 Preschool Classes
St. Peter's Preschool is open from September through May. For age eligibility requirements, please hold your cursor over the name of the program.
- Pre-Kindergarten class: For children who will be
4 by September 1 of the current school year.Monday through Thursday, Friday optional, 9:00-11:45 a.m. Pre-K children focus on kindergarten-readiness skills, including narrative skills, more advanced shape and pattern recognition leading to letter and letter-sound recognition, counting and manipulating numbers for different purposes, observation and description, and, importantly, continuing social and emotional development. In addition to regular play- and class-time, pre-kindergartners participate in science, music and movement, library, and chapel, as well as several field trips. Game days promote turn-taking and good sportsmanship; share days invite youngsters to tell about a special item or event; taking care of the class mascot, "Bones," encourages narrative development and responsibility; and other special days, such as Grandparents' Day and Earth Day, explore other aspects of their lives.
- 3-year-olds' class: For children who will be 3 by September 1
of the current school year.Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, 9:00-11:45 a.m. Older 3-year-olds work on advancing pre-reading and pre-math skills such as shape recognition, basic patterns, left-to-right progression, and sequencing. They learn to follow multi-step instructions in completing projects and have fun creating more advanced artwork. They too participate in music and movement, library, and chapel, and attend a field trip in the spring. The class works on larger projects together to learn about cooperation, turn-taking, sharing, and the sense of accomplishment that comes from completion of a challenging task.
- 2 1/2-year-olds' class: For children who will be 30 months old by September 1
of the current school year - toilet training not required.Tuesday and Thursday, 9:00-11:45 a.m. Younger 3's begin learning important pre-reading and pre-math skills such as one-to-one correspondence, placement of features (such as on a face), and very simple patterns. These young children, who may only now be moving from scribbling and eight- to twelve-piece puzzles to more advanced forms, benefit from St. Peter's developmental approach, which encourages them to move at their own comfortable pace through these early stages of formal learning. Because toilet training typically occurs around this age but may not be completed by the beginning of the school year, tuition for these children can be prorated by their starting date.
- Lunch Bunch, an optional extended day (11:45 a.m.-1:00 p.m.) on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, October through mid-May, is open to children of all three classes (but not to Morning Out children). Additional Lunch Bunch days may be added based on interest.
Children in all classes, but not in the Morning Out Program, must be toilet trained. Age eligibility for Morning Out and the Younger 3's class may be flexible based on children's readiness.
Email Jamie McArdle, Director
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ST. PETER'S PRESCHOOL
A nurturing place for young children to learn
School is open today, July 23, 2008.
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Visit the St. Peter's Preschool Photo Album!
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The philosophy of St Peter's Preschool reflects that a child learns best
by doing, and that indeed the work of children is play. The Preschool, part of historic St Peter's Church of the
Great Valley, is located on a lovely 16-acre nature preserve. Our programs,
conducted within this unique natural setting, provide many opportunities for
each child to see the wonders of nature while their curiosity and interests
are challenged and motivated. Physical, social and cognitive skills are all
emphasized, and both free play and structured time are balanced in a
comfortable and relaxed setting.
St. Peter's Preschool has small, nurturing
programs for 2-, 3-, and 4-year olds in an environment mindfully designed to foster their social, emotional, physical, and educational development. Our highly qualified teaching staff and low teacher-child ratio ensure that each child's experience at St. Peter's Preschool is both positive and productive. Morning Out focuses on very young children's social development, and provides an introduction to "school" that is playful, safe, and age-appropriate. Our 3-year-old classes introduce important pre-reading and pre-mathematics skills and encourage young children to create and pretend. Pre-Kindergarten brings children to kindergarten readiness through inventive lessons that build on children's experiences and daily explorations, tying together play themes with more formal learning units.
For many children, St. Peter's Preschool may be their first learning environment away from home. Our first objective for these children is to help them make a smooth transition to the school setting with a supportive and caring atmosphere appropriate to each child’s individual developmental level.
St. Peter's Preschool is a non-profit
school and does not discriminate with regard to race or religion. It is an outreach educational ministry of St Peter's Church in the Great
Valley (Episcopal). St. Peter's Preschool meets or
exceeds licensing guidelines for the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. All teachers are Pennsylvania state certified in Early Childhood
Education.
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