Growing and Learning in God's Love
Our preschool program is designed to meet your child where he or she is socially, developmentally and academically. Children learn through experiences. We believe strongly in the importance of discovery through play and imagination, as well as routine and structure. Our goal is to prepare your child to be successful kindergartner! Please come visit our campus. We’d love to be a part of this important step in your child’s education.
Setting the butterfly free
Some parents choose to wait until a child is ready for a pre-k (4/5 year old) class before sending them to a preschool program. Once enrolled, they find the pre-k program to be a wonderful experience for their child, and we often hear…”I love St. Paul’s and wish I had enrolled my child when they were three to get the full benefit of both years.” The 3 year old program and pre-k program are quite different. In our three year old class, the emphasize is on social growth,
Things that roll!!
a vital building tool for future educational success. Many young children know their colors, some letters and numbers, but struggle in a social environment. Our three year old teachers have many years of experience working directly with this young age group. Many times, preschool is a child’s first experience in a structured setting with teachers and a group of children. It’s an opportunity to learn to share, follow instructions, and begin the foundation for learning success. Our program offers the benefit of essential playtime and also beginning the first step in pre-math and pre-literacy development.
Learning about germs
In preschool, a 3 year old learns to feel cared for and secure with a teacher and builds trust with adults outside of their family. A quality structured environment encourages social interaction and children are shown how to handle conflict with others. A 3 year old at preschool will learn to make choices, learn to take care of themselves and others, and strengthen cognitive skills by engaging in hands-on activities that challenge them to observe, ask questions and solve problems. So, the answer is yes. Most 3 year olds will benefit greatly from preschool. Check out our amazing 3 year old program and see how much fun they are having.
Creativity at work
Things that fly
Enjoying a special visitor
Snacktime fresh from the garden
Shaving cream fun
Imaginative play
Pajama & Hibernation day
Finding the treasure
After losing her bonnet, the policeman offers Madame Chapeau his hat.
The baker offers his hat
All the people in Paris offer their hats
Madame Chapeau is sad because none of the hats is quite right.
All is well as Madame Chapeau is given a hat, knitted with love. The perfect hat.
Our amazing lead actress!
This is the tale of a lonely hat maker who matches customers to the perfect hat but lacks her own perfect match in life. Once a year, on her birthday, Madame Chapeau ventures out in her favorite bonnet to dinner. This time, a crow snatches her hat and flies away. Mon dieu! As she chases the crow through the streets of Paris, a baker, a policeman, a cowboy, and others offer her their own hats to wear. None of them are quite right, though, until one special little girl offers her a hat “knitted with love and [her] best birthday wish.”
A delightful and very stylish story about love, community, and friendship, with some fancy hats thrown in for good measure.
Dry Ice fun Mrs. Van Wormer
To a young child, every day can be a discovery of something new. Preschoolers love to explore the world around them. Simple science activities help young children enhance this natural curiosity.
Science exploration in the classroom provides young children the opportunity to…
Making bubbles with dry ice
Science activities are incorporated into many of the learning themes throughout our preschool program. A small sampling includes mixing colors, making slime, learning the difference between salt and fresh water and its effect on floating, erupting volcanoes and discovering the wonder of dry ice.
Merry Christmas to our preschool families
Just a few reminders ….
Our last day of Preschool for 2014 will be December 18. School resumes on January 5 (Soaring) and 6, 2015.
Christmas Program – Join us for our annual Christmas program on Thursday, December 18, 9:30 to 10 a.m. The children will remain with their class at all times during the program, and will immediately return to their classrooms for some more Christmas fun and may be picked up at the usual time.
Stay & Play – Will resume on January 12. Sign up will be January 7 and 8.
Tuition for January – The business manager would like to wish all families a Merry Christmas and to let everyone know that tuition will not be due for January until the week of January 6th. No late fees will be assessed if paid by January 8.
Monday’s Soaring class enjoyed discovering the book “Not a box”.
Forget expensive toys and electronics, children absolutely love being read to and playing with boxes.
What a perfect 
combination!
The addition of Soaring to our pre-k program has been well received by the children and their parents. Soaring is the Monday enrichment class that allows children to continue their discovery of the wonderful world of books.
