Chapel

The 3, 4 and 5 year old students will attend chapel once a week with Father Gary Herbst.  In this non-denominational church setting, age appropriate bible verses, songs and prayers will be presented.  Father Gary will also visit the younger students in their classroom for a time of worship.

Montessori

Montessori Children are able to choose their work from among the self-correcting materials displayed on open shelves.  Over a period of time the child moves from being undisciplined to self-disciplined, from disordered to ordered, from distracted to focused through work in the environment.  This process occurs through repeated work with manipulatives that captivate the child's attention.  These manipulatives are viewed as "materials for development".  The Montessori preschool classroom focuses on five distinct areas:

• Practical Life enhances the development of task and organization and cognitive order through care of self, care of the environment, exercises of grace and courtesy and coordination of physical movement.
• Sensorial enables the child to order, classify, and describe sensory impressions in relation to length, width, temperature, mass, color, pitch, etc.
• Mathematics makes use of manipulative materials to enable the child to internalize concepts of numbers, symbols, sequencing, operations, and memorization of basic facts.
• Language Arts includes oral language development, written expression, reading, the study of grammar, creative dramatics, and children's literature.  Basic skills in writing and reading are developed through the use of sandpaper letters, alphabet cut-outs, and various presentations allowing children to link sounds and letter symbols effortlessly and to express their thoughts through writing.
• Cultural activities expose the child to basics in geography, history and life sciences.  Music, art and movement are part of the integrated curriculum. 

Music

Each week, students have a 30-minute music and movement class.  Creative expression is essential in a young child's development.  We offer experiences in music that encourages children to discover strengths and develop interests and talents.  The class incorporates singing and storytelling into an interactive experience that allows children to explore the joys of music.  Research has shown that children who are actively involved in music

• Do better in reading and math when they start school
• Are better able to focus and control their bodies
• Play better with others and have a higher self-esteem.

Spanish

A Spanish speaking teacher will introduce this 2nd language to students.  Being exposed to a 2nd language early in life offers numerous benefits to young children including an improved ability to communicate, better cognitive development, richer cultural awareness and improved academic performance.  Students will learn colors, shapes, numbers, animals, as well as, conversational sayings.

Woodworking

Woodworking is a unique hands-on activity where children get to work with actual tools like a saw, hammer and nails in a safe, supervised environment.  Using recycled wood, Styrofoam, beads and cork, future builders can create wooden masterpieces.  Students will create two projects to be displayed in our annual Art Gallery.