Shining Star Preschool

At Shining Star Preschool, we believe that children learn best when they are actively engaged in creative, meaningful play with a splash of flashcards, writing, and life skills practicum. 

Our goal has always been to offer an early childhood learning environment that encourages learning through play, teaches life skills, how to handle social and environmental feelings, and to learn how to get along with others.

The classroom is organized into various learning areas where we plan the invitation to play. Our desire is to create a space where the students feel comfortable enough to try new things with whatever their imaginations can conceive. When students have autonomy in the classroom, they learn to be confident, independent, and creative thinkers. 

Preschoolers need to role-play, build with a variety of items, paint, draw, explore, observe, discover, and get messy. They need to negotiate with their peers, take turns, make rules, and plan out how they are going to play.

The teachers at Shining Star Preschool provide these opportunities to children 3-6 years old through play, art, music, and recreation while incorporating academics.

Funds from last year's donors are being used to update our outdoor play area and replace classroom puzzles and learning tools. When the church council sold our "Pink House," it left us with some bare space. Plans for where the old driveway sits are to build a storage unit and attach a covered picnic shelter to the west. A new play area is currently underway in the northeast corner of the playground area. It will include more of a "natural" look, including a sandbox surrounded by sensory stations, tree stumps and a balance beam to climb on, an outdoor kitchen area, and a climbing wall with a small attached slide. 

While most of this area is accessible to children with all challenges, next year's funds will be used to purchase at least one playground unit that is truly accessible to children with special needs. That could include wheelchair bound, use of a walker or braces on legs. And there is always a need to upgrade classroom learning items and art supplies.