The more high-tech we become, the more nature we need.”
—Richard Louv
At Gan Teva, we are striving to prepare our students to be nature-smart and ready to...Read more...
Gan Teva at Ner Shalom
04/18/2021 02:09:09 PM
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Gan Teva at Ner Shalom is Prince William County’s first nature-based Jewish preschool. Opening in September 2021, Gan Teva is searching for an enthusiastic early childhood educator who understands, and is excited about, building an early childhood learning center from foundation to fruition.
We’re seeking someone...Read more...
What will we teach at Gan Teva?
04/12/2021 01:56:15 PM
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At Gan Teva at Ner Shalom students will learn that all living beings are unique creations. We celebrate every member of our community and individualize our approaches to learning to foster the growth of each child.
We guide our children to treat all members of our community with honor and respect.
We celebrate the unity of the Jewish people. We appreciate the diversity of approaches to Jewish life and...Read more...
Compulsory Nature Studies?
04/09/2021 02:33:40 PM
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Although we are not necessarily advocating for compulsory outdoor learning for every child in the country (or even the county), we strongly believe our sensory- and nature-based Jewish education will better set up our students to engage in meaningful acts of Tikkun Olam (repairing the world).
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Gan Teva Educational Philosophy
04/09/2021 02:30:07 PM
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Curious what an outdoor classroom has to offer?
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Sat, June 10 2023
21 Sivan 5783
Upcoming Events
-
Saturday ,
JunJune 10 , 2023
Shabbat, Jun 10th 7:00p to 10:00p
Join us at a Ner Shalom wine tasting Saturday June 10, 7pm. The wine will be supplied by Chateau O'Brien Winery. There will also be snacks, non alcoholic beverages and good company. . Please join us in wishing the Levy family "zol zayn mit mazl" as they prepare to leave Virginia for their new home in Florida. There is a $10 charge per person for this wonderful evening. There will also be wine for sale Please RSVP by June 1. Questions? Contact Debby at ekibbitz@nershalomva.org -
Sunday ,
JunJune 11 , 2023
Sunday, Jun 11th 1:00p to 2:00p
Join us as we learn about Jewish ideas of the Messiah, the Messianic Age, and how it has evolved over the last 5,000 years. -
Friday ,
JunJune 16 , 2023
Friday, Jun 16th 7:30p to 8:30p
Erev Shabbat Services most Friday nights at 7:30 in the sanctuary -
Sunday ,
JunJune 18 , 2023
Sunday, Jun 18th 1:00p to 2:00p
Join us as we learn about Jewish ideas of the Messiah, the Messianic Age, and how it has evolved over the last 5,000 years. -
Friday ,
JunJune 23 , 2023
Friday, Jun 23rd 7:30p to 8:30p
Erev Shabbat Services most Friday nights at 7:30 in the sanctuary -
Wednesday ,
JunJune 28 , 2023
Wednesday, Jun 28th 10:30a to 12:00p
Join us on Zoom as we discussed our next Book Club choice, The Thread Collectors by Shaunna Edwards and Alyson Richman. 1863: In a small Creole cottage in New Orleans, an ingenious young Black woman named Stella embroiders intricate maps on repurposed cloth to help enslaved men flee and join the Union Army. Bound to a man who would kill her if he knew of her clandestine activities, Stella has to hide not only her efforts but her love for William, a Black soldier and a brilliant musician. Meanwhile, in New York City, a Jewish woman stitches a quilt for her husband, who is stationed in Louisiana with the Union Army. Between abolitionist meetings, Lily rolls bandages and crafts quilts with her sewing circle for other soldiers, too, hoping for their safe return home. But when months go by without word from her husband, Lily resolves to make the perilous journey South to search for him. As these two women risk everything for love and freedom during the brutal Civil War, their paths converge in New Orleans, where an unexpected encounter leads them to discover that even the most delicate threads have the capacity to save us. Loosely inspired by the authors' family histories, this stunning novel will stay with readers for a long time. -
Saturday ,
JulJuly 1 , 2023
Shabbat, Jul 1st 10:00a to 11:00a
At the synagogue! -
Friday ,
JulJuly 7 , 2023
Friday, Jul 7th 7:30p to 8:30p
Erev Shabbat Services most Friday nights at 7:30 in the sanctuary -
Wednesday ,
JulJuly 12 , 2023
Wednesday, Jul 12th 6:30p to 8:00p
On Zoom with Captions provided as an option. Explore and discuss samples of poetry from modern poets with poet & visual artist & teaching artist, Liz Mariani. Join us as we embrace this sacred storytelling tradition in this month of Av. Poetry is a Lion's Roar. Enter open for anything. Leave inspired. Liz Mariani, MFA (they, she) is a queer poet born in Buffalo, NY. They earned an MFA in Poetry from Mills College. Linktr.ee/liz.mariani.poetry & @liz.mariani.poetry on Instagram. https://www.pw.org/directory/writers/liz_mariani Open for 8 Adults, so please register in advance for this meeting: https://us02web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZAtcuyqrD8uHNUCJ56mMk2jyN0zrcVlmp3L -
Friday ,
JulJuly 21 , 2023
Friday, Jul 21st 7:30p to 8:30p
Erev Shabbat Services most Friday nights at 7:30 in the sanctuary
Ner Shalom in the News
- Washington Jewish Week - June 30, 2020
CNS Branded Masks Save Lives
- Prince WIlliam Living - September 20, 2019
Annual Patriot Day Shabbat
- Prince William Living - August 26, 2019
Learn About the Jewish High Holidays!
- Prince William Living - July 16, 2019
Synagogue in Summer
- Prince William Living - May 16, 2019
Seasons of Our Joy
- Prince William Living - March 20, 2019
- Learning About Jewish Traditions
- Building an Inclusive & Vibrant Community
- - Prince William Living - December 14, 2018
- The Future of the Community
- - Prince William Living - November 20, 2018
- Coming Together After a National Tragedy
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