Preschool
Our History
Our Lady of Fatima first opened its doors to children in 1954 and has been expanding and growing ever since. We currently serve Preschool beginning at age 2 (our littlest Knights) all the way through 8th grade.
Our Mission
Our Lady of Fatima’s Early Learning Center’s mission is to provide a high-quality early childhood experience to all. The program provides a holistic early education program weaving early learning standards into play-based learning.
The program’s philosophy is in part influenced by the Reggio Emilia approach, which includes the following principles:
- The program exists to promote a child-initiated, teacher-supported curriculum in which children’s curiosities about the environment are supported and encouraged.
- The program is based on a co-constructivist theory that promotes a dual relationship between teacher and child in which both explore, experiment, and problem-solve issues and questions relevant to daily life.
- The program is intended to meet individual development, regardless of special needs. Each child is an individual with specific needs at all developmental levels.
- The environment promotes a nurturing experience in which children can explore, manipulate, and investigate in a safe environment.
Our Goals
We aim to provide a model of early childhood education where all stakeholders collaborate to establish a learning environment that empowers learners:
- to develop problem-solving skills and self-help skills, positive health habits, and appropriate interactions with others.
- to channel creativity and self-expression.
- to develop coordinated motor skills through experiences and provocations in both indoor and outdoor environments.
- to embrace multicultural and world language diversity.
- to engage in STEAM (Science, Technology Engineering, Arts, and Mathematics) experiences regularly through exploration and field experiences.
Our Program
We believe that this time in child development is an important and unique stage, worthy of its own distinctive approach to environmental, inquiry-based, hands-on, concrete learning. The children who progress through the program are developing a foundation for the life-long experience of learning and living in today’s global society. We are working to create an environment where the development of faith, learning, and service to others is limitless.
Learning Standards
Faith formation:
- The sign of the cross
- Daily morning prayer and at mealtimes
- Reading Bible stories and singing songs about Jesus
Social & Emotional Learning:
- Practicing sharing and taking turns
- Encourage empathy, understanding the feelings of others
- Learning how to express feelings and communicate needs appropriately
- Helping in the classroom with weekly jobs
Language Development:
- Recite alphabet
- Practice manners
- Understand that using words, not acting out, is the proper way to communicate
- Listen to others
- Expand vocabulary
- Follow simple two-step directions
School-Readiness Skills:
- Potty training
- Self-help skills
- Introduce how to clean up, and put toys away, and personal items in the cubby
Pre-Reading Skills:
- Participate in story-time activities
- Recognizing name
- Introduce letters
Cognitive Skills:
- Introduce numbers, colors, shapes
- Hands-on science and cooking activities
- Ask and answer questions
- Introduce opposites
- Introduce math concepts such as counting, sorting, one-to-one correspondence
Fine Motor Skills:
- Use play dough to strengthen fingers
- Painting with brush or fingers to gain control
- Coloring with crayons
- Using a glue stick
- Use a fork or spoon while eating
Large Motor Skills:
- Jumping, dancing and running on the playground
- Gym time with instructor
- Bounce, kick, throw and catch balls at recess and gym
Faith Formation:
- Learning fundamental Catholic prayers and the sign of the cross
- Daily morning prayer and at mealtimes
- Weekly lessons based on stories from the Bible
Social & Emotional Learning:
- Focus on sharing and taking turns
- Learning to work in a group setting with small- and large-group activities
- Making choices
- Learning how to recognize and respect the thoughts and feelings of others
- Following directions
- Use words to express feelings, resolve conflicts and communicate needs
- Helping in the classroom with weekly jobs
Language Development:
- Following two-step directions
- Using words to express feelings and solve problems
- Introduce and practice manners
School-Readiness Skills:
- Learning daily school routines
- Practice putting on coats and shoes
- Hanging up coats, backpacks and putting folders away
- Eating snack/lunch independently and cleaning up afterward
- Learning to take care of personal needs like washing hands and cleaning nose
Pre-Reading Skills:
- Participate in story-time activities
- Recognizing and writing name
- Introduction to writing letters and letter sounds
Cognitive Skills:
- Identifying basic numbers, colors and shapes
- Hands-on science and cooking activities
- Exploring math concepts: one-to-one correspondence, pattern recognition and counting
- Learning opposites
Fine Motor Skills:
- Use play dough to strengthen fingers
- String beads
- Painting with paintbrushes
- Learn to hold pencils, crayons and markers with a proper grip
- Begin using scissors
Large Motor Skills:
- Jumping, dancing and running on the playground
- Gym time with instructor
- Parachute play
- Bounce, kick, throw and catch balls at gym and recess
Faith Formation:
- Learning fundamental Catholic prayers and the sign of the cross
- Prayers at snack and lunchtimes
- Daily prayer and religious activities
- Relating Bible teachings to real life
- Prepare students to attend weekly Mass with students in grades kindergarten through eight
Social & Emotional Learning:
- Identifying emotions
- Encourage empathy
- Learning to work in a group setting with small- and large-group activities
- Communicating wants and needs in an appropriate way
- Using verbal communication and maintaining eye contact
- Helping in the classroom with weekly jobs
Language Development:
- Encourage questions and answers
- Speaking in front of a group through show and tell, student of the week and special events
- Practice using manners
- Encourage social interaction and conversations
- Singing songs
School-Readiness Skills:
- Following directions
- Understanding and completing classroom routines
- Showing respect to teachers and other students by following directions when outside the classroom
- Using listening skills to complete tasks
- Take care of personal belongings
- Eating snacks and lunch independently
- Cleaning area after eating and playing
Pre-Reading Skills:
- Identifying upper- and lowercase letters
- Identifying letter sounds
- Recognizing letter sounds and how they relate to words
- Understanding text and its uses
- Identifying parts of a story
- Sequencing events in a story
- Identifying and creating rhyming words
Cognitive Skills:
- Identifying numbers 1-100
- Identifying same and opposites
- Drawing conclusions
- Hands-on science and cooking activities
- Exploring math concepts: estimating, comparing shapes and sizes, creating and identifying patterns, and counting to 100
Fine Motor Skills:
- Hold pencils, crayons and markers with a proper grip
- Uses scissors to cut straight, jagged and curved lines
- Use play dough to strengthen fingers
- Using buttons, zippers and snaps
Large Motor Skills:
- Jumping, dancing and running on the playground
- Jumping on both feet and one foot at a time
- Gym time with instructor
- Parachute play
- Bounce, kick, throw and catch balls at gym and recess
- Using hula hoops
