GETTING TO KNOW YOUR TEACHERS
B’nai Shalom of Olney Early Childhood School
My name is Aurora Pollak; everyone calls me Rori. I believe that all students are unique and thrive in a safe and stimulating environment that supports healthy growth and development. My goal is also to create a warm, loving environment, so the children feel safe to take risks and express themselves. For more than 40 years, I have worked in the field of early care and education. I have held positions starting as an assistant teacher, becoming a lead teacher, and then a school director at various programs throughout DC, Virginia, and Maryland. I have a Bachelor’s Degree with a focus on Early Childhood Education and Child Development from the University of Maryland. Additionally, I have a Director’s Credential from the University of the District of Columbia.
My Judaic background includes 10 plus years working for the Rockville and DC Jewish Community Centers, 6 years as the Director of a local synagogue's preschool program, as well as 20 years teaching religious school. I also have extensive training in various early childhood educational curriculums with a strong emphasis on intentional teaching and Conscious Discipline, a social/emotional curriculum. My favorite book is “Be kind to spiders” by Margaret Bloy Graham.
I am the Assistant Director of B'nai Shalom of Olney's Early Childhood School. I am local to the area and grew up involved in the Jewish Community and have a strong Judaic background that I love to bring to the school.
I worked previously at the ECS as a Lead Teacher for 4 years and for the last two summers as the Summer Camp Director. My studies are in Early Childhood Education with a focus on interdisciplinary studies.
Additionally, I have strong background in Special Education and believe strongly that students should begin their education journey in a warm and loving environment. I love the culture here at our school and believe in cultivating a positive and caring environment for children and staff. I really love to be involved in mentoring the teachers. As a parent, I loved the foundational experiences for my child attending the ECS. My all-time favorite children’s book is the “Very Hungry Caterpillar”, by Eric Carle.
I love working with children and watching them develop and learn. I have degrees in psychology and special education, as well as the 90-hour early childhood course and various other courses. In my free time I love to read. The people around me say I have a great sense of humor. I love playing with the children in the classroom and my favorite children’s books are anything Dr. Seuss. A fun fact about me is that my first career was at the IRS.
I have been a teacher for 30+ years; 25 of those years have been here at B’nai Shalom of Olney! I have worked with all the age groups in the preschool. I love children! Watching them grow and making an impact on their development is so important to me. My educational background is a degree in Early Childhood Education from Israel. I also worked as a social worker in Israel. I love dancing, singing and teaching through play. I also love Shabbat and celebrating all the Jewish holidays. I am always introducing Hebrew, as it is my first language. My all-time favorite children's books are, “The Very Hungry Caterpillar” and “Goldilocks And The Three Bears”. Outside of work, I like to be with my children and grandchildren. I also love to read, cook and travel.
I chose to work with children because it is a rewarding career, and you make a positive impact on young learners as an early childhood educator. This is my 23rd year of teaching. During my career, I have worked with children ages 2-12. I am Maryland credentialed level 4 and I possess a child development associate (CDA) and a Diploma in Primary and Preschool Education from Sri Lanka. Currently, I’m finishing up my associate degree in early childhood special education. The best thing about teaching is being a part of the student’s learning journey by being a facilitator in the classroom. My favorite children’s book is “Kissing Hand for Chester Raccoon”, by Audrey Penn.
I was in the banking industry for nearly 20 years, holding various positions. After which, I worked with transporting disabled children and adults for almost 7 years. My true love is photography. I love capturing special moments for people and beautiful scenic views. I was a single mother of 2 sons who are now adults. I have 1 niece, 2 great nephews and 1 great-niece that I take pride in helping them learn, create and develop.
I chose to change careers and become a teaching assistance for young children because I love being a part of their growth and development; it's so rewarding. I like to do activities in the classroom with the children that they can use their imagination, encourage them to explore and be comfortable and proud of what they have created if it be artwork, building blocks, or anything that helps them develop. My first-born great nephew, who is almost 4 yrs. old loves the book, “lama Llama Red Pajama”, so for now that's my favorite.
