My family, and most importantly our child, loves this preschool. The teachers are amazing & have early childhood education degrees, and the other parents are welcoming and wonderful. Kids bundle up and play outside even when its snowy and cold. They learn to make the right choice and be kind to their friends. Parents regularly see photos of their children learning and discovering new units, so everyone feels engaged. FJECC for me is the best part about living in Boston. I wholeheartedly recommend this school.

I cant believe it has been almost a year. My daughter is currently in the toddler program and it is unbelievable how much she has learned and grown as a little person. I cant say enough about her teachers at the school and Helen. We looked at several schools that were much closer, but this was by far the best place for us and it was apparent at the first visit. I am always amazed by what they come up with in the classroom. It is constantly changing to stimulate development and learning opportunities for the kids. Never a dull moment at school. Plus the amazing outdoor classroom is hard to beat.

Our three-year-old had the most incredible experience at Temple Israel. We could not be more impressed and pleased with the staff, administration, curriculum and community. With just 12 short hours a week in the three-day toddler program it was apparent from the very beginning how much he was getting out of this time. My husband and I were blown away with the thoroughness and detail in the interim report that the teachers provided on our sons development. It showed how well they truly know your children and how much quality time they spend with each of them while at the FJECC. We would highly recommend this program to all of our friends and we cant wait for our newest son to join the program as well.

I cannot imagine a more caring and supportive environment for a child to experience at school. Our daughter had some difficulties at the beginning with separation and the warmth, and flexibility, shown by her teachers, and Helen Cohen, was truly above and beyond anything we would have expected. Throughout the year, the same warmth and support was demonstrated in the way in which FJECC brought together parents and students to create a true community within the school. There is a clear passion for early childhood education shown by everybody we came in contact with, and it’s applied in a way that is fun and organic, with exposure to music, and the outdoors, and culture, and all of the other subjects you would expect (i.e. math, arts, literacy). We’ve now moved abroad and while there are many things we miss about Boston we can say, without hyperbole, that we miss FJECC the most.

We feel so fortunate to be part of this incredibly unique school -- from its top educators to the warm community, we believe our family and are children are better off as a result of being a part of FJECC. We find the teachers to strike the perfect balance between being so very loving while also ensuring our children learn the very best an early childhood curriculum has to offer...best of all, our children are so happy to walk through the doors each day. We are so pleased!

FJECC at Temple Israel is an exemplary preschool where kids thrive. The teachers are fabulous! Both, teachers and staff know every child deeply and encourage their development individually. All classes have an age-appropriate academic curriculum on literacy, science, math and arts. Kids also have an opportunity to play a lot, and cook and create! The Judaic program is very strong and it is integrated through science and art. The kids can tell stories about the holidays and sing traditional tunes in Hebrew. They also have an Outdoor Nature Classroom where kids play with natural instruments and act on a wooden stage, and where they garden and learn about insects and flowers. FJECC also offers a very rich after school program. The preschool encourages parent participation and its goal is to build a tight community where you make friends for life. It has been a privilege for my children to attend this invaluable educational experience!

This is our daughters first year at FJECC and we couldnt be happier! We are so grateful that our daughter has the opportunity to not only grow academically and socially, but to also be part of the FJECC family. Being an educator myself, I am impressed with the schools approach towards teaching and nurturing young minds. The school and its staff are devoted to their roles, the children, and the families at the preschool.

My daughter just finished her second year at FJECC, and I cant say enough good things about the program. The curriculum is deeply engaging and nicely balanced, exposing the children to so many new experiences, while also allowing them to explore their own individual interests. I so appreciate the emphasis on social skills, such as cooperation and self advocacy, which are vital not only in early childhood, but in all the years that follow! Above all, the teachers at FJECC are incredible--warm, nurturing, and extremely thoughtful about the individual needs of the children in their classroom. My daughter walks into the building each day thrilled to be back in school. As a parent, this is a wonderful thing to witness.

We feel so fortunate that we found FJECC for our daughter She is getting a wonderful education in a supportive and caring environment. I will be so sad when she graduates this year-- luckily, my other daughter will start next Fall. We are really so lucky to be part of this special community!

Our son has had an incredibly positive experience at FJECC. The teachers are warm and engaging - making my son feel comfortable and at ease from day one. In addition, he has grown tremendously due to the focused curriculum. We truly couldnt ask for a better school and feel very fortunate to be a part of the FJECC community.

Deciding to send our son the FJECC has proven to be a very valuable investment in his education. His personality and manner developed tremendously during his time at the school - certainly the product of the hands-on, engaging classroom and wonderful teachers.We were immediately welcomed into the FJECC community by everyone - staff, teachers, and parents - and we cant recommend the school enough.

The FJECC is an amazing preschool for children ages 2-5. The school is a Best of Boston. It provides an excellent education along with a warm and wonderful environment. Being a part of the FJECC community is a gift for the entire family. Friendships are made and nurtured for both children and the families.

We had 3 kids at FJECC and it was a phenomenal, very special experience. The staff are personally invested in your kids and the development leaps our kids made under their careful guidance were really astonishing.

Weve spent three great years at FJECC, watching our oldest child learn and grow. She leaves the preschool with a confidence and sense of self that is amazing to see, and was a pleasure to watch her develop with help from her wonderful teachers. We drove in from Wellesley to bring my daughter to school every day - so you know FJECC must be something special in order to brave the commute! Our younger daughter will be starting at FJECC next year, and I cant wait!

