St. Andrew's Preschool
6509 Sydenstricker Road
Burke, Virginia

703-455-8458

Purpose ~ St. Andrew's Episcopal Preschool was founded in 1985 to serve children and families in the Burke area by providing a loving, Christian atmosphere where each child can develop socially, physically, emotionally, cognitively, and spiritually.

Goal ~ St. Andrew's Episcopal Preschool strives to:

• develop a positive attitude towards school and learning
• think for themselve
• interact readily with adults and peer
• express their thoughts and feelings through verbal communication, art, music, and drama
• grow in self-estem
• know God's love                                                                                                                             

Philosophy ~

• There is joy, depth, and purpose in children's play. They thrive when they are able to explore, experiment, and test things for themselves.
• Each child is an individual and an important person.
• Children gain deeper understanding of a subject when they make connections across several disciplines.
• Teachers are actively engaged with the children - asking questions, offering new ideas, and encouraging conversations between students.
• Parents are always welcome in the classroom, and teachers regularly consult with them about their child's progress through conferences, anecdotal records, e-mail, phone calls, and at pick up and drop off.

An Episcopal school is founded on love. Love for students, for their value as children of God, and for their unique gifts undergirds everything we do. We seek to act out of love, teach love, model love, and love one another in community.

An Episcopal school is comprehensive and inclusive. An Episcopal school affirms the spiritual dimension of learning that values both faith and reason. We believe that God shows His love to the world through Jesus Christ. As part of our Christian identity, all classes have prayer before snack and participate in weekly chapel services. An Episcopal school encourages respect for others’ beliefs and looks for values that unite people rather than those that divide.

An Episcopal school is committed to excellence. We believe that each child is created in God’s image. We are called to meet the highest of standards as we participate in the growth and development of each precious child.

                                                                                              Member of National Association of Episcopal Schools (www.naes.org)

All classes meet from 9:15 a.m. - 12:15 p.m. Two-day classes meet on Thursday and Friday while three-day classes meet Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday. An optional lunch program extends the day until 1:00 p.m. twice a month.

• Two-and-a-half year olds may attend a two-day session. They must turn two by March 31 before the school year begins.
• Three-year-olds may attend either two-day or three-day classes. They must be three by September 30 the year they enter preschool.
• Four-year-olds may attend a two-day, three-day, or five-day class. September 30 is also the cutoff for these classes.
• Five-year-olds may attend three-day or five-day classes, but we recommend five days for these older students.

Registration a this school, and placement in classes, is not dependent upon race, religion, gender, or ethnic origin. Children with disabilities are welcomed, provided that we do not have to alter our staffing patterns.

Every morning, teachers great each child as they enter the classroom. This provides a meaningful one-on-one moment and fosters a smooth transition. Children have circle time or morning meeting where they greet one another, share news, talk about what will happen during their day at preschool, and chose classroom jobs.

Children attend a weekly chapel service with music and a bible story. Birthdays are celebrated with a birthday prayer and "Happy Birthday" sung by the whole school. Chapel is an opportunity for the entire school to come together and celebrate God's love through songs, stories, and felt board activites.

Our daily activities include:                                                                                                                                                            

• Classroom Learning Centers                                                          
• Music and Movement                                                                                    
• Outdoor Play                                                                                 
• Snack
• Math and Science instruction in the Discovery Room                                        

Do preschoolers seem too young to learn about the scientific method? It is never to early to develop a child's ability to ask questions, determine steps to find answers, and to ensure that information is correct before making conclusions. All our students, from the youngest to the oldest, receive specialized science and math instruction in our Discovery Room.

Some examples of the areas we explore:

• After growing and harvesting sunflowers in our garden, the children figure out how many seeds each flower has, which one has the most seeds, and how much the seeds weigh.
• By playing with magnets, children learn which objects are attracted to the magnets and which are not. Before putting a magnet near an object, they can predict whether or not it will attract.