JUNE 3 • 2021 | 21

L

ike anything of importance to the
care and development of toddlers,
preplanning is not to be taken light-
ly. Preplanning a preschool even more. So,
with many requests, along with Mushky
Glitsenstein’s strong desire to open a full-
time early childhood education center, the
Lamplighters preschool at the Royal Oak
Chabad Center was born.
Glitsenstein, the preschool’s executive
director, envisioned a place that would instill
in its children the knowledge of their inherent
value. A preschool that is more like a family,
a giant hug, a community where parents sup-
port each other and celebrate.
“When building this school, I knew one
thing: I wanted to help our parents raise
children who are filled with a sense of worth
and happiness,
” she said. “It’s important to
us to give our children an organic sense of
understanding how important and valuable
they are.
”
In pursuit of ensuring a high-quality educa-
tion with a priority for creating a warm, wel-
coming and communicative environment for
parents, Jamie Gans was recruited to join the

Lamplighters team as director of education.
Jamie, originally from Franklin, has her mas-
ter’s in early childhood education and special
ed, and spent 10 years teaching in preschools
in Manhattan. If asked, Jaime will tell you she
has a strong belief in Lamplighters’ style of
individualized education, and that she loves
her students as if they were her own kids.
Drawing from the best practices in early
childhood education, and with specific inspi-
ration from the Reggio Emilia philosophy,
children will learn through an innovative,
inquiry-based, hands-on curriculum where
they actively participate in the learning pro-
cess.
The Reggio approach isn’t a linear and
predetermined curricular progression, and
there are no international training courses to
become a Reggio teacher. Creating a Reggio
style takes careful consideration of how learn-
ing methods, environmental aspects and rela-
tionships interact together to form the basis
of learning.
At Lamplighters, children are the main
initiators of the learning process. They are
inspired by their own interest to know and

learn and, as such, are endowed with a
uniquely individualistic understanding of
how to construct learning on their own. In
other words, children should be treated as
active collaborators in their education, as
opposed to passive observers.
In addition, Lamplighters is unwavering in
the belief that parental involvement is critical
to the creation of a learning community for
children.

JEWISH ENRICHMENT
When it comes to Jewish learning,
“Lamplighters’ main goal is to give our chil-
dren the most positive, exciting, delicious
and fun Jewish experience,
” Glitsenstein says.
“When they think of their Judaism, we don’t
want the first things to come to mind being
a 10-hour-long seder or breaking their teeth
over their Torah portion.
“When they think about the most enjoy-
able part of their lives, we want them to think
of their Judaism. Something that is so import-
ant to us is to give our children the ‘whys.
’
Why do we drink four cups of wine? Why do
we celebrate Shavuot? Why do we eat dough-
nuts on Chanukah?
“When they understand who they are and
why they are doing the things they do, it
gives them the confidence and the pride in
their Jewish identity. It’s no longer something
they just do to make their parents happy, but
because they get it and understand its signif-
icance.
”
Another key Lamplighters tenent is having
the classroom environment act as the third
teacher. A living organism, a place of shared
relationships among the children, teachers
and parents with the feeling of being in a
world that’s alive, welcoming and authentic.
“Through the Reggio curriculum and the
school’s physical environment, we are telling
our children, you are not an empty vessel that
we’re going to try to fill up with information
— you are our source of knowledge. We’re
going to dig deep. We’re going to make you
question and find the answers from within
you. Our bare walls, that’s for you to fill with
your work. Our neutral, non-colored envi-
ronment? Because you are our color!”
Lamplighters is currently accepting
students ages 18 months to 3 years (with
demand increasing, plans are being consid-
ered to extend the age range.)

For more information and to apply visit lamplighter-

spreschool.com or call (248) 571-9197 or email

mushky@lamplighterspreschool.com. This story was

first published on myjewishdetroit.org.

Royal Oak Chabad Jewish Center
to open new Lamplighters Preschool.

It Takes a Big Heart
to Shape Little Minds

DAVID GLASS
SPECIAL TO THE
JEWISH NEWS

Executive
Director
Mushky
Glitsenstein
and Director
of Education
Jamie Gans