SPCS has had a long tradition of nurturing preschool-aged children. Since its creation in 1978, SPCS has offered a high-quality, well-organized program based on Christian principles, which view young children as unique and precious individuals.
Southport Presbyterian Christian School is a Christ-centered educational institution. We believe children are created in the image of God as unique persons of intrinsic worth. Our purpose is to educate each child according to individual needs in an atmosphere which fosters the child’s optimum growth. We dedicate ourselves to a continual process of academic excellence.
We combine four major components in our preschool educational equation to help support active learners: Children, Teachers, Parents and Administration. Each group is an important part of the SPCS team’s contribution toward educating young children.
The SPCS Preschool faculty is its greatest resource. Each teacher is a dedicated Christian with a commitment and desire to serve children. The preschool lead teachers have college degrees. The experienced assistant teachers help form the preschool classroom two-member teams. Our faculty’s responsibilities are to create a caring community of learners, teach to enhance development and learning, construct appropriate curriculum, assess a child’s learning and development, and establish reciprocal relationships with families. In addition, the SPCS faculty integrates Christian beliefs throughout their daily interaction with the children. They keep abreast of new learning strategies and techniques. They remain involved in professional development by attending in-house staff meetings, reading educational journals, and participating in conferences or seminars.
SPCS class placement is based primarily on the child’s AGE. This placement allows children to interact with peers around his/her own age. The curriculum has been chosen to meet the specific needs within each age level. Our goal is to help every child reach his or her potential in an environment which best suits his/her individual needs and to provide every child an opportunity to gain confidence and self worth prior to entry into Kindergarten.
Tuesday or Wednesday 9:15-11:45 a.m.
12 Students per Class with 1 Lead Teacher and 1 Assistant Teacher
Our goal is to create an inviting, encouraging, and positive outlook on “school” for our youngest students. During their day at school they are cherished, nurtured, motivated, and encouraged. Constantly in motion, two year olds are determined to learn on their own. SPCS provides a rich learning environment that helps them expand their vocabularies, find appropriate ways to express their creativity, and safely discover the world around them. They enjoy games, songs, dramatic play, manipulatives, and creative art projects which are centered on a weekly theme. Skills and concepts covered are nursery rhymes, holidays and seasons, creative expression, colors, counting, songs and finger plays, small/large muscle development, and vocabulary.
T/W 9:00- 11:30 a.m. or 12:30-3:00 p.m.
16 Students per Class with 1 Lead Teacher and 1 Assistant Teacheror
T/W/Th 9:00-11:30 a.m. or 12:30-3:00 p.m.
16 Students per Class with 1 Lead Teacher and 1 Assistant Teacher
Three year olds come to school for a 2-day or a 3-day program depending on their age. Students learn basic concepts and their activities focus on playing and cooperating within a group. Many stimulating and exciting opportunities await students as they explore their school world. Three major goals are to help children understand how to follow directions, take turns and share with classmates. The classroom is divided into various learning centers where children make choices, problem-solve and develop motor skills. In addition to the skills and concepts introduced in the 2 year old program, numerical, shape and color recognition, phonetic awareness, positional concepts, experimentation, safety awareness, and community helpers are covered in the 3 year old curriculum.
T/W/Th 8:30-11:30 a.m. or 12:30- 3:30 p.m.
16 Students per Class with 1 Lead Teacher and 1 Assistant Teacher
Our 4 Year Old Program is a 3-day program, which benefits younger children. The student is placed either into an Older 4’s or Younger 4’s class based on his/her birthdate. This placement allows children to interact with peers in their specific age group. Likewise, it offers the teaching staff an opportunity to plan curriculum which is specifically suited for a particular age and interest level. After one full year in the 4 Year Old program, most students proceed to Kindergarten. Occasionally, upon the teacher’s recommendation, a child may proceed to Pre-K in order to offer him/her additional time to prepare for a successful Kindergarten experience.
The curriculum is designed to develop a child’s self-esteem, a sense of competence and a positive feeling toward learning. All areas of growth: spiritual, social, emotional, intellectual, and physical are developed. Younger children learn through hands-on activities and active involvement with learning centers which reflect their age-level interests. Both child-directed and teacher-directed activities are planned to enhance learning. Daily activities are provided to successfully practice and strengthen the necessary small muscles for future paper/ pencil tasks in Kindergarten. Letter recognition and phonetic sounds are introduced, but reading is not taught. Interest in counting, sequencing, estimation, and numerical recognition is encouraged. Opportunities are provided for large motor activities in the gym and on the playground. The “Weekly Reader” or the “Clifford Magazine” is also enjoyed each week.
T/W/Th/F 8:15- 11:15 a.m. or 12:15-3:15 p.m.
20 Students per Class with 1 Lead Teacher and 1 Assistant Teacher
Our Pre-K program is created for a very specific age group. Children who qualify are either not eligible for Kindergarten due to birthdates or because more time is needed to develop their academic, emotional and social skills to ensure a successful Kindergarten experience. The Pre-K students benefit from a readiness program four half-days per week. Many Pre-K students have attended a preschool program and continue to build on and refine the skills they have previously learned. After one school year in Pre-K, the students proceed to Kindergarten.
The Pre-K program provides many opportunities for large muscle activities inside our gymnasium and on the playground. The students engage in learning center activities that require advance small motor skills such as cutting, drawing, tracing, and coloring. Student’s learning fun pages reinforce holding the pencil correctly and printing names correctly, eye-hand coordination, listening skills and following directions. Limited teacher direction is given, thus encouraging self-help, emotional maturation and independent thinking. Letter recognition and phonetic sounds are introduced, but reading is not taught. The classroom computer is utilized and a “Weekly Reader” is enjoyed every week. Pre-K students also continue to spend time on socialization and dramatic play during their three-hour class period.