Pre-Kindergarten Program

Choosing the right pre-kindergarten program for your child is an important decision. A strong early learning environment can start your child on a life-long path of academic and personal success.

St. Mary Pre-Kindergarten will provide your child with the knowledge and skills needed to be academically successful within a nurturing, faith-based environment.

Serving Marion County and surrounding areas, our pre-kindergarten fosters the development of each child’s self-esteem, creativity, and knowledge through developmentally appropriate activities. Within our Catholic community, students will learn to appreciate and act on the values of kindness, love and joy through our virtues program, positive daily interactions, worship and faith-filled activities.

Eligibility:

Children must be four years of age by August 1.

Days:

Monday through Thursday

Time:

8:15 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.

Class size:

Licensed for 21

Accreditation

St. Mary Pre-kindergarten is licensed by the Ohio Department of Education and complies with all state and diocesan policies regarding early childhood education.

Our pre-kindergarten students have fun while developing academically, spiritually, socially, creatively and emotionally.

St. Mary Pre-Kindergarten provides:

• Social Development. Children are provided with ongoing opportunities to develop their social skills. Teachers model appropriate problem-solving strategies and encourage the use of words to express thoughts and feelings. Group activities stress the importance of sharing, cooperating and helping, following directions, and negotiating.
• Intellectual Development. Our hands-on approach to learning places emphasis on developing language skills through listening, reading stories and poems, rhyming, dictating stories, phonetic games, dramatic plays, drawing, and skill repetition. Children develop cognitive and math readiness skills as they are introduced to shapes, colors, sizes, sorting, measurement, counting, and numbers. Children are encouraged to observe, interact, explore and problem-solve.
• Spiritual Development. Religious studies are integrated throughout the day. Children discover God as their Father and Jesus as their friend. The children show their love to God through prayer, songs and dramatic plays. Children become familiar with various saints, bible stories, prayers, virtues, and liturgical seasons.
• Creative Expression. Children are encouraged to express themselves through dramatic play, music and the use of art media. Projects are open-ended and allow for creativity and originality.
• Emotional Development. Children are loved and encouraged with words of praise and positive motivation. We develop a mutually respectful relationship with each child, while creating an environment where children are happy and eager to learn.
• Physical Development. Children are provided with daily opportunities to develop their motor skills. Fine motor skills are fostered through cutting, drawing, painting, manipulatives, puzzles, play-doh, etc. Large motor skills are developed through gym class, outdoor play (weather permitting) including running, jumping, dancing, balancing, throwing and skipping.

Pre-Kindergarten Registration

St. Mary Pre-kindergarten registration usually begins in January.A non-refundable registration fee of $50 is due at the time of registration.

Tour Our Facility

For additional information or to arrange a tour, please contact St. Mary School Principal Bob Rush at (740) 382-1607.

St. Mary Pre-Kindergarten welcomes all applicants regardless of race, sex, color, creed or ethnic origin.