St. Mark's Preschool
Providing a caring, Christian developmental environment for young children 2-6 years old. Read what parents have said about us at GreatSchools.net
Linda Culley, Director
Pat Olson, Administrative Assistant
OPENINGS FOR THE 2010-2011 SCHOOL YEAR:
We still have a few openings available in the following classes:
T/TH am, 2 and 3 yr old; 9-11:30
MW am, 3 yr old; 8:45-11:15
MWF am, 3 yr old; 9-11:30
MW pm, 3 and 4 yr old; 12:15-2:45
CONGRATULATIONS TO ST MARK'S PRESCHOOL
For winning the Daily Herald Newspaper
READER'S CHOICE AWARDS
We were voted “One of the Best Preschool/Daycare”
for 3 years in a row!
2008 * 2009 * 2010
Meet our Staff
Classes Offered for 2010-2011 SCHOOL YEAR
Two's/Three's; T/TH AM 9:00-11:30
(Child needs to be 3 by April 1. Class of 15 students and 2 teachers. Children in this class DO NOT need to be potty trained.
Our 2/3 year old class is for children who are already 3 years old, or will turn three by April 1st of the current school year. This class meets twice a week for 2 1/2 hours.
In the classroom, the children will experience circle time, “Jesus time”, sensory activities, fine motor, creative art, music with movement, concept development (such as colors, shapes, etc), large muscle, snack and of course lots of time for free play and socialization.
If you think your child is ready for a first school experience in a warm, nurturing Christian environment, then this is the class for you
Three's; M/W AM 8:45-11:15 or M/W/F AM 9:00-11:30
(Child needs to be 3 by September 1 and must be fully potty trained! No pull-ups allowed). Classes of 15-17 students and 2 teachers.
Our three year olds come two or three days a week and are offered a combination of structured and unstructured play. They have two circle times. These circle times involve encouraging listening skills and following directions. The children are exposed to beginning Spanish words and phrases, Bible stories, songs, finger-plays, use of rhythm instruments and lots of storybooks. Animal Island, which is an introductory alphabet curriculum, is also used during circle time.
The majority of class time is spent in free choice where the children may move about the classroom, which is center based. The various centers include housekeeping, a sensory table, a science area, an art shelf, blocks, trains, cars, workbench, manipulatives (puzzles, Legos, beads, peg boards, bristle blocks etc.). During free choice time the assistant helps with the art project. The teacher may show a science experiment, and observe and interact with the children as needed.
Once a month, the class joins Pastor Silber for Chapel Chats. They also walk next door to the St. Charles Library once a month for story time and receive music enrichment within the school day. An 'end of the year' field trip is taken to Wheeler Park in Geneva where the whole family is invited.
Three's/Four's; MW PM 12:15-2:45
Child needs to be 3 or 4 by September 1. A class of 15 children and 2 teachers. Children need to be fully potty trained.
This is our newest addition to our class offerings. For a long time, educators have recommended the benefits of a multi age class. Research shows it helps children develop a sense of community and aids in the social development, collaboration and cooperation. Younger and older children interact successfully and learn from each other.
This class will offer a combination of structured and unstructured play. They will have two circle times, which encourage listening skills and following directions. The children will be taught basic Spanish words and phrases, Bible stories, songs, finger-plays and of course many opportunities for literature. Animal Island is the alphabet curriculum that will be used with other literacy activities. Science and math will be part of their day as well.
The unstructured part of their day is spent in free choice time where they may move about the classroom, which is center based. During free choice, there are art projects which help encourage and develop their fine motor skills. As with all our classes, independence and self help skills are an important goal.
This 2 day-a-week class is ideal on its own or in addition to a class your child is already enrolled in.
Four's; T/TH/F AM 8:45-11:15 or T/TH/F PM 12:00-2:30
(Child needs to be 4 by September 1). Classes of 20 students and 2 teachers. Can you do afternoons?
The 4's curriculum is designed to help nurture your child's social, emotional, physical and intellectual development through play and group activities. The children will learn to develop both fine and gross motor skills, as well as cognitive and language skills.
All of our activities are designed to be developmentally appropriate to encourage the children's desire to learn. They will be able to express themselves through art, manipulative and play activities. Science, numbers, language skills, and math will be emphasized. We use the D'Nealian alphabet and the Jolly Phonics Program to enhance our literacy skills.
This class will participate in monthly story time at the library; twice-a-month music enrichment; and two to three field trips during the school year.
PRE-K; (M-F) 9:00-11:30
(Child needs to be 5 by January 1). Class of 14 students and 2 teachers. Pre-K classes are really meant for children who have had 1-2 years of Preschool and need another year or those with fall birthdays.
Pre-K offers students a 5 day program with a consistent, in-depth study of units. The classes focus on kindergarten readiness skills in both structured and unstructured settings. A new addition to Pre-K in 2008 has been the incorporation of Jolly Phonics. This phonics program provides a thorough foundation for reading and writing using a multi-sensory method of teaching the letter sounds in a fun way.
