Twos room
2-year-olds
Adults to children: 1 adult to 6 childrenGroup size: 12
Songs, water play and a quiet rest after lunch
- Mornings8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. · 3 or 5 daysOffered
- School day8:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. · 5 daysRest after lunchOffered
A Jewish early childhood center
The Jewish year, one month at a time, for children ages 2 to 5
Sage is the early childhood center of our congregation in La Vista. Children light the Friday candles, bake for the holidays and plant in spring, with teachers who know each of them.
The Jewish year
A year of festivals, in the order children meet them
Each month brings something to sing, taste or make, from the first apples of the new year to the flowers of early summer.
Shabbat
Every Friday we gather for candles, grape juice and challah, and sing the blessing over the bread.
Sep to Jun
Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur
Apples and honey, a shofar to listen to and a quiet circle for the new year.
Sep to Oct
Sukkot
We build a small sukkah in the yard and eat snack inside it under a roof of branches.
Oct
Hanukkah
Candles, dreidel games and doughnuts, and an evening in the hall for every family.
Dec
Tu BiShvat
The new year of the trees: seeds to plant, and fruits to taste and compare.
Jan to Feb
Purim
Costumes, a story told with puppets, and a morning of baking for neighbors.
Mar
Passover
A child-sized seder: the story, the four questions asked in song, and matzah to taste.
Apr
Shavuot
Flowers for the room, a dairy snack and a story about the first fruits.
May to Jun
Programs
Three rooms, and the schedule that fits your family
Threes room
3-year-olds
Adults to children: 1 adult to 10 childrenGroup size: 20A longer morning of choosing work, and a weekly visit from Ori
- Mornings8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. · 3 or 5 daysOffered
- School day8:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. · 5 daysLunch from homeOffered
- Extended day7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. · 5 daysOffered
Pre-K room
4-year-olds
Adults to children: 1 adult to 12 childrenGroup size: 20The year before kindergarten, with Shira
- Mornings8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. · 3 or 5 daysOffered
- School day8:30 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. · 5 daysLunch from homeOffered
- Extended day7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. · 5 daysOffered
Fees and what each is for
- Registration
- Holds a place and covers the enrollment file.
- Materials
- Covers art supplies and the projects children make for each festival.
- Extended day
- Covers the early and late hours for families who need them.
On Fridays mornings and the school day end at 12:30 p.m., after the Shabbat gathering. The extended day ends at 1:00 p.m.
Sample programs.
Dates
The school year at a glance
Tours run most of the year, applications open in the new year, and families hear from us in March.
This school year
Early November
Open house
Families come together, hear from the teachers and see the three rooms at work.
Book a tourWeekday mornings, most of the year
Tours
A tour takes about an hour, while the rooms are working. Children are welcome to come along.
Book a tourJanuary
Applications open
The form is on our enrollment page. Families who belong to the congregation and families who don't apply the same way.
March
DecisionsFamilies hear from us
By email and a phone call, with a place or a spot on the waitlist.
Early September
First day
New children start with a short visit alongside a parent.
September and October
ClosedClosed for the High Holy Days
The center closes for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur. The calendar we give families lists every closed day.
Sample dates.
Safety and license
Who licenses us, and how we look after the rooms
License
Licensed by Nebraska DHHS
Child care center license · NE License # 000000Verify
Adults to children
1 adult to 6 children
2-year-olds
Group size: 12
1 adult to 10 children
3-year-olds
Group size: 20
1 adult to 12 children
4-year-olds
Group size: 20
Group size
Up to 20 children
with 2 adults
Capacity
52
Ages 2 years to 5 years
Staff checks and training
- Background checks
- CPR and first aid
- Mandated reporter training
- Food handler training
Safety routines
Arrival and pickup
A teacher greets every child at the door and signs them in. At pickup a child goes only with the people on your list, and we ask for ID until we know you.
Allergies and snacks
Tell us about allergies at the tour; we ask privately once you enroll. Snacks are dairy or vegetarian, and we ask families not to send nuts.
When a child is ill
A child with a fever or a contagious illness stays home. If a child becomes ill here, we call you right away and a teacher stays close until you arrive.
Drills and headcounts
We practice fire and tornado drills, and we count heads whenever children move between the rooms, the hall and the yard.
Outdoor play
Children go out whenever the yard is clear, dressed for the weather. A teacher counts heads at the door and again at the gate, and the yard is fenced.
Candles
Children light electric candles in the rooms. Any real flame is lit by an adult, in the sanctuary, away from the children.
Ask us about child care assistance
Sample details.
The team
The people in the rooms
Nine adults work at Sage: a director, two adults in each of the three rooms, a Hebrew and music teacher and an office administrator. Three of them are here.
Shira Klein
Director and pre-K teacher
Shira leads the center and teaches the pre-K room. She is at the door most mornings, and she is the person to ask about a tour or about how a festival is kept here. She speaks Hebrew with the children in songs and blessings.
Yael Stein
Twos room lead teacher
Yael leads the twos room, where the first weeks are slow and short. She sings with the children through the day, keeps the shelves low and knows which song ends a hard goodbye.
Ori Cohen
Hebrew and music teacher
Ori visits every room each week with a guitar. He teaches the songs and the Hebrew words that go with them, and he leads the Friday gathering for the whole center.
Questions
What families ask us first
What ages and hours do you have?
We take children from age 2 through the year before kindergarten. Mornings run 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m., the school day to 3:00 p.m., and the extended day from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. On Fridays mornings and the school day end at 12:30 p.m. and the extended day at 1:00 p.m.
How does a tour work?
A tour takes about an hour on a weekday morning, while the rooms are working. You meet the director, see all three rooms and the yard, and ask whatever you like. Children are welcome to come along. Book a time on our tour page.
Do we have to be Jewish, or belong to the congregation?
No. Families of any background are welcome, and many of our families don't belong to the congregation. Every child takes part in the Jewish year with the room. If a custom is a question for your family, tell us at the tour.
Is the center licensed, and what about the adults in each room?
Yes. We are licensed by Nebraska DHHS as a child care center. The license and the number of adults for each age are on the safety page, where you can read them for yourself.
What happens when a child is ill?
A child with a fever or a contagious illness stays home and comes back after a full day of being well. If a child becomes ill here, we call you right away and a teacher stays close until you arrive.
What about toilet learning?
Children in the threes and pre-K rooms use the toilet on their own, with a teacher close by. In the twos room, toilet learning goes at each child's pace, and we work it out with you.
Come and see the rooms on a weekday morning
A tour takes about an hour. Bring your child if you like, and ask anything.