Christian Preschool in Santa Monica CA

First United Methodist Church Preschool:
First United Methodist Church Preschool in Santa Monica in western Los Angeles County is a private preschool offering programs to children beginning at 2 1/2 years old (and potty trained). In 1948, the preschool, formerly known as the Nursery School, started to serve the children of church members. It soon expanded into a professional preschool for the community and over the years has gained a reputation as one of the finest in the city. Under the guidance of qualified teachers and a full-time director, the school provides an enrichment program to enhance your child's growth and development physically, socially, emotionally, spiritually, and academically.

Preschool Programs - For children aged 2 1/2 years +:

Our school provides a program that considers the developmental needs of the child and emphasizes growth in all areas – physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual – as a continuous, interrelated process. A wide range of learning opportunities are offered through experiences in fields of science, nature, music, literature, creative media, and dramatic play.

To ensure quality we keep our child / teacher ratio low. Our goal for each child includes an experience of acceptance and love, growth in self-understanding, learning to interact successfully with others, and increasing awareness and knowledge of the beauty and diversity of the world.

Transitional Kingergarten Class (TK):
We also offer a Transitional Kingergarten Class (TK) designed for those children who require an extra year of preschool. This program is set up to be more challenging than Pre-K and more flexible than a traditional kindergarten class.

Chapel:
The purpose of our program is to teach the children about God’s love for them and for each other. While firmly rooted in the Christian tradition, our chapel program is sensitive to the spiritual needs of all our children and respects all faiths and traditions. For fifteen to twenty minutes each week, in Gates Chapel, the children are taught songs, stories, and prayers appropriate for their age.

Music:
The children attend music class once a week for a half-hour lesson with a credentialed music teacher from Music Rhapsody. In the lessons, they learn the elements of music while they sing, dance, and play instruments. They learn music concepts and vocabulary as well as develop a sense of timing, pitch matching, and listening skills.

Extra Curricular Activities:
The gymnastics program offered by Peggy Fisher is a dynamic movement education program. Gymtastics creates a safe, stimulating gym environment with plenty of one on one attention. It is a 45-minute lesson held on Wednesday or Thursday afternoons for a nominal fee.