St. Michael Preschool News

Dear Parents,

Welcome to St. Michael Preschool where we have been offering families a faith-filled quality early-childhood education for over 37 years. Our mission is to provide a safe and loving environment where the development of the whole child and the joy of learning is nurtured through socialization and play as we grow in our love of Jesus. As an important ministry of St. Michael the Archangel Catholic Church, spiritual enrichment is recognized as an essential part of learning. Here, children can discover the inherent goodness in all that they are and how God is a part of their everyday lives. Participation in our preschool offers families many opportunities to build and strengthen ties to each other and the parish community.

In this newsletter, you will find an overview of our preschool programs as well as dates and information about our application process and upcoming Virtual Open House. Until we can offer in-person tours again, we hope you will enjoy a virtual tour of the preschool hosted by our administrative assistant, Michele Lanuti. Finally, please get to know our talented and dedicated teachers and view our preschoolers in action as they joyfully pray, play, and learn together!

The teachers and I hope to see your family join us for a wonderful year of "Growing with God." If you should have any questions, please email or call. Thank you!

God bless,

Lisa Ciesla, Director

lciesla@stmcary.org

The St. Michael Preschool teachers and staff are thrilled to welcome your family to our preschool community. We look forward to a joyful and rewarding school year filled with love, learning, friendship, and fun!

St. Michael Preschool offers half-day programs for children ages 2-5. Each class has a lead teacher and teacher assistant. Lead Teachers have an education degree or are certified with an early childhood credential. Staff members receive first aid and CPR training and take continuing education classes yearly. CLICK HERE to get to know our dedicated and talented preschool teachers and staff.

Our programs offer a developmentally appropriate curriculum for children ages 2-5, designed to enhance the spiritual, social, emotional, physical, and intellectual growth of each child. At St. Michael Preschool, “play is the work of children,” a philosophy supported by leading early childhood researchers. Children participate in hands-on learning activities that engage their curiosity while helping them build self-confidence and learning readiness skills in a fun and safe Catholic community. Faith development, language and literacy, creative expression, music and movement, math, science, as well as fine and gross motor skills are all included in the daily activities.

In addition to regular classroom activities and outdoor play, the children attend music and movement 1-2 days a week, Church Mornings, and Bible stories led by our priests and deacons. A variety of in-house field trips occur throughout the year in order to bring the community to the children as well as provide enrichment in the cultural arts.

The 2’s program offers an opportunity for parents to have time away while their children play and socialize in a safe caring environment. Activities are developmentally appropriate and include building gross motor skills and music and movement.

In the 3’s program, children build their self-esteem and self-confidence while they learn through play. Teachers promote socialization and encourage imaginative, independent, and cooperative play. These activities are enriched with music and stories to learn shapes, colors, and counting while also developing fine and gross motor skills.

The 4’s program consists of an array of thematic units that teach kindergarten readiness skills in a fun, rewarding, and age-appropriate way. Children are encouraged to look for peer relationships, play cooperatively, explore, create, and contribute to group activities. A multi-sensory handwriting approach is utilized and continued development of fine and gross motor skills are integrated.

This program offers a “kinder, gentler” approach for children who would benefit from an extra year to grow before entering a full-day kindergarten. Readiness to learn and question, interest in pretend play, construction and simple games, and utilization of the children’s developing sense of responsibility are all cultivated through this curriculum.

If your child just can’t get enough preschool fun, and loves to learn, explore, and experience all preschool has to offer, Discovery Day is the program for them!

Discovery Days are thematic based units designed to reinforce your child’s love of learning. We encourage Discovery Day participants to wonder, explore, problem-solve, and most of all, have fun. The thematic activities will focus on literacy, art, religion, music, math, and science. Teachers will provide an outline of each class including concepts, vocabulary, and discussion questions so there can be a carryover from school to home.

Open to children ages 2-5.

EARLY ARRIVAL

This program is available for all enrolled children Monday through Friday beginning at 8:15 am. Please note that breakfast is not served. Students will split their time between the classroom and the playground. Children are escorted to their regular classrooms at 9:15 am.

LUNCH PROGRAM

A lunch program is offered for children in the 3, 4, and 5-year-old classes. Children stay from 12:30-1:30 pm on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Students will bring a peanut/nut-free lunch, and weather permitting, will go outside on the playground.

