Chicago Sinai Preschool

The mission of Sinai’s Preschool is to provide high quality early childhood education to our Sinai community and to the wider Chicago area by incorporating reform Jewish values and traditions within a broader, relationship-based curriculum.

Sinai Preschool is staffed by the highest caliber of educators. Director Fern Katz is an experienced educator; all classrooms are staffed by talented, dedicated, nurturing teachers who know and understand each individual child. Most classrooms are staffed by two to three teachers to achieve exceptional student teacher ratios of at least 1:8 and often 1:5 or less.

Our Staff

Sinai Preschool is staffed by the highest caliber of educators. Director Fern Katz is an experienced educator, and all classrooms are staffed by talented, dedicated, nurturing teachers who know and understand each individual child. Most classrooms are staffed by two to three teachers to achieve exceptional student teacher ratios of at least 1:8 and often 1:5 or less.

Director of Early Childhood Education

Fern Katz, M.Ed., has an extensive background in early childhood education and special education as both a teacher and an administrator. Prior to becoming Sinai’s Early Childhood Education Director in 2012, Fern was an early childhood director for the JCC of Chicago and early childhood education coordinator and instructor at Governors State University. She has also taught children with special needs as well as religious school in Illinois and New Jersey. 

Fern is a Past President for the national organization Early Childhood Educators of Reform Judaism and is active in the Early Childhood Jewish Directors Council of Chicago. Fern was selected to participate in the Chicago Early Engagement Leadership Initiative. Fern has led three schools (including Sinai Preschool) through the process of reaching accreditation from the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC). Fern’s article “Trust and Separation: God, Abraham, and Early Childhood Educators” was published in the Coalition for the Advancement of Jewish Education journal. 

Fern has a B.S.Ed. from Northern Illinois University, a M.Ed. from University of Illinois-Chicago, as well as an M.A. in Jewish Professional Studies from Spertus Institute for Jewish Learning and Leadership. Fern lives in Flossmoor with her husband, Manny, and her two cats, Cinco and Zoey, while their two grown children are off in the world seeking adventure, learning and growing. Her favorite book from her childhood is “Are You My Mother?” by P.D. Eastman. Fern finds joy in learning, teaching, and in Judaism, and believes we are all on a journey of exploration, discovery, and lifelong learning.

Teaching Staff

National Leadership Post to Director of Early Childhood Education, Fern Katz: Common goals, common community unite powerful Association

“I’ve found my tribe.”
With these four words, Fern Katz, director of early childhood education at Chicago Sinai pre-school, summarizes her joy at belonging to the Early Childhood Educators of Reform Judaism (ECE-RJ). In 2017, Fern joined the Board and has held numerous positions, including President. 

Fern presented at several Biennials. The ECE-RJ is something special, she says, because of the top-quality speakers and workshops, its idea-sharing and intellectual focus, and its community. What are the kinds of topics every one of the nearly 400 members talk about?

• How children learn
• How teachers are trained [No longer are instructors ‘graduated’ mothers; “the increased level of professional development alone means our teachers work … and work hard,” Fern notes.]
• How teachers are supported – and their capabilities, expanded 
• Best practices, with spotlights on play, experiential education, discovery, and exploration.

It’s the community, most of all, that matters to Fern. In her own words, “It’s a vibrant and inclusive community all dedicated to providing (and believing) in early Jewish childhood education.”

Community of Practice on Infant and Toddler Education and a class on Observation and Documentation.  Jenny’s children are grown, but when they were little boys, she loved to read “Sometimes I Like to Curl Up in a Ball” by Vicki Churchill and Charles Fuge to them.