Preschool

The St Francis Preschool philosophy can be best described through the following principles:

• We are fortunate to be able to provide a faith based education to the children in our program. The foundation of everything we teach begins with the teachings of God. We pray, we love each other, we show kindness and mercy toward one another. We are teaching them to be good people, a quality that is vital to our future.
• The child is the most important teacher in our program. Keeping in mind that no two children are alike or learn in exactly the same way, it is our responsibility as educators to recognize and adapt to the individual needs of the children in our program.
• The early years of children’s lives are the most critical when it comes to their development. They are growing and learning at a phenomenal rate. We believe that it is very important to have a child in an environment that is consistent and secure. The environment of the classroom, as well as the school and playground, are places to explore freely with all the senses as well as areas to create, climb, construct, pretend, read, and daydream. Simply being in a loving and nurturing environment forms a positive learning foundation. This foundation sets children up for a successful elementary, middle and high school and beyond career. We strive to provide an environment where children are as comfortable here as they are in their own homes.
• Children play. Play is powerful and it is how young children learn. It is their work. Children do not develop skills in isolation. A child is simultaneously developing as an individual emotionally, physically, and cognitively and in a group setting they are developing socially. We provide a positive environment for children to learn those social and emotional skills while learning respect for themselves, and others, as well as kindness, compassion and love. Children learn by the example they see. We are committed to fostering an atmosphere of respect and kindness in all of the relationships that surround the children in our care-child to child, adult to child, and adults to each other.

Four-Year-Old Class

Our four-year-olds meet five days per week, but parents may also opt to just send their child three times per week on Monday, Wednesday and Friday. Classes meet from 8:30 AM until 3:00 PM.

Classes consist of time for:

• Free Play
• Calendar & Story Time
• Weather Report
• Snack
• Religion
• Lunch
• “Brain Break” (rest time)
• Number and Letter activities
• Writing practice
• Gross motor skill activities (jumping, etc.)
• Fine motor skill activities (cutting, writing, etc.)
• Small Group rotations
• Art activities
• Student projects

In addition to the above classroom activities, the students also attend Library, Music, and Computer classes in the school. They also participate in any school-wide activities taking place, such as our Halloween parade, Veterans Day reception, school assemblies, and other special events.