St. Peter’s provides an alternative preschool option

As universal pre-K expands in the public schools, St. Peter’s Early Learning Center, which has operated in Baldwin for 28 years, continues to offer parents an alternative.

Maritza Lopez, ELC director, has noticed a drop in the center’s enrollment since universal pre-K started to be offered in public schools. Despite the decrease, Lopez said she wants to continue to provide families with a different early education program. The ELC program is much smaller than the one offered in public schools, but Lopez said that this helps the center focus more on the needs of each child.

“Even though our 4-year-old enrollment is down since universal pre-K, there are still parents and grandparents choosing St. Peter’s program for those children who may not be ready for a six-hour school day,” Lopez said.

Although enrollment of 4-year-olds may be down, the classes containing 2- and 3-year-olds are thriving. With children now entering public school at an earlier age, parents want their children to be ready on Day One.

“We’re a small school and that’s a great asset,” Lopez said. “It enables us to pay closer attention to the needs of our children and fine-tune teaching methods to help them adjust to a school environment. We want their first school experience to be positive.”

Lopez explained that the ELC is able to work with parents to help students with different and specific aspects that they may be struggling with. She added that ELC staff members ask parents where they would like the most support for their children, and the curriculum gets tailored to fit the needs of the students.

“We want them to get a love of learning,” Lopez said about ELC students. “We want them to be happy to come to school. If we’ve done that, then we’ve done our job.”

Lopez said that the ELC helps students become independent, find their voice, and get them on the right footing as they begin their education. Making sure that the students are happy is the most important thing, according to Lopez. She added that she focuses on trying to get the students to socialize, make friends and learn.

As a six-term PTA president and mother of four children who have attended Baldwin schools, Lopez is well aware of the educational programs offered in kindergarten and universal pre-K. The ELC curriculum incorporates all state standards, including STEM — science, technology, engineering, and math — and STEAM, which adds art to the curriculum, to ensure that students will be up to speed when they begin public school.

“We still offer this program to 4-year-olds who may feel that universal pre-K is not a good fit for them,” Lopez said. “Whatever it may be, universal pre-K may not work for them, but we still have the option to have a 4-year-old come into our program and still get the benefit of being able to start kindergarten at the level they need to be.”

Lopez pointed out that St. Peter’s offers an added dimension, called Pre-school Plus, which, in addition to teaching education basics, offers children the chance to experience elements that build a faith foundation. Each day begins with a prayer, and St. Peter’s Deacon Angela visits the class to read Bible stories. Students are encouraged to join in the free Sunday school program, including snack and play socializing and extracurricular events like singing in the Choir of Angels at the annual Living Nativity.   

“We’re just happy to be around for so long,” Lopez said. “We’re happy that we fit in the community and the community supports the church is a huge component of what we do.”

Enrollment for the program is still open, and Lopez will conduct tours for parents whose wait-listed children did not make the cutoff, or if parents have not yet found a preschool.

“In the end, it’s all about the children,” Lopez said. “We want to partner with our parents to ensure our students succeed. We know that our students’ passion for learning starts at the ELC.”

For more information about the program, go to the St. Peter’s Early Learning Center Facebook page or visit StPetersBaldwin.org.