Mrs. Lari Mulholland is the teacher of our four and three year old preschool. 

Religion
     For students at this level, understanding that Jesus is their best friend is fundamental to the learning.  They understand the ways in which Jesus cares for them as His friend.  They enjoy hearing God’s word and learning Bible stories.  Participation in singing and praying in the classroom and with the entire school reinforces what is learned each day.  Learning about forgiveness and learning to forgive others make Jesus come alive in their hearts and lives.  Recognizing the liturgical seasons helps them understand more about the church year.

Math
     Using a variety of manipulatives, students classify, sort, group and order.  Counting and recognizing numbers as well as understanding qualities of objects (shapes, big/little, long/short, etc.) increase the students’ awareness of mathematical principles.

Language Arts (Pre 4 Mostly)
     Children begin to explore the connection between letters, sounds, pictures, and objects.  They name each letter of the alphabet and begin to associate spoken sounds with the letter or letters that represent them.  They take part in language activities that extend their vocabulary and conceptual knowledge.  Listening to a wide variety of children’s literature, including selections from classic and contemporary works, expands their horizons.

Handwriting (Pre 4 Mostly)
     Students will recognize and begin to write capital and lower case manuscript letters especially in the spelling of their names.  They will also recognize and write correctly the numerals 0-10.  They will learn the correct grip on a pencil.

Social Studies
     Realizing that God made them, these students consider themselves and how they relate to God’s world.  They understand that they are special and unique and grow and change differently.  The knowledge that rules are important and everyone follows some rules or guidelines helps the student become more responsible for his/her own actions.  Learning about placement or location of objects such as here/there or water/land provide them with conceptual ideas of God’s world.  They study customs, symbols, and celebrations that represent American beliefs.

Science
Learning more about their own bodies will be accomplished as students think about their senses and what they can learn from their senses.  Having a concept of living versus nonliving things will help them to grasp better the world around them.  In exploring the idea of time, they study holidays, seasons, and the idea of time as it relates to daytime and night-time.  Working with shadows both in making and understanding what causes them and working with objects to describe, classify, and identify them will encourage the students to be inquisitive and responsive to natural things around them.

Computer Science
     Students are introduced fundamentally to computers, and in a lab setting, they learn the proper way to turn computers on and off. They become familiar with return, space bar, and arrow keys and the mouse which allow them to move around on the monitor.  These basic skills enable them successfully to use educational programs that reinforce classroom objectives.

Art
     Students enjoy artistic activities that include age appropriate drawing, coloring, and painting.  In these activities, students have the opportunity to express their thoughts about God’s creativity.  They experiment with color, shapes, and objects as they use their imaginations to develop their own creations.  Working with other mediums such as clay and various marking tools allows their creativity to develop individually.  Drawing line and shapes and understanding the basic colors are included.

Music
     Rhythm is explored in various ways.  Students play games, march, and discover that rhythm is found in many areas of life.  Simple melodies and short simple songs provide numerous opportunities to teach students about a variety of concepts.  Harmony is introduced.  Students are exposed to music by listening or actually playing on different sound instruments.  They begin to appreciate contrasting tempos and how loud or soft music can be.

Physical Education
     Students enjoy individual and group activities related to body movements such as walking, running, skipping, jumping, or marching.  Music plays a part in their activities as they listen to the rhythm and respond by following the beat with motions.  Games such as Follow the Leader and throwing and catching allow the students to interact with others and be physically active.