Temple Dor Dorim Early Childhood Center welcomes students back to Weston’s only preschool accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC). Change is in the air at the school after long-time Director Shelia Woldenberg’s retirement. Her legacy will be continued by the extremely capable dynamic duo of Director Sandra Blasberg and Assistant Director Judy Frye.
Sandra joined the Temple Dor Dorim family in June. She brings a 25-year career’s worth of experience and an infectious enthusiasm to the role.
“I am really looking forward to welcoming everyone back for the new school year,” said Sandra, “when I was exploring job opportunities, it was clear Temple Dor Dorim is a real community where families are valued.”
Judy, who is a native of Weston, has been working with the school since February 2020. Early childhood education is a true calling for her. She chose to teach at multiple Title 1 schools in the New York City school system before moving back to Weston and joining Temple Dor Dorim. She was instrumental in shepherding the school through the COVID years.
Certified, Caring, Accredited Faculty
Temple Dor Dorim has dedicated, highly competent teachers. All of the head teachers and assistant teachers at the school hold early childhood certifications. In addition, the entire staff participates in ongoing workshops and conferences, ensuring the school’s professional commitment to teaching.
“Our teachers are highly trained, talented, and dedicated,” said Judy, “Many have been part of the school for a long time. It’s generational. Some of our teachers now have their grandchildren in the school.”
The school earned its reaccreditation with NAEYC last November. It is the only school in the area with this prestigious recognition. Part of the school’s accreditation process is ensuring teachers participate in continuing education, improving how they interact with students on a daily basis.
Open to All
“The school is open to everyone in the community,” said Sandra, “We are a Jewish Reform temple, but welcome students from all faiths and backgrounds. We believe values are universal and that if we teach those values to kids when they are little, it will take them through life.”
Play-Based Learning
The school operates with a play-based learning paradigm. They believe children develop a world of knowledge through creative play. Play provides children with hands-on experiences that help them grow developmentally, cognitively, emotionally, and socially. With play as an integral component of the curriculum, it encourages a warm, nurturing environment where children feel safe to take risks while exploring their world. This type of environment stimulates curiosity and fosters a lifelong love of learning.
Because of significant demand from parents, Temple Dor Dorim reinstated a kindergarten class for the 2023-24 school year. This class will allow kids to experience one-on-one teaching opportunities with a low teacher-to-student ratio.
Religious School
In addition to the Preschool, Dor Dorim is home to Our City Weston’s Best Religious School. The Religious School Program, which is continuing to grow, begins at kindergarten and continues through twelfth grade.
“The Religious school at TDD is an environment where our students can develop and nurture a love of being Jewish,” said Religious School Director, Jessica Smiley, “This cannot be measured in knowledge of Hebrew or memorization of prayers, but rather in the hearts of our students and families. Their pride in being Jewish will be a strong foundation throughout their lives.”
TDD strives to use the rich and beautiful culture and history of the Jewish people to create an inclusive program that children will be drawn to and love. This includes age-appropriate experiential learning that focuses on Jewish holidays, values, history, current events, Israel, and Hebrew. The goal is to create an environment where children find meaning and love in TDD’s holy community.
Safety First
Safety is paramount at Temple Dor Dorim. Full-time security is on-site at all times, along with state-of-the-art security systems. The school recently implemented new self-locking classroom doors, along with a key-card entry system, to ensure students are safe.
There are opportunities to learn at Temple Dor Dorim & its Early Childhood Center from ages 3 months to adult education. Visit during the Welcome Weekend and Open House August 25-27.
