Preschool

• Our program reflects our belief that children learn best through a play-based curriculum which helps to develop cognitive thinking and problem-solving skills through exposure and social interaction.  

• Starting at age three in Preschool, our students are engaged in exploring their community and the world around them through developmentally progressive child-centered play and hands-on discovery. 

• Children explore subjects ranging from the natural world and scientific experiences to early literacy, number sense, the arts, friendships, and personal accomplishments.

• Beyond active engagement in their classroom, they are introduced to age-appropriate experiences in our STEM lab, library, music room, Spanish and religion classes, the gymnasium, and our outdoor play spaces and nature-filled campus. 

• Each week is filled with activities designed to stimulate and engage children’s natural curiosity about their world.  

• Our faculty can extend and differentiate experiences to allow children to develop at their own pace as they begin to make connections between objects in the classroom and larger educational concepts.

Nature-based Preschool Program: AGES 3–4

At St. Anne’s we set high standards for early childhood education. The core of our program reflects our belief that children learn best through a play-based curriculum which helps to develop cognitive thinking and problem solving skills.  We can explore subjects ranging from the natural world and scientific experiences to early literacy, number sense, religion, making friends, healthy choices, and personal accomplishments through active engagement with their environment. At the preschool level, our students begin to both understand and make connections between objects in the classroom and larger educational concepts.

Since our founding in 2002, our focus has always been on the whole child.  Our goal is to provide an educational experience for each child that fosters a passion for discovery and exploration and guides them on a path to lifelong learning. The activities planned throughout the day are designed to stimulate and engage children’s natural curiosity about their world. We plan activities that can be extended and differentiated for a multi-age (3-4) group to allow children to develop at their own pace. Examples of these activities can include practice and manipulation of letters, numbers, colors, and shapes using educational materials, crafts, and project units.

Beyond our classroom experiences, this year’s preschool group has a schedule of special subjects; children are gently transitioned to appropriate classrooms, the lab, gym, and outdoors.

Preschool Program

Sample Daily Schedule

Full Day: 8:00-3:15    Half Day 8:00-12:30

Welcome, Tabletop Learning Centers & Devotions

Outdoor Exploration/Learning Time (approx. 2 hours)

Snack

Circle Time (stories, singing, early- learning activities)

Related Arts Classes 

STEM

Spanish

Religion

Chapel (Wed.)

Art

Music

P.E. 

Library

• Active free play outdoors is becoming rare, a thing of the past. Yet it is more important than ever that we stop overscheduling our children and start to reintroduce more opportunities for play and movement.  Children’s minds and bodies depend and thrive on active free play.

• Nature preschools encourage children to play, explore, and learn in a natural environment. 

• Children greatly benefit developmentally from being outdoors.  Outdoor education and play support emotional, behavioral and intellectual development

• Studies have shown that students who learn outdoors develop: a stronger sense of self, independence, confidence, creativity, decision -making and advanced problem-solving skills, empathy towards others, motor skills, self -discipline and initiative.

Full-day Program:  8:30am to 3:30pm

 Half-day Program:  8:30am to 1:30 pm

Five or Three Day Options a Week (Monday, Wednesday, & Friday)