We are so excited to announce that St. Stephen Lutheran School is now offering Kindergarten!
St. Stephen Lutheran School is a private elementary school located in Mountain View. Our Christian day school has been here since 1995, and we still continue on "Building a foundation for life!"
This year looks a little bit different though, since we've restarted up our Kindergarten program! As the School Administrator, I have gotten to see this idea spark and develop right before my eyes. I hope to give you an accurate picture of our Mountain View Kindergarten program as a way to help you to determine if our private school kindergarten is the right fit for your child! I am excited to tell you more!
Who are we? What does our Mountain View Kindergarten look like?
St. Stephen Lutheran School has been providing education in Mountain View for over 25 years. We are happy to announce that we recently re-started up St. Stephen Kindergarten!
Meet our new Kindergarten teacher, Mr. Schmitt!
"My name is Isaac Schmitt, and I am the kindergarten teacher here at St Stephen. I believe in telling my students that they have the potential to become anything they set their mind to.....It is my privilege to bring my experiences into the classroom, to look them in the eye and say that the biggest obstacle in doing the things we want is ourselves, and that we should always try to do our best to glorify the Lord."
Mr. Schmitt
Mr. Schmitt's teaching philosophies are student-centric:
"St Stephen Lutheran School prioritizes students over “standards.” We recognize that every student has different needs and abilities, and that it is the job of the teacher to recognize and play to those needs, encourage the abilities, and teach them as much as they can learn. And we strongly believe that the most important thing we can teach our students is God’s Word. The three “R’s” (reading, ‘riting, ‘rithmetic) as well as science, art, physical education, and history. Our goal at the end of the day is to provide our students with the best foundation of education they can receive before they move onto high school."
Mr. Schmitt
With the addition of our newly hired kindergarten teacher, Mr. Schmitt, we now have the staffing required to allow our Mountain View Kindergarten Program to grow!
St. Stephen kindergarten is a full day program. Kindergarteners are to be dropped off at 8:00 am and picked up at 3:15 pm, just like the rest of the school students. Sorry, we do not offer after-school care. If you'd like to see what St. Stephen kindergarten's daily schedule looks like, you can do so by clicking on the file below--->
What are the benefits of our Mountain View Kindergarten Program?
In general, on the day to day, I get glimpses into our new kindergarten room! I've even snapped some pictures here and there of this exciting new endeavor. ;) do hope and pray that my observations are useful in giving you some insights and peeks into our kindergarten classroom! So, you might be wondering, what are the top advantages and benefits of our Mountain View Kindergarten, and what makes us different?
Low student: teacher ratio
Let's start with the fact that, we currently have a 4:1 teaching ratio!
"Our low ratio means that every student will receive more attention from each teacher, which guarantees they’ll be able to receive that tailored instruction and have a better understanding of the material." Mr. Schmitt
For example, our kindergartener, Elly is given classroom jobs according to her ability level. It's her job to update the weather chart every month!
Additionally, she is also way ahead of the curve when it comes to learning how to read! I would attribute her reading success to all of the one-on-one instruction she is receiving from her teacher, Mr. Schmitt!
We also nurture and encourage artistic growth, playfulness, and simply letting your light shine!
Don't you just love this adorable picture that Elly drew up of our two teachers (Mr. & Mrs. Schmitt) who recently got married?? (Married under a rainbow, if you didn't know it!)
Christian Education/Values Instilled
As far as the Christian education we provide, and the values that we instill, I think Mr. Schmitt said it best:
"The greatest strength we have, by far, is that we are a Christian day school. We begin each day with prayer and devotion, we have specific Bible instruction three times a week, and our textbooks are (for the most part) Christ centered. We end each day with prayer, and we end every school week with praise and worship, singing our praises to our Creator and Redeemer." Mr. Schmitt
Why is our Mountain View Kindergarten like homeschooling, but better?
Parents who are drawn to homeschooling, are often also drawn to our school due to the one-on-one customized education that we provide!
But, what makes us different than homeschooling, if not better, is the fact that there are so many unique opportunities for growth through activities and social interaction! For example, our school offers:
monthly field trips
day to day playtime & socialization
stimulating mini-classes
exciting activities: such as our Run-A-Thon & Family Fun Night
I would encourage you to visit our "Activities webpage" to read more details about all of our school activities and events!
"In homeschooling, a child’s only classmates might be any siblings they have. And while they will have the absolute best student to teacher ratio, they won’t have as many children to socialize with as if they were in a regular day school."
Mr. Schmitt
How can I learn more about St. Stephen Kindergarten?
Certainly by now you've learned a lot about what St. Stephen Kindergarten has to offer, such as our low teacher: student ratio, and how we believe in proclaiming Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior! St. Stephen Kindergarten provides a comprehensive and balanced education, that is both Biblically-based and academically sound.
If you are interested in learning more, the first step you can take, is to set up a tour! This will give you the chance to meet our staff, tour our campus, and observe the St. Stephen Kindergarten classroom in action. You can schedule your tour by emailing admin@ssls.org.
Another way you can get to know us, is by attending our upcoming Open House/Spring Fair! Our students will be presenting their geography displays! All are welcome, so feel free to just show up!
You may have more questions in the future, so always feel free to reach out to admin@ssls.org! Thanks for visiting our blog!
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