FAQs Relating to COVID-19

What are your plans to clean and sanitize classrooms and materials? Our teachers will be cleaning and sanitizing the classroom throughout the day as well as a thorough cleaning at the end of each day. Materials will be cleaned before and after their use. Our cleaning company will come in every night to do a final cleaning.

Who is guiding your health and safety plan? We are taking guidance from the Utah Department of Health, the CDC, and the American Academy of Pediatrics.  

If someone in my household has been exposed or tests positive for COVID-19 do I need to notify the ECC? Please notify the ECC immediately if anyone within your household has been exposed or tests positive for COVID-19 or any other communicable disease. 

What PPE will your staff be using during the day? Our staff will be wearing properly fitting face masks and washing their hands frequently throughout the day. Hand sanitizer is readily available, and staff will wear gloves and face shields when necessary. 

What will happen if there is a confirmed case of COVID-19 in the ECC? We will notify all families immediately and follow the guidance of the Utah Department of Health. This may mean closing one classroom or the entire center for 2-5 days or longer if advised by the Health Department. 

Can my family travel outside of Utah while enrolled in the ECC? If your family travels outside of Utah, we ask that you wait 14 days from your return before coming back to the JCC.

Are parents/guardians allowed to enter the ECC? At this time, parents/guardians are not allowed in the ECC but are allowed in the community center.

Will I be charged tuition should the ECC close due to COVID-19? If the ECC is closed for more than two weeks, you will not be charged tuition until it reopens.

Does my child have to wear a mask? Children 2 and under are not required to wear masks. Children 3 and over are encouraged to wear masks when they are not in the ECC.

What are your adult to child ratios in each classroom? During the Orange Phase (or Department of Health Phase 3) the maximum number is 12 for toddlers (1:6 ratio), and 18 for 3-5 year olds (1:9 ratio)

I'm interested in the JCC, but I'm not Jewish...

There is no requirement that families, children, or even teachers be Jewish. We welcome families from all backgrounds, cultures, and beliefs.

Is religion taught in the classroom?

Jewish culture and tradition are essential aspects of all our classrooms. We celebrate many Jewish holidays as part of our curriculum. Our celebrations and observances include stories, music, art, and cooking. We also observe Shabbat every Friday in individual classrooms and as a group with the Shabbat specialist who celebrates almost every week with our older children. In a diverse world often filled with religious strife, the JCC offers a place where Jewish traditions are taught and celebrated in a healthy, inclusive, and non-proselytizing manner.

Most importantly, our values-based curriculum teaches children how to interact in respectful ways with peers, nature, and their community. Our curriculum includes various learning experiences to explore universal human values through a Jewish lens.

Although we do not celebrate non-Jewish holidays in our classrooms with activities or lesson plans, we respect everyone’s holidays and allow children to share the excitement and dialogue surrounding each holiday observed in their homes. There is no requirement that families, children, or even teachers, be Jewish. The majority of our ECC families come from other religious, or non-religious backgrounds. Everyone is welcome!

How do you approach non-Jewish holidays?

Although we do not celebrate non-Jewish holidays in our classrooms with activities or lesson plans, we respect everyone's holidays and allow children to share the excitement and dialogue surrounding each holiday celebrated in their homes.

What is the curriculum and development assessment tool?

Teaching Strategies® Creative Curriculum® is a comprehensive, knowledge-based, developmentally appropriate approach to learning that supports 36 goals and objectives to help children grow cognitively, emotionally, physically, and socially. Based on research, theory, and knowledge of early childhood education, Creative Curriculum® allows teachers to design successful classrooms by creating productive learning environments, teaching essential skills and learning concepts, using intentional teaching strategies, and building strong partnerships with families.

The Teaching Strategies GOLD® assessment tool is an online program that helps teachers organize observations and information they have learned about each child into meaningful data. This data shows children’s progress in development and learning which ultimately creates individual child profiles. Educators will share information at fall and spring family conferences, and additional updates are available upon request.

What are the family participation requirements?

At the JCC we value family partnerships, and many opportunities exist for all parents/guardians to become involved in our classrooms. Families are always welcome visitors at our ECC, and we ask for a minimum of 10 volunteer participation hours per child during the school year. Feel free to join us throughout the day to observe, eat lunch, volunteer, or share a unique talent with the children. We encourage your participation and presence!

When volunteering, families become more connected to our community and experience their child’s education firsthand. Friendships emerge from time spent working together on a school event, committee, fundraiser, or in the classroom. We need volunteers at various times during the day and school year. We have many community service opportunities throughout the year as well. While engaging in activities, teaching teams gain essential knowledge about your child and family. Each time your child sees their family at school, or in the community, their world comes together, and they feel special.

What are the teacher to child ratios?

2/3's

Class sizes: About 12 children
Teachers: 2
Ratio: 6 to 1

3/4's and 4/5's

Class sizes: About 16-20 children
Teachers: 2
Ratio: 8-10 to 1

What is Sheva?

Sheva (the number seven in Hebrew) has extraordinary power in Jewish thought and practice. It is the name of the JCCs of North America Early Learning Framework, and signifies the seven core elements of exemplary early childhood practice, deeply rooted in the latest research on child development seen through a Jewish lens. Throughout our classrooms, you will find an emphasis on the Seven Core Elements of Sheva- children as constructivist learners, early childhood directors as visionaries, early childhood educators as professionals, families as engaged partners, environments as inspiration for inquiry, Discover CATCH as Sh’mirat HaGuf (taking care of our bodies), and Israel as the story of the Jewish people.

Do I need to be a JCC member to enroll?

We require a JCC Family Membership for all families enrolled in the Early Childhood Center. Aside from the preschool, the JCC offers a first-class fitness facility that includes two swimming pools, summer camps, Club J and community programs—all of which are available to you as a member. 

Join The JCC

For membership inquiries, please contact Michelle Oelsner, Director of Membership Services, 801.581.0098 ext 115 or .