enrichment opportunities
ART
Art is incorporated into all of our preschool classes, from Parent & Me through TK. We have an art studio and a wide variety of loose materials and art supplies for your child to use to create their masterpieces.
chapel
The children go into St. Paul's Episcopal Church each week to share a special “chapel time” with our Preschool Director and Pastor Kay Sylvester.
M/W/F and 5 Day morning students will attend on MONDAYS.
T /T children will attend on TUESDAYS.
Our visits include singing chapel songs, hearing a special chapel story or “message,” saying a prayer and celebrating children’s birthdays. Lesson plans will be posted on this web site weekly. Please stay in touch to know what your child is learning so you can implement each message into your daily lives. As always parents are welcome to attend our chapel times.
motor lab
St. Paul's offers a gross motor lab for all four- and five-year-old students.
When engaging in gross motor activities children are developing muscular strength, endurance, flexibility, cardio-respiratory endurance, brain function, hand-eye-coordination, balance, body mechanics, body awareness, as well as special awareness. Gross motor activities allow children to make social connections, learn good sportsmanship, gain respect for equipment and practice safety. Children are making choices during large motor activities while challenging themselves, which helps develop self-esteem.
Children should wear tennis shoes. Those with long hair should have it tied back into a ponytail and girls should not wear dresses on motor lab days. Our motor lab program is offered on Fridays for our M/W/F and 5 Day students.
Skills covered include:
Balance; Directionality; Coordination; Foot-eye-coordination; Hand/Eye Coordination; Gross Motor Coordination; Tactile Awareness; Laterality; Locomotor Kinesthesis; Sustained Movements; and Visual - Motor Control
gardening
All of our students attend monthly gardening lessons with our knowledgeable farm experts. Lessons include basic gardening skills, tasting fresh fruits and vegetables, and learning about our pollinators and soil-builders! There are many benefits that children develop while taking part in visiting the garden. They run in open spaces, breathe the fresh air, touch the soil, leaves, cool water, seeds, plants, and insects. Our garden provides numerous opportunities to engage or sit quietly with nature. Healthy eating and nutrition habits are supported by gardening and harvesting the crops. They have the chance to taste the delicious fruit and vegetables they have grown in the garden. They feel a sense of pride and accomplishment while having hands-on learning such as the lifecycle. Positive social and interpersonal skills are being developed when the children work cooperatively in a group and they build closer bonds with their peers and adults. All experiences involve the joy and wonder of play.
woodworking
Woodworking is incorporated into our preschool programs starting at 4 years old. When woodworking children are developing fine motor skills, pincher control, spatial awareness, hand-eye coordination, safety awareness, a willingness to try new things, respect for tools and materials, creative expression and self-concept. Each child is asked to first draw their pattern or blueprint to use as their guide during this process. Woodworking allows children to explore relationships and interaction of materials, make choices and decisions about their work, and understand cause and effect with the materials being used. Children gain a sense of pride when completing woodworking projects as well as confidence gained sharing woodworking projects through public speaking.
sewing
Sewing is incorporated into our preschool programs starting at 4 years old.
Sewing provides children the opportunity to express themselves through another language. Each child is asked to first create his/her pattern, which is copied, and then cut out. Through pattern making, children are developing planning skills, fine-motor skills, drawing experience, and creative expression. Once their pattern is complete, they begin the sewing process. Through this experience, children will actively learn hand-eye coordination, patience, perseverance, and problem-solving skills. Vocabulary words are used and develop meaning. The child presents their work to their classmates, which builds upon their confidence.