Congratulations Miss Val on earning your Bachelor's Degree!

Val McAllister, preschool teacher at the Early Childhood Center at Midbar Kodesh Temple recently received her Bachelor Degree in Educational Studies from Ashford University. Val McAllister is the Lead Teacher for the Pre-K program, teaching the 4 years olds of the Kochavim class. Miss Val has been with Midbar Kodesh Temple's Early Childhood Center for more than 16 years, working with the children when she was a teenager. She will return in the summer as a teacher at Midbar Kodesh's Camp Shemesh, joining other ECC staff who will lead camp activities.

Miss Val worked with LOVAAS, a behavioral intervention program developed in the Psychology Department of UCLA under the direction of Dr. O. Ivar Lovass. She brought intervention skills to children with Autism to help reduce inappropriate behavior and increase communication, learning and appropriate social behavior before committing to educational studies through tutoring.

Miss Val has helped produce and stage many creative recitals and visual arts programs over the years. Her video interviews with the students are a favorite at Midbar Kodesh Temple. She has brought special Tzedakah programs to Midbar Kodesh's children and families including raising money to purchase needed items for children in foster care and learning about and contributing to projects that raise ecological awareness. Her teaching revolves around building a better world as she readies the children to move on to public and private schools in the greater community.

For more information about preschool at Midbar Kodesh Temple's Early Childhood Center or about Camp Shemesh at Midbar Kodesh go to www.midbarkodesh.org or call school Director Wendy Roselinsky at 702-454-4848.