What a gem right in the Longwood Medical Area! FJECCs reputation as an excellent developmentally-based early childhood education program is well-founded. Our twin boys have attended for 4 years, beginning with the two-day program in the Toddler Room just after their 2nd birthday. The curriculum is rich, materials enticing, the environment is safe and a love of learning is nurtured. We encountered individuals serving the school at all levels with a high degree of professionalism, and engaged teachers who are fun, warm and wise, with lengthy histories at FJECC. This is a program that truly understands how to meet each child at their level and help them grow. Our sons are very different and the program has served each exceptionally well. My husband and I couldn’t be more pleased with this base for them and are only happy to let others know of this wonderful school! Children are introduced to Jewish values but the mix of families across all backgrounds serves as an incredible model of an inclusive community.

When we started at FJECC with our first child he was only 20 months old, and I had no idea of how wonderful and caring a school could be. FJECC has exceeded all of my expectations and in talking to other friends, I realize how lucky we were to have found FJECC. My son is now in his fourth year, and our daughter has just started in the toddler room. Every year, it keeps getting better and better. The success is due in great part to the great attention that is placed to all aspects of the curriculum and the love and nurture the teachers give to the students and the parents. However, another really important part is the parents and the community.

Our two daughters, now ages 8 and 5 attended FJECC for a total of 7 years between them. I cannot recommend the school highly enough for parents and children. Both our girls had the most amazing experience there. From the beginning, when our older daughter began in the Toddler Room at age 2, we found FJECC to be a warm, nurturing, stimulating, and safe environment with each teacher more lovely and exceptional than the last. Since I spent two years serving as a PTO chair and several additional years volunteering for the school, I have gotten to know the school administration and community of families very well. I worked particularly closely with Helen Cohen, the director who is truly expert and visionary in the fields of early education and child development. Helen hand-picked only the most qualified teachers with masters degrees who, besides their credentials, were genuinely engaged and enthusiastic, and besides that genuinely love young children. The culture of the school is so positive and unique that it is the only school I have encountered where many of the teachers have been on staff since the school first opened 20 years ago! The school emphasizes professional development for all teachers so theyre always implementing new things in the classroom. The curriculum is broad, ranging from child-driven topics in math, science, and art to Jewish education and a lot of creative play and outdoor activity. Twice yearly conferences and progress reports were detailed and made it clear that the teachers really got to know the children as individuals and were invested in their continued growth and development. Our girls were so excited to go to school every day and skipped through the front door. Finally, FJECC completely prepared our daughters for their transition to elementary school, as confident, independent and curious learners and kind, compassionate members of their school community. The only problem with the school is that it doesnt go past kindergarten!

Truly amazing pre-school experience - caring, experienced teachers and administration and a warm community of families. We moved out of Brookline years ago and have continued sending our children.

The Frances Jacobson Early Childhood Center (FJECC) is an outstanding pre-school serving children 1.9-6 years of age. Our kids have spent 7 years (combined) at the school, and we have been very fortunate to have been a part of the FJECC community! FJECC staff manage to teach the kids values and great content while making learning a fun experience. Every 4-6 weeks a different unit is launched, and the kids are engaged in learning social, literacy, math, art and science skills via various activities around the unit. Extended day plan at the FJECC is a huge plus - no need to plan after school activities - yoga, art, cooking, photography and other classes are all offered by one of the extended day sessions during the school year. FJECC leadership and staff are highly qualified educators with a clear vision and philosophy on how to allow kids to develop at their own pace, while giving them the tools to do so. The administration and staff has been with the school for a long time (very little turnover in staff compared to what I have seen elsewhere). In addition, FJECC staff finds ways to get all parents involved in the learning process, even working parents like my husband and I. The community of parents we have gotten to know over the years is incredible and comprises a huge part of our social lives. These have been magical years for both of my kids and for us as a family. We cant wait to be back with our youngest in a year!

FJECC is a remarkable pre-school. All three of our children attended the school for a total of 7 years and our youngest graduated this spring. The three characteristics that defined our experience at the school were the fun and caring environment, the attention to the learning styles of our children, and the ethical framework that the teachers instilled in our children.The teachers are the heart of the environment at FJECC. The Toddler Room teachers Rianne and Sandra have the youngest children and are able to take sometimes unruly 2 yr olds and help them understand basic concepts of shared play and working together towards a common goal in a happy environment The large and well equipped playroom for this class was a particular favorite of our son!For the second year at the school children are divided up into two classrooms based on age. Our children had the Red Room with Bev and Cindy and their pet turtle Yawkey. Its difficult to adequately describe the professionalism of these teachers. They quickly and completely grasped the strengths and limitations of our kids. Their parent teacher conferences featured 5 page single spaced reports detailing our childrens abilities in every facet of their personal and interpersonal abilities. Every week a newsletter featuring the events of the week with pictures of the kids undertaking some adventure or mastering some new learning objective made me feel like I was an integral part of the classroom.The oldest children at the school are in the Blue Room. Here Lindsey and Natanya take the work that has been done in the other classrooms and begin to bring in the sense of the joy of learning that is so difficult to instill in young children. Every morning my children loved to find the sign-in challenge and puzzle through a word problem or memory problem. Just as importantly the children begin to learn a strong ethical underpinning that will be critical as they age further. They learn to share and work together on complex multi-week projects.In seeing my children graduate this school and watching them now at Park the lessons they learned at FJECC were the underpinnings of their academic skills and character.I cant recommend this pre-school highly enough. Please contact me if I can help you think through your decision to attend.