St. Luke’s Early Childhood program is child-centered, play-based and inspired by the Reggio Emilia philosophy. Natural inquisitiveness leads children to explore, discover, question, and experiment. Our students learn to grow in a secure, controlled-access setting designed to promote positive social interaction and decision-making skills. This approach helps children develop self-confidence, compassion for others, and respect for the world around them.
Pre-K3 and Pre-K4 Curriculum
Curriculum planning is based on the interests of the children and has the flexibility to be transformed within every class based on each child’s needs. We work to ensure that children are learning by doing rather than watching a teacher and provide as many hands-on learning activities as possible. Some of our projects have included ants, shoes, automobiles, and restaurants.
At St. Luke’s, our outdoor classroom is a place to explore nature and get messy! These experiences include a mud kitchen, a water station, a sandbox, and a vegetable garden. Making creations with mud, sticks and leaves, building sand castles, and hunting for bugs are part of our daily routine. A large path circles our space where students ride trikes and push trucks, passing dramatic play spaces which allow for storytelling, dancing, singing and a great deal of imaginative play.
Kindergarten Curriculum
St. Luke’s Kindergarten program continues to challenge and nurture mind, body and spirit while developing a passion for lifelong learning in a secure environment. The children’s curiosity is ignited through our core curriculum, enrichment classes, and exploration of the outdoors, creating thriving, well-balanced students.
Our language arts program begins with Secret Stories to build phonemic awareness skills. We use Guided Reading to provide small group reading instruction for each child. Journal writing and Handwriting Without Tears help students develop as writers and create the foundation for a love of writing through daily experiences. The Into Math program builds throughout the year, forming an understanding of the meaning, uses, and representations of numbers, computation, graphic patterns, geometry, and functions. Integrating science and social studies within our units allows for hands-on, child-driven projects. These have included animals in the winter, space, plants and seeds, insects, and dinosaurs.
Early Childhood Chapel
Early childhood classes attend chapel on Thursday mornings. Birthday blessings are given the week of your child’s birthday. Kindergarten students have the opportunity to serve as an acolyte.
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“It is our job as educators to create beautiful spaces filled with listening and guidance for children to question, investigate, and discover.”
— Kathy Stenhouse
