There are amazing things happening at the JCC in regard to education.   The Brenner Family Early Learning Center (ELC) has the JCC nearly bursting at the seams.  Enrollment has nearly doubled from the 70s to well over 130.   Staff have found creative ways to use the space in the current ELC to meet the growing demand of our community, and have even temporarily been using a portion of the JCC fitness space this past year, but we continue to have wait lists forcing us to turn away interested families.   The ELC has a long standing commitment to quality and excellence, most recently demonstrated by the attainment of the highest achievement of Keystone Four STARS, a quality rating system that promotes quality improvement in early learning and development programs.  There is no doubt that this quality rating will further expand interest in enrollment at the ELC.   Without compromising the quality and excellence of the ELC or the curriculum and values of The Silver Academy, portions of the current Silver Academy space will be utilized by the ELC. Both organizations are excited to further work together to take advantage of the many synergies that exist.   In March, ELC’s Pre-K children began having lunch with The Silver Academy students.  In addition to creating space downstairs, it also provides a learning opportunity for the Pre-K children to socialize with older children and transition to a cafeteria-style setting for lunch.  Silver Academy students have even begun reading to the Pre-K children.   During the 2019-2020 academic year, the Pre-K class will move upstairs in space which will be adapted specially for them this summer to allow for more students downstairs and enable the JCC to re-open the J-Fit room for Personal Training expansion as originally intended. These changes will further enhance the atmosphere at the JCC and improve the space where all students will continue to learn and thrive. We look forward to continued growth in enrollment in both schools and believe that the increased interest in the ELC will additionally translate to future students at The Silver Academy.  The education that children get at the ELC and The Silver Academy is invaluable. These schools provide the moral and academic building blocks that develop our next generation of leaders, families, and hope for our community.   Thank you for your continued support of these two wonderful programs and please stay tuned for more details to come!   Warmly,

Jenn Ross President & CEO Jewish Federation of Greater Harrisburg Debra Freeburn Head of School The Silver Academy

About The Brenner Family Early Learning Center: The (ELC) provides high-quality child care and education services for kids 6 weeks to 5 years. We provide your child with a unique learning experience. The ELC is a center of learning influenced by its Jewish heritage and dedicated to the principles of social justice and respect for the uniqueness and diversity of each person. Its primary focus is education and serving the needs of young children and their families. We believe that by creating a community of neighbors, people who cooperate with one another, we are responding to a basic need of both parents and children.   About Silver Academy: We are taught that, “the world exists only because of the breath of schoolchildren.” And for almost 75 years the Rabbi David L. Silver Yeshiva Academy, now known as The Silver Academy, has provided an excellent education in both General and Jewish studies to a diverse student body.  The Silver Academy has guided the academic, social, and spiritual growth of thousands of children who have credited their education at Silver for their success in high school, college, and life as adults. Our students become leaders in their communities and contribute to both the Jewish and Global worlds.