As this school year begins, the doors of Catholic pre-schools will open to more than 1,000 toddlers and tykes around the Trenton Diocese.

In 28 pre-schools operated under the auspices of Catholic elementary schools and parishes around the diocese, the little ones, ages three and four, will begin not only their formal education, but their faith-based journeys as well.

The programs run the gamut from half-day to full-day sessions. Before and after care are also normally available, said JoAnn Tier, diocesan superintendent of schools.

Tuition varies but is often a bit higher than K-8 because of the smaller class size and the addition, in most cases, of an aide, said Tier.

Known for creative programs which meld developmental and educational activities with Catholic values, the pre-schools reflect a growing national trend which has seen 54 percent of all Catholic elementary schools embrace pre-kindergarten programs.

That’s up from 31 percent 20 years ago according to figures from the National Catholic Education Association, which also shows Catholic pre-school enrollment has increased nationally by 10.6 percent since 2002.

The NCEA attributes such growth to a number of factors, including Catholic school enrollment trends which are leading schools to expand the ways they go about building their student bodies. Making early childhood education available in a time when there are a growing number of single-parent families and families with both parents working has played a significant part in the increase in numbers say educators, including Cynthia Casciola-Kitts, diocesan associate director for elementary schools.

For working parents especially, there’s a real comfort level which comes with having Catholic pre-schools available as a viable alternative to day care. “It’s not like having (someone) babysit,” said Casciola-Kitts, who noted that the curricula reflect the Common Core Standards adopted by New Jersey State Department of Education to create clear-cut educational goals.

The programs, Casciola-Kitts said, benefit not just the children, but the entire community. Watching the children as they begin to learn about their faith “helps the community refocus on their own Catholic beliefs and values,” she said.“It’s an invitation and a witness to the whole community.”

Nicole Powers, whose three children attend St. Ann School, Lawrenceville, talked about the comfort level the pre-school there brings with it. “It was with mixed emotions three years ago that I sent my two boys off into the great unknown (to me) of pre-school,” Powers said.

“The pre-school teachers in St. Ann’s could not have made the transition easier. They cared for my children with the most perfect balance of love and stimulation for their ever-eager minds,” she said. “After completing the program, the boys were well prepared for transition into kindergarten and now my little girl is in the pre-school program as well.”

Sharing the same sentiments is Melissa Werner whose two sons will be attending the pre-school in All Saints Regional Catholic School, Manahawkin, this coming school year.

“As a parent, you always want what’s best for your child, whether that means their health, education or faith,” Werner wrote in an e-mail. “One of the main reasons we chose ASRCS for our children was because we felt that we would be providing them with a unique opportunity to grow in Christ while performing at high academic standards…

“Our kids needed to be exposed to an environment that was consistent to the one they have at home. We felt ASRCS shares those values. In our opinion, they are the best school choice in the area,” said Werner, adding, “We are very happy with the school overall. And if all continues to be positive, we are keeping them there through eighth grade.”

A Firm Foundation  

At pre-schools throughout the diocese, where enrollment ranges from 40 – 90 children, guidelines established by the Early Childhood Council of the Diocese of Trenton are carefully followed, said Casciola-Kitts. The emphasis is on providing a comfortable, responsive environment in which the children can encounter a variety of basic learning experiences, she noted.

Pre-K curriculum is geared toward fostering social growth, motor, language and visual skills, the introduction of math and a healthy dose of religion.

The website of St. Veronica School, Howell, where the Rainbow Patch pre-school is celebrating its 30th anniversary, fully outlines the curriculum which reflects the approach followed by diocesan schools.

There is a language development component which includes color and letter recognition, how to produce letter sounds and an introduction to letter writing. The 50 children registered this year, will be introduced to spatial concepts and encouraged to build their vocabulary through singing, storytelling and dramatic play.

The religious curriculum fosters learning about God through special things he made for them that they can easily relate to, including:  their feelings; families; friends; five senses; animals; water, and food.

Resurrection Sister Cherree Power, principal of St. Veronica School, who devoted herself to starting up Rainbow Patch as a young teacher back in 1982, recalls what the pre-school landscape was like in Howell back then. 

“There were three pre-schools, Lutheran, Methodist and us,” said Sister Cherree. Times have changed though, she noted. The corporate sector, recognizing the increasing number of single and working parents, responded with “a pre-school at every corner.” And three years ago, the Howell public schools opened full-day pre-k programs free to residents.

Rainbow Patch meets such challenges by steadfastly working to foster an impressive but achievable program that will engage the children socially, academically and spiritually and serve as an inspiration for their families to engage fully in the life of the parish, she said.

If history repeats itself, a good number of them will follow pre-school with enrollment in St. Veronica elementary school, said Sister Cherree. “For those of us with schools, your pre-school is your feeder and you’re looking at the value of early childhood education as a support for everything you are doing.”

Faithful Focus

A typical day in All Saints Catholic Regional’s pre-school, where between 80 and 90 children  from five sending parishes are expected to attend this coming year, includes having the children tune their fine motor and listening skills in fun ways with manipulative play such as “painting” with shaving cream and learning new songs to sing. Time for exercise is built into the schedule and there’s an outdoor recess whenever possible “to relax their energies” said Marlene Motsch, pre-school director there since 2004.

The faith-based component is present in every aspect of the day, said Motsch who noted that the parish spirituality committee is an active partner in this aspect of the curriculum. “We sing faith-based songs, read faith based stories. We focus on what would Jesus do and how would he like you to act. We don’t have a religion time, per se. It is throughout the day.”

Though most of the pre-schools are located within elementary schools, the Little Angels of St. Raphael, Hamilton, celebrating its 20th year, will spend the school year in their own suite for the fourth time in as many years, said Gina Sydor.

Sydor, Little Angels head teacher, said that as the program started growing, the need for “our own space became clear. We have a little suite with two-full classrooms and kid-sized bathrooms.”

“This is a big adventure for the kids,” said Sydor. “We have our rooms and our hallway is set apart which means we have our own traffic pattern and a quieter environment with a fenced in play ground entrance.”

Sydor said the suite reflects the vision of Father Jeffrey J. Kegley, pastor of St. Raphael-Holy Angels from 2004 until July 1 when he became pastor of St. Mary Parish, New Monmouth. “When Father Kegley was here, he kept saying, do what you need to do” to make the pre-school a success.

Father Kegley, she said, would reassure the team that though the pre-school could not compete with national franchises, they had something the franchises could never offer. “He’d say: we’ve got God!”

That fact may be the key ingredient in why the pre-schools have become natural building blocks for elementary school enrollment, said Sister of St. Joseph Jeannette Daily, principal of All Saints Catholic Regional.

From the monthly prayer services in the school chapel attended by parents and children, to the “Senior Saints” who volunteer in the school, to children themselves, Catholic pre-school has been an “amazing and positive” adventure, Sister Jeannette said.

“People focused on it as part of an investment that will last a lifetime,” she said. “Even though it costs money, even though the economy is tough,” she said, having a pre-school is a key ingredient in what makes All Saints Regional a “good family place.”