Pre-School Education Program

... "a postive childhood experience"

The Pre-K is a program designed for four year olds to develop, grow, and share in early learning, as full members of our K-8 Catholic School. The program celebrates the Christ-like nature of every child and supports as well as envelops, each new family into membership of the St. Brigid School's Community. As members of our community students will engage in learning, which prepares them for transition into our full-day kindergarten program. St. Brigid Pre-K nurtures and supports the whole child through age appropriate integrated curriculum and child-centered educational experiences.

Each child is a unique unrepeatable gift of God, and we strive to enable each child to develop to her or his greatest potential. In an ever-changing, ever-challenging world, our school builds the foundation of basic knowledge that carries the students through their lifelong education.

Through the teaching of Gospel values and Catholic doctrine, each child recognizes his or her dignity as a member of the human family and treats all others regardless of race, creed, color, age, or gender with reverence and respect.

Dedicated, qualified teachers provide a safe supportive, caring and positive learning environment to Pre-K children. The primary goal is to ensure that each child feels safe and that there is a classroom environment where they are encouraged to explore, question and grow intellectually.

St. Brigid offers a safe and secure building with arrival/drop off for the Pre-K students taking place inside the classroom. AII outside doors remain locked during the day. Visitors are required to sign in and report to the office. The classroom is equipped with a telephone, walkie-talkie, two exits with locking doors. All students must be signed in and out of the classroom when leaving with a parent. The emergency exit is located just outside of the classroom space.

Play is an essential form of learning where a child works on ideas, puts them in practice, adapts socially and understands emotions. Recess, classroom centers and free-play offer opportunities for relationship building and social/emotional development.

Pre-School students may attend the St. Brigid after-care program. After lunch the children enjoy recess and then a rest time. Motor table activities are then played with individual and specialized instruction.

Cooperative Learning and Gaming Strategies to work together is encouraged with partners. Gaming strategies are employed and include sorting, matching, observing, classifying, and turn-over activities.

Spiritual/Religious exploration and discovery use Old Testament stories of family, emotions, animals and nature. Seasonal Religious holiday projects infuse the student with understandings about God and goodness. Daily prayer and involvement in school gatherings and liturgy is included.

Oral Language is an important component of the Pre-K Program. The teacher engages students with curriculum materials, pup- pets, stories and themes to build early language skills for reading and math. Activities using eye/hand coordination include scissors, glue, crayons and paint to support expression, and oral language development.

Skills are taught to help them stretch, and Iearn about their bodies. Students learn songs with movement and dance, play with balls and other materials as a part of their physical discovery.

Teachers use positive and effective behavioral techniques to help children change and learn about their behavior as well as what acceptable behavior looks like. The student/teacher/parent roles are based on a relationship built on trust and respect. Teachers will be models of respect for students. Explaining things to develop understanding is a key of component of positive discipline.

The classroom itinerary is structured to meet a four-year-old’s natural interest and age appropriate abilities and includes:

• Circle Time for Oral Expression, Language Arts Development
• Math Instruction
• Free Play and Learning Centers
• SnackTime and Prayer
• Projects and Product \fork based on a Seasonal Themes, Animals and Symbols.
  
• Art, Music, Physical Education and Technology

...and Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the Kingdom of God belongs to such as these."

- Mark 10:14