I chose to work with children because I love being a part of their growth and learning process. I believe that if children have a strong, loving, and nurturing environment in school and at home, they grow to be happier people. I started my career in childcare in 2001 and was employed with that center for twenty years. I made a change in 2021 to MCPS. This summer, I had the opportunity to work at the ECS summer camp and loved it. When Rori offered me a teaching position, I couldn't resist.
Though I haven't been to college, I hold my 90hr Childcare certificate for preschool and 45hr certificate for School-age. In the twenty years of service, I received many certificates and clocked hours of training.
One of my favorite things to do in my free time is seeing my 3 grandchildren . I also love thrifting.
My favorite thing to do in the classroom is being silly with the children and making them laugh. One of my favorite children's books is "The Little Old Lady Who Was Not Afraid of Anything" by Linda Williams.
I have 12 years' experience working with children and I started working in early childhood education in my high school's preschool teacher's program. I have completed the 90-hour Child Development certification, with honors, from Montgomery Community College in 2018. Prior to joining the Early Childhood School, I was an assistant teacher at the Rockville Daycare Association. I chose to work with children because I love seeing children learn and grow in their own way. I also chose to work with children because I believe I have a lot to teach children. I love introducing new books to the children and coming up with interesting art activities for the children to do in the classroom. My favorite book that I read when I was a child was , “The Monster At the End of This Book, Starring Lovable, Furry Old Grover”, by Jon Stone.
In high school, I loved working with kids. I took a child development class and ever since then I've wanted to be a teacher. I had the best teachers throughout my life who have helped me so much. I have 4 years' experience working with kids ages 2 through 5, mostly as a Pre-kindergarten teacher. I have my associates degree in Early Childhood education, and a bachelor's degree in Child and Family Studies. I did two years of student teaching in elementary schools. I have worked as Para Educator in kindergarten at an elementary school. My favorite thing about being a teacher is watching as my students learn and grow throughout the year. I love when my students grasp a new skill and I love learning about their favorite things. My favorite children's book is “The Kissing Hand”, because it teaches such a valuable lesson and helps kids adjust to school knowing that their mom will always love them and is always with you. It is also a great way to help kids who miss their parents while at school.
Ever since I was younger, I’ve always known I wanted to work with children. I started to look after children in my neighborhood. Three years ago, I started at ECS and my love for working with children since then has only grown stronger. I love singing, dancing, and reading with them but my favorite part is seeing them reach small milestones throughout the year.
Some of my favorite hobbies include baking, music and I love incorporating that into the classroom! I’m a huge arts and crafts lover and a big dog lover as I have two myself: Prince, and Tobias. One of my biggest goals each year is for every child to feel safe in the classroom. I am excited to continue with my training with the 3's & 4's. One of my favorite children's books is “The wonderful things you will be”, by Emily Winfield because it truly reinforces the wonder and potential of every child to explore!
I have worked at the ECS for the last 10 years. I have an associate degree (2 year) in Early Childhood education. I love helping children learn and grow.
My favorite children's book is, “Once upon a Shabbas”. by Jacqueline Jules. I like that this book contains Yiddish, an old-world language that I grew up with in New York City. I now live in Silver Spring with my husband and 2 dogs.
I have always loved working with children, and I chose to work with them because of that. I have seven years of experience, 3 of which have been at the ECS. I have some college credits from Montgomery College.
In my free time, I like to read health books. I am a kind and nurturing person. I love watching the children learn and grow. I used to work at Nordstroms as a salesperson! My favorite children's book is “The Little Engine that Could.”
I chose to work with kids because I simply love to play with them. This is my first official year working with children and I am enjoying it. I worked at the ECS over the summer and got to know the children. I graduated high school last year. While in high school, I interned in a MCPS Preschool Education Program classroom. I also worked for three summers as a junior counselor at Bar-T Camps. I have always loved sports and played on soccer and basketball teams for many years. My favorite thing to do in the classroom is to play with the kids and I love any children’s book. My favorite hobby is playing basketball.
