Frequently Asked Questions

No. We welcome children and families of all faiths, backgrounds, and traditions. Our community celebrates diversity and values the unique experiences each family brings.

We are committed to providing a safe and secure environment for every child. Our school utilizes secure entry procedures, monitored access points, emergency preparedness protocols, and has an on-site security guard present whenever the building is in use.

We use Brightwheel for daily communication, photos, updates, attendance, and important school announcements. Families can easily stay connected to their child's day through the app.

No. We believe that children become toilet trained when they are developmentally ready. Our teachers partner closely with families to support each child through this important developmental milestone in a positive, consistent, and encouraging way. Before beginning the potty-training process at school, families are asked to review and acknowledge our program’s potty-training policies and procedures to ensure a consistent approach between home and school.

We offer flexible scheduling with care available from 7:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m.

We provide a morning snack and an afternoon snack each day. Families are welcome to pack lunch for their child, or they may participate in our optional paid lunch program. We are a peanut and tree nut free school. While lunches do not need to be kosher, pork and shellfish products are not permitted.

We meet or exceed all Pennsylvania Department of Human Services (DHS) requirements for teacher-to-child ratios and group sizes.

Infants through three-year-olds have a daily nap period. Children in our Pre-K program do not nap, as their daily schedule is designed to support Kindergarten readiness through engaging classroom activities, instead they will have a thirty minute quiet time following their lunch period.

Yes! Our summer camp program provides ten weeks of fun, engaging, and age-appropriate activities for children throughout the summer.

Yes. Our goal is not only to prepare children for Kindergarten, but to help them develop the roots they need to flourish for a lifetime.

Through our Shorashim curriculum, children build strong academic, social-emotional, and problem-solving skills while developing independence, resilience, confidence, and a love of learning. Our teachers create engaging, developmentally appropriate experiences that encourage children to explore, question, create, collaborate, and grow. As a result, our graduates leave KI well-prepared for Kindergarten and beyond.

Specific closures may change from year to year. We are closed for Rosh Hashanah and Yom Kippur, and our Passover schedule may vary depending on the school year. We encourage families to review the annual school calendar for the most up-to-date information regarding holidays, school closings, and professional development days.

Yes. We offer a variety of schedule options to meet the needs of families, including half-day and full-day programs, as well as early care, late care and extended day options.

At the Richard E. Rudolph, Jr. Preschool, we follow our own homegrown curriculum, Shorashim—the Hebrew word for "roots." Just as roots provide strength, nourishment, and connection, our curriculum helps children develop a strong foundation for learning, relationships, identity, and personal growth.

Shorashim is built around three guiding principles: Be Good to Each Other, Be Good to Yourself, and Be Good to the World. Through play-based, hands-on, and experiential learning, children explore literacy, mathematics, science, art, music, movement, STEM, gardening, cooking, Jewish traditions, and more while developing kindness, confidence, curiosity, and responsibility.

Our curriculum follows the Pennsylvania Early Learning Standards and incorporates key elements of The Creative Curriculum, allowing us to provide a rich educational experience that supports the whole child.