Gan Ilan Preschool
Welcome to our loving preschool community!
Established in 1999, Gan Ilan, or “Garden of the Trees,” is Temple Isaiah’s cherished preschool, known by many as the number one Jewish day school in California. We cater to children aged 2 years to Pre-K, prioritizing members of Temple Isaiah. At Gan Ilan, children engage in active learning through exploration and interaction with adults, peers, and their environment. We foster an environment where children can question, practice, and imagine, nurturing their curiosity and understanding of the world.
Recognizing each child as a unique individual with their own developmental timeline, we celebrate and accommodate diverse learning styles in our curriculum design. Our play-based approach, led by great teachers, is dynamic, emergent, and intricately intertwined with Jewish customs and values, allowing students to excel and grow their skills and imagination. We invite you to explore our educational philosophy and curriculum, reach out with any inquiries, and schedule a visit to experience Gan Ilan firsthand. During your visit, your child is more than welcome to join you.
Early Childhood Education
Our early childhood programs provide a holistic family experience, integrating the child, family, school, and Temple Isaiah community. In our safe and nurturing environment, children are encouraged to grow cognitively, socially, emotionally, and spiritually, fostering a love for learning and independence.
We cultivate imagination, curiosity, and self-esteem through rich, exploratory curricula that promote respectful social relationships. Emphasizing the beauty of Jewish tradition, our curriculum includes music, art, holiday celebrations, and rituals, enriching children’s understanding of Jewish values on a daily basis. Students are supported by great teachers who encourage them to excel and grow their skills and imagination.
We believe in the interconnectedness of our children’s lives and encourage open dialogue among families, teachers, Temple clergy, and community members.
Contact Us
Call our office at (925)284-8453 or email us at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address). Gan Ilan is located in Temple Isaiah’s Chaiken Family Talmud Torah Center at 945 Risa Road, Lafayette, CA 94549
Gan Ilan Preschool is made possible in part by support from:
- Meet Our Staff and Schedule A Tour
We are looking forward to meeting you!
Please call the preschool office at (925) 284-8453 or email .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address) to schedule a tour. Preschool tours are for adults only, to give you the time to focus on the classrooms and program philosophy with the director and discuss any questions you may have regarding our school.Meet Our Directors and Admin!
Courtney Ludlow, Director of Early Childhood Education
(925) 284-8453
.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)Vera Gordon, ECE Administrative Coordinator
(925) 284-8453
.(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)
Bridget Wellerstein
Director of Student ServicesMore About Our Teachers, Clergy and Specialists
Classroom Teachers
Our experienced and dedicated staff are caring and compassionate educators. They create a warm and nurturing environment for the children as they encourage them to explore, learn, develop independence and friendships. Gan Ilan prides itself with low teacher/child ratios which allow the teachers to develop deep relationships with each child. All of the Gan Ilan staff possess their undergraduate degrees as well as early childhood units. Some teachers also have earned their masters degrees and/or teaching credentials. Working collaboratively, the Gan Ilan staff strive to provide the best program possible for their students and their families.Clergy
Gan Ilan is fortunate to have our wonderful Clergy integrated into our preschool. Classroom teams pair with a clergy person to set up special visits throughout the school year.Outdoor Education and Gardening
All classes spend time in the garden with their teachers, working, playing, and enjoying our beautiful space. Using the garden as a teaching tool, the Jewish calendar is incorporated into the gardening classes and biblical crops are planted so they can be harvested for our Jewish holidays.Music
Music is central to the learning in our school and each class meets with our music specialist once per week.- Summer and Fall 2024 Enrollment and Calendar
We are currently fully enrolled for Summer 2024 and the 2024/25 School Year
Gan Ilan School Calendar FY24-25
Gan Ilan is open to the community, with priority given to members of Temple Isaiah. We offer an integrated family experience that connects the child, the family, the school and the Isaiah community.
How to enroll:
Registration for the school year is available to both members and nonmembers of Temple Isaiah. Interested parents of new students should schedule a visit to meet the ECE director and to tour Gan Ilan.- Our Program and Philosophy
Gan Ilan’s program operates Monday through Friday from 8:00am until 5:00pm. We offer three schedules to meet various needs; part day 9am -1pm, extended day 8:30am-3:30pm, and full day 8am – 5pm. Every program includes a snack and lunch time with meals provided by parents. Those staying until 3:30pm or 5pm should pack an additional snack for the afternoon. Classrooms are separated by age and follow a flexible flow of the day that accommodates for the needs of each age group.
Learning Through Play and Nature
Children learn everywhere and all the time. They see, hear, smell, and touch things all at the same time. At Gan Ilan, we believe developmentally appropriate play is instrumental in each child’s development. Play fosters communication, expression, and reasoning. Play brings children into contact with multiple stimuli that strengthen their development of categorization, generalization, and conceptual acquisition skills.
What do our students really do and learn outdoors?
They observe, ask questions, figure things out, explore, discover, and play. They practice balancing, build and construct, use their imagination, take risks, learn about science, nature, and more. Choosing to hang from a tree branch, plant seeds in the garden, jump over a log, dig in the sand, squish in the mud, or follow the garden path - the children learn about themselves, their decisions, and what to do in new settings.Jewish Curriculum
How does a Jewish curriculum fit in with the play based approach of our preschool? Because the Jewish holidays are based on the ebb and flow of the natural world, Judaism forms the basis for our explorations and is a springboard for ideas. The Jewish calendar can be seen as a parade of holidays, one after the other. Our approach will reflect the natural flow and rhythm of days and weeks that our tradition is based on. We might look out the window and observe the changes that take place in the Fall. While learning the blessings for apples and honey, we would compare the kinds of apples, the colors, the sizes, the names; we could take a trip to pick apples from the trees, and write a book about that, complete with children’s illustrations and quotes. Each week we will bake our own challah and delight in the warm smell of baking bread. We will learn the blessing over the grape juice and then perhaps study fruits that grow on vines. We root our days, our weeks with the blessings and songs of our faith, and from there grow our own ideas and expressions of who we are.
Get Involved
The Parent Association (PA) is comprised of parents at the preschool who are dedicated to supporting the preschool director and the school.
The Gan Ilan Fundraiser is another wonderful way to get involved, and it requires the help of the entire parent body.
Parent Communication
Parents and staff can communicate regularly through the brightwheel app. Parents are encouraged to discuss any questions or concerns with teachers or the Director as they arise. Parents are welcome to set up an appointment with your child’s teachers or the Director at any time. Additional ways we communicate with each other are: the weekly newsletter, class parent bulletin board, hallway and door notices, and children’s mailboxes and/or cubbies.