Text Box: About Us

St. Mark’s             Preschool
Text Box: History The Preschool opened its doors in September 1973 to function as a part of St. Mark’s UMC program. It has grown to become a vital outreach into the community. Text Box: Staff Teachers are selected on the basis of their personality, love for children, and ability to work effectively with children individually as well as in a group. All of our teachers are warm, sensitive, and understanding and have experience working with preschool children. St. Mark’s Preschool’s staff is comprised of 8 lead teachers, 9 assistant teachers, an office assistant, and director. Six of our staff members have been with St. Mark’s Preschool for over 20 years. Four of our staff members have been with St. Mark’s Preschool for over 10 years. Text Box: Typical Day Our daily schedule is a combination of free play and group activities. We balance these activities according to the needs of the individual classes. * Free Play: The children are free to play with anything they choose (play dough, manipulative materials, building toys, sensory table, etc.) The teacher oversees the group, interacts with individuals, and gives guidance and suggestions where needed. Students may play at the tables, on the floor, alone, or with others. During free-play some special type of art is offered each day. This may be a creative art medium or an art activity to develop a specific skill such as cutting, pasting, tracing, classifying, etc. * Group Activity: The teacher organizes an activity which the children participate in along with others such as a movement activity, music, dramatization, sharing time, game, story, filmstrip, flannel board activity, cooking, planting seeds, etc. * Snack Time: The children in each class have snack together each day. * Outdoor Play: All students go out on the fenced playground at the same time as others in their classroom. We stagger times so that all classes are not out at the same time . Weather permitting, children have 15-30 minutes outside each day. Text Box: Purpose To help students develop a positive attitude toward school. To foster the following types of development: * Physical (large and small motor coordination). * Social (getting along with others, sharing, self discipline, good self-concept, and independence through large and small group activities). * Emotional (security and ability to accept feelings and cope in a socially acceptable manner). * Mental (simple decision making and following directions). We involve students in active learning experiences. Activities are planned which encourage student’s natural interest in learning and developing concepts and skills which we feel are important prerequisites for kindergarten “readiness”. All of the audio visual materials used by students are educational materials designed for specific purposes. Learning through play and active doing is important for the preschool child. * Aesthetic (sensitivity to and appreciation of the beauty around us). To help students grow in their awareness and understanding of God’s world. Text Box: Lunch Bunch This is an optional extended day program offered to any child who is at least three years old by Sept. 30th and is potty trained. It is offered on Wednesdays. The children who participate bring a lunch and a drink and are picked up at 1:50 pm. There is an additional charge for this program. Text Box: Equipment and Materials Even though it is impossible to list all materials, the following may give you an idea of the types of equipment used: * Outdoors: sand, balls, riding toys, climbing toys, jump ropes, hula hoops, bean bag throw, basketball hoop, and water table. * Classroom: rotation of centers (such as grocery store, post office, ice cream parlor), light table, sorting and classifying toys, enrichment games, science materials, teepees, art carts, Lego tables, sensory tables, blocks, books, puzzles, puppet stage, and computers. Materials used by the teachers include CD’s, flannel boards, filmstrips, rhythm instruments, parachutes, and an extensive library. Text Box: Physical Setting We use all six classrooms in the education building of St. Mark’s United Methodist Church. These rooms range in size from 400 square feet to 670 square feet. There is a sink in each classroom and there is a bathroom connected to each classroom as well. We are also able to use other areas of the church such as the Sanctuary, Dinning Room, and Community Life Center (gym) to gather as a group for music time, special programs, games, parachute play, and obstacle courses on rainy days.