Early Childhood Program

The early childhood program provides a nurturing and unique learning environment for each child. By making the child’s first school experience joyful, students grow into self-motivated and independent learners. Teachers provide a caring and safe environment, where trusting relationships with adults and children are fostered.  The learning process is a creative and hands-on experience, representative of the joy and wonder of this exciting age. 

Center-Based Learning

Most of the curriculum is taught through center-based learning, which means that students explore literacy, math, science and social studies concepts in small areas around the classroom.  This allows for active learning through discovery and play, in small groups, one-on-one, or independently. Specific concepts are reinforced in the learning centers. Learning through play allows the children to practice decision making, learn how to interact with their peers, develop creative and critical thinking skills, as well as develop gross and fine motor skills.  This hands-on approach makes learning engaging and relevant.  Students have access to the centers in their well-equipped classrooms and the school playroom.

 Religion

Through religion, students learn about God’s love for them, as well as, Christian values and attitudes that they can put into practice with their friends, family, and teachers. Students are introduced to prayers, which are incorporated into classroom routines on a daily basis.

English Language Arts

Children in the early childhood program engage in a rich array of language experiences that develop the essential prerequisites for reading and writing through the Core Knowledge Language Arts Preschool curriculum. Throughout the year, instruction increases in complexity to challenge and engage students in developmentally appropriate activities, content-rich instruction, and emergent literacy and phonic skills.  Storytelling and connecting learning to literature fosters a love of reading.  Students improve language skills and learn to communicate effectively through listening and speaking.  Stories, poems, and rhymes are introduced through daily lessons to develop listening and vocabulary.  Children develop fine motor skills and practice letter formation and handwriting skills.

Math

Manipulatives are used to develop mathematical thinking and skills including counting, number or numerical recognition, and one-to-one correspondence. Number and geometric patterning activities such as graphing, charting, games and collections are used to reinforce number skills. Students develop problem solving abilities by engaging in real life mathematical situations, such as sorting and classifying objects in the classroom. Students become aware of time intervals and spatial relationships as they explore, question, and observe the world around them.

Science and Social Studies

Students learn about their immediate community, develop a respect for our natural environment, and become contributing members of a diverse classroom community. Children grow in their understanding of themselves, their families, the school community, and their neighborhood.  Science activities are hand-on experiments and inquiry-based.