Early Childhood Center
Welcome!
Welcome to the Early Childhood Center (ECC) at St. Mary’s Episcopal School! Our program is for girls who are 3 years old (pre-kindergarten), 4 years old (junior kindergarten), and 5 years old (senior kindergarten) by June 1.
It is an exciting time on our campus. The junior- and senior-kindergarten girls are delighted to see their friends again and meet new ones. The new pre-kindergartners love their classrooms and playgrounds where new friendships are formed each day.
We are hearing a lot of hola and bonjour around the ECC as the girls practice new language skills, and our daily routines are spiced up with classroom photos, library days, Family Fun Day, science excursions, and Orff music.
St. Mary’s provides a child-centered environment in which each girl can develop to her individual potential. Our classrooms are loving and nurturing places where our youngest students begin to build self-esteem, develop a sense of security, and gain a healthy curiosity about the world around them.
The Early Childhood curriculum is designed to introduce essential concepts and skills through real and stimulating experiences, exploration, and discovery. Exposure to a wide variety of educational opportunities such as art, music, language, mathematics, computer, foreign language, social and physical sciences, and creative and dramatic play helps foster natural curiosity and creativity. Together, these activities promote mental, social, physical, and emotional development.
For further information about our program, please contact me. I am happy to answer any of your questions.
Kay Humphreys
Early Childhood Head
901.537.1456
About the ECC at St. Mary’s Episcopal School
For the youngest child at St. Mary’s, pre–kindergarten is the place to make new friends while separating from the security of home and entering the exciting world of school. This adventure guides her through both familiar and new units of study. The pre-kindergarten student is exposed to letter and number recognition, technology, and Spanish. Other special subjects include art, music, physical education, library, and Creative Movement. Each classroom has approximately 15 students, with two certified teachers. Pre-kindergarten classes meet either five days a week or three days a week (Monday, Tuesday, and Thursday) from 8:00 a.m. to 11:00 a.m. Applicants must be 3 years old by June 1.
Junior kindergartners step into the world of learning. Reading readiness continues with the introduction of phonics and phonemic awareness. By putting sounds together and understanding that the written word has meaning, children develop a love of reading. Recognizing numbers, identifying basic shapes, learning math terms, counting, and measuring areas are all a part of the junior kindergarten math program. Technology and Spanish lessons continue in the classrooms, as do the special subjects: of art, music, physical education, and library. Each classroom has approximately 20 students, with two certified teachers. Classes meet five days a week from 8:00 a.m. until noon. Applicants must be 4 years old by June 1.
Senior kindergarten builds upon everything students have learned in previous years. Reading readiness is more exciting as the girls learn about thought patterns and sentence structure. Personal journals allow these emerging writers to use “inventive” spelling skills to sound out words and write stories while learning about authors and illustrators. Everyday math activities open up a whole new world of numbers and their meaning. Each classroom has approximately 20 students, with two certified teachers. Classes meet five days a week from 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. Applicants must be 5 years old by June 1.
Extended Day, an afternoon enrichment program, is held from 11:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m. for pre-kindergarten and from noon to 3:00 p.m. for junior kindergarten. Children have an opportunity to meet new friends and enjoy a variety of activities in a relaxed environment. Extended Day is offered either five days a week or as a single-day option (on any day except Friday).
Early Childhood develops the whole child by helping her:
- Learn to be part of a group
- Learn from other children
- Become responsible
- Meet challenges
- Be aware of her behavior
- Respond to stimulation
- Solve her own problems
- Learn self-help skills
- Learn to communicate
Placement in all Early Childhood programs is based on developmental readiness.
