Offering the highest quality care and education for young learners!
St. Mark Catholic School offers a foundation that will last a lifetime!
St. Mark Catholic School offers a PreK 4 program. This is a full day program where students must be 4 years old by August 31st.
St. Mark Catholic School's Preschool Program provides a nurturing, faith based environment using developmentally appropriate activities and materials for 4 year olds. A center based curriculum supports the discovery and construction of knowledge through exploration and experimentation. Multisensory activities enhance growth in all developmental domains, encourage natural curiosity and seek to foster a joy of learning. We welcome the opportunity to support and partner with our families. Communication between home and school is ongoing through daily contact at arrival and dismissal, weekly classroom updates, and monthly calendars. Parents are encouraged to volunteer in our classrooms.
Spiritual Development
Spiritual development is an integral part of our Catholic Preschool Program. It is the preparation time for more formal instruction in the years ahead. Religious readiness involves the development of a positive self-image in relationship to a loving God. This basis for a deep love of God comes from the examples set by the family and spiritual life of the parish community. Classroom prayer, songs and age appropriate prayer services prepare of students to participate in the celebrations of the Church.
Social Skills
Social development is the focus of our youngest students entering school for the first time. We strive to facilitate smooth transitions from home to school by collaborating with parents to make this important milestone a successful one. Learning to interact with peers and adults, development of cooperative play and conflict resolution are some of the goals we have set for all the children.
Language Arts
Vocabulary is developed through classroom experiences, reading, songs, finger plays and age appropriate prayers. The preschool classrooms are a print rich environment. Phonemic awareness is accomplished through rhymes, understanding of syllables, and rhythmic activities. The writing process is begun with individual journaling, documentation of classroom activities, and a multitude of individual and small group instruction. Oral communication is developed through participation in group discussions, retelling of stories and interaction with classmates and teachers.
Mathematics
Math concepts are introduced through counting, sorting, classifying, patterning and measurement. Number and number sense concepts include one to one correspondence, number recognition, quantity, and numerical order. Geometry and spatial relations as well as data analysis are also introduced.
Social Studies
An awareness of our role in society begins with an understanding of family, community, and the broader world. Our students begin learning these concepts with family history, community helpers, neighborhood, and relationships between people. Our students develop a sense of belonging to different groups for example family, friends, class, school, parish and community.
Science
Children's natural curiosity leads to the exploration of our physical world: studying living things, life cycles, habitats, and weather. Physical sciences include weight, measurement, shape and size. Scientific inquiry leads to the study of air, water, and simple machines.
Motor Skills
Opportunities are provided within the classroom to develop fine motor skills through creative process art, writing, sensory experiences, and play with a variety of manipulatives. Gross motor development is encouraged through large muscle play in the classroom, on the playground, and in weekly physical education classes.