On February 1, our Erika J. Glazer and Mann Family Early Childhood Centers held their Annual Gala: After Hours @ Wilshire. All proceeds from this amazing night help support scholarships and enrichments for our Early Childhood Centers. We are all so fortunate to be part of such a committed, passionate, and generous community. It gave us great pride and joy to see our community of parents come together in support of our schools to benefit the scholarship fund and operating budget. 

In our Early Childhood Centers, the Parent Association plays an important and active role in our programs. Its goal is to work in partnership with teachers and school administrators to enrich school programs and enhance the feeling of community in our schools.

In our Early Childhood Centers, the Atelier, or “art studio,” is a place where children come to explore, create, and express themselves through multiple mediums. It is a magical space, filled with natural light and soft music, and set up with intentionality. 

Children in our nursery schools begin their days with morning meetings in which their teachers ask them questions about the previous day. The group spends time discussing and reflecting, then prepares for the day ahead. Because our curriculum is inspired by the innate inquisitive spirit of each beautiful child, it is a daily practice for our teachers to tailor their programs to meet their students’ needs. It is a core philosophy of the Reggio Emilia approach to early childhood education.

But how is that also a Jewish approach?

During their final year of nursery school, we provide the TK and DK children with opportunities to joyfully engage with elders in our L.A. Jewish community by going on three field trips during the months of November through February. This year, we are excited to partner with two new senior centers: our Mann Family ECC with the Los Angeles Jewish Home’s Eisenberg Village, a continuing-care retirement community, and our Glazer ECC with the Garden of Palms assisted-living center.

One of the pillars of the Brawerman Elementary School experience is the joy of partnering with “buddies” in younger grades. For years, logistics left students in Grade 3 out in the cold. At Brawerman West, Kindergarten goes with Grade 6, Grade 1 with Grade 5, and Grade 2 with Grade 4. Over on the East campus, Kindergarten buddies with Grade 4, Grade 1 goes with Grade 5, and Grade 2 is paired with Grade 6. Whichever way you pair the grade levels, Grade 3 always got left out—until now.