Grow. Explore. Discover

At Shalom Preschool our values reflect the meaning behind our name.
In Hebrew, the word ‘Shalom’ is a word of welcoming, farewell and peace. At our centre, we are welcoming of all families and communities. We are strong believers in the Reggio Emilia philosophy where we follow the children’s interests and gear learning towards their innate interests, personalities and preferences.

History of the Program

The Beth Tikvah Preschool has served the community of Richmond for over 30 years. It is governed by a board of directors and was established in order to better serve the community of Richmond. It was established to provide quality childcare and learning opportunities in the hopes of providing children with a foundation on which to build a fruitful and productive life. Our mission is rooted in our name- a word of welcoming and peace. As such our centre is a model for growth and togetherness as we navigate the journey of life as a community.

Philosophy and Goals

Our values reflect the meaning behind our name. In Hebrew, the word ‘Shalom’ is a word of welcoming, farewell and peace. At our centre, we are welcoming of all families as we believe that children are an extension of their families and communities.

We are strong believers in the Reggio Emilia philosophy where we follow the children’s interests and gear learning towards their innate interests, personalities and preferences. The children are not limited in their exploration of concepts and develop a deeper understanding of themselves, others and the world. On any given day, children will develop emotional regulation and self-awareness, practice pre-literacy and numeracy skills, improve their ability to communicate in many ways, think analytically and apply their creativity and imagination through the course of their explorations. These explorations can span months turning into classroom projects where children are self-motivated to learn under the guidance of trained facilitators.

Schedule

We offer a part-time program on Friday morning from 9 am-1 pm.

Centre Schedule and Routine

9:00-10:00-Centre opens/Free Play
10:15-10:45-Shabbat
10:45-11:15-Bathroom routine, hand washing, free play/ explorations, small group activities, early literacy, math, science and cooking.
11:15-12:00-Outdoor play and explorations (we have a garden on-site)

12:15-1:00- Lunch and board games

We support having mixed-age groupings as we believe this will enhance a child’s learning and sense of community. Research shows that group interaction between young children contributes to their social, cognitive and emotional development.

Testimonials

Tamar

EXACTLY WHAT
MY DAUGHTER NEEDED

Shalom preschool was exactly what my daughter needed: caring, warm, fun and educational. Esther was my son's preschool teacher 4 years ago, and I was excited when it was time for my daughter to go! I would highly recommend this preschool to anyone! - Tamar
Alisa

A FLEXIBLE,
CHILD-CENTRED PROGRAM

Shalom Preschool is a flexible, child-centred program and Esther has really gotten to know my child's needs and interests. Both of my daughters have participated in the program and have learned important problem-solving skills while doing fun hands-on activities and spending lots of time exploring outdoors. Shalom preschool has been a great preschool for my family! - Alisa

Teacher Profile

Julia Levit-Mintsis

Daycare manager

Julia’s Bio

Location

preschool_locationShalom Preschool operates within Beth Tikvah Congregation and Centre Association. Therefore it has access to a large and established facility both indoors and outdoors. Our playground is safe for kids of all ages, we have plenty of grass space for running around and playing, and we have recently built a community garden in which we offer gardening programs and education for our kids. We are situated in a great location close to Steveston and surrounding neighborhoods.