Preschools in the St. Louis Area
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St. Louis KidsOutAndAbout Preschool Newsletter |
Dear KidsOutAndAbout readers:
Are you planning to have your children attend preschool this year? Or are you thinking about whether it's the best option for your family? Do you have a friend who is thinking about preschool for her kids? If any of these is true, this special annual edition of our newsletter is for YOU! We provide not only options for where to start your search in our area, but also some tips for what to
think about and what to look for as you start the process.
KidsOutAndAbout has a large list of local preschools that have posted to our site; this list is provided in the LISTS/Preschools & Childcare list linked from the menu on every page of
KidsOutAndAbout. In this newsletter, first, we have some featured preschools with descriptions of their programs. Next, we provide a list of links to some additional schools. And last, we provide tips for helping you evaluate preschools when you visit, to see if they are right for you.
Remember: SAVE THIS NEWSLETTER and forward it along! If you or one of your friends is in the market for a preschool, it's a handy
reference.
—Debra Ross, publisher |
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KidsOutAndAbout.com: Discover more. Do more. Connect more. |
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Preschool is a crucial stepping stone in your child's educational journey, offering a structured environment for early social, emotional, and academic development. It sets the stage for lifelong learning by introducing kiddos to essential skills like
following directions, teamwork, and foundational literacy and numeracy concepts. Kiddie Academy-St. Louis stands out as the ideal choice, providing a nurturing environment with a well-rounded curriculum designed to foster confidence, creativity, and critical thinking. With experienced educators and a focus on providing high-quality care, Kiddie Academy ensures your child is prepared for future academic success and personal growth.
Kiddie Academy-St. Louis is currently enrolling in its Chesterfield, Des Peres, and O’Fallon locations.
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Forsyth School fosters a spirit of curiosity and joy, empowering children age 2 through Grade 6 to pursue challenges with confidence. Located in the Wydown-Forsyth Historic District, Forsyth's one-of-a-kind campus consists of six historic homes; walkable
resources include Forest Park and Washington University. The challenging and engaging curriculum promotes age-appropriate independence and prepares students to thrive in secondary school and beyond. Visit our website to learn more; contact us today to schedule a campus tour.
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Since 1969, New City School has nurtured curiosity, self-awareness, and a love of learning in students ages 3 - 6th Grade. Nestled in the historic Central West End neighborhood, the school is home to families from 46 St. Louis metropolitan area zip codes.
Built on a commitment to academic excellence and diversity, New City brings children, parents, and teachers together in a community of joyful learners. New City also offers Summer Camp that is open to the community.
New City School recently reimagined and renovated classroom spaces for the youngest learners (age 3 through Kindergarten), which feature larger instruction areas and increased natural light. Early Childhood at New City focuses on social-emotional and play-based learning, combined with academic activities—in the classroom, kitchen, outdoors, and on field trips—all of which provide rich learning experiences. Applications for the upcoming school year are
due at the end of January.
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Central Christian School’s diverse student body includes 290+ students ages 3 through 6th grade. We seek to offer phenomenal preparation for secondary school while holding fast to truth. Research-based. Relevant. Rigorous...Central Christian School.
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At Circle of Friends Preschool, we believe all children should have the opportunity to grow and learn to their fullest potential. In partnership with parents, we encourage young learners as they grow toward independence, confidence and responsibility. Our
play-based classrooms use a child’s natural inclination to play as the method for learning and preparing for the future. With a combined focus on academic, social, musical and emotional development, we emphasize the learning process and whole child development. Through developmentally appropriate materials and experiences, children actively master skills and develop their sense of wonder, inquiry, and creativity. Additionally, our teacher-to-student ratios are lower than state standards,
allowing our skilled teachers to build deeper relationships with each unique student and their family.
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Our early childhood education program provides a supportive environment in which each child is accepted as unique. The preschool strives to enhance self-esteem, promote positive social skills, and encourage the natural curiosity and creativity of the
preschool child. Attention to self-help skills contributes to a child’s feelings of capability and independence. In this environment, children enjoy problem solving and feel free to take risks in their exploration of the world. Age-appropriate activities are geared toward all facets of growth: physical, cognitive, emotional, as well as social.