ADVENTURE CAMPS

Adventure Camps are offered once a month, typically on the first Thursday and Friday from 12:30 – 2:00 pm. It is offered to all students in a 3, 4, and 5-year-old program. Students will bring a peanut/nut-free lunch, and after eating, will explore, create, and investigate based on the theme for the day.

School Hours: 9:30 am – 12:30 pm

Early Arrival Begins: 8:15 am

Lunch Program: 12:30 – 1:30 pm

Adventure Camp: 12:30 – 2:00 pm

Ages 2 - 4 by August 31

Age 5 by October 31

Children in our three, four, and five-year-old programs must be independently toilet trained. NO EXCEPTIONS. Neither pull-ups nor diapers are permitted.

WHAT IT MEANS TO BE INDEPENDENTLY POTTY TRAINED

The director reserves the right to extend the cut-off date for all programs.

St. Michael Preschool offers a quality, faith-filled early childhood education while running a balanced budget, not-for-profit program. The 2021-2022 preschool tuition rate changes reflect a commitment to our experienced and dedicated teachers and provides them with a cost-of-living adjustment. Also, the adjusted steward tuition will bring this discounted rate in-line with other preschools. These changes were the result of thoughtful discussion and collaboration with our pastor, Fr. Michael Burbeck, and the St. Michael Church Finance Council who have unanimously approved these changes for the next school year.

CLICK HERE FOR 2021-2022 TUITION RATES

Catholic discounted tuition rate applications are available to families who demonstrate stewardship by actively attending Mass, offering their time, talents, and financial support through identifiable offertory at St. Michael Parish. The family must be registered for at least 3 months at St. Michael in order to establish a pattern of stewardship giving. See our Stewardship Informational Page for details and to apply.

The Stewardship Tuition Rate is granted by St. Michael Church. Interested parishioners should visit the parish website to learn more and complete an application.

Returning Students: OPEN NOW

Open Registration: January 25 - 29

*Priority is given to returning students, parishioners, including parishioners from other Catholic parishes.

Application Process Beginning in January

Applications are accepted online with a non-refundable registration fee of $125. Visit our website and follow the link to "Apply"

Are you new to St. Michael Preschool? Join us for a Virtual Open House! This will be an opportunity to ask questions you still have after reading this newsletter and watching the virtual tour. We look forward to meeting you!

2021 Virtual Open House Dates:

January 13, 2020- 10:00am

January 21, 2020 - 6:00pm

Reserve Your Spot Now!

Zoom Log-in information will be emailed to all those who sign up.

Orientation letters, along with the first tuition invoice will be emailed to enrolled families in May. Class lists and extended day program registration will be mailed in August. Our calendar for the upcoming school year will be available online at www.stmichaelpreschool.com beginning in May.

Enrollment in any program for which there are more applications than spaces is determined by a lottery. When all spaces in a program are filled, children’s names will be placed on a waitlist.

• Children whose parents are parishioners of St. Michael will be given priority.
• Waitlists do not carry over from year to year. You must reapply annually.

A great deal of thought and planning goes into forming classes. Teacher recommendations for the placement of children for social and/or developmental reasons have top priority. Therefore, requests to place children with specific teachers cannot be honored while considering the best interests of all the children. Finally, it is our policy to consult parents of same age siblings regarding their wishes to have the children placed together or separated.

Unless tuition is paid in full, tuition payments are non-refundable once the school year starts. However, if a family is moving out of the area and preschool has not begun, one-half of the June payment and the August payment will be refunded if the seat can be filled from our waiting list. Notice of withdrawal must be in writing. If a child is withdrawn during the school year without 30 days written notice, parents are responsible for paying an additional monthly tuition payment.

To maintain a safe environment for children with life-threatening allergies, snacks or lunches may not contain peanuts/nuts or peanut/nut products. This includes foods that have been produced in a plant with nut products. Please carefully read the labels on the food you send in.

RECOGNIZED BY CARY MAGAZINE AS ONE OF THE TOP TWO PRESCHOOLS IN WESTERN WAKE COUNTY!

Email: preschool@stmcary.org
Website: https://stmichaelpreschool.com/
Location: 804 High House Road, Cary, NC, USA
Phone: 919-468-6110
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stmichael.preschool.16
Twitter: @stmpreschoolnc

Twitter: @stmpreschoolnc

Instagram: @stmpreschoolnc

Facebook: StMichael Cary - please friend this account and find a link to the Closed Group there to view videos of your child’s class and other fun events. Please Tweet and Post with #stmichaelpreschool and #stmichaelcary