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Preschool

We believe that every aspect of your child's personality, be it cognitive,

social, emotional, physical or spiritual will be touched and challenged

in some way during his or her journey with us. Your child will have

ample time to experiment and explore with developmentally appropriate hands-on material in a play-based environment.

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We will nurture each child's individuality and instill a desire for lifelong learning as we prepare your child for kindergarten and beyond. Above all else, the teachers at St. Catherine Preschool care about each individual child and their families and we teach from the heart.

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For some children preschool may be the very first time they are away from their families and caretakers. We want their first school experience to be a positive one full of love and learning.

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Your child will feel safe and nurtured and loved here at St. Catherine. We believe that when your child feels safe and nurtured he or she will grow and develop leaps and bounds. We want to see them grow socially and emotionally and develop a love for school and learning.

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Social & Emotional Skills

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  • Your child will learn how to play with others, take turns

  • Develop listening skills

  • Respect for shared space and respect for others

  • Gain confidence and a positive self-esteem, sense of belonging.

  • Make simple choices and decisions

  • Gain independence

  • Be introduced to a community/school

  • Problem-solving skills

  • Create learners who are caring and thoughtful of their families, friends, and teachers. Teachers will stress how important empathy, friendship, and sharing are.

 

​ACHIEVED THROUGH: All activities, teacher role modeling, choice of activities during free choice time, words of recognition from your teacher, sharing thoughts and ideas at circle time.

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Self Help Skills

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  • Further develop the skills to put on coat, shoes and other articles of clothing.

  • Taking care of personal needs in the bathroom, washing hands, using the toilet.

  • Hanging up backpack and putting folders away.

  • Packing and unpacking lunch box

  • Cleaning up personal space after snack and lunch,  composting, recycling.

  • Learn positive table manners during snack and lunch bunch, No Monster Manners.

 

​ACHIEVED THROUGH: Encouragement and assistance from teachers, modeling peers, lots and lots of patience, praise and practice, parental support at home. I think I can, I think I can, I think I can…..I DID IT!

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Cognitive / Academic Development

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  • Recognition of one's own name

  • Recognition of letters of the alphabet, we do a letter a week.

  • Handwriting without tears program

  • Recognition of shapes, colors, and patterns

  • Increase in counting, sorting, matching skills, counting up to 10.

  • Introduction to self-portraits

  • Happily Ever after pre-reading program (Tigers)

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​ACHIEVED THROUGH: Daily calendar, free choice activities, circle time, books, songs, small group activities, large group activities, weekly themes.

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Large and small motor development

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Large Motor Development​

  • Outdoor play, Exercising large muscles in legs, arms, and back.

  • Running, jumping, balancing, etc.

  • PE in the gym for more running, throwing balls, bouncing, hula hoops, soccer, basketball.

  • Dancing in class, Teacher Tammy loves to boogie!

  • Yoga, Sun Salutation.

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Fine Motor Skills​

  • Eye-hand coordination

  • Use small muscles in hands

  • Use of writing center daily to practice scissor skills, drawing, coloring, and writing.

  • Free choice activities such as playdough, beading, sensory bins.

  • Art activities, painting, easel

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Language Development

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Listening and Speaking​​

  • Expresses self using words and will put feelings and desires into words.

  • Understand and follow directions.

  • Ask, answer and actively participate in conversations.

  • Achieved through show and tell, stories, circle time, free choice time, encouragement and language use from teachers, singing songs.

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Reading and Writing​

  • Handwriting without tears

  • Happily ever after pre-reading program

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Preschool Specialists

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PE: The children will have PE in the gym weekly as well as when the weather is too bad to go outside. There the children will develop body and special awareness and practice and refine their emerging motor skills and have a whole lot of fun and laughter.

 

Music: Students go to the music room where they will sing, and have opportunities to enjoy many fun instruments with our music teacher, Ms. Jones.

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Library: Reading to children is one of our favorite things to do and is so important in so many ways. We will go to the Big school Library to read stories once a week.

 

Reading Buddies: Preschoolers are paired up with a 3rd/4th grade reading buddy for the year. It is a highlight of the preschoolers' week!

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Science: All Preschool students will do various science activities in their classrooms.

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Spanish: All Preschool students have Spanish class with Profe Budinich twice per week!

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