The Nursery School enjoys long term relationships with its faculty, a third of which has master’s degrees or higher in the field. Our teachers gently guide and facilitate learning, employing our nurturing “language of early childhood” to support a range of developmental needs. We are committed to taking each individual child into consideration. Nursery School faculty also engages in an extensive amount of professional development on an ongoing basis. As a model early childhood education program, we share our expertise in our field with other early childhood educators through school tours and presentations at the annual NAEYC Conference. In addition, consultants in the areas of motor, speech, behavior, health and social work provide guidance to faculty and families on site.
Melanie Douglass comes to Temple Sinai with over fifteen years experience in the field of Early Childhood Education. Prior to joining the leadership team at Temple Sinai Nursery School, Melanie was the Assistant Head of School at Little Folks School in Georgetown, serving children between the ages of 18 months to age five with a focus on play-based learning and the arts. Melanie’s passion for early childhood education extends beyond children and their families; she has taught hundreds of current and aspiring teachers as an adjunct professor at University of the District of Columbia Community College where her courses focused on observation and assessment, intentional teaching, and infant & toddler curriculum.
Melanie is a lifelong learner, eagerly attending any opportunities to grow as an educator. She is also proud to share her own knowledge and experiences in the field of early childhood education. Her speaking engagements include presenting to a packed room of teachers at the 2024 NAEYC Conference in Anaheim, California about Mixed Age Play and presenting to private caregivers at White House Nannies about Strategies for Developmental Growth.
In her volunteer roles, Melanie has chaired the Local School Advisory Team (LSAT) of Janney Elementary School, where she also helps support the school’s annual PTA auction. Melanie is also the proud “Cookie Manager” for her daughter’s girl scout troop – selling over 3,000 girl scout cookies! Her own children’s first early organized group experience was at Intown Playgroup, where Melanie remains on the board.
Perri Iger-Silversmith is the founding Director of Temple Sinai Nursery School, and is credited with setting the vision for the program for nearly thirty years, anchoring TSNS in the belief that strong social-emotional foundations best prepare children for life and future educational experiences. She has worked in public school, private nursery school, and Judaic settings for many decades. Perri is a magna cum laude graduate of Boston College, where she received her BA in Special and Elementary Education, and she earned her Master’s Degree in Early Childhood Education and Human Development from The George Washington University. Since Perri established the program in 1992, TSNS achieved accreditation by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) five times. Perri also led TSNS through a similar accreditation process through the Partnership for Jewish Life & Learning called the “Community Program in Jewish Education for Early Childhood Centers.” Under Perri’s leadership, TSNS garnered its unparalleled reputation for excellence in early childhood education.