St. Thomas' Preschool

"We found STNS through a google search. There were 2 main things we were looking for in a school for our 2 year old: 1) a safe environment (where we could feel comfortable leaving our son for the 1st time outside the home) and 2) a "school" (well as much of "school" as you can have for a 2 year old but something that was distinctly not a day care). After visiting many preschools in the area, STNS stood out as superior and a great value (when compared to tuition for other schools like Montessori). I was (and continue to be) extremely impressed with the school- here's some of the reasons why we chose STNS and now (2 months in) we continue to be impressed: - the staff. The director of the school Shari Petrakis is an excellent administrator. She instills confidence that she is "on top of things", is accessible (I've seen her almost every time I've taken my son to school), and a good communicator (weekly emails with updates as well as more frequent emails as needed). She leads a staff of dedicated and wonderful teachers - Shari's assistant Beth somehow knows every child in the school's name and greets them at the door every day with a smile. As for the teachers, their longevity speaks volumes. Our son's teacher, Kathleen Duke, had been at the school for 18 years (and has pictures of all her classes hanging up). Mrs. Duke is assisted by Mrs. Murray- who is new to the school but someone our son is extremely fond of. I am amazed by the energy, enthusiasm, love and passion these women have for teaching the children. - the facility: this is a "school" - a distinct beautiful stone building with dedicated classrooms for the different ages - including a state of the art STEAM (science, technology, engineering art and math) classroom, 3 playgrounds including a "nature" playground and an auditorium. In contrast, one other "school" I toured was just rooms overflowing with toys. There was no curriculum and the nursery school felt more like glorified babysitting/day care. Not STNS. - the curriculum. STNS uses the "handwriting without tears" program so that even at 2.5 our son is starting to learn things that I am confident will help prepare him for grade school. There are different units each month - such as "about me" or farm" which are detailed on a monthly calendar given to parents so you know what your child is learning. - the community. There are a number of activities that encourage parents to get involved not only with the school (which I expected) but also just opportunities for the parents to get out for a night out (without kids!) I had concerns about the quality of "schooling" I could find in a preschool affiliated with a church (as opposed to a school like Waldorf or Montessori). I have been nothing but impressed with STNS. Things like the STEAM program and nature classroom make STNS stand out. The religious aspect of the school is not overwhelming or pushy - more of just good moral lessons about kindness and community that you would want instilled in any 2-4 year old of any religious background."

"We are in our second year at STNS and I can't say enough about this school, the teachers and the staff. They are warm, professional, inviting, smart and love the children like their own."