Our Lady of Mercy School

Our Lady of Mercy Preschool is fully accredited by the Western Association of Schools and Colleges and certified by the Western Catholic Education Association. The preschool was established in 1972 and has continued to serve our K -8 elementary school, parish and community.

For enrollment information call:
Jill Serpa
Preschool Vice Principal
(209) 722-6657
olmpreschool@yahoo.com

Philosophy
“The Total Child”is the preschool’s basic philosophy. Our program is influenced by the maturationist approach which is associated with Arnold Gesell. In this approach each child is known to have a full set of genes to guide his development. Each child is a unique person with an individual personality and family background. Chronological age does not apply for school readiness. Maturation is the key for social development, self esteem and the success in our educational system. A well qualified and certified staff in Early Childhood Education provides for the academic and religious growth that is an essential part of our philosophy.

Preschool Operation
Our preschool classrooms are divided into three age groups: three year old class, young four year old class and pre-kindergarten class. Each preschool session time period is from 8:00 A.M. - 11:45 A.M. Parents may choose a two to five day per week preschool program. In addition to preschool, we offer an extended care program for preschool students from 7:00 - 5:30. A summer enrichment day care program is offered in the months of June and July. This program is also managed by the preschool staff. Preschool abides by all the Our Lady of Mercy school policies and rules.

Curriculum
The curriculum is child-centered and focuses upon developmentally appropriate learning activities which are designed to nurture the total child.

The daily schedule is planned to provide a balance of activities involving:
Indoor/outdoor
Quiet/active
Individual/large group/small group
Large muscle/small muscle
Child initiated/staff initiated

We provide learning opportunities and developmentally appropriate activities and materials that are selected to achieve the following goals:
Active faith-filled children who respect each person as a unique special individual created by God. They learn to demonstrate this through, honesty, sharing and concern.
Foster positive self-concept
Develop social skills
Encourage children to think, reason, question and experiment
Encourage language development and skills
Enhance physical development and skills
Encourage and demonstrate sound health, safety, and nutritional practices
Encourage creative expression
Respect cultural diversity of staff and children
Knowledge and appreciation of the arts are included as basic elements in daily activities with hands on art, music and drama opportunities.
Include children with disabilities or other special needs.

The preschool staff collaborates with the kindergarten and first grade teachers in establishing assessment guidelines for promotion as well as to establish a strong, developmentally appropriate curriculum that flows from preschool into our kindergarten program.  Our school librarian helps to instill in students a love of reading and appreciation of literature through book selection.

Health and Safety
The health and safety are a paramount concern. Each child has a health evaluation by accepted medical personnel along with immunization record. Emergency contact information is on file and each teacher has a copy in each classroom. All teachers and most aides are CPR/First aid certified. One staff member is certified to assist with aid with asthmatic children. First aid supplies are available in all classroom. Fire, earthquake and lockdown drills are scheduled routinely and staff members are trained to know the evacuation plans.

Parent Participation
Parents are encouraged to participate in many of the preschool and school activities. Parents who assist in the classrooms are fingerprinted and cleared by the Department of Justice and have to take a Safe Environment class. Teachers also send home program learning activities to encourage parents to work and read to their children. Preschool parents are encouraged to join and participate in the school board and parent club activities.Â