ALC Preschool

A Ministry of Ascension Lutheran Church

Small Children. Big Ideas.

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Community of Lifelong Learners

Welcome to ALC Preschool, where children, teachers, and parents come together to build a community that fosters collaboration, support, and collective growth as lifelong learners. We are dedicated to promoting empathy and helping young minds recognize their inherent value.

As a ministry of Ascension Lutheran Church, ALC Preschool reflects a beautiful synthesis of shared values and the Reggio Emilia philosophy, creating a unique and enriching educational environment. The Reggio Emilia approach, with its emphasis on child-led learning, creativity, and community, seamlessly intertwines with the Lutheran values of compassion and responsibility. The school's commitment to the Reggio philosophy encourages children to express themselves through various forms of creative expression, fostering a deep sense of curiosity and exploration. The partnership between Lutheran values and the Reggio Emilia approach promotes a holistic educational experience in which children are not only exposed to a values-driven atmosphere but also benefit from an engaging, child-centered curriculum that respects their individuality. Together, these elements weave a tapestry of inclusivity, curiosity, and respect, creating a preschool community that celebrates each child's unique qualities while promoting a sense of shared purpose and understanding.

  • Classroom with small wooden tables and chairs, decorated walls with photos and artwork, and a ceiling hanging with green fabric and hanging decorations.

    2 Year Olds

    Our two-year-old class provides age-appropriate activities carefully designed to nurture children's development. We ensure personalized attention for each child. We focus on cultivating self-identity, fostering social development, instilling self-control, nurturing emotional intelligence, and enhancing cognition and motor skills. This is where children build the confidence, curiosity, and relationships that lay the foundation for a lifetime of learning.

  • Silhouettes of three children playing with a toy dragon against a backdrop of a castle and sunset projected on a screen.

    3-5 Year Olds

    Our 3-to-5-year program builds on the foundation established in our two-year-old program, offering engaging, child-led experiences that foster growth across every area of development. Through hands-on exploration, meaningful relationships, and purposeful play, children are encouraged to investigate, create, collaborate, and develop a lifelong love of learning.

  • A young boy wearing a red T-shirt is sitting at a wooden table, drawing on a sheet of white paper with a black marker. The paper has scribbles and writings. In the background, there are shelves, storage containers, and various household items, indicating a cozy indoor setting.

    Extended Day

    For families needing additional flexibility, our Extended Day program provides quality care before and after the preschool day. Children begin and end their day in a warm, engaging environment where they can play, explore, and build friendships. Morning care is available starting at 7:00am, and afternoon care continues until 6:00pm.

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Young girl with curly blonde hair and a floral shirt shows clay sculpture of a bowl filled with small round objects, sitting at a wooden table covered with clay debris in a craft room.
“If I can ask my own questions,
Try out my ideas,
Experience what is around me,
Share what I find;
If I have plenty of time for
My special pace,
A nourishing space,
Things to transform;
If you’ll be my patient friend,
Trusted guide,
Fellow investigator,
Partner in learning;
Then I will explore the world,
Discover my voice,
And tell you what I know
In a hundred languages.”
— Pamela Hook

What Is a Reggio Emilia Inspired Approach?

A Reggio Emilia-inspired approach to learning is an innovative, sophisticated, and inspiring early childhood educational approach that views children as thoughtful, strong, capable, resilient, and rich with wonder and ways of knowing. Children seek out information about the world around them and their place in the world through their own investigations.

In group work, children are encouraged to dialogue, critique, compare, negotiate, hypothesize, problem-solve, and see progress and movement of ideas. They also develop various perspectives that promote a sense of group membership and uniqueness of self. Identity is examined. Graphic arts become tools for cognitive, linguistic, mathematic, and social development.

Children express their understanding of concepts and hypotheses using various forms of representations, which we refer to as languages: print, art, sculpture, construction, drama, music, puppetry, and shadow play, among others. The whole child is considered in all learning opportunities.

The benefits of this unique, child-initiated program are endless and priceless. It is far beyond a traditional preschool program.

Children painting and crafting around a table with paints, brushes, and art supplies in a classroom or art room.
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