Timeless Teachings in a Changing World

STES Early Childhood Programs

Our preschool is designed to follow the needs and interests of the children as they develop at their own pace. With a variety of experiences to develop their social skills, mathematical understanding, language arts development, motor skills, and science processes, St. Thomas teaches to the whole child. 

• Social skills include developing self-regulation, that is, learning to respond appropriately in social situations.  Young children are modeled how to relate to others, including their peers and teachers.  By learning to cooperate and collaborate with others in the environments around them.

• Mathematical Understanding includes exploration of measurement, developing number sense, beginning to experience number operations such as adding and subtracting, and exploring data through graphs.  

• Language Arts Development is key to future literacy skills.  We use Learning Without Tears and other sources that are woven into a strong pre-literacy foundation.  Children learn to listen for a purpose, use language to express their wants and thoughts, and begin to understand representation of sounds and words with symbols (letters).

• Motor Skill Development, both gross and fine motor skills blossom in preschool through a variety of activities in the classroom, in chapel, and outdoors on the playground.

• Science Processing Skills, our naturally curious preschoolers learn about physical, natural, and life sciences in their environment.  Sensory awareness encourages students to use their science processing skills. They discover on their own, and are exposed to a variety of books, objects, and models to foster their sense of wonder about God’s world.

• ​Art and Creativity - children express themselves using a variety of art mediums including dot markers, painting with brushes, finger painting, watercolors, chalk, markers, oil pastels, adding on glitter, jewels and so much more. 

• ​Music and Movement- children are introduced to music concepts where they experience music through a mixture of singing, dancing, acting and the use of percussion instruments.