Early Childhood at St. Michael’s (Toddlers–Pre-K)

At St. Michael’s, Early Childhood is where our mission—courageous learners, caring citizens, world ready—takes root. Children learn through play, social-emotional learning, and project-based exploration in classrooms designed for joy, curiosity, and belonging.

A Community of Partnership

We believe learning grows best in partnership with families. Our early childhood team collaborates with you in a spirit of respect, responsiveness, reciprocity, and reflection. We are committed to a diverse, equitable, and inclusive community where every child is seen and valued.

Inside our Classrooms

Social-emotional learning within our Early Childhood division is informed by Responsive Classroom, with additional routines drawn from A Little Spot of Feelings and Emotions curriculum. Children learn to name and understand feelings, practice self-regulation, and use kind, problem-solving language—skills that anchor healthy relationships and open the door to deeper academic learning.

In our Early Childhood division, play and project-based learning sparks curiosity and fosters an appreciation for the natural world. We nurture each child’s inherent spiral path of development—growth looping back to earlier skills and experiences at ever higher levels of complexity. As such, our early childhood curriculum intentionally offers repetition, practice, and reinforcement across different contexts and grade levels. Each revisit brings new insight, greater mastery, and the confidence to take on the next challenge.

Teachers use Guided Discovery and Academic Choice to introduce materials, nurture independence, and spark curiosity. Our curriculum invites children to build new understandings from what they already know—whether they’re noticing colors and shapes in a toddler apple study, exploring apples with the five senses in preschool, or making applesauce in pre-k while counting, measuring, and connecting sounds to letters-all building toward depth of knowledge and understanding.

Our School Day, at a Glance

Small class sizes allow for responsive, developmentally appropriate instruction and meaningful differentiation. Children experience a balanced rhythm of free play, Morning Meeting/Circle, center exploration, project work, read alouds, and social-emotional learning, as well as snack, lunch, and rest. Outdoor time on our playscapes happens daily to encourage movement, exploration, and wonder. Weekly specials can include Science, Spanish, Creative Movement/Music, Art, and Physical Education.

Together—in partnership with children and families—we’re building the foundation for a lifetime of learning: community, communication, courage, and problem solving.