Children learn best through play. Our preschool and pre-k classes are centered around this philosophy. Through play-based learning, students will be prepared socially & academically for kindergarten.
At SHJ, we use the Learning Without Tears curriculum. This is a developmentally appropriate, hands-on learning program that teaches children letter formation, letter sounds, and numbers. All of our teachers are trained in the Learning Without Tears curriculum.
We incorporate literacy, math, and science in our monthly themes. For example, during Thanksgiving, we learn about liquids and solids when we turn whipping cream into butter. In May, we do a unit on volcanoes and each child is able to make and erupt their own volcano. To compliment our nursery rhyme unit, students will sort, graph, and answer questions about the graph after we read Goldilocks and the Three Bears.
In addition to academic learning, children at SHJ will grow both socially and emotionally. The children learn about feelings, emotions, and conflict resolution through Fill Your Bucket. Every person has an imaginary bucket on their heads. When we do something nice for our friends, we “fill their buckets”. When we do something that makes our friends angry or sad, we “dip in their buckets”. Fill Your Bucket allows children to understand and express their feelings in a very concrete way.
Most importantly, your children will grow spiritually at SHJ. Keeping with our hands-on approach to learning, your child will be taught our Catholic faith through the Catechesis of the Good Shepherd.
At SHJ, your children both meet and exceed the archdiocese standards for preschool and pre-k. This will be done in a developmentally appropriate, hands-on, play-based environment.
