Welcome to the Preschool at Annapolis Christian Academy
The pre-grammar school years are crucial ones, when the cement is still wet, providing us the opportunity to make the best impression in a child’s life. A young child should experience a variety of guided teaching moments with ample time and freedom to create and play. Pretend play and executive functioning are linked to increased problem solving skills, communicating clearly, creativity, and the ability to delay gratification or self -control. Our philosophy is as Piaget’s –“Play is the work of a child.”
Our multifaceted program provides thematic units that engage, integrate, and teach across all curricular areas including teacher directed instruction in reading and math readiness as well as through multi-sensory learning centers, songs, chants, creative movement, play, and exploration.
What Will My Child Learn in Preschool?
Our Pre-Kindergarten program provides a loving, Christian environment designed to foster children spiritually, cognitively, physically and socially. Our gifted teachers lead their student-centered classrooms, modeling the fruits of the spirit and giving the children time to explore, to play and to contribute to the learning. We strive to teach all new concepts, visually, auditorily and kinesthetically.
Pre-Kindergarten enjoys being on the front row in chapel on Wednesday mornings in the sanctuary at 8:30. Everyday we read and discuss a Bible story, memorize a scripture verse and catechism. We want the children to know God and love Him with all their hearts, minds, and strength. The children also enjoy singing worship songs in English and Spanish.
The students develop math readiness skills by exploring with manipulatives such as pattern blocks, unifix cubes, beans, etc. We also graph with real items, sort by color, shape and size, count to 100, and play fun games to develop number recognition and number sense. Increasingly more difficult puzzles are also a constant component to our math programs. Our Science includes exciting science experiments to allow the children to explore and problem solve. The children learn about weather, life cycles, animals and their babies, habitats, our bodies and more. Taking turns and thinking of others are wonderful skills we foster as we teach how to love our families and friends and to appreciate community helpers and honor others above ourselves by displaying lovely manners.
In PK 3 and 4 we read classical books that accompany our themes. Fables and nursery rhymes provide a rich literature time allowing pre-reading skills to develop such as recalling details, vocabulary, and main idea. The children learn the letter names and sounds through singing. Proper pencil grip and beginning writing skills are developed as well as journaling using dictation.
The children enjoy singing, moving and playing instruments in music class twice a week. We also teach guided art in the classroom and encourage the children to create art in many forms. The children have a Spanish class weekly. The children enjoy singing songs in Spanish as well as learning their colors, the days of week, months of the year, counting to 30 and more in Spanish! Gross motor skills such as running, balancing, catching, throwing, and swinging are fostered on our beautiful playground and the gym.
What Will My Child Experience in Preschool?
- Structure that rewards self-control and fosters a love of learning
- Spiritual formation through prayer, Bible memory, catechism, and hymns
- Learning through play, song, movement, and manipulative-based
- Exposure to a wide variety of information-rich and literacy-rich curricular materials
- Professionally trained and certified preschool teachers who are passionate about working with young children
- Balance of teacher-directed and child-initiated learning activities
- Attention to the requirements and differences of the individual child
Our Teachers
![Nancy](https://annapolischristianacademy.com/wp-content/uploads/Nancy-1-150x150.jpg)
MRS. NANCY HOTCHKIN
PreK 4 Teacher
nhotchkin@aca-cc.org
![Image-Coming-Soon](https://annapolischristianacademy.com/wp-content/uploads/Image-Coming-Soon-150x150.png)
MRS. MICHELLE EVANS
PreK 4 Teacher
mevans@aca-cc.org
![DSC_9442](https://annapolischristianacademy.com/wp-content/uploads/DSC_9442-150x150.jpg)
MS. KATELYN MCGEHEE
PreK 3 Teacher
kmcgehee@aca-cc.org
![A. Lemos](https://annapolischristianacademy.com/wp-content/uploads/A.-Lemos-150x150.jpg)
MRS. ANASTASIA LEMOS
PreK 3 Teacher
alemos@aca-cc.org