FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:

 

Why English?



One of the challenges that faces Anglo parents is ensuring our children have a grounding in English. As many people have discovered, it isn't enough to simply assume that because mummy and daddy speak English at home, the children will pick it up as well. What happens in so many families of olim, is that the kids understand English but refuse to speak it, or if they do, their language skills are poor, using Hebrew grammar and words in their English sentences.

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The truth is that all our children will be educated in Hebrew for at least 12 years - they'll be fluent, reading and writing to a high standard. The same won't be true of their English. A year or perhaps two years in an English speaking environment prior to immersion in Hebrew provides them with a platform of fluency and confidence in English they might otherwise never develop.

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We're making aliyah and we've been told that "immersion" in Ivrit is the best thing to do.

 

Aside from the the reasons above, if you are new olim then  your young child's entire world has been turned upisde down: new home, new sounds, new friends. The additional challenge of a new language can be very stressful for some small children (just as it is for us adult olim!).

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A year or two in an English speaking environment allows the children the opportunity to settle into their new lives, while feeling secure and confident, before tackling Hebrew.

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We speak Hebrew at home, but we are keen for our child to learn English. Can he/she attend Gan Tammy?

 

While we appreciate that learning English for any child is an important skill, we only take children from homes where there is at least one English speaking parent. This means that all our children start the gan with some understanding and familiarity with English, even if they tend to speak in Hebrew.

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We only want to send our child in the mornings - is that ok?

 

Gan Tammy offers a full day program, and like many other ganim, our fees reflect a full-day. However, we completely understand that not all parents want their child to stay all day every day, or perhaps they feel their child isn't ready for that just yet. We are happy for you to collect your child at lunchtime some or all days. Please arrange this with your child's gannenet at the start of the year, or as needed.

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We're Concerned About Measles Vaccinations

 

In response to the Measles outbreak, and the understandable parental concern it is causing, Gan Tammy along with most other gannim will only be accepting children who are fully vaccinated.

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Our Child is not yet toilet trained, should we attempt this before they start the school year?

 

Toilet training can be a scary and stressful time for many parents and children. Tammy believes in working in partnership with parents to support the child through the process.

 

As starting a new gan can be a lot to deal with for many small children, it is not an ideal time to toilet train as well. Once they are settled, arrange a time to talk to Tammy, and plan together how you want this to work.