St. Paul Early Childhood Center

PHILOSOPHY

Early childhood should be a time of warmth, security, exploration, and discovery. The faith development of a person begins in the early years of life; thus, preschool education is an important part of total Catholic education. Catholic preschools, in cooperation with parents, are an effective means of teaching the Gospel message to young children. Preschool programs support the family in the growth and development of their preschool children. St. Paul Preschool is a community of learners in an environment of respect for children, families, teachers, and staff.

Young children are active, social individuals who benefit from exploring the world around them. Each is a unique person with individual growth and development patterns, individual preferences for activities, and different family and cultural backgrounds. Children learn best when they are active participants in their own learning, when their curiosity to know influence classroom planning, and when their investigations are hands-on.

St. Paul Preschool program will provide an atmosphere in which young children can work and play together in a child-centered environment utilizing a developmentally appropriate curriculum. Learning experiences will be provided to stimulate curiosity, to develop self-confidence and independence, and to provide literacy and other readiness skills needed in preparation for kindergarten. Since children are natural scientists and are motivated to solve problems, our programs support science and math instruction through meaningful and connected experiences with integration of the arts.

Meaningful “play” is children’s work. Emphasis will be on learning which permanently affects the child’s total development and personality. This includes spiritual, emotional, physical, cognitive, and social development as well as the development of self-esteem within each child. The unique learning styles of children are considered, and children are encouraged to make choices, accept the consequences, and participate actively in learning. Intentional learning experiences and a child-centered environment will help build a strong foundation for lifelong learning.