Reading is such an important skill to develop in children. The more young children are read to, the greater their interest in mastering reading. Reading out loud exposes children to proper grammar and phrasing, and helps young children develop vital language skills. It enhances the development of their spoken language skills and their ability to express themselves verbally.
Through books, children learn about other people and places, both real and imaginary. Through stories, they meet new friends and characters. Books can encourage children to be helpful, kind and show how to resolve conflict. At preschool, story time is a group activity that offers children the opportunity to sit quietly and be respectful in a group and also socialize and share with each other what they have heard.
Our Soaring class continues to nurture this skill in a fun filled day.
Soaring allows the children the opportunity to…
Share an adventure with Harold and the Purple Crayon.
Discover the world of science as they make a cloud and hear the story, What Are Clouds?
and so much moreWatch as our children soar ahead and discover the joy of reading.
Mutual love
Mrs. Hoffsmith has been teaching at St. Paul’s..
This is her 2oth year.
Her extraordinary worth and value
have been made so abundantly clear.
St. Paul’s is so blessed to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Liane Hoffsmith, lead teacher of the Crayon Kids. Words alone cannot describe the value of this special person. However, an excerpt from a letter sent by a parent does it well. “What can be said about Mrs. Hoffsmith? It could be said that she is quiet, soft spoken and gentle. It could be said that she is gracious, slow to anger and filled with goodness.
Handprint quilt from the Crayon Kids
It could also be said that she is a magnet for 3 and 4 year olds. But none of these statements do her justice. The legacy of a teacher is something that is difficult to measure. The greater learning isn’t reflected in just academic achievement. It is shown by a child’s confidence and their ability to work well with other children. A child’s belief that the word is a genuinely good place is a tribute to the way all children are warmly received into Mrs. Hoffsmith’s classroom and into her life.
Simply stated, Mrs. Hoffsmith shows both children and parents what it means to love and be loved in everything she does. Thank you, Mrs. Hoffsmith for loving all the children you’ve taught for the last 20 years. 
You are a gift to treasure.”
Last day of school
Yesterday was our last day of preschool for this school year. We watched the little ones perform some lovely songs for their families and finished the program with our annual procession of classes. We ended our day with a fun Eegees party and lots of laughter.
It is always hard to say goodbye. Especially to the little ones who will going off to kindergarten. We know that we have given them our best and that they are ready to join the world of big kids as they continue their learning adventure, but we will miss their special hugs.
The Owls
The last day of school is always filled with a lot of excitement, love, hugs and a few tears. Mrs. Monier, our Owl teacher, reflected on how it feels to say goodbye to her future kindergarteners. “Finished my last day of preschool – As I opened my classroom door at the end of the day and released my little “OWLS”, I watched them fly away in all different directions. It dawned on me that it wasn’t so much about what I’d taught them, but all the things they taught me: How to laugh, tolerance, pure joy, curiosity and unconditional love, just to name a few. So, to my little people, my best wishes will follow you to kindergarten, along with a piece of my heart! Love you all!”
Thank you to all the parents for your kind thoughts, lovely gifts and for all your support throughout the year. Have a great summer, and remember to stop by for a visit next year! And to our little ones returning next year…..it is not goodbye, but see you soon!
Special friends saying goodbye
Sharing her All About Me poster with classmates
Young children are so eager to share in each new experience and so willing to accept the wonderful differences in our world. Children are excited to learn about how we are all the same in many ways, but how each person is also unique and special.
Preschool children begin to notice differences among people…some are short and others are tall, some have blue eyes and others brown..they notice skin color, eye shapes and hair color. Diversity also encompasses children’s individual interests and capabilities, cultural differences, age and gender difference and language differences.
As children are discovering these differences, it is important to embrace the diversity in the classroom setting as it helps the children feel content in who they are and helps them feel valued.
Comparing fingerprints
A young child who learns to embrace diversity will embrace this concept as an aspect of life that they value. Preschoolers love to learn songs and dances from other cultures and sing and count in different languages. They enjoy activities that help them think about and discuss the concept of fairness, as this is a familiar issue for young children. It is especially rewarding for children to learn about the culture and language of one of their classmates and their families.
St. Paul’s United Methodist Preschool is proud to be a place where all children are celebrated and valued.
Celebrating Lei Day
Working together
St. Paul's United Methodist Preschool 