Weekly sign language will be taught. Field trips as well as the twice a month B-Sharp music instruction will enhance the learning experience. Friday science topics will introduce making hypothesis and exploring outcomes in a hands-on learning experience.
1. Pre-registration for currently enrolled students and their siblings, church members and alumni will be held in January.
2. Registration for new families will take place the 1st Monday in February.
Click here to Download the Registration Form.
To request more information, or to set up a tour, contact us by Email by clicking here or call the Preschool office at 630-584-4850.
OUR PHILOSOPHY
St. Mark's Preschool (Nurturing Center) is a ministry of St. Mark's Lutheran Church. St. Mark's Nurturing Center assists families in building a strong Christian foundation for their children, and in cultivating the love of learning about the world in which they live. This is achieved by employing staff who will bring the love of Jesus Christ and His teachings into the classrooms each day, and by celebrating the inquisitiveness of the young mind.
GOAL
Our goal is to establish a relationship of love, trust, and support that will nurture the child and to help his/her their young mind to bloom. We seek to have a developmentally appropriate environment that encourages and inspires not only a love of acquiring knowledge but also the joy of loving the Lord with all their heart.
OUR PROGRAM:
- is state licensed
- has qualified, caring staff
- has a religious curriculum
- has a developmental curriculum
- has a parenting library
- provides center orientated classrooms
- provides a safe, challenging playground
- has an indoor gymnasium
- includes a pre-kindergarten class
- provides cooking experiences
- has a computer in each room
- builds positive self-esteem
- allows free choice time
- has circle times
- provides field trips(4's & 5's)
- promotes learning concepts through play
Our Staff...
We are very blessed to have a loving, caring staff with long term experience and very little turn over rate. Most of our staff has been with us from 6 to 20 years. In 2008 we expanded our program and added 3 new staff members. All of our teachers have their 4 year teaching degree as well as many of our assistants.
Our Teachers for the Pre K Children
Our Teachers for the 2 year old children
Our Teachers for the 3 year old children
Our Teachers for the 4 year old Children
Shown below is our music enrichment time that is offered twice a month within the regular classroom day through “B Sharp Music”. Music is encouraged through a multi-sensory experience. Musical concepts, such as rhythm, pitch, tempo and dynamics are introduced through singing, instrument playing and moving and listening to music.
The Children...
We are a Christian preschool that teaches to the whole child. We address their social emotional, their physical, their academic and their spiritual well being. Learning how to share and work together, as you see in the picture above is just as important as knowing their ABC's. We also help the children to become independent learners and thinkers. Skills such as zipping their coats and packing their school bags, are important for kindergarten readiness.
Each class has two circle times a day. One circle is their Jesus time, where they hear Bibles stories, apply the Bible story to real life, and sing songs. We are in a Lutheran church, but we teach general Bible stories that you are probably familiar with. We have families from many different faiths as well as families that are un-churched.The second circle time relates to the theme the children are learning about.The children hear stories, sing songs, and do finger-plays.
The classes work on numbers and the alphabet- talking about the sound and shapes of the letters. Above you see a class brainstorming words that begin with the letter V.
We teach academics through developmentally appropriate ways. The children learn in a way that makes sense in their world. Learning takes place all throughout the day. Parents ask their children, What did you do at school today? The response, I just played, is what we like to hear. We don't use a lot of worksheets, drilling or memorization.
Here on this birthday board, you see an example of academics through play. The children decorated the people to resemble themselves and then created a bar graph according the months of the year.
Above, the children are making observations of an insect that someone found in their backyard. After observing they could then use markers and paper to draw the bug. Many times in preschool, the learning that takes place is not always in the lesson plan, but prompted by the students.
The children are doing sign language while they are singing the 'ABC' song. Also included in our curriculum for the 2009-2010 school year will be Spanish and music through B Sharp Music.
There are computers in every classroom. The games are academic and we view computer time as a choice, just like playing playdough or building in the blocks.
The social aspect of preschool is very important. Learning how to get along and take turns are important life skills. Making and playing with friends is a highlight of the day. Above you see two friends hanging out in the snap house in the classroom.
Snack time is a very important part of the preschool day as well. On this particular day, the weather was a hot 86 degrees and juicy watermelon was the perfect treat! We are DCFS licensed so the snacks need to be pre packaged. We are very aware of the growing population of children that have food allergies and have committed to be a“nut free” school. A snack list with specific brands listed is sent home. When it is your child's turn to bring snack, you may refer to this list. We encourage fruits and vegetables as a first choice. If your child has a food allergy, we ask you to bring a supply of non perishable snacks as an alternative. We want snack time to be a safe environment for all children.
We are very fortunate to have both an indoor gymnasium and an outdoor playground for the children. The children need time in the preschool day to be able to run around and get their wiggles out. Then when it's circle time, they are able to sit and be a listener.
A Peek Inside the Class Room...
