Pre Kindergarten

Planning Philosophy

St. Madeleine’s Pre-Kindergarten program is specially created to help four and five year old children acquire a strong foundation in the skills and knowledge needed for school success. It is a developmental program where children are valued as individuals and where their need for attention, approval and affection are supported. As the early entry step for our entire learning continuum, it is important to remember that it is designed as an academically centric, Pre-Kindergarten experience. It is NOT “play preschool” or “daycare.”

The program is specifically crafted with the developmental needs of the early learner in mind. Careful attention is given to providing a flexible environment that nurtures each child in a way that reflects our school’s mission to inspire learning for the future in a welcoming and responsive way.

The program uses thematic units allowing students to work in centers using self-exploration to match their abilities and developmental maturity. Guidelines for our curriculum can be found in the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) standards and the new Washington State Early Learning and Development Benchmarks. We incorporate the center concept in numerous areas such as Basic Skills Readiness, the Arts, Science Exploration, and Physical and Social Development. Our uniqueness as a Catholic PK program allows us to offer all of this within a context of age appropriate faith formation.

Effective preschool classrooms are places where children are well cared for and safe. Young children need teachers who have the resources to work with them … individually, in small groups, and sometimes, as an entire class … to develop their cognitive and social skills, language abilities, and interest in learning new things about the world.

Staff

St. Madeleine Sophie’s PK program features a team of quality, professionally trained early childhood educators who provide a nurturing environment with emphasis on social, emotional and cognitive development. As enrollment and resources allow, we strive to maintain a maximum student/teacher ratio of 10:1.

Facilities

Working under the guidance of an experienced, local early learning expert, we have outfitted our PK classroom with the highest quality, modern learning aids and educational materials. The space is equipped with its own bathroom and is handicap accessible and secure.

Calendar

Since it is considered an integral part of our educational continuum, the PK program follows the same academic calendar as our K-8 program. Classes begin the first week of September and end in mid-June. Vacations and staff professional days coincide with the regular school calendar.

Eligibility

The Morning Session is open to all students who turn 4 years of age by the beginning of the school year. The Afternoon Session is an enhanced Kindergarten readiness program.

Program Hours

The PK program operates Monday through Friday from 8:30 am – 11:50 ending just before lunch. The Afternoon PK is also a Monday through Friday program beginning at Noon and ending at 3:00pm. Those students who are eligible to attend both sessions have lunch and recess with their classmates.

Registration Procedure

Complete the registration, tuition contract, and immunizations forms in this packet and return to the school office with a $300 non-refundable application fee.

Applications are processed as soon as each completed online application is received. After your forms have been reviewed and verified, you will receive notification of acceptance. Usually this process takes about two weeks. If you have any questions about the standing of your application, please call the school office at extension 201.

Enrollment is determined on a first come, first served basis, with preference given to registrants with siblings currently attending St. Madeleine Sophie School. Enrollment in Pre Kindergarten does not automatically guarantee a place in our Kindergarten. All Kindergarten students are conditionally placed pending the results of a developmental readiness assessment given each spring.