Portland St. Patrick Catholic School

History and Mission
Curriculum
Class Sessions
Enrollment Requirements
Tuition
Director & Staff
Exciting News for Fall 2009
Pre-School & Daycare News 10/14/09
Pre-School & Daycare News 12/17/09

Phone (517) 647-2415 for additional information.

Three-year old or young four-year old session:

• Tuesdays and Thursdays from 8:30 - 11:00 a.m.

Four-year old sessions:

• Mondays and Wednesdays 8:30 - 11:00 a.m.

There is an additional (optional) session for four-year olds on Friday mornings which has an emphasis on literacy.

Children must be three by September 1, and must be toilet trained.

Please contact the Preschool at 517-647-2415 for an Enrollment Form.

The tuition schedule is as follows:

• Enrollment/Registration Fee = $50
• Tuition for the 2-day program = $65 per month
• Tuition for the 3-day program = $85 per month
• Several tuition payment options are available

St. Patrick Preschool is a licensed preschool.  Tuition is tax deductible as a childcare expense.  Tax ID# 381-390-356.

Cognitive skills, social interaction, language development, art projects, field trips, music/finger plays, and holiday activities are part of the established guidelines which are keys to positive child development.  Monthly Christian themes are incorporated into the curriculum as well to provide an important spiritual dimension.  Basic concepts covered include colors, shapes, name recognitions, left/right, over/under, counting/numbers.  Fine motor skills are emphasized and include tracing/writing, painting, pasting, cutting and coloring.

A typical class day includes:

• Welcome
• Calendar/Weather
• Pledge of Allegiance
• Playtime
• Clean Up
• Circle Time
• Snack
• Music/Outdoor Play
• Dismissal

In June 2006, St. Patrick's purchased Ms. Laura's Preschool, an established local preschool with many years of educational service to the Portland community.  This acquisition allowed St. Patrick School to close the loop on the education continuum, offering students a Catholic-based education from preschool through high school.  The program was fortunate enough to keep Carol Kahn, former owner and director of Ms. Laura's Preschool, as the Preschool Director.  Ms. Carol brings with her over 30 years of childcare and education experience. 

St. Patrick Preschool offers a balanced approach of self-directed and teacher directed activities.  Our mission is to assist the children to grow developmentally in preparations for their Kindergarten experience in a welcoming, Christian environment.  St. Patrick Preschool is a great place to play and learn!

We have been busily preparing for Christmas this year.  We have been making decorations and parents gifts in preschool.  We are also learning Christmas songs and fingerplays and most importantly that this is a season of blessings for which we need to thank God..  We provided the opening songs for the annual Christmas program held on December 15.
We have been collecting money all month to send to “Food for the Poor” .  We are learning there are children in some places who do not have rooms full of toys or enough food to eat.  Our pennies added together can help.

The Day Care children have also been making decorations for the tree and listening to Christmas music and stories.  We look forward to a wonderful new year!
We have been getting calls about day care and preschool programs for second semester and believe our programs are growing!    Good News!

by Mrs. Carol Kahn (July 13, 2009)

Lots of things are happening at St. Patrick Daycare and Pre-school! 

DAYCARE    The daycare program is growing and we are gearing up for even larger enrollment for fall. 

To prepare, we have been sprucing up our walls, adding kid-friendly decor.

• Our lunchroom now has letters, an apple border, butterflies, caterpillars and lady bugs to greet the children for lunch and snacks.
• Our girls bathroom has been transformed into a princess powder room with crowns and castles sparkling on the walls; the boys bathroom has dinosaurs marching around the room amid jungle leaves.
• Our resting room will soon have puffy clouds and stars to soothe our mid-day resters.
• We have added a "helping hands" wall where each child's helping hands are painted in place.  As newcomers join us, their hands will also be added to the space, along with their names.
• This fall we will also have a "growing wall" where each child's height will be marked in September and again in June.

PRE-SCHOOL   Our pre-school classes are almost full.  We may have to add an afternoon four-year-old class.  There is just one opening in the three-year-old class, after which we will begin a waiting list.

• We have been busy cleaning the pre-school classrooms and as soon as the carpets are cleaned, we'll be ready to set all of the fixtures back in place. 
• All of those donations to our playground fund have paid off!  We are very excited to announce that we have a new, safety certified swing set on order.  It should be ready by the time preschool begins in September.
• Next week a mailing will be sent to all of the registered pre-schoolers.