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Pre-Kindergarten

     

Our Pre-K program, for fully potty-trained children aged 4 or older by August 31st, is based on the development of the whole child, providing opportunities for every child spiritually, physically, socially, emotionally, and academically. At St. Louise we help each child grow their faith, character, intellect and prepare for a smooth transition to kindergarten. 

 

Each Pre-Kindergarten class has one instructional assistant and shares an additional instructional assistant between the two classes. We are blessed to have 3 specialists throughout the week, music, P.E., and library. Students who stay for extended care have an additional music class once a week. 

 

The Pre-K classroom provides a safe place to learn and a fun place to interact with peers. Students collaborate, cooperate and compromise. Together, students and teachers partner to build a sense of community and promote commitment to service in an environment that encourages students to care for themselves and those around them.

 

Parents have the option to enroll their children in our half day or full day program. 

  • Half day 
    • 8:30 am - 11:45 am, Monday - Friday 
  • Full-day (extended care)
    • 8:30 am - 2 pm on Mondays
    • 8:30 am -3 pm Tuesday - Friday
Drop off: 8:15 am - 8:30 am   

 

Pre-K Half Day program offers:
  • An atmosphere designed to nurture Catholic faith and values and celebrate each child’s relationship with God.
  • An intentional curriculum richly infused with literacy and math content.
  • Whole group, small group, and individual learning experiences, including opportunities for choice and play.
  • Inquiry-based projects linked to science and social studies themes.
  • Music, movement, and art enrichment.
  • Service opportunities.
  • Weekly music lessons with our school music teacher.
  • Maximum of 20 students or a student:teacher ratio of 10:1.
Optional-Extended program offers*:
*Please see Admissions page for additional tuition fee
  • Lunch time, quiet time, and movement/recess time scheduled each afternoon.
  • An atmosphere designed to nurture Catholic faith and values and celebrate each child’s relationship with God.
  • Whole group, small group, and individual learning experiences, including opportunities for choice and play.
  • Music, movement, and art enrichment.
  • Maximum of 20 students or a student:teacher ratio of 10:1.
Religion
Text:        Catechesis of the Good Shepherd Publications, The Good Shepherd and the Child: A Joyful Journey
Focus:     Connect students with Scripture stories of God’s love, emphasizing God’s covenant relationship with each child. Provide Scripture-based presentations along with concrete materials and opportunities for prayerful reflection to deepen awareness and understanding of God’s love.
 
Pre-Reading and Writing
Texts:      David Matteson & Associates, Prekindergarten: Building the Foundation
                Pinnell and Fountas, Literacy Beginnings: A Prekindergarten Handbook
Focus:     Use developmentally appropriate assessments and instruction to build on students’ foundational and beginning literacy skills, specifically oral language, fine motor and attention to visual detail. Use powerful and playful ways to guide children to learn about letters, sounds and words; support emergent readers and writers through a variety of literacy activities.
 
Math
Text:         McGraw-Hill, Everyday Mathematics: Pre-K
Focus:       Introduce children to math concepts and processes through a hands-on, manipulative program: counting, number concepts, operations, graphing, measurement, shapes, position and spatial relations, patterns and sorting.
 
Science
Text:         Harcourt and FOSS science kit: Trees
Focus:       Lead investigations of trees at school to build understanding of all plants. Provide hands-on, inquiry-based studies of light and dark/day and night and animal habitats.
 
Social Studies
Text:         Lettermark Publishing, Pre-K Storypath, The Zoo: Learning About Animals
Focus:       Engage students in dramatic play to connect prior knowledge to new learning, problem solve, develop important social and language skills and make connections across the curriculum. Explore moods and feelings and friendships and family relationships.
 
Handwriting
Text:         David Matteson & Associates, Prekindergarten: Building the Foundation
Focus:       Build fine motor skills through a variety of practical life exercises. Provide tactile experiences for letter formation. Gain writing  practice and attention to visual detail through group and individual writing activities. Introduce proper posture, pencil position and manuscript strokes.
 
