Our goal is to teach and nurture the whole child socially, emotionally, academically, and physically. We will work on acquiring new skills as well as reinforcing already learned skills. We use the children's curiosity and creativity to build new skills and further their growth and development. We try to give each child as much individual attention as possible and consider the developmental stage of each child. We are aware that children at this stage learn best through concrete experiences and play. We plan our activities so that the children can use their senses to learn about the world.

Children learn best by:
  • Having the opportunity to experience and explore a variety of materials.
  • Letting them play and interact freely with each other.
  • Giving them some guided instructions and practice throughout the day.

Curricular Areas

English Language Arts
We work with each child to strengthen vocabulary through guided conversations with teachers and peers and by sharing picture stories, songs, and rhymes. We use Jolly Phonics to teach letter sounds through song. Students will practice early literacy skills such as letter recognition, retelling stories, writing letters, and using descriptive language.
Science
Children are naturally curious about how and why things happen. We provide many hands-on activities for children to use all of their senses to explore and understand their environment. Children will observe changes in themselves, become familiar with technology, and make comparisons about what they observe.
Religion
Religion is woven in throughout our day. We pray in the morning, before lunch and snack time, and before we go home. Children also hear Bible stories and discuss how these relate to their lives and how they should act towards others. Students will also learn about liturgical holidays. We encourage children to attend Mass on Sundays. Students will also attend school Mass for the Feast of St. John Berchmans, Ash Wednesday, St. Blaise, Catholic Schools week, and May Crowning.
Math
Our program utilizes everyday experiences to develop mathematical concepts in our youngest learners. Math is taught throughout the day using formal math activities, small group lessons, and authentic experiences. Children learn to recognize numbers, count sets of objects, graph, sort, and compare quantities.
Centers & Community
During center time, children freely explore the classroom independently. They have the opportunity to problem solve and build social relationships. Some of our classroom centers include: Blocks/Building Area, iPads, Library/Reading Area, Religion Corner, Listening Center, Writing, Pretend Play/Manipulatives, Math, Science/Discovery, Housekeeping/Dramatic Play, Art/Easel, Sensory/Water Table, Language/Phonics Area, and Music.
Special Classes
Students will participate in several special classes. They will develop their gross motor skills and learn about teamwork in P.E. During Spanish class, they will learn basic vocabulary. During Art class, students will be able to explore materials outside of the regular PreK classroom.