Preschool Programs for 3 to 5 Year-Olds
St. Al’s Preschool Program allows each child to grow academically, socially, emotionally, and spiritually at their own pace. We strive to develop students who have a good self-image, respect the rights of others, are motivated and curious self-learners, and see the wonders of God in the world around them.
Our preschool features two rooms with two different approaches to each child’s development.
Montessori Room
This environment is managed and organized according to Montessori principles. Our Montessori program is run by two teachers. Teachers develop student specific opportunities to engage with Montessori materials, developing academic and social/emotional skills according to both Montessori practice and the guiding principles of our school.
Exploratory Room
Student experiences in this room originate from exploratory and discovery based learning concepts. Activities and projects are structured to allow student learning with guided instruction. Students conduct experiments, analyze items, and make conclusions based on guiding questions and class goals. Units are thematic and provide academic learning alongside social/emotional development.
Specialists
Students in our preschool program also take part in specialist time, meeting once a week with our Music, PE, and Library teachers. They learn basic concepts in those areas and practice skills with the teacher for that content area. Students even get to perform in our winter and spring concerts under the direction of our Music teacher.
Age
Children in our program range from age three to five and are typically in a mixed-age setting. This originated with our Montessori program and extends to both classrooms as we find it has a positive impact on both older and younger students in both classroom settings.
All students must be 3 years old by August 31.
3-Days or 5-Days
Choose a three-day (Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday) or five-day per week schedule. The Preschool program operates on the same calendar as St. Alphonsus Parish School.
Schedules
| Time | Optional | |||
| Full-day | 8:15 am – 3:05 pm* | Hot Lunch available for purchase After School Care (dismissal – 6 pm) |
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| Half-day (Morning) | 8:15am – 11:15 am | Supervised Lunch (11:15-12:00) Hot Lunch available for purchase |
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| Half-day (Afternoon) | 12:00pm – 3:05 pm* | After School Care (dismissal – 6 pm) | ||
| *2:15 pm Dismissal every Wednesday afternoon | ||||
Catholic Values
St. Alphonsus preschool teachers see themselves as aides to parents in the faith development of the child. Our goal is to encourage each child to come to know the love God has for them. Our school mission statement applies to all of our students and can be witnessed through engaging activities, as well as the care and support students receive from our staff. We teach the whole child, encouraging all students to reach their God-given potential in all areas of development.
Staff
Our teachers are certified in Early Childhood education development. All of our teachers are held to our high standards as an academic and religious institution. We currently have three full-time teachers and two-three full-time aids working with our preschool students. We maintain a child to staff ratio of no more than 10:1.
