Brotherhood Way Preschool

Ages 2 – 5

Brotherhood Way Preschool, located in the Lake Merced neighborhood, is rooted in Jewish values and San Francisco culture. We’re committed to giving children the freedom to discover their world through play.

Preschool
Youth & Family

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Led by Director Edna Vaknin, Brotherhood Way Preschool is located at 655 Brotherhood Way in the Lake Merced neighborhood on a woodland campus shared with the Brandeis School. The newly remodeled school features bright, spacious classrooms, an outdoor play area, a garden space and an art studio.

Our preschools are built upon shared goals, values and knowledge that deliver the highest quality experience possible. We’re committed to creating an inclusive community that’s infused with meaningful Jewish values. We celebrate holidays with our children and families throughout the year as well as a weekly Shabbat. Our program is built on the fundamental premise that children learn and understand their world through play. Inspired by the Reggio Emilia philosophy, we provide a variety of opportunities for learning, exploration, creativity and self-expression.

Dates & Rates

Brotherhood Way 9-Month Program

August 2022 – May 2023 (half days)

9:00 am – 1:30 pm*

$19,995 / year

Laughing preschool teacher helps child with blocks

Brotherhood Way 11-Month Program

August 2022 – July 2023 (full days)

8:15 am – 5:45 pm

$33,820 / year

* Morning and afternoon extended care is available for an extra fee. Financial assistance is available.

Tour & Application Process

Submit an application. Applications are accepted year-round, but your child must be two years old by September 1st of the year of enrollment.
Schedule a tour (virtual info session). Tours run from October through December each year for the following year’s fall enrollment and are required for your application to be considered complete. After you attend a tour, you will be asked to complete a Post Tour Questionnaire. Both the tour and the questionnaire are required. If you’ve missed the tour window, you are still welcome to apply, and someone will reach out if there are more tours being offered.
Notification of admittance. During the standard cycle, admission letters are sent in mid-March for fall enrollment. A $600 deposit is due when you sign the enrollment contract. We maintain an active wait pool and fill additional spaces as they become available throughout the year. Families who have applied, but not toured, will still be considered for mid-year vacancies.

Current Openings

We have open space for the 2022 – 2023 school year! Please call 415.333.4289 or email us to set up a tour and learn more.

Navigating the Kindergarten Process

Graduating from preschool to kindergarten is a big step! Did you know that 92% of our preschool families get into one of their top two choices of kindergartens? Our enrollment support process can help you get a spot in local programs like San Francisco Day School, Burkes, Town School for Boys, San Francisco Friends School, Hamlin, Convent, Stuart Hall, Marin Country Day School, Live Oak and more. Listen below as Diller site director Karla Cianci shares how the JCCSF family of preschools can help your family navigate the tricky and stress-inducing SF kindergarten process.

Summer Camp at BW

Join us for Summer Camp! This year, we’re offering 9 one-week camps with a creative new theme each week. Your 2 – 5-year-old camper can participate in activities like our Superhero camp, Wacky Science camp, Animal Exploration camp, and more as they make friends and have tons of fun playing and learning.

Camp Details

Registration opens Tuesday, January 11 at 7:00 am
9 one-week sessions starting between 5/31 and 7/29 (no camp on Memorial Day or July 4th)(see descriptions below)
Camp runs Monday – Friday from 9 am – 1 pm
$420/week (prorated for holiday weeks)
AM care is available from 8 – 9 am, PM care is available from either 1 – 3 pm or 1 – 6 pm
AM care is $75/week, PM care (1 – 3) $150/week, PM care (1 – 6) $375/week (prorated for holiday weeks)

Questions about camp? Email Theresa Arroyo or check out Summer Camp Parent Manual – filled with specifics about our day-to-day camp operations and policies.

Camp Descriptions

5/31 – 6/3 Superheroes: Become a Superhero! Dress in your most super costume and discover your own special powers!
6/6 – 6/10 The Fantastic Five-Exploring Our Sensational Senses: Let’s use our sensational senses by enjoying cooking, music, art projects, and games.
6/13 – 6/17 Down By the Seashore: Having fun visiting life under the sea and on the beach.
6/20 – 6/24 Wacky Science: Campers will explore science with hands on projects including exciting and wacky experiments.
6/27 – 7/1 Red, White and Boom: Come celebrate America’s Birthday by creating patriotic arts and crafts and enjoying a 4th of July picnic.
7/5 – 7/8 (no camp 7/4) It’s A Bug Life: Want to go bug hunting? Learn some cool bug facts, create your very own bugs and live a bug’s life.
7/11 – 7/15 Animal Exploration: Let’s discover some of the amazing animals and their habitats in our world with an exciting visit from the Little Explorer Petting Zoo.
7/18 – 7/22 Healthy Me!: Campers will find fun ways to stay healthy by creating snacks and keeping on the move with sports and physical exercises.
7/25 – 7/29 Lights, Camera, Action: Campers will explore the visual arts, dance, theater, and music. Ending the week with our very own Brotherhood Way Super Stars Camper Show.

Meet the Team

Edna Vaknin

Site Director – Brotherhood Way Preschool

Youth & Family

Theresa Arroyo

Administrative Manager - Brotherhood Way Preschool

Youth & Family

Thank You To Our Sponsors

FAQs

What is Reggio-Emilia philosophy and how is it applied?

Over forty years of dedicated work from Reggio Emilia inspires us to further think about the rights of children, their autonomy, and to listen for what they know and want to know. This will challenge our inherited impulses to contain, correct, and guard children. Observing, documenting, reflecting, designing, and experimenting on the teachers’ part will make this ongoing shift possible. The listening and observation teachers do will enhance their ability to create sensitive contexts for children’s play and learning and then teachers can truly recognize the insights the children and small group work can bring.

What does a typical day Brotherhood Way look like?

After welcoming the children to school, we begin the day with a time of open exploration that can include art, blocks, dramatic play, manipulation, writing or quiet time. A mid-morning snack and meeting then take place before we move into a small group facilitated experiences like music or gardening. We then head outside for some playtime before lunch. Half-day students then have a closing meeting and prepare to go home while full-day students transition to a rest period with either a nap or meditation. The afternoon continues for full-day students with another small-group experience and more time playing outside or going on a walk before we wind down for the day with a final meeting before preparing to be picked up.

What makes Brotherhood Way different from Helen Diller and Rosenberg?

Brotherhood Way offers full-day and half-day programs, year-round or 9 months. Serving children 2 – 5.5 in a beautiful woodland set in Lake Merced neighborhood.

Does my child need to be Jewish to enroll?

No. Children of all faiths and backgrounds are welcome to apply.

Is financial assistance available?

Yes. Visit our financial assistance page to learn more.

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We are back in our third year at preschool, and quite frankly are amazed at how well things are going amidst the pandemic. The school's health and safety protocols are top-notch, but the JOY is still there. I'm so grateful that my child is learning, having fun, and building relationships every day.

Melanie D.

Parent

This is our first year at the school and our 3-year old son is loving it. He has flourished and developed so much since starting in August. The teachers are caring, loving, and provide an engaging environment for kids . . . This school has my highest recommendation!

Debbie F.

Parent

My daughter is in her second year at the Brotherhood Way Preschool, and we have been very glad we found this community. She has truly been thriving from being around the teachers and children, and it's been great to get connected to more families here in the city . . . The situation with COVID-19 really drove home how important her school friends have been.

Jesse R.

Parent

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Have a question about Brotherhood Way Preschool? Reach out to our team — we’d love to hear from you!

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