Music
Music with Mrs. LaRussa-Banton
In addition to their grade level service projects, the Pre-K grade classes work together with the entire school on school-wide annual service projects.
  • Our November Thanksgiving Food Drive teaches the importance of stewardship and giving to others. The entire student body creates about two dozen “baskets” that include non-perishable food items and gift cards to create a great Thanksgiving meal and help stock the family pantry. Together with the help of the Parish and St. Vincent de Paul, the baskets are distributed to families in need right here in the St. Louise Community.
  • Throughout the year, students support New Bethlehem Programs – a part of Catholic Community Services. New Bethlehem Programs offer day center and shelter services for families that are experiencing homelessness. During Advent students and families support the program by collecting much needed supplies for them.
  • During Lent, students learn the importance of fasting and almsgiving. This 40-day season of giving begins on Ash Wednesday with a school-wide “Rice and Beans Lunch,” when all the students and staff give up their usual lunch for rice and beans. The money they would have spent on an ample meal is donated to the New Bethlehem Programs.
Interactive Stations

We have created fun areas of rich, open-ended  learning opportunities within the classroom  to imagine, pretend and problem-solve while developing a range of essential social and language skills. Special themes are tied to curricular learning and infused with literacy and mathematical concepts include a farmers’ market, space station and zoo.

Social Studies
 
Trees Through the Seasons, is a year-long integrated study of trees and things that grow. This hands-on, investigative, cross-curricular study taps into kids’ innate curiosity and appreciation for the natural world. They learn to think like scientists as they question, observe and explore trees throughout the seasons. Fun outdoor activities include a fall leaf hunt, a winter evergreen hunt and a spring bark hunt.
 
Planting a Rainbow, inspired by the children’s book, and as part of their study of how things grow, students plant a variety of Tulip bulbs on campus. Parents are invited to join the students in this special project, which combines the scientific study of plants, service to the school and parish community.
 
Butterflies, is a way to help our youngest learners connect to Jesus’ life, death and resurrection. The class raises 10 caterpillars, watches them transform into beautiful Painted Lady Butterflies and releases them during Holy Week. The process is an accessible symbol of Christ’s journey, as well as our own, and provides powerful opportunities for meaningful discussion during the Lenten season.

Pre-Reading/Writing

Eating the Alphabet, the Pre-K students enjoy a Thanksgiving feast—with a twist! Tying together our study of trees and plants, and lessons about Thanksgiving, the class enjoys a bounty of fruits and vegetables from A to Z. Parents are invited to join the class in giving thanks for our many blessings.
     
Author Studies, several studies throughout the year focus on important print concepts, including understanding the meaning of and relationship between print and pictures. Kids make text-to-text and life-to-text connections, all while enjoying quality literature by favorite children’s authors and falling in love with good books!

6th Grade Buddies 
     
Pre-K students partner with their 6th grade buddies for special activities including read-ins, letter writing and math enrichment. The buddy relationship is a true highlight for all the students involved.

Field Trips
     
Engaging, interactive field trips bring to life classroom studies of space and animal habitats. Pre-K students visit the Pacific Science Center, where they watch a planetarium show and visit the Tropical Butterfly House, and Woodland Park Zoo, where we explore our final unit on zoos and animal habitats. Our students participate in a special preschool program to learn about animals of the African Savanna.

Religion
     
Washing of the Feet, children learn about the Last Supper and the example Jesus gave for loving one another as He loves us. They walk a path with dirty (painted) feet, and Mrs. Blank washes their feet, reminding each child of Jesus’ call to love and serve others.

Science
     
Pre-K Zoo, the final unit of the school year is a six-week exploration of zoos and animal habitats, rich with cross-curricular learning, emphasizing the scientific process of questioning, researching and recording findings. Along the way, the class hosts various guest pets and animal experts, including a veterinarian. The project culminates in a zoo tour for families, hosted by animal experts: our Pre-K students.

Musical Performances
     
May Crowning, in a special procession from the classroom to the Mary Garden, students sing, “Oh, Mary, we crown thee with blossoms today!” Once in the Mary Garden, they place a crown of flowers on the statue of Mary, lay individual flowers at her feet, and sing and pray to her and for all mothers. Parents are invited to join the class for this celebration of Mary, Queen of the Saints.
     
Spring Concert, under the creative guidance of music teacher, Mrs. LaRussa-Banton, students delight their families with a spring concert. They prepare for months, learning the lyrics and movements for a musical treat.