Philosophy of Congregational Preschool

• Children learn through their play, through the use of concrete materials and in their interactions with peers and adults.
• Each child comes with his or her unique personality, which continues to develop as we provide opportunities for exploration and investigation.
• Children learn to trust and respect others as they have caring interactions with other children and adults.
• Children construct their own knowledge and understanding of their world in an environment that is stimulating and developmentally appropriate.
• Children grow as they move through physical, social, emotional and cognitive stages. Each child develops at his/her own pace and can/ should not be hurried.

For almost 50 years, Congregational Preschool has flourished as a non-sectarian community outreach of the First Congregational Church/United Church of Christ. Beginning as the Lomas Kindergarten in 1952, the outreach provided an opportunity for children to learn and grow. With a belief that children needed an excellent environment, the school kept current with changing of new educational theories and methods, hiring teachers who understood the importance of life-long learning. (add one historical photo.) Over the years, the school has changed to keep up with what the community needs. In the beginning, kindergarten was not offered in the public school sector. As parents’ needs have changed to need more hours, we have offered extended care hours.