Preschool Curriculum
We believe that a sound preschool curriculum includes empowering young children to feel good about themselves, think for themselves, have integrity and a sense of their own imaginative power.
Our age-appropriate activities are designed for children to be initiators and for teachers to support them in a process where learning is fun without rigidly defined limits. Early literacy, math awareness, science, block building, cooking, dramatic play, social studies through an anti-bias curriculum, moral education, art, music, and yoga are all incorporated in the everyday life of the preschool so that each child will be ready for the inevitable transition to kindergarten. Because each child is an individual with different needs and is unique in their own way, our curriculum is thoughtfully planned, challenging, engaging, developmentally appropriate, culturally and linguistically responsive, comprehensive, and designed to promote positive outcomes for all children.
Our classroom environment actively encourages kindness, compassion, racial and cultural diversity and creates a community of learners with academic potential.
Kindergarten Readiness Program
Our Kindergarten Readiness program is a special bridge between preschool and Kindergarten classes. Our teachers provide a strong academic introduction to language arts, science, mathematics, and social studies. The program also serves as a vehicle for the emergent development of our St. James' Core Beliefs and the sturdy morals and values we cherish like kindness, conflict-resolution, empathy, and respect.
Our goal is to provide students with intriguing academic experiences in the Kindergarten Readiness classes that will spark their imaginations and prepare them for a lifetime of learning. Our program is therefore limited to an intimate group of 15 students who work daily with two lead teachers. These two teachers – with, at a minimum, B.A. degrees in child development or a related field and experience in an early childhood education setting – guide the children's learning in their well-appointed classroom. Our program is predicated on educational research from the most trusted educational consultants and prestigious universities. The Kindergarten Readiness curriculum is based on knowledge of neuroscience and current brain research and their practical applications in the early childhood classroom.