We are excited to share that beginning this September, Beth El will be home to a new early childhood program. The JCC of Westchester will rent space in our building to operate Toward Tomorrow, a preschool that serves children ages 2.9 to 5 who benefit from additional support in communication, motor skills, and social development. The Toward Tomorrow Program has been in existence since 1991, it serves over 160 preschoolers and has three sites, and Beth El is now one of those sites!
Toward Tomorrow is a well-regarded program with a strong reputation for providing thoughtful, individualized support to young learners. Their approach is warm, child-centered, and rooted in developmental best practices. While this program will run independently from Beth El Nursery School, the presence of another high-quality early childhood program in our building reflects our shared belief in the importance of creating welcoming, supportive spaces for children and families.
We want to reassure you that while Toward Tomorrow will be housed in our building, our Nursery School program remains unchanged and continues to thrive. We do not anticipate any disruption to our day-to-day routines. For the most part, the two programs will run separately while coexisting side-by-side.
This new partnership was carefully considered by synagogue leadership and aligns with our broader commitment to make thoughtful use of our building while upholding the integrity and excellence of our Nursery School. With clear coordination to ensure smooth day-to-day functioning we are confident this new relationship will be mutually beneficial.
Here are some key details:
Classroom Use: Toward Tomorrow will occupy 11 classrooms in the Religious School wing, with a total of approximately 70 students attending classes. No Nursery School classrooms will be used.
Drop-Off and Pick-Up: Toward Tomorrow students will arrive by bus at 8:25am and will dismiss at 2:30pm. They will enter the building through the side entrance closest to Northfield Avenue. We do not expect that the Nursery School arrival and dismissal will be impacted by the Toward Tomorrow program, but we do understand that as the year gets underway, we may need to work out some kinks. We ask you for your patience as we work through these early days.
Play Space: A dedicated outdoor play area is being created for Toward Tomorrow at the Northfield entrance. The Nursery School playgrounds will remain solely for Beth El Nursery School children.
Security: Toward Tomorrow staff and students will have their own security personnel on site during school hours.
Offering Toward Tomorrow a home at Beth El is an opportunity to model what it means to be a welcoming, inclusive, and mission-aligned community. We are proud to offer space to a program that helps young children learn and grow in a supportive environment, just as we do in our Nursery School.
We will keep you updated as we get closer to the start of the school year. In the meantime, please don’t hesitate to reach out if you have any questions.
