St. JOhn’s Preschool Program
in Bay City, MI
Thank you for your interest in St John’s Preschool Program.
At St. John’s Lutheran Preschool in Bay City, MI we understand that parents have the biblical responsibility of guiding their children to become independent, respectful Christian adults. Our program is designed to promote Christian self-confidence and self-esteem in growing children through the knowledge that Jesus' love for them is unconditional. With that in mind, St. John’s Preschool would like to assist parents by offering a curriculum that is Christ centered in each aspect of development: physical, social, emotional and cognitive.
Mrs. Laurie Peil, our preschool director, graduated with a B.A.A. in Child Development from Central Michigan University. Plus each year she does 18 hours of professional development and takes CPR and First Aid certification.
Mrs. Peil taught in inner city Pittsburgh for 3 1/2 years. She also taught children’s theater in Saginaw (Temple Theater) for 5 years, as well as youth theater at the Bay City Players and taught music in Midland for a year before accepting the call to St. John’s 28 years ago. She can’t wait to start her 29th year here at St. John’s!
What Preschool Program sessions are available at St. John’s?
Preschool Level/ Session Times St. John's Member Cost Community/ Public Cost 3 Year-old Level
Tues. & Thurs. 8:00 AM - 10:45 AM$60.00 per month $75.00 per month 4 Year-old Level - Half Day Session
Monday, Wednesday, & Friday 8:00 AM - 10:45 AM$80.00 per month $90.00 per month 4 Year-old Level- Extended Day Session
Monday, Wednesday, & Friday 8:00 AM - 3:00 PM$150.00 per month $175.00 per month
- 3 year-old: Our Preschool is open to any child who is, or will be 3 years old by September 1, 2024, and is toilet trained (no “Pull-ups” or diapers).
- 4 year-old: Our Preschool is open to any child who is, or will be 4 years old by September 1, 2024, and is toilet trained (no “Pull-ups” or diapers).
How do I get my child enrolled in one of the St. John’s Preschool Programs?
Call the school and schedule to pick-up a packet. Your child is enrolled once the paperwork, the full first month’s tuition, and registration fee of $25.00 is paid in full. This will secure a place for your child in Preschool for the fall. Please be aware that space is limited to 10 children for the 3 year-old program and 16 children for the 4 year-old program.
Before preschool begins in September, the Health Appraisal Form, included in the Preschool Packet, needs to be completed and signed by your child’s physician. Also, a copy of your child’s up-to-date immunization record and a copy of their birth certificate will be needed.State regulations require that those three forms are in your child’s file before they are allowed to attend preschool. Health appraisals are required yearly, and you will want to schedule an appointment early in the summer to avoid the “before school” rush. All forms can be given to a secretary in either the church or the school office. Thank you for your cooperation!How can I set up a time to take a tour?
If you are interested in seeing our facility, please call either the church or school office so we may set up a convenient time for both you and the teacher that doesn’t interrupt our students during class time or teacher prep.What is the curriculum at St. John’s Preschool?
Our Preschool program is Christ-centered, providing an age appropriate Christian education through play and exploration in conjunction with weekly planned “thematic” units. The following objectives will be included in our preschool curriculum:
- Learn that God is our Creator and Jesus Christ is our Savior from all sin. Jesus is our friend.
- Learn to socialize with other children—sharing & turn taking.
- Learn and follow a set routine and practice listening skills.
- Learn age appropriate motor skills and physical movements.
- Learn to sit for a short time and participate in group activities.
- Learn to recognize and begin printing their first name.
- Learn colors, shapes, alphabet and numbers.
- Experience different art methods.
Field trips and classroom visitors are also important. We will help the child discover their potential by offering a curriculum that will enable them to experience both challenge and success.
How can I tell if my child is ready for 3 Year-Old Preschool?
All Information below can be found at www.cdc.gov/actearly.
Socially & Emotionally- Copies adults and friends
- Show affection for friends without prompting
- Takes turns in games
- Understands the idea of “mine” and “his” or “hers”
- May get upset with major changes in routine
- Dresses and undresses self
- Follows instructions with 2 or 3 steps
- Can name most familiar things
- Understands words like “in”, “on”, and “under”
- Says first name and age
- Names a friend
- Says words like “I”, “me”, “we”, and “you” and some plurals
- Talks well enough for strangers to understand most of the time
- Carries on a conversation using 2 to 3 sentences
- Can work toys with buttons, levers, and moving parts
- Plays make-believe with dolls, animals, and people
- Does puzzles with 3 or 4 pieces
- Understands what “two” means
- Copies a circle with a pencil or crayon
- Turns book pages one at a time
- Builds towers of more that 6 blocks
- Screws and unscrews jar lids or turns door handles
- Climbs well
- Runs easily
- Pedals a tricycle (3-wheel bike)
- Walks up and down stairs, one foot on each step
How can I tell if my child is ready for 4 Year-Old Preschool?
All information below can be found at www.cdc.gov/actearly.
Socially/Emotionally- Enjoys doing new things
- Plays “Mom” and “Dad”
- Is more and more creative with make-believe play
- Would rather play with other children than be themself
- Cooperates with other children
- Often can’t tell what’s real and what’s make-believe
- Talks about likes and interests
- Knows some basic rules of grammar, such as correctly using “he” and “she”
- Sings a song or says a poem from memory such as the “Itsy Bitsy Spider” or the “Wheels on the Bus”
- Tells stories
- Can say first and last name
- Names some colors and some numbers
- Understands the idea of counting
- Starts to understand time
- Draws a person with 2 to 4 body parts
- Uses scissors
- Starts to copy some capital letters
- Pays board or card games
- Tells you what he/she thinks is going to happen next in a book
- Hops and stands on one foot up to 2 seconds
- Catches a bounced balls most of the time
- Pours, cuts with supervision, and mashes own food
- Tips for Preschool Parents
- Read together every day.
- Give everything a name.
- Say how much you enjoy reading.
- Read with fun in your voice.
- Know when to stop.
- Be interactive.
- Read it again and again.
- Talk about writing, too.
- Point out print everywhere.
Questions regarding our Preschool Program please contact the school office.
