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Our Preschool Program
Welcome to the St. Francis of Assisi School preschool program for 4-year-olds! The full day preschool program is a service provided to the parents of St. Francis parish in response to the need for full-day care.
The full-day preschool program for 4-year-olds is a theme-based program. Through
monthly or weekly themes, the children will explore a wide variety of concepts and topics. Theme-based activities will be presented through both teacher-directed and child-directed activities. Half-day and part-time care is available if space allows.
Religion concepts will be taught using the God Made the World series by Loyola University Press. Teaching the concepts that God made the world, people, holy things, the earth, living things and surprises will fit nicely into the program themes!
The children enrolled in the preschool program on a full-time basis will have the opportunity to participate in all the “specials” classes. Children who attend part-time will participate only in the classes offered on the days they attend. Each week the children will travel to the art room, library and music room for these specials. The Spanish teacher will work with the children in the preschool classroom. In addition to several weekly periods for free play time in the gym; the children will have the opportunity to have a structured gym period each week led by the St. Francis School physical education teacher.
Four-year-old children still need a lot of time to play. A great deal of thought has gone into the materials that will be made available to the class. Through directed and free play activities children will grow socially, emotionally and cognitively.
During the later part of the school year we will begin focusing on kindergarten readiness. We will help the children develop the skills that are important for them to have to begin kindergarten in the fall. The two most important skills that we hope each child has is an ability to listen, and follow directions. We will also help children master basic independence and self-help skills. In addition, we will help ensure that each child has a basic understanding of number concepts, letter recognition, pre-literacy skills, and color and shape recognition.
Click here for Preschool F.A.Q. 
Optional Extended Day Preschool
Full-day preschool families at St. Francis have the option of extending their day by enrolling in either before-school(6:45-7:50) or after-school (3:00-6:15) Extended Day sessions. The before-school time allows parents to get an earlier start on the day and gives children a quiet and calm entry into the day. The after-school program is intended to support the concepts learned during the day in a less structured setting.
Daily Program
The program is organized so that children have a choice of activities in which to participate each day. Outdoor play, gym time, art, music, building, dramatic play and literature based activities will be available to the children. They will be able to participate in both large and small group activities as well as individual projects.
Special programs are offered on most no-school days. The program schedule for these days is outlined in the monthly newsletter.
Staffing
The preschool program is staffed with qualified adults who have had previous experience with young children. The center staff meets or exceeds the Child Day Care Licensing qualifications.
The lead teacher has a Child Development Certificate and many years of pre-school experience.
The ESP Director has a Bachelor’s degree in recreation with a business minor, a Bachelor’s degree in education and a Master’s degree in early childhood education. The ESP Director has had extensive experience working with children in various settings.
The center meets or exceeds the Child Day Care Licensing staff/child ratio requirements. This means that there are two staff members present in the center during the day and on field trips. The state requires a minimum ratio of 1 staff member for every 12 children at the four-year-old level. Our goal is to maintain a 1 to 10 ratio in the preschool room. Only one center staff member may be on site at the very beginning or end of the extended day programs because of the small number of children enrolled. However, other school personnel are in the building and available in case of an emergency.
Teachers participate in staff meetings, in-service training and special workshops to increase their skills. All of the staff members have first aid and CPR training.
Fees for 2009-2010
Fees are charged on a per-day basis. A higher fee is charged for Drop-In care. Families are expected to pay for all scheduled days
.
Registration Fee: $70.00 per child
Before-School Care: (6:45-7:45am) - $3.25 per day
Full-Day Preschool: (7:45am-3:00pm) - $28.00 per day
Half-Day Preschool (7:45am-12:00pm) - $18.00 per day
Extended Day Preschool: (3:00-6:15pm) - $11.90 per day
No-School Day and Vacation Days: Prices will vary depending on the program offered and the time scheduled.