Letter From Our Founding Director,
Aviva Deren
Welcome to Gan Yeladim! It is with great pleasure and enthusiasm
that we invite you to explore the website of Gan Yeladim Early Childhood
Center. If this is your first encounter with the Gan, we'redelighted that
you're checking out our school, and we look forward to meeting you and
your family in person. If you've been at Gan in the past, it's wonderful
to welcome you back. We’re thrilled to show you how much we’ve
grown over the years, thank G-d, and we would love to re-connect (especially with Alumni!).
This school year, 2013-14, Gan Yeladim is celebrating its 25th year. It’s a good time to look back at the past – and to look forward
towards the future.
September, 1989: Gan opened its doors to 29 children, the first Jewish preschool in the area to offer the option of full day care.
August, 2001: The Gan was the first Jewish preschool in the area to be accredited by the National Association for the Education
of Young Children (NAEYC) 2001-2007.
Spring, 2005: Gan Yeladim was one of 13 preschools nationwide to be selected to partner with JECEI, The Jewish Early Childhood Education Initiative, whose mission was to develop early childhood programs that would become models of excellence. This two year program was later extended for a 3rd year and awarded as a gift to four select schools, including The Gan.
January, 2007: Gan was thrilled and incredibly blessed to move into a beautiful new building, which enables us to welcome even more families to our classrooms.
The golden thread woven through these years has been the Gan trademark of striving to exemplify two classic Jewish ideas:
1) Children are important now. They are full citizens whose contributions truly matter to our world. 2) Love and respect are the fertile soil in which the seeds of learning and development can grow. Love and respect happen in myriad ways at Gan every single day; they are part of how teachers relate to children, and how they guide children’s relationships with their peers. These experiences are foundational and shape the person each one will be. A child who feels loved and respected will greet challenges with confidence and joy, and the inborn love of learning will flourish. The gift of spending these years in Gan enriches the lives of children and families, and the benefits are felt far into the future.
The world of early childhood naturally involves lots of “stuff” – there are the blocks, the art materials, the books, the music, the outdoors and on. The more important pieces are harder to see: the magic, the wonder, the glow of effort crowned by success. And most important of all – the “Morahs”, the dedicated teachers we are blessed to have in Gan.
We invite you to visit Gan so you can see for yourself why this school has, thank G-d, become such a beloved landmark in the landscape of the Stamford Jewish community. As to the future? We hope to welcome more and more children and families to Gan, because we truly believe that every child deserves to start their school years right here.
Morah Vivi Deren,
Founding Director,
Gan Yeladim Early Childhood Center
