Ministries West End UMC Preschool

Announcements

    West End Preschool, a ministry of West End United Methodist Church, is accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) and licensed by the State of Tennessee as a “3 Star” center. Serving children from one through five years of age, the Preschool’s mission is to develop within each child a vibrant mind, a healthy body, and a caring heart while building a collaborative, supportive community among our families.

    A Vibrant Mind

    The Preschool is committed to providing an engaging and challenging environment where each child feels safe, happy, loved and valued as a unique individual. Each child is encouraged to develop at his own pace and to his individual capacity. The program is designed to foster physical, social-emotional, cognitive, literacy and language development. In addition, creative expression is encouraged through music, movement and visual arts. As children complete Preschool, they are empowered with a strong sense of self-worth, a “can-do” attitude, a resilient spirit, respect for others, keen problem-solving skills, kindergarten readiness skills, an insatiable curiosity, and an eagerness to learn.

    Our curriculum is based on the Creative Curriculum, NAEYC “best practice” criteria, and the Tennessee Early Learning Standards. Drawing from these three resources, our staff of highly-trained, experienced, dedicated educators melds theory and evidence-based research on how children develop. This practical application of curriculum occurs through an organization of the classroom, intentional teaching methods, observations, and positive family relationships.

    A Healthy Body

    Children develop gross motor skills through play opportunities in our full-size gymnasium and on the playground. For additional development of muscle control and the joy of creative expression, a full-time music and creative movement teacher meets weekly with each class. Annual vision and speech screenings are offered in order to identify and remediate possible developmental delays. Emphasis is placed on establishing healthy eating habits and exposing young palettes to a wide variety of foods through our meal program. Lunch and snacks are prepared from scratch in our church kitchen with fresh, locally grown ingredients.

    A Caring Heart

    West End United Methodist Church began its preschool ministry in 1948. Then, as now, the church takes leadership in promoting early childhood education within our community, acknowledging that superior quality educational experiences are imperative for the future success of all children. In addition, the church strives to promote a greater understanding and appreciation of the world by fostering a culturally and socio-economically diverse community within the church. While no formal Christian instruction is incorporated into the Preschool curriculum, we do strive to instill values of respect for self and others, compassion, stewardship of resources, self discipline, thankfulness, hope, and community.

    Community

    Community is built as parents volunteer in our school. Opportunities include being a room parent, serving on the West End Preschool Committee, planning our annual fundraiser (the Family Fellowship Festival) and sharing their talents and interests in the classroom. Community among church and preschool families is developed as we come together for shared purpose. Families are invited to participate in church events. Special opportunities abound from Children’s Choir, Vacation Bible School, Music Camp, Advent Preparation dinner, Children’s Christmas Eve service, and the Easter Egg Hunt.

    The needs of families for preschool experiences differ. Therefore, we offer two styles of programs: the Day School, a full-day, 52 week preschool and the Play School, a part-day, 50 week preschool.