Early Childhood Education

Corpus Christi-Holy Rosary School’s Early Childhood Program is a full-day program for PK3, PK4 and kindergarten children including universal PK4 (UPK) through the City of Portchester, and is housed in two campuses – the Father Peter M. Rinaldi Campus and the Blessed Laura Vicuña Campus.

Our early childhood curriculum is an academic program with an emphasis on reading and math readiness. We concentrate on recognition of alphabet letters and reinforcement of letter sounds. Early literacy is promoted through stories, poems, rhymes, songs, and drawings. In math, we emphasize recognition of numerals as well as understanding number value. In the PreK3 year, identification of shapes and colors are also taught and reinforced. We also incorporate short lessons and activities using our classroom SMARTBoard.

Gross motor skills are developed when we dance and act out songs and rhymes and when we throw and catch bean bags and play outdoors on the playground. We also develop fine motor skills in numerous ways. Simple tasks like doing puzzles, playing with Play-Doh, and reciting and performing finger-plays help prepare the muscles in little fingers to be more proficient in writing and coloring. We do a lot of cutting with scissors and pasting, tracing letters and numbers, and practicing writing our names.

Every day, throughout the week, the children are immersed in an enriching variety of activities in a safe, family-like environment. Students salute the flag, review calendar and weather, enjoy circle time and stories, and engage in seasonal lessons with whole group and/or small group instruction. The structured parts of our days are balanced with centers, indoor free play, outdoor play when weather permits, songs and dances, arts and crafts, and rest time. PK-4 and Kindergarten also receive computer instruction in our computer lab and iPad centers! Gym and music classes also stimulate us to discover the world inside of us and around us! Students make full use of our spacious facility. They enjoy spaces designated exclusively for them and a developmentally appropriate playground space.

Three- and four-year-olds are still young children who need "down time" and to learn through play.  Nonetheless, our Kindergarten is quite academic, and we are proud to offer a balanced Pre-Kindergarten experience for the growth of the whole child as we prepare these littlest students for that step into the next grade at Corpus Christi-Holy Rosary School.

With the exception of our UPK4 students, all early childhood programs include morning prayer and religious instruction.