Preschool gets makeover
By KATIE LEFEBVRE
Globe staff writer
Posted August 29, 2002

CARROLL - Little Saints Preschool has undergone renovations and been turned over to a new director. The preschool is located in the basement of the Holy Spirit Convent.

Cherri Johnson became the new preschool teacher in April and will started teaching Sept. 3 when the new school year begins. The former director taught until May. Sherry registered students for this year.

"We did a lot of repainting," said Johnson. "The room is now brighter and more child friendly. We have had good community support."

Holy Spirit church along with Kuemper Catholic Grade School helped open the preschool seven years ago and each year about 25 to 30 students have attended.

The preschool was started to feed into the Holy Spirit grade school. They wanted to build enrollment and keep children in the system, commented Johnson.

"They wanted to give families the opportunity to send their child to a Catholic preschool," said Johnson. "There is a Lutheran preschool, but this is the first Catholic preschool."

There is free busing available for the preschool students and tuition assistance available for the parents.

The purpose of Little Saints Preschool is to enable children to develop readiness skills for kindergarten in a Catholic faith-filled environment. The children will grow spiritually, socially, cognitively and physically through play and a variety of other activities, noted Johnson.

Learning centers, guest speakers, books, field trips, music and thematic units are some of the activities provided to create hands-on learning experiences.

This year there are 26 children ages three and four. The 3-year-olds attend preschool on Tuesdays and Thursdays from 1 to 3:15 p.m. The 4-year-olds attend in sections on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. The first section attends from 8 a.m. to 10:30 a.m. The second section attends from 10:30 a.m. to 1 p.m. The later section still has openings, added Johnson.

"The curriculum that I use is based on the primary program," said Johnson.

"This program uses themes and learning centers to give the children a more hands on experience as children learn best through play. Weekly themes are seasonal throughout the year and have their foundation in the teachings of the Catholic faith."

The different learning centers include the following: prayer center, block center, reading and writing center, manipulative center, dramatic play center and discovery and science center. Also included is time for music and dance, outside play and snack.

The prayer center, for example, provides the children with the opportunity to: spend quiet time with God praying; develop a personal relationship with God/Jesus; recreate Bible stories through looking at pictures; realize God is a part of our daily life and activities; honor Mary and the saints as role models; ask and discuss questions about their faith; develop story telling abilities based on stories of their faith; thank God for blessings and ask God for help when days are tough.

"This curriculum is developmentally appropriate," commented Johnson. "It reaches children where they are at and facilitates learning so they have the skills ready to enter kindergarten or optional kindergarten."