Sts. Peter and Paul Catholic School

Early Childhood

Introduction

The Archdiocese of Miami Early Childhood program provides the experiences that meet each child’s needs.  They stimulate learning in all developmental areas.  Teachers prepare the environment for children to learn through active exploration and interaction.  Children plan and execute many of their own activities from a variety of learning areas that the teachers prepare.  Children are expected to be physically and mentally active.  They are provided with many opportunities to see how reading and writing can be useful before they are instructed in letter names, sounds and word identification.  Listening to stories and poems, dictating stories, participating in dramatic play, talking informally with other children, and drawing, all prepare children for later formal instruction.

Individual self-directed activities, small group activities, and total group activities are used in our early childhood program.  Each child is evaluated regularly and parents are informed of progress through progress reports and personal conferences.  The Catholic school early childhood programs are committed to assisting the family in shaping the basic values of the young child as he/she eagerly seeks to know God and creation.  Therefore, developmentally appropriate religious experiences are an integral part of the daily program.

Philosophy

While all children have the same basic needs and all go through the same overall developmental processes, each child is a unique human being created by God with special strengths and needs.  The curriculum and educational program should be individualized for each child enrolled in the program to best meet his/her developmental needs.  The child should be allowed to progress at his/her own pace with the encouragement from a trained staff to explore and search for answers in a planned environment.

Understanding the important role of the family in the life of the young child, this educational plan draws upon the parents’ knowledge of the child.  In return for this information, the school provides parents with the opportunity to deepen their understanding of the child and his developmental steps through observation and conferences with the teachers.

Age

Children must be four years old by September 1 to be eligible for Pre-Kindergarten (4) and five years old by September 1 for Kindergarten.