Hertz Nursery School
Discover the Erna and Julius Hertz Nursery School, nestled in the heart of Sharon, MA, where young children embark on a journey of discovery and growth in a nurturing Jewish environment.
Hertz offers a unique preschool program for children ages 15 months to 5 years, including a transitional kindergarten class. As an integral part of Temple Israel of Sharon, Hertz’s play-based curriculum fosters social, emotional, physical, and cognitive development.
Our curriculum seamlessly integrates secular and Judaic teachings, providing children a rich exploration of Jewish living and learning. From holiday celebrations and family programs to an introduction to Israel and Hebrew, every aspect of our program reflects our commitment to nurturing young minds and hearts.
Fully licensed by the Department of Early Education and Care (EEC), our school is staffed by dedicated and certified early childhood educators who are warm, loving, and passionate about guiding and inspiring young learners.
We offer convenient options such as Early Drop Off, Enrichment, and Stay and Play daily. Plus, our 8-week summer program ensures year-round opportunities for fun and learning.
Explore our age-appropriate classrooms filled with engaging materials, and enjoy our vibrant outdoor play space, complete with a licensed outdoor classroom. At Hertz, every day is an adventure filled with exploration, creativity, and joy.
Join us at the Erna and Julius Hertz Nursery School, where learning and laughter go hand in hand, and every child is celebrated for who they are.
(Young Toddlers 15-20 months):
We are the young toddler class at Hertz Nursery and our goal is to help the Bunnies transition from babyhood to toddlerhood. We know this is likely their first time in a classroom setting and we hope to provide the children with the love and support needed to make this transition as smooth as possible. We do this by providing social and emotional support, practicing classroom routines, engaging in daily communication with parents, and exposing the children to a variety of age-appropriate activities throughout the day. As their teachers we strongly believe in the power of play and that children learn by “doing”. We encourage all our students to explore and play at their own pace while also providing them with a warm and loving environment as well as giving them the social and emotional support needed to transition to toddlerhood.
(21 Months and Up- Child needs to turn 2 by December 31st):
In the Chipmunks class, our main focus is to provide a social and emotionally nurturing environment. We support our toddlers by providing developmentally appropriate materials and activities that increase cognitive skills by furnishing open-ended materials and projects. We provide a daily routine that we follow to encourage independence and language to communicate their needs. Above all, we want the children to feel love, support, and joy for school and learning.
(21 Months and Up- Child needs to turn 2 by December 31st):
The Cubs classroom is an exciting place to learn, play, and explore. This is a year of tremendous growth and change and we’re always amazed by the journey our Cubs take us on. Your child will be given the chance to learn through discovery as they enjoy a literature and art-based program that takes us through holidays, seasons, authors, and artists. They’ll have the opportunity to become part of a classroom and all that it entails by practicing everyday skills, such as sitting for circle and mealtimes as well as exploring the mysteries of water play and shaving cream. All in a safe and loving environment.
(Child needs to turn 3 by December 31st):
Welcome to the Teddy Bear Class. Our primary goals are to provide a loving, safe, and fun environment for your preschooler. We emphasize the importance of kind hands, kind words, and of being respectful to our peers. In our classroom, we strive to support the whole child by identifying and encouraging all feelings and emotions. We focus on several themes throughout the year that incorporate the identification of colors, shapes, numbers, and letters. We also work on fine and gross motor development through several hands-on activities. We incorporate many STEAM activities into our curriculum to encourage critical thinking. Moreover, we will include activities that focus on the core values of Judaism while highlighting several important traditions and holidays. We are very excited to work collaboratively to facilitate your child’s growth and development.
(Child needs to be 4 by December 31st):
Our focus in the Busy Bees class is to nurture social/emotional growth and to foster self-help skills. We feel that a child learns best when in a safe and loving environment and through teacher support, we give the children the tools to identify their feelings throughout the day. The children are valued members of the classroom and work together doing their daily job to keep the class running smoothly.
We work in small and large groups as the Busy Bees experience all areas of the curriculum such as pre-reading and prewriting skills. The Busy Bees enhance their fine motor and gross motor skills as they put together puzzles, create open-ended art projects, build with magnetic tiles, cut with scissors, use math cubes, dance in our weekly Israeli Dance class, and ride bikes on the playground. An important goal is for every child to feel that s/he is an important and valued member of the Busy Bees class.
(Transitional Kindergarten Class):
The Dinosaurs classroom is all about hands-on learning! We are a transitional kindergarten group focusing on creativity, collaboration, and critical thinking. There will be lots of fun challenges to help foster both social emotional and academic growth. We love to get messy, encourage self-expression, and explore things on our own as well as learn from each other. Our classroom is a community and family. Dinosaurs will use so many skills they have attained in preschool to continue to shine and ROAR into kindergarten the following school year. All developmental domains will be explored including fine motor, science exploration, and mathematics- including addition and subtraction. We will be diving deep into prewriting and pre-reading skills such as sounding words out, exploring and creating stories, and journal writing.
(Afternoon Program from 3:00-6:00):
Welcome to the Afternoon Adventures! We are the Otters class! Our class brings children from the core program together for an extended day program. We are a theme-based and literacy program, where children learn through play and exploration. Our curriculum touches upon all the learning domains for preschool and Pre-K skills through our circle time, hands-on projects, learning centers, and so much more!
Hertz teachers for the 2024-2025 school year:
Bunnies Class (Young Toddlers):
Emily Hubbard
Katie Blumenstiel
Chipmunks Class (Older Toddlers):
Suzanne Legros
Lizzy Silva
Marilyn Goldman
Sherry Precourt
Cubs Class (Older Toddlers):
Cyre Feldman
Mikayla Warburton
Sandy Aronson
Julie Wazan
Teddy Bears Class (3 year olds):
Corey Ebb
Michelle Higgins
Jamaika Johnson
Busy Bees Class (4 year olds):
Sue Tully
Anna Shuman
Dinosaurs Class (Transitional Kindergarten):
Danielle Ferrara
Enrichment/Stay and Play:
Valerie Marcon-Nestico
Janie Chefitz
Rachel Freeman
Sam Green
Hertz Specialists:
Israeli Dance: Each week, the children experience the joy of dancing while immersing themselves in Hebrew through lively music. This engaging class promotes physical activity and coordination, incorporating the Hebrew language in a fun and natural way.
Music: Each week, the children eagerly learn Hebrew through engaging songs and musical instruments. This interactive experience fosters a love for music while introducing Hebrew in a fun and immersive environment.
Shabbat Community Time: Each Friday, we gather in the Temple sanctuary to celebrate Shabbat. Rabbi Fineberg leads us in interactive songs that help prepare us for Shabbat. The children especially enjoy choosing ingredients for the chicken soup during “Chicken Soup for Shabbat” and stomping their feet while singing “There’s a Dinosaur Knocking at My Door.” We then make the blessings together over the candles, grape juice, and challah.
Parents and family members can sign up to be a Shabbat Helper, joining their child in the sanctuary and then returning to the classroom to read a special book as the children enjoy challah for snack.
Discover how our nurturing environment and expert educators can set your child on the path to success. To receive more information about our programs, schedules and enrollment process, please contact Leisa Glass at mrabinovitz@tisharon.org