Preschool Program

St. Mary’s School offers two preschool (pre-K) tracks – a program for three-year-old children that meets three days per week and a program for four-year-olds that meets five days per week.

The Education Team
Program Administrator: The Director of Early Childhood, Mrs. Amanda Woodall is designated as the program administrator supervising the preschool program. The principal meets all qualifications described in the Iowa Quality Preschool Program Standards.

Teacher: For 4-year-old preschool, this must be a full-time teacher licensed by the Iowa Board of Educational Examiners and holding an early childhood endorsement is assigned to the preschool classroom.

For 3-year-old preschool, this individual may have a full-time teacher license from the Iowa Board of Education Examiners or other early childhood credentials and experience that shows proper qualification for teaching by the Department of Human Services, which licenses our 3-year-old program.

Teacher Associate: A full time teacher assistant in each classroom carries out activities under the supervision of the lead teacher. The teacher associate will have specialized training in early childhood education.  Those working in the 4-year-old preschool program must have or be working towards a CDA (Child Development Associate) credential.

Support Staff: Prairie Lakes AEA support staff provide resources and assistance to the teacher and classroom upon request to help all children be successful in the preschool setting. Such staff may include: early childhood consultant, speech and language pathologist, social worker, occupational therapist, physical therapist or others.

For questions about preschool opportunities at St. Mary’s School, program requirements or to schedule a tour, please contact the school office at (712) 732-4166 or email [email protected].