In August of 2019, the St. Anne’s Episcopal School Board of Trustees announced an important change to the structure of the preschool program. Starting in the fall of 2020, the 3- and 4-year-olds in our preschool program will occupy separate rooms. After years of sharing the same space, the two age groups will soon have their own spaces for play and growth. We will also be able to offer a limited number of full-day spaces to 3-year-olds.
Although both groups will remain in the Sisters’ Building, the 4-year-olds will continue in the current preschool classroom, and the 3-year-olds will move into an adjacent room. The 3-year-old program will continue to be play-based, and the 4-year-old program will combine play and pre-kindergarten activity.
Discussions about these changes began well over a year ago, and there are many factors which led to the restructuring. Most importantly, we believe that we will better serve the 3- and 4-year-olds by separating them. Our current structure often puts very young 3-year-olds in the same room with brand new 5-year-olds, and the developmental needs of those age groups can vary substantially.
The new structure of the preschool not only helps us to meet the needs of a large variety of learners, it also gives us some additional spaces for children in both age groups. With full- and half-day options for both age groups, we anticipate being able to offer some flexibility to both current and new families.
For more information about the preschool program and upcoming changes, please contact Lori Frank or Katherine Huamanî.