Academics
Early Childhood Education (ECE)
PreK-2 through PreK-4
Early Childhood Education lays the foundation for remarkable and accelerated learning. Indeed, studies agree that brain development from birth to age five is more aggressive than at any other point in a person’s life, even though our brains continue to grow through adulthood. At St. Andrew’s, we make the most of this developmental phase in a highly nurturing and caring environment. Children in our PreK program make incredible strides as each day presents a new learning opportunity and discovery. Our quality programs set our youngest students up for a life-long enthusiasm for learning.
Through play, children learn to problem-solve, build confidence, develop and practice social skills and explore their world. Our educators create play-based learning in all content areas: Literacy, Math, Science, Social Studies, the Arts, and Technology, as well as the social/emotional needs of the child. Our ECE students attend weekly elective classes, which include Music, Spanish, Physical Education and Christian Education.
St. Andrew’s Episcopal Academy’s Early Childhood Education program promotes exploration and discovery as a way of learning, enabling children to develop confidence, creativity, and lifelong critical thinking skills. Like all our instruction throughout the Academy, this provides the underpinnings upon which we build. Our ECE instructors possess the higher education and successful experience that makes our Early Childhood Education unique. Our professional development and continuing education programs ensure they have the latest and most innovative tools. Our instructors create a place where each child feels cherished and ready to learn.
St. Andrew’s ECE instructors provide regular communication with parents. Our youngest students are learning how to socially interact with peers, adults and their school community. Here is where the foundation is built to help children successfully navigate the world around them. Our instructors provide positive reinforcement to our students, along with feedback to their parents to help them foster that same environment at home. When we work together, children learn how to reflect on their actions and develop the positive traits that will help them successfully maneuver in their school, home and community.
Read More...At the Academy, children are immersed in learning through purposeful, play-based experiences on topics they are familiar with from their everyday lives. Children find opportunities for rigorous skill development like counting, measurement and language comprehension while also developing positive relationships, gross-motor skills, fine motor skills and problem-solving abilities.
For young children, every experience or encounter presents a learning opportunity. Our preschoolers have an abundance of outdoor play. They learn from everything they see, do, hear, feel, smell, and taste; everyone they interact with and everywhere they go. Our instructors provide daily enrichment activities to support this learning. St. Andrew’s Episcopal Academy recognizes this and creates a holistic and caring environment that sets our youngest students on a learning path that will support kindergarten readiness and reap rewards for the future.
Through our Early Childhood Education program, our PreK students learn to practice social skills in a structured learning environment. Children learn to engage better with other children and adults. Our preschool environment children acquire the important skills that allow them to listen to others and express their own ideas, make friends, share, cooperate, and become accountable for their actions. They learn the skills of conflict resolution, mindfulness and how important it is to treat others with kindness.
Their spiritual development is age appropriate and an important part of the St. Andrew’s Episcopal Academy learning model. As a member of the National Association of Episcopal Schools, we include a weekly chapel service that is creative, inclusive, draws fully upon the liturgical resources of The Episcopal Church, and is a regular part of school life for all faculty and students. Community Life, in which reflection, prayer, and matters of the spirit are honored and cultivated and the physical, mental, and emotional health of all are supported and nurtured. Character formation that is meaningful, academically substantive, and age-appropriate; and in teaching the Christian tradition, fosters dialogue with other faith traditions. Social Justice, which is the integration of the ideals and concepts of equity, justice, and a just society throughout the life of the school; the embracing and honoring of diversity; and the inclusion of community service and service-learning as an integral part of the life of the school. Our youngest learners are taught early to value different perspectives and acquire the self-awareness needed to be adaptable and resilient in our rapidly changing world.
We understand the natural curiosity in young children. St. Andrew’s Episcopal Academy maximizes every opportunity for the discovery of new experiences, new environments, and new friends, while maintaining a balance with the ability to listen, participate in group tasks, follow directions, and work independently, all of which develop the critical life skills of concentration and focus. Our instructors place a strong emphasis on teaching independence as young as our PreK-2 students. From day one, students learn a routine of independence by putting away their own things and making independent choices. These character traits are carried on through each grade as they progress in their education.
The confidence our PreK students build over time helps create a love of lifelong learning and sets them up for success in grade school and beyond. Children learn how to manage challenges and build resilience in times of difficulty and settle easily at school to acquire the benefits of education faster. Our stimulating and encouraging instruction provides the safety of discovery, while helping each child’s development and growth.
Our admissions process is specialized for your young child. We customize an in-depth tour for your family and let your child interact with our other PreK students through play. You will also have an opportunity to meet our teachers and staff and see firsthand how we all work together for the benefit of our young students. Our assessments look at the whole child developmentally and we are committed to a transparent process with our families.
We are committed to our young learners and their social-emotional and academic growth. St. Andrew’s Episcopal Academy believes that creating a place where young children can grow and develop in a highly nurturing environment is the best start for a bright and purposeful life.
For more information or to schedule a personalized tour, contact our Admissions Department at 772-461-7689.
