The Merokee Day School is open to students ages 18 months to 5 years. It was founded in 1977 by former kindergarten teacher Vivian Kanter. Kanter and her daughter, Tracey Ferguson, serve as the school's directors.
Merokee's preschool program is a structured curriculum where children are exposed to letters, phonics and numbers through hands-on, developmentally appropriate practices. With a low student to teacher ratio, teachers are able to devote themselves to the individual needs of each child. Its pre-K program offers more of an emphasis on cognitive learning. Many activities are based on the concept of children learning through experience, not just worksheets. Merokee's kindergarten program is an accredited program by the NYS Department of Education.
Wee Friends Yeladim was first established in 1978, and currently runs out of the lower level of Temple Israel of South Merrick. The school offers day care for ages 2½ to 4½ years. A summer camp (Wee Tween & Teen Friends) is run out of campgrounds located in Wantagh, and caters to children through 13 years old. The school provides an environment 'in which the love of children and learning go hand in hand.'
The Jewish Early Learning Center welcomes children ages 1 - 4 years and provides each child with a safe, warm environment. It uses the SPICES approach to education, which encourages children to develop socially, physically, intellectually, creatively, emotionally and spiritually. The curriculum incorporates Jewish values and traditions with literacy readiness, math and dramatic play. It focuses on self-help, perception and sensory development, emotional growth and motor skills and encourages children to grow through indoor and outdoor playtime and learning.
The Center features bright, air conditioned classrooms, a large outdoor play area with three play sets designed for kids of all ages and outdoor toys. It offers a kosher breakfast, snacks and a hot lunch.
The Jewish Learning Center also offers a summer camp, which incorporates water play, baking, sports, music instruction, gymnastics and more.
Based at the Merrick Jewish Centre, the Friedberg JCC Merrick/Bellmore Branch Nursery School offers innovative programming for children from birth to five years.
In its Early Childhood program each classroom is viewed as a "homeroom" with each class leaving throughout the day to participate in a wide variety of enrichment activities. Enrichment activities may include bike room, body movement and aerobics, music, lending library, computers, Judaic and Shabbat celebrations and playground. Enrichment activities offer its pre-schoolers a stimulating variety of activities that are so important to the sound development of young children.
Its excellent, nurturing staff guide the children through activities designed to enhance their social and academic development in a warm and gentle way.
Its facility is fully-licensed by the NYS Office of Children & Family Services and its staff participates in year-round educational training courses.
Precious Kids II of North Merrick is an early childhood development center for toddlers and pre-schoolers. The center offers an inviting learning environment with formal curriculum and play. Summer camp is available during July and August.
Family-owned TLC Daycare has been at this location since 2000. It offers infant, toddler, nursery school and preschool programs. The ratio of students to teachers is 1:3 for infants, 1:4 for toddlers, 1:6 for nursery school and 1:7 for preschool program. Each staff member at TLC has an average of five years of childcare experience.
Grace Christian Academy serves more than 100 students in grades K-12.
Its goal is to be an educational community, which is Classical and Christ-centered in content, approach and administration. They are dedicated to providing children with a quality education in the tradition of Western culture and historic, biblical Christianity.
Emphasis is placed upon teaching students how to think and how to learn. Curriculum and educational methods employed are intended to meet the academic, social, cultural and spiritual needs of the traditional learner.
The head of the school is Richard Jensen.
The school uses the Montessori Method to teach its youngsters, which involves giving kids freedom in a learning environment with specific materials. Materials are geared toward helping learn life skills like dressing and washing, to skills such as math, language and culture. The school is AMI (Association Montessori International) recognized, the only school in the area with this distinction. All students and parents are interviewed before admission. The school offers the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd as an elective, a religious instruction based on the Catholic faith.
Sacred Heart Parochial School is a Roman Catholic private school affiliated with the adjoining church. The school is celebrating its 50 year anniversary in 2010. The school offers a full curriculum of subjects for nursery school students, up through 8th grade, along with the teachings of the Catholic faith. The school offers a summer camp program for Pre-K through 8th grade. A wide variety of clubs and afterschool programs are available. Hot lunch is offered daily.