St. Pius X Preschool Program centers on the development of the whole child spiritually, socially, emotionally, physically, and intellectually. The Pre Kindergarten program offers a 3 year old and 4 year old program. We closely follow the VCEA Early Childhood Program Guidelines. Our early Childhood program provides an environment, which nurtures the growth of each student's relationship with God and Community.
St. Pius X Preschool recognizes the uniqueness and talents of each individual child, thereby encouraging each child to reach his/her potential and to develop and maintain a positive self-image. We also recognize the role of the parents as the primary educators and share with them the responsibility for growth and development of the child. We strive to maintain on-going communication and mutual support in order to create a setting, which will foster academic and personal development of the child.
Pre-K 3 and 4 students must have attained the age of 3 or 4 on or before September 30th to be admitted into the 3 or 4-year-old program. St. Pius X Preschool does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, religion or national ethnic origin.
All registrants must present the following at registration:
Children must already be trained to take care of their own bathroom needs.
The school nurse is responsible only for the emergency care of injuries and sudden illnesses that occur while the student is in school. She is not available to diagnose or treat students who come to school with injuries or illness. If a child has a specific medical problem, it should be made known to the teachers and the school nurse. Emergency cards are issued to the parents at the beginning of the school year. The card information contains two alternate names of preferably local persons to be called in case of emergency or illness. The school should be notified any time information on the card changes- e.g. work information, address changes etc.
A "Permission to Administer Medication" form must be completed and signed by the physician and parent and returned to the school before the medication can be given.
Social Development is the primary goal for the young child entering pre-school. A positive self-concept is essential to successful learning. Basic social interactions between individual children, the group, and the teacher provide ways to establish autonomy and social skills.
Personal development includes knowing name and age, awareness of body parts, caring for ones own belongings and respecting others.
Social development includes cooperative play, sharing, following directions, initiating conversations, play situations with peers, entering into group activities, developing a positive relationship with teachers, and caring about others.
Religion provides the opportunity for children to discover God and the world around them through their spontaneity, creativeness, and uniqueness. The religious curriculum is integrated throughout the child's day. Prayer and prayer liturgies give the child the opportunity to participate in the celebrations of the church and express their sense of wonder and awe.
Reading Readiness is encouraged and developed through many formal and informal planned activities both in the family and in the school environment; Field trips, show-and-tell, and audiovisual materials aid in the process. Specific activities to foster achievement of readiness include: developing eye hand coordination, recalling stories and happenings in sequence, following directions, identifying the alphabet, and learning to appreciate books through listening to stories.
Math Readiness at the preschool level involves the development of cognitive skills. The children learn colors, shapes, and quantitative concepts, such as size forming sets and recognizing numerals. These concepts are taught through manipulative and play experiences.
Social Studies enlighten the children to the world around them. It let the young child realize that other geographical places exist outside of their young world. Through "circle time" discussions and stories the children learn about other cultures, places and events of the past.
Science increases the students' awareness of and the ability to observe the environment. Through experimentation, observation, and discovery, children will learn about plants, animals, weather, and the seasons.
Physical Education is and integral part of the development of children. The children are exposed to physical activity throughout the day, whether it is instructional or open out door play. The children also have a weekly scheduled physical education class.
Computer Technology is scheduled once a week for the children to receive instruction. The Pre-K classrooms are equipped with a computer for the children to use at center time.
Art is a channel for creative expression as children paint, draw, color, mold, cut, and glue, and engage in art activities related to the theme of the week that complies with the consensus curriculum.
Singing, dancing, listening to music, and rhythmic activities are ways the children develop appreciation for music.
Snack Time is set aside each day for the children to have a snack. Parents are encouraged to send something of a nutritious nature with the child each day. Chocolate and white milk is available through the government milk program.