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Welcome! St. Gerald Early Childhood Program provides a safe, loving, "first school" experience for all of our students, where the growth and development of the whole child is nurtured and supported; where each child is seen as unique and loved by God. We strive to create a well structured program that readies our preschoolers for future learning. Because every child is unique we offer a curriculum that will allow for the creation of the ideal early childhood experience for each child. Our teachers are highly qualified holding Bachelor degrees in Education and specializations in Early Childhood. Parents are seen as a vital part of our program, and parent involvement is encouraged and welcomed!
WE BELIEVE IN...
Prayer Finger Paints Singing Scissors & Glue HUGS Laughing
Solving our problems Playing outside Making Friends Kindness
Nursery Rhymes Learning by Doing Please and Thank You Trying new things
"I did it all by myself"
"Educating today's children for tomorrow's world"
Why St. Gerald Early Childhood Program is
A GREAT PLACE TO LEARN & GROW…
*Highly qualified teachers that hold Bachelor’s degrees in Education and specializations in Early Childhood Education
*Classroom aides to assist with small/whole group and individualized instruction
*Half Day and Full Day options for Preschool 3, Pre-Kindergarten and
Junior Kindergarten students
*Curriculum follows Archdiocese of Chicago & Illinois State Board of Education Early Learning Standards & Kindergarten Standards
*Kindergarten Super Kids Literacy Program
*Students attend Computers, Music, Library & Gym classes
*Developmental Screening for incoming students
*I-Ready Testing & Chromebooks for Kindergarten students
*Preschool, Pre-K, and Junior Kindergarten participate
in ESGI (Educational Software that Guides Instruction) one on one online assessments to track progress throughout the year.
*Partnership with St. Xavier University School of Speech/Communication Disorders to provide support for speech and early literacy needs
*Hot Lunch Program
*Extended Care Before & After School
Early Childhood Porgram - Full and Part time
3 year old preschool- Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday 7:50 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.
- *Optional Monday and/or Friday 7:50 a.m. - 11:00 a.m.
- **Optional Full Day 7:50 a.m. - 2:20 p.m.
4/5 year old preschool and Junior Kindergarten
- Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday 7:50 a.m - 11:00 a.m.
- *Optional Fridays 7:50 a.m - 11:00 a.m.
- **Optional Full Day 7:50 a.m. - 2:20 p.m.
*set instructional days; optional days are center/play based days
**hot lunch is available for all students attending full day
Admission Policies
Preschool 3- 3 years old before September 1st
Pre-Kindergarten- 4 years old before September 1st
Junior Kindergarten- 5 years old between September 1st -December 1st
Kindergarten- 5 years old before September 1st
Contact us for a private tour or to answer any questions: 708-422-0121.
Parent TestimonialsParents of our current preschoolers were asked to comment on their child(ren)'s experience at St. Gerald. Below are a few of their testimonials...
- “St. Gerald preschool has been a wonderful experience for my son. He has learned and grown so much and has developed a love of school and learning that makes me so happy. The teachers are excellent and not only make the classroom a fun and exciting place to be, but also make sure to treat each child as an individual and make each experience in school a positive one. I could not be happier with my decision to send my son to preschool at St. Gerald.”
- “I cannot say enough positive things about St. Gerald School and the Pre-K 3 class! Our daughter’s fine motor skills and coloring have improved immensely in the last 7 months. She recognizes her letters and numbers as a result of school, and her social and verbal skills are much more advanced. Her deeper understanding of God, prayer, and the Catholic faith are shown through her prayers and songs she shares with us at home. Mrs. Horn & Mrs. Horn are warm, knowledgeable, and a skilled team who clearly care for every child they work with. We are blessed to have found such an amazing community in which to raise our children and look forward to many years as part of the St. Gerald’s family.”
- “The kindergarten program has really done a fantastic job during this pandemic. The teachers are fully transparent and offer tons of support to the students and families. They do a great job incorporating the computer and in person classroom into the students’ learning. It has been so amazing watching my son grow and become independent with doing his schoolwork. He knows what homework he has and follows the instructions given by his teachers. He has practiced at school and can log onto his Chromebook with barely any assistance from me or my husband thanks to his teachers..”
- “The teachers have been able to handle obstacles along the way such as unexpected quarantines and unplanned snow days. They communicate quickly assignments and keep the kids on track. I am very happy with the kindergarten program and happy with sending our son to St. Gerald school!”
- “With very caring and dedicated teachers and an equally cheerful learning environment, St. Gerald Preschool has been a great start to our daughter’s educational experience. It is a wonderful place for children to learn and grow. Social skills develop under watchful eyes and lasting values are fostered so that everyone benefits from a thorough program and an excellent school and staff. It feels like an extension of our own home. We have seen our daughter blossom and we feel fortunate and blessed to be part of the St. Gerald Preschool family.”
- “St. Gerald’s not only provides a great education, but our children have received so much more due to their wonderful program and dedicated faculty and staff. Our second daughter is working her way through the preschool program currently. Watching our children grow intellectually, socially and emotionally while enrolled proves to us we made the right decision. Their wonderful teachers work diligently to provide engaging lessons and activities. Their embracing warmth has transformed St. Gerald from just a school to a large part of our family. My children have gained a love of learning, respect for others and have begun their journey to explore and grow in our faith.”
- “Sending our children to St. Gerald for preschool is the best decision we made for our kids. We cannot say enough good things about the program. It is unbelievable what they get the preschoolers to accomplish academically, while also keeping free play as an important part of the day. Both of our girls have benefitted so much socially, spiritually, and academically from being in their classes. We were confident dropping our kids off every morning, knowing they were in the best hands."
- "When we moved to Oak Lawn, we had our sights on St Gerald School for Preschool for our daughter. With it being our first child, we were very nervous and sad to be leaving her as any new parent would be. The teachers changed that for us within the first week. The sense of security I felt as I left her every day and the smile on her face and exciting stories at pickup was a parent's dream come true.
We saw her excel in the Preschool Program and came out so prepared for Kindergarten. The teachers take the time to tend to each child’s struggles and they make sure to celebrate every achievement. When it was time to send our second daughter to start Preschool there were no questions or worries, we knew she was in the best hands. Now our first born is in 6th grade and our second daughter is in 1st at St. Gerald and both are excelling beyond our expectations. We both agree that it was the St. Gerald’s Preschool program and their wonderful teachers that gave them their platform towards an excellent Catholic education and we couldn’t be more grateful!”