Mission and Philosophy

The Day School partners with families to educate the whole child in a nurturing Christian environment

Our Goals

  • To provide loving, Christian educators who are committed to helping children build a foundation of Christian principles
  • To work alongside families and community partners to provide our students with an excellent early childhood school experience
  • To use engaging, developmentally appropriate curriculum that addresses the whole child and is tailored by teachers to meet the needs of each child
  • To inspire all children to reach their fullest potential by providing a safe, caring environment in which children are encouraged to explore and ask questions

Our Mission

 

Partnering with Families

 

The Day School at Highland Park Pres believes that the highest quality education is achieved through a meaningful partnership between families and school, resulting in a relationship of trust and mutual respect. The Day School strives to achieve this by welcoming families into the building with an open-door policy, providing clear communication between school and home, involving families in the program, and sharing helpful information. We work with several community businesses to provide families with helpful resources in the areas of play therapy, social skills development, occupational and speech therapy, child development and more. The Day School offers opportunities for families to come together in friendship and fellowship, including several all-school events as well as smaller group opportunities such as our "coffees and conversations," based on relevant early-childhood topics.

Educating the Whole Child

The Day School environment is structured in way that helps young children grow in each of the four main areas of development: social/emotional, physical, cognitive and language. We recognize that each area of development is an integral piece of early childhood growth and learning. Each grade level has specific objectives, or expectations, that are geared towards the developmental level of that age-group. However, there is a wide range of typical development during the early childhood years, so all teachers are equipped with the information and teaching strategies needed in order to provide intervention or enrichment for children along the developmental continuum. Everything you see occurring at The Day School is an intentional practice aimed at meeting the developmental needs of the children, whether it is children building a house out of blocks, meeting in a small group with a teacher, participating in unstructured play or curling up in a cozy place with a book. All areas of development overlap and affect one another, making it imperative a child receives support in each domain. Our developmentally appropriate practices are backed by evidence-based research and provide young children with the ideal environment to reach their full potential.

Nurturing Christian Environment

Our teachers are committed to modeling Biblical principles and helping our children develop personal relationships with Jesus Christ. Our students learn the teachings of the Bible in their classrooms, Bible classes and in Chapel beginning in PreK3. We have a school-wide positive reinforcement system that teaches children about and recognizes within them the Fruit of the Spirit. At The Day School, holiday discussions, projects and celebrations are focused on the Christian meaning and we come together as a school community to worship in a child-led Sanctuary service at Christmas and Easter. Through these practices, our goal is for our students to learn about the love of the Lord and the characteristics embodied in Christ.