Our preschool occupies the east wing of the Ethical Society building on Clayton Road. The Ethical Society is a liberal religious fellowship dedicated to universal, humanistic ethical principles, rather than to a particular creed, ritual, or tradition. Accordingly, the Nursery School welcomes children of all racial and religious backgrounds.
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Flance Early Learning Center provides Excellence by Educating and Nurturing young children, Supporting families, and Strengthening community. Our vision is to create a new paradigm in early childhood education that will serve as a model for creating
systemic change for children and families.
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Apprende School is a private, non-parochial, PreK - 12, co-ed school with small classes and personalized instruction. Whether your child is advanced, average, or needing an alternative to the standard classroom, we provide students with the opportunity to
enjoy learning. Summer activities for all ages!
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Chesterfield Montessori offers AMI Montessori programs from age 16 mos-15 years. Mixed-age classrooms are equipped with hands-on Montessori materials to provide stimulating challenges that meet the cognitive, emotional and social needs of each child.
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Harper School is a private preschool and elementary school focused on high expectations, academic success, and character development. Our goal is to help your child fulfill his or her potential in and out of the classroom. We offer full day and half-day
programs. We also have extended care from 7:00 am to 5:30 pm. Enrolling now from toddlers to Kindergarten.
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Kirk Day School is a Christian school serving students 3 years of age through 6th Grade. Ranked in the top 10% of Christian Schools in America. Kirk Day School has been preparing students for the academic rigors of college preparatory high schools since
1992. KDS grows graduates who excel academically, participate actively, and engage the world for Christ.
Our curriculum meets the educational goals of each unique student, ages 3 through 6th grade. Over 50% of Kirk Day School graduates enter honors programs upon entering middle school and high school. We believe each child is a unique creation of God and is valuable in His sight. It is our desire to provide a loving and caring environment that will foster an atmosphere for learning. We are passionately focused on meeting all the child’s needs: spiritual,
physical, emotional, and intellectual.
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Montessori Lab School at Grand Center offers an environment that supports the natural development of human beings from birth to maturity, enabling them to become the transforming agents in society leading to a more harmonious and peaceful world.
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What kind of preschool best suits your child?
Those nice parenting articles always tell you to make sure you choose a preschool that best suits your child's personality--but then rarely provide any specifics on what will give you those clues. Children vary widely in their responses to different situations. Think
about where your child falls on the following dimensions, and think about your own personal preferences for what a preschool experience should be like for your child. Then, when you visit preschools, ask the administrators (and observe yourself) about how well the school's philosophy matches your children's needs. - Playing and learning: Do these seem like separate times at the preschool, or are play and learning time integrated?
- The setting: Is your goal to get your child used
to a school setting, or is it important that the setting feel more like home?
- Specific learning goals: Do you have academic milestones or religious needs that you would like met? Think about this before you set out, and refine your thoughts as you visit more schools.
- Introverts and extroverts: If your child falls on one end of introvert-extrovert scale, it's important to realize this and see what would be expected of them at each preschool (especially important for the
introverts).
- Active play: Does the school provide resources for physically active play that match your child's needs?
- Rest: Kids have different rhythms and requirements for rest. Think about what your child's specific needs are to ensure that they will be accommodated.
- Structure: Some kids do better with lots of structure, while other families feel that they already have enough structure and prefer that a preschool ensure lots of time for unstructured play and
interaction.
- Discipline: What happens when kids misbehave at school? Does the school's philosophy match yours?
- Safety: Safety is a big concern. Think carefully about your standards for keeping kids safe, and observe how the school meets your expectations.
If your child attends (or attended) a great preschool that is not currently on our big preschool list (the easiest way to find out is to search in the big search bar on the top of every KidsOutAndAbout page), please
email me back and we'll contact them immediately to see if they'd like to be on this list! |
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