5 Top Tips for Getting to Know Ganeinu – Who are we and what do we offer?

The childcare landscape of St Ives, is an ever changing and increasingly flooded market, with new companies and providers setting up centres at a rapid rate. As parents we recognise and respect you have choices, and that you want for your children the best possible early childhood education and care in a local setting. At Ganeinu our priorities are the same. So, let’s clarify and define exactly who we are and what makes Ganeinu a trusted, consistent and community focused child care option for you and your children. We are proud of our centre, our service and our name, and we want for you to be equally proud of the choice you make for your child. So, allow us to introduce ourselves, and share with you who we are and importantly who we are not.

Who we are.

Ganeinu is a community based child care centre and is a service offered by Chabad North Shore. Chabad North Shore is one of over three and a half thousand Chabad institutions across the world that promotes the Jewish faith, offers community support and provides services to a range of individuals. Chabad North Shore was established in 1989 and has a long tradition of community involvement, service and dedication to the St Ives area. We are very proud to work closely with Rabbi Nochum & Rebbetzin Fruma Schapiro, as they offer genuine love, faith and leadership to Ganeinu, its staff, children and families.

Ganeinu was established over ten years ago with the aim of providing quality child care for the local community. Ganeinu has long established tradition of education and care for children in our local area and we intend to remain local, small and personalised in our attitude and approach to your children. Though a Jewish and faith-based organisation, every family and child is warmly welcomed, regardless of cultural background. We offer long hours (7:30 am – 6:00 pm) and provide education and care for children from 2 months to 6 years. Our staff and our families reflect the diversity that we embrace, with many different cultural back grounds represented at Ganeinu.

What we are not.

As a community based, not for profit child care centre, we are run and managed with the sole purpose of providing consistent care and long term quality early childhood education. We are not beholden to shareholders, owners or the needs of private companies, only to children and families. We recognise that we offer a very niche market in the child care field and of that we are unashamedly proud. We are not a big ticket child care provider and we like it that way. Our centre does not offer a one size fits all approach, and of that we are confident. Local knowledge, local staff and a local attitude is our strength. Our approach is as unique as the children we cater for, and as a boutique child care option we are small, family based and approachable because of it. We would not have it any other way.

What we believe

We believe that children thrive in a community when they are supported, feel a genuine sense of belonging and participation. Local schools, local knowledge and local support is our focus in helping children feel confident and engaged in learning. We are very much part of the local community and enjoy a strong network of relationships with schools, community groups and families. We participate in Chanukah On the Green and have a presence in our local St Ives Village. Our children enjoy a relationship with our older generation from Montefiore nursing home and we frequently have visits from past students. It is all about fostering relationships across the years and across our community. Many of our children and parents are siblings, relatives or friends from the Ganeinu family, this underpins our home away from home philosophy.

What we promote

We are dedicated to helping our children to become successful learners, confident and creative individuals, informed citizens, respectful of diversity, proud of their culture, supporters of the planet and our natural environment, with a strong sense of being part of the community and the diverse world. We do this by offering small class sizes, with personal and genuine knowledge, recognition and awareness of each child. We love that we are small and that our four rooms provide a hub for building relationships and friendships. We also promote our children’s security and well-being. We provide a safe and secure environment with automated front entry gates for cars and conduct safety checks both indoors and outdoors on a daily basis. Our children are very precious and we take their security very seriously. We also recognise the role nutrition plays in a child development and our Kosher meals are specifically prepared to reflect our faith based education, but also our awareness of fresh, quality produce. Kosher (Chalav Yisrael), meals are cooked on site daily by our qualified chef, covering all nutritional requirements.

What we offer

Preparation for school is a corner stone of our education, but so is recognising that your children’s early childhood years are more than just school readiness. We value school preparation, but we also value their own interests, needs and rights to celebrate achievements, milestones and day to day steps along the way. Our best resource are our staff. They have an intimate knowledge of the local area, of the local schools and of the best ways to promote a positive school transition process and development across all age groups. Our school readiness program is tailor made to our area and this is very specific to local expectations and our understanding of the schools around us. Our staff live locally, work locally and have a detailed and intimate knowledge of what to expect and how to best prepare your child. We know the St Ives area intimately and we use this to our advantage to give your children the best school start possible. Our educators are available to meet with you to share their skills, advice and personalise your school journey.