OUR PHILOSOPHY
St. Michael’s Parish Day School (SMPDS) is a place where children are loved and valued. Our students grow spiritually and learn to cooperate, problem solve, be creative, listen to and respect others, and respect differences. SMPDS promotes the growth of the total individual by helping each child develop socially, cognitively, physically, and emotionally.
Our child-centered program includes both teacher-directed and self-selected activities, quiet and active experiences, and the recognition that learning occurs in both formal and informal ways. Because young children learn best through active participation, teachers provide them with many “hands-on” activities.
The staff at St. Michael’s works as a team to meet children’s needs, with support from the church and its members, the St. Michael’s Parish Day School Committee, parents, and the community.
A POSITIVE EXPERIENCE
Our staff of experienced early childhood educators fosters a positive experience for every child in our care. We will accept each child as he/she is and will praise and encourage honest effort and work well done. The teachers will assist children in developing respect and positive feelings for others, help them develop initiative, and provide time for every child to talk, to work, to play, and to explore.
Our child-centered classroom environments invite interaction and learning and encourage independent thinking. We foster creativity by encouraging experimentation and dramatization. We also use positive discipline techniques:
POSITIVE REINFORCEMENT
PROBLEM SOLVING
NATURAL AND LOGICAL CONSEQUENCES
REDIRECTION
REFLECTIVE LISTENING IN DEALING WITH NEGATIVE BEHAVIORS
CONSCIOUS DISCIPLINE TO TEACH SOCIAL/EMOTIONAL SKILLS
(All discipline is handled in a firm, loving manner as a way to teach each child self-control.)
THE SMPDS DIFFERENCE
STAFF LONGEVITY
Lead teachers have been working at the Day School an average of 6 years and have an average of 12 years of experience teaching preschool.
STAFF TRAINING
Teachers are required to participate in 5-10 hours of educational workshop training each school year and have degrees and/or experience in the field of early childhood.
RELATIONSHIPS
Our class sizes are small, and our teacher-student ratios are low to give teachers plenty of time to work one-on-one or in small groups with children. Teachers share information with families through parent conferences, email, newsletters, and our Procare app.
SUPPORT
Our active Parent Council is a volunteer organization for parents that provides support to the director and teachers, sponsors special events throughout the year, and raises funds for special purchases for the school. Membership is open to all parents of St. Michael’s Parish Day School students.
SPECIALS
We are one of the only preschools in our area with a chapel designed specifically for children, and we have a science teacher as well as a music/movement teacher on staff.
SPECIAL ACTIVITIES
Throughout the year, we plan fun activities for families that occur both during the school day and in the evenings including: Bubble Bash, Parent Social, Pumpkin Patch/Hayride, Polar Express, Valentine’s Dance and Spring Carnival.
