Overview
Peace Presbyterian Church established Peace Preschool as an outreach ministry in 2004 with the goal of helping community families to nurture and educate their children. We are a Christian preschool, and teaching children about God’s love for them is an important part of our mission. With that understanding, we warmly welcome children of all religious traditions. Peace Preschool is a play-based half-day preschool run on a traditional calendar. We emphasize exploration and learning through play, and we also provide developmentally-appropriate academic training designed to prepare children for Kindergarten as they get older. Our school accommodates 70 students and fourteen teachers divided into four classes: a two-year-old class (Noah’s Doves), a three-year-old class (Daniel’s Cubs), a four-year-old class (Peter’s Fish), and a transitional Kindergarten class for five-year-olds (Solomon’s Horses).
Mission Statement
From our handbook:
Peace Preschool seeks to demonstrate the love of Jesus Christ to preschool-aged children while encouraging their mental, physical, spiritual, emotional, and social development.
As an outreach ministry of Peace Presbyterian Church, we believe that providing this “caring and nurturing place” is another way we can fulfill our commitment to proclaim God’s Word and aid in the spiritual development of children. We trust in the words of Isaiah 55:10: “As the rain and the snow come down from heaven, and do not return to it without watering the earth and making it bud and flourish, so that it yields seed for the sower and bread for the eater, so is my word that goes out from my mouth: It will not return to me empty, but will accomplish what I desire and achieve the purpose for which I sent it.“
For some of these children, the Preschool may be planting seeds; for others, watering; and for still others, harvesting. We believe that all of these efforts are worthwhile and ordained by God.
Our objectives are to help children as follows:
- By demonstrating the love of Jesus to each child each day.
- By focusing our school staff and church to support and build up the families of each child.
- By providing a place other than home where the child finds love and security.
- By understanding that preschool “play” is serious work and by guiding that play to produce important learning at each child’s own pace.
- By affording the preschooler exciting new experiences through varied group activities such that the children can:
o Understand number concepts and pre-reading strategies.
o Develop fine and gross motor skills.
o Enjoy art and music.
o Learn to express God-given creativity.
- By providing parents the opportunity to share in their preschooler’s thrilling awakening to the widening world around him.
- By helping each child to face and overcome problems and complete tasks.
- By teaching the children to handle themselves in social situations with their peers and grow to be caring and responsible children.
- By providing a safe and healthy environment and encouraging children to develop their own good habits of hygiene and safety.
Most importantly, by helping them to know (through Bible stories, song, prayer, and example) that they are loved especially by our Lord and Savior. We want the children always to feel safe, secure, and most special.