St. Michael’s Preschool
Creating Readiness Through Play and Discovery
St. Michael’s Preschool
Creating Readiness Through Play and Discovery
Welcome to Preschool! At St. Michael’s, our preschool program is built around play, exploration, and discovery. Students are guided through thematic learning units and hands-on centers that build foundational skills in literacy, numeracy, creativity, and problem-solving that help prepare them for Kindergarten and beyond.
What Sets Our Program Apart
It’s not “just play.” It’s how curiosity becomes confidence.
Preschool at St. Michael’s is referred to as Transitional Kindergarten and represents the first year of a two-year Kindergarten experience. The program serves our youngest learners on campus, children who do not yet meet the age requirement to begin Kindergarten (five years old by or before September 1) as well as children who are age-eligible for Kindergarten but who may benefit from extra time and support for school readiness.
What Sets Our Program Apart:
- Dedicated teachers with low student-to-teacher ratios.
- Play-based learning that is hands-on, purposeful, and engaging.
- Smooth transition from Pre-K to Kindergarten.
- Academic readiness in early literacy, language, and math.
- Safe & inclusive classrooms where every child feels welcome and belongs
Readiness is the key.
To support school readiness and foster a strong sense of belonging, our preschoolers are fully woven into the greater St. Michael’s community. From an early age, they take part in the beloved traditions and celebrations that make our school experience so special, including Field Day, the Día de los Muertos Procession, Chapel, St. Nicholas Day, Las Posadas, and holiday and spring concerts and performances.
These shared experiences help our youngest learners grow comfortable and confident on campus, build relationships across the school community, and feel a true sense of belonging—all while preparing for a smooth transition to Kindergarten.
Our balanced approach helps children develop curiosity, independence, and a love of learning and prepares them for Kindergarten and beyond.
Hours:
Our Preschool class is from 8:00 AM – 3:20 each day. Aftercare is available until 5:30 PM.
Meet Our Pre-Kindergarten Teacher
How many years have you been teaching?
On and off for 9 years
What is your favorite thing about St. Michael’s School?
The community of the families and teachers.
What is your favorite St. Michael’s Tradition?
When St. Nicholas comes and fills the children’s shoes with candy and a little toy.
What is one word your students would use to describe you?
I hope they would say I made them feel safe.
What makes you smile every day?
Out of the mouths of babes. The things that are said and shared everyday in the Pre-K make me smile throughout the day.
Favorite Children’s Book?
I have too many. Little Red Hot, Caps for Sale, Enemy Pie, The Short and Incredibly Happy Life of Riley, The Giving Tree.
Favorite Children’s Song?
Again, too many. I really love Hap Palmer songs from the 70’s like” This is a Song about Colors’
Favorite Color? Purple Favorite Animal? Dogs Favorite Snack? Popcorn
Favorite Place to Visit?
Anywhere that has a body of water to look at.
Fun Fact About Me?
I have a fashion design degree and a certificate in Electrical. I love children but also love learning and want to know everything about everything.
At St. Michael’s Lower School, we warmly welcome you into a community that cherishes each child and values the unique journey they embark upon. Our program is thoughtfully crafted to nurture personal growth, foster leadership skills, and instill a deep commitment to service, all within a supportive and inclusive environment. Here, your child will not only excel academically but also flourish spiritually and socially, learning the importance of compassion and respect for others.
As your family considers the journey ahead at St. Michael’s, we invite you to envision the countless opportunities for growth that await your child. From engaging classroom experiences to enriching extracurricular activities, our Lower School program is designed to cultivate well-rounded individuals who are prepared to lead and serve in their communities.
Strong Development and Foundational Academics
The primary goals of Pre-K are to promote strong social-emotional development, oral language development, and foundational academics. Multiple opportunities for purposeful play are an important part of the daily routine. Students have supervised free time inside and outside of the classroom. Student-initiated work is balanced with teacher-directed learning experiences that are shorter in length and infused with integrated learning and movement.
Early Literacy Skills
Early literacy skills will be introduced through exposure to Heggerty Literacy curriculum. Students will also receive enrichment activities through our specials curriculum, including physical education, art, music, science and STEM, and Spanish. Children will also spend time once a week participating in chapel and Mass with the St. Michael’s Lower School students to encourage and build a sense of community and belonging.
DISCOVER THE ST. MICHAEL’S DIFFERENCE!
The best way to experience St. Michael’s School is to visit our beautiful and historic campus in person. Contact the Enrollment Office to schedule a personalized campus tour during regular school hours to see our dynamic classrooms in action.
Schedule a tour
“From the moment we walked through the doors, we felt welcomed and valued as part of the St. Michael’s family. The school has been foundational to our kids’ well-rounded development and confidence. We feel fortunate to have found such a wonderful place for our child’s early education and highly recommend it to other families!”
Our Teachers
St. Michael’s Lower School is committed to upholding high academic expectations. Our best asset, aside from our students, is our highly educated, caring and professional team of educators. Our teachers truly know each of their students and maintain those relationships as students grow. This gives kids a sense of belonging and promotes success by identifying areas of growth and supporting their individual strengths.
A Dynamic Lower School Program
Teachers and students are able to forge authentic, lasting relationships in this supportive environment that ultimately maximize student potential. Grade-level classroom teachers oversee curriculum, instruction, and assessment for language arts, mathematics, social studies, and life skills. This Lower School ‘core’ curriculum in grades Pre-K-4 is enriched through the study of specials classes—including music and art, science and STEM, physical education, and Spanish language.
Lower School Students
Average Class Size
Student to Teacher Ratio
Median Years Teacher Tenure
Music
Our dynamic and engaging music curriculum for Lower School (Grade Pre-K-4) is designed to inspire young learners through an exploration of music using the Orff-Schulwerk approach and Kodály methodology, enriched with hand signs for an immersive and joyful learning experience.
Each year, our Lower School students showcase their learning and celebrate the holiday season with a joyous concert that features traditional and contemporary holiday music. And in the spring, our year-end concert gives students the opportunity to perform pieces they have learned throughout the year, encapsulating the growth in their musical journey.
Our Music Program is committed to nurturing creativity, building musical skills, and fostering a love for music that will last a lifetime.
Science and STEM
STEM program at St. Michaels School provides the foundations for the key science literacies needed for success in STEM. Our curriculum allows students to experience a variety of pedagogical approaches designed to create, develop, and strengthen the neural pathways necessary for scientific literacy.
Students explore various STEM topics in each grade to broadly include biology, chemistry, physics, engineering, and environmental sciences.