Overview
Our Pre-K is for children who are socially and emotionally ready to handle a full day of school but don’t meet the August 1 cut-off or are not quite ready to tackle traditional Kindergarten. The program is geared towards 4 and 5-year-olds who will attend Kindergarten the following year. Students must be 4 years old by August 1 and toilet trained. Students learn traditional subjects in addition to participating in specials classes including STEM, computer, art, music, library, and physical education. Children in our Pre-K class will enjoy the relaxed atmosphere of a play-based learning classroom while also engaging in whole-group lessons that focus largely on reading, writing, and math. Our Pre-K program is a natural bridge between Preschool and Kindergarten.
Our Pre-K classes are capped at 15-17 students, and we have a dedicated classroom aide in each classroom, so the student-to-teacher ratio will never be more than 8:1. These small class sizes ensure individualized attention and learning plans for our students.
Schedule
The Pre-K program follows the same schedule as the Kindergarten through 8th grade students at St. Barnabas School. School hours are 8:00 a.m. - 2:45 p.m. In Pre-K, we have a 45 minute nap/rest period every day and at least 35 minutes of outdoor recess (weather dependent). Pre-K students also attend our all-school Mass each Friday. The rest of the school day is a mixture of play time, hands-on learning activities, and independent class work.
Benefits & Services
Your Preschool or Pre-Kindergarten student may be able to take advantage of St. Barnabas School’s many full-time, on-site auxiliary services which include:
- Our Little Blazers program which offers before and after school care beginning at 7:00 a.m. and ending at 6:00 p.m. daily.
- Guidance counselor
- Speech and hearing pathologist
- Clinic staffed by a registered nurse and certified health aide
- Busing - St. Barnabas School Pre-K students are eligible for Nordonia busing if they have an older sibling who already attends our school and rides the bus. Otherwise, parents will drop off and pick up students each day at our Early Learning Center entrance on the south side of the building.
- Lunch in our school cafeteria - Pre-K students eat lunch in the cafeteria each day and may purchase a hot lunch or bring their own packed lunch from home.