Learning Center - Saint Mary's School

Learning Center (Early Toddler/ Pre-K)

Nurturing Curiosity

The goal of the Learning Center is to prepare students to enter and excel in Kindergarten. The Learning Center not only provides students with a solid foundation in literature, science, math, religion, and the arts, but also the skills important to conducting oneself with confidence, independence, and respect for others.

Learning center (LC) families can look forward to a year of tremendous growth! The program nurtures our students’ natural curiosities through hands-on activities and daily lesson plans designed to encourage the social, emotional, and cognitive development of our students. Children are explore their world through interactions with peers, song, dance, and arts & crafts. Our younger LC students also build the basic concepts of literacy and numbers through guided instruction and play.

Building Self-Esteem

At SMA, we believe that self-esteem is key to a positive learning experience. By helping students see their cultural and community capital as vital to their learning experience. We can foster a sense of self-worth, belonging, and resilience. Thus, we assist students in seeing themselves as worthy and capable learners as they engage the world and acquire new skills.

Our teachers respect, listen to, and respond readily to our early learner needs. We celebrate the small steps along the way to bigger goals, emphasizing the process of discovery, the opportunity for growth and mistakes, as well as the final product, and encourage each child to exercise his or her talents.

Fostering Creativity

SMA strongly believes in the value of creativity and self-expression. We encourage our young artists to discover themselves through song, dance, art, building, and play.