Monday - Friday
9:15am - 12:00pm
Our Philosophy
At Gan Yeladim at CBY we believe that children foster growth through play. It is our job to extract the wants, needs and interests of your children to ensure their growth; physically, socially/emotionally and academically. With a child-led, play-based program in place, your child will have the opportunity in and out of the classroom to learn and thrive.
Meet Our Staff
Samantha Engle-Ettenson
Director of Gan Yeladim & 2’s Lead Teacher
An Armonk native and CBY Alumni herself, Samantha is passionately pioneering this new Early Childhood Program. Initially a concept in the fall of 2023, to the Inaugural 2’s Class beginning in the fall of 2024, Samantha is driven about supporting children and their families during these crucial developmental years. She enjoys watching her young learners socialize and develop both academically and emotionally. She thrives in her ‘happy place’ classroom environment while simultaneously working with current and prospective families to build and grow her vision for Gan Yeladim. Samantha lives in Katonah with her husband Dan, daughter Savannah and dog Toby.
Prior to teaching, Samantha studied education, child development and psychology at Mercy College, where she earned a BA in Behavioral Sciences. Samantha has over ten years of child care family experience and looks forward to guiding and growing with you and your families.
Dana Ingwar
2's Assistant
Born and raised on Long Island, Dana holds a degree in Communications from Molloy University. She began her career as a Fitness Trainer, where she cultivated her passion for health and wellness. However, Dana's life took a transformative turn after getting married and welcoming three wonderful children into her family. Dana started her journey in the classroom as a part time educator. Her commitment to early childhood education blossomed as she transitioned to a full-time teaching role, where her genuine passion for children shines through each day. She believes in creating a warm, supportive, and engaging learning environment that fosters curiosity and growth. Dana resides in Armonk with her husband Michael and their three children—Jadyn, Sebastian, and Makyla. Dana is dedicated to making a positive impact in the lives of her students while cherishing the joys of motherhood.
Jen Shaw
2’s Assistant
Beginning her journey South Florida, Jen obtained her degrees in Accounting from Florida State University. It wasn’t until she moved from Florida to NYC, met her husband and began raising her family that she re-discoveded a childhood passion of working with children. After having her second son, Jen began substituting at her children’s nursery school, and later, took on the role of co-teaching an enrichment art class for 3-4 year olds. In addition to working with 3-4 year olds, Jen has experience assisting in the 2’s and toddler rooms. Jen’s love of engaging, nurturing and teaching young children led her to CBY and to Gan Yeladim. Working with your children in this new program brings such joy and happiness each day. It is a treasured time watching and encouraging young children as they grow into the best versions of themselves. Jen resides in Armonk with her husband Rob and two sons, Wyatt and Levi.
Parent Testimonials
Jason & Sam Kleinman
Parents of Izzy
”Our daughter is currently attending the Gan Yeladim 2s program and it's been a wonderful experience thus far. We've seen tremendous growth in her language, ability to separate from us, social skills, and cognitive abilities. She's happy to go to school every day and excited to tell us about it when she gets home. The staff at Gan Yeladim is incredibly caring and they individually cater to each child and family's needs. The communication has also been tremendous. Every day, class parents receive dozens of pictures from school along with a comprehensive write-up about the day. Furthermore, Ms. Samantha communicates with each family individually about their child's progress multiple times per week. We considered a number of other 2s programs in the area and found that the individual attention, level of care, and quality of communication at Gan Yeladim was second to none. We plan to continue sending our daughter to Gan Yeladim for the 3s and 4s, and recommend it highly to anyone looking for a quality pre-school.”
Sara & Adam Gross
Parents of Leo
“As first time parents, we didn't know what to expect with our son's separation into independence in the CBY Gan Yeladim program. Any reservations and fears we had quickly melted away and school became the highlight of his day. Now it's tough to even get a hug from him once the door opens and he sprints into the classroom and even tougher to get him out the door at the end of the day. Miss Samantha has gone above and beyond in developing the program from keeping the kids engaged to daily updates for all parents to personal updates with pictures of the day. We know our son is in great hands and we are grateful to be a part of the first year of the CBY Gan Yeladim program - THANK YOU MISS SAMANTHA!”
Lauren & Stu Bell
Parents of Nora
“Something special is happening at CBY. The preschoolers are the stars and everyone — from the Rabbi to the administrative staff and the security and grounds crew — is deeply invested in the success of this new program. Our daughter is thriving in the nurturing environment they’ve created. Samantha Engle-Ettenson, Brad Zicholtz and the growing team of educators are true pros. As parents, we feel fortunate to be a part of the community they’re building for our children.”
