Mt. Carmel Preschool

From the Director:

Mt. Carmel Preschool is a small, warm, and developmental preschool based on the model set in Finland, the world leader in education. I taught in the Jarvanpaan Englantilainen Leikkikoulu and have combined the best from Finland and the best in the United States to produce a child-centered program that supports education through play. Our low student-teacher ratios allow every child to succeed at his own rate, never being rushed from one level to the next. We are a United Nations in the heart of Norcross.

From the Director:

Mt. Carmel employs a hands-on curriculum with teacher direction when necessary. Students are encouraged to complete work at their own rate without pressure.

Each child is taught and encouraged at whatever level he is able to achieve. This first experience in school should teach a child that learning is fun, is experimental, and mistakes are learning tools.

We learn by doing. Our teaching philosophy is if the gross motor skills are not honed, the fine motor skills will be lagging. We are a developmental school in that all levels of development must be met at a child's own pace. We cannot expect that every child can learn at the same rate. Learning is fun and not stressful. Learning is an experiment in putting all the pieces together to come up with the right answer. And finally, wrong answers are not the end of the world. We all have to learn how to accept failure without losing face.

9:30 - Gathering in the classroom
9:50-10:15 - Sanctuary
10:15-10:25 - Bathroom
10:25-10:50 - Circle time
10:50-11:15 - Learning time
11:15-11:45 - Lunch
11:45-12:45 - Outside
12:45-1:15 - Closing time and story

We begin each year with Orientation Day at which time students are in class for a short time with their new teachers and classmates and parents have a question and answer time with the director. There are daily emails for the first month to put new parents at ease and weekly folders that are sent home after the first two weeks of school. Parenting classes are offered, prayer groups, and sewing activities are available for parents who would like to be more active at the school. Parents are invited to be a part of the church activities each week.

Children who have difficulty separating from their parents are given special attention and love, but the parents are asked to leave after saying good bye. If a child continues to cry for more than 15 minutes without being comforted by the teacher will be sent to the director for more TLC. If that does not do the trick, the parent will be called to speak to the child and may be sent home to try again the next day. This goes on all of September or until the child feels comfortable at school.