Early Childhood

 

Preschool
In our preschool program for 3 and 4-year-old children, we strive to lay a foundation for education that will lead to a child’s love of learning. We offer an atmosphere in which each child can begin to develop his or her own identity and have many opportunities to succeed. We also integrate our Catholic faith and teaching into our daily activities through prayer and observation of our Christian holidays.

We offer full and half day programs. Parents can choose a morning option for three or four year old children or all day program where three and four year olds are mixed in the same classroom. 

Preschool Goals

  • Learn about God and His love for us
  • Develop a positive self-image
  • Develop a desire to learn
  • Develop good listening and communication skills
  • Increase child’s vocabulary and language skills
  • Increase independence
  • Continue to develop socialization skills
  • Enjoy being part of a group and accept the need to share and cooperate
  • Respect the rights of others and be responsible for his/her own behavior

Curriculum Overview

Religion

  • Daily Prayer
  • Holiday customs/Traditions
  • Biblical stories and figures

Science

  • Curiosity/Wonder
  • Observation/Exploration
  • Compare/Contrast
  • Physical/Life Science

Language Arts

  • Developmentally appropriate writing
  • Handwriting Without Tears
  • Rhymes/Finger plays
  • Rich literature
  • Print awareness/Phonemic Awareness
  • Jolly Phonics
  • Listening/Speaking

Art

  • Painting/Drawing/Coloring
  • Cutting/Gluing
  • Texture
  • Sculpting
  • Crafts

Math Concepts

  • Shapes
  • Spatial relationships
  • Sequence
  • Patterns
  • Counting/ Number identification
  • Visual discrimination

Music

  • Theme-related songs
  • Listening
  • Rhythm
  • Movement

Social Studies

  • Social skills
  • School routines
  • Family and friends
  • Seasons
  • Holidays
  • Community
 

Our classrooms contain a rich variety of materials for children to experience, including the finest children’s literature, creative manipulative and building materials, and an extensive variety of art mediums, dramatic play areas, and computer software.

We would love to have you visit us!
To schedule a tour please contact the school secretary at (847) 255-0050 or ctiltz@olwschool.org.

Kindergarten
      Kindergarten is a time for children to expand their love of learning, their general knowledge, their ability to get along with others, and their interest in reaching out to the world. While kindergarten marks an important transition from preschool to the primary grades, it is important that children still get to be children. At OLW, the kindergarten “curriculum” includes such events as snack time, recess, and individual and group activities in addition to those activities we think of as traditionally educational.
      We offer a full day program as well as half day program for Kindergarten students. The all day class starts at 8:15am and ends at 3:05pm. The morning class starts at 8:15am and ends at 11:45am with an option for an extended day program on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
      Kindergarten classrooms encourage the growth of children’s self-esteem, their cultural identities, their independence and their individual strengths. Kindergarten children will continue to develop control of their own behavior through the guidance and support of warm, caring adults. Our teachers, with strong backgrounds in early childhood education and child development, can best provide for children what they need to grow physically, emotionally, and intellectually.
      We offer an atmosphere in which each child can continue to develop his or her own identity and have many opportunities to succeed. We also integrate our Catholic faith and teaching into our daily activities through prayer and observation of our Christian holidays.

Curriculum Overview

Reading

  • Reading Aloud
  • Shared Reading
  • Guided Reading
  • Independent Reading
  • Jolly Phonics

Writing

  • Shared Writing
  • Independent Writing
  • Journal Writing
  • Handwriting Without Tears
  • Writers Workshop

Mathematics

  • Graphing
  • Estimating
  • Counting
  • Exploring the Meaning of Numbers
  • Problem Solving
  • Sorting
  • Recognizing Patterns
  • Calendar
  • Centers

Social Studies and Science

  • All About Me
  • Rules and Responsibilities
  • Transportation
  • Changes and Patterns
  • Force and Motion
  • Animals

 

Religion

  • Prayers – Our Father, Hail Mary
  • God Gives Us Many Gifts
  • God is Our Creator
  • Jesus Shows Us God’s Love
  • Jesus Wants Us to Share God’s Love