The Preschool Program
Our Preschool program at St. Anne's School runs from 9:00 a.m. to noon, with three- or five-day week options. Extended Care is available before school from 8:00 a.m. and after school until 6:00 p.m. Our optional Afternoon Enrichment Program (AEP) is offered from noon to 3:10 p.m. to round out your child's school experience and bridge the gap between our morning program and after care.
For many children, Preschool is the first step in their educational journey. Our classroom program is carefully designed to help each child to feel safe and cared for in this new school setting. From the organization of our day to the special touches we use to help each child feel known and included, our Preschool teachers provide the nurturing setting that is the foundation for sound academic learning for the children and thoughtful communication with families. Our youngest learners are strengthened by this foundation and can embrace new routines, experiences and academic challenges openly and with joy. Each class has a teacher and an assistant teacher who design curricula influenced by the Reggio Emilia approach and the Project Approach.
A typical day in Preschool begins with Outside Play, followed by Morning Meeting. At morning meeting, the children and teachers greet one another and discuss the day’s events, which may include updates and work that needs to be completed on long-term projects. Following morning meeting, children identify the Interest Areas in which they want to begin their day’s work. Work in these areas promotes learning across all important domains: cognitive learning; personal growth and development; social learning; language and literacy learning; and gross/fine motor development. Teachers equip interest areas to support skill development in each of these areas. Children spend most of their time in Interest Areas, moving freely and working on daily or long-term projects, conversing with friends and producing work that is important to them. During this time, teachers move about the room, facilitating play and collaboration, asking questions, supporting children’s thinking, extending ideas, and undertaking documentation of student work. Morning Meeting is typically followed by one of the specialty classes. These include weekly visits to the Media Center, weekly instruction in Music and Movement, and our unique Buddy Classes. The day ends with a reflective Closing Circle where children may report or reflect upon the day’s learning.
Annapolis Twos
In addition to the Preschool program, St. Anne's School offers Annapolis Twos for younger learners as part of Enrich Annapolis. Our program is led by loving, experienced educators who know developmental hallmarks and milestones of young children and who work in partnership with families to ensure that your child is launched joyfully on his or her learning journey. Find out more
Afternoon Enrichment Program
The Afternoon Enrichment Program is an optional program designed to augment our formal morning Preschool program. The afternoon program provides innovative, experiential child-centered activities that extend the experiences children have in the classroom. All Preschool students are invited to participate in this complementary program. Families may register for just one or two specific afternoons a week or all five days. For those students who require full-day care, AEP is the bridge between our morning program, which ends at noon, and the after care program, which runs from 3-6 p.m. Find out more