PRESCHOOL         Preschool Philosophy         Children are active learners. That is, they learn more by doing than by watching or by listening. Activities at school are purposefully designed to meet the developmental needs of the preschool child. The physical, emotional, social, as well as the intellectual development of the child is considered important. The preschool is planned as a safe environment where children become independent, make friends, develop self-esteem and self-control, and make good choices.         Preschool Goals Westwood Presbyterian Church Preschool Goals To help the child separate from the family, and to learn to live comfortably in a social group other than their own family. To establish a partnership between school and family to foster the growth of the child, family, and community. To increase independence in meeting and solving problems. To promote self-esteem and confidence. To promote cooperation. To foster awareness of the world by participating in a variety of experiences. To foster an appreciation and acceptance of the multicultural world we live in. To learn large motor skills such as climbing, running, jumping, balancing. To develop small muscle competence by using scissors, glue, play dough and clay; building with blocks; working with puzzles and beads. To promote language development. To further intellectual development by fostering cognitive learning, concept formation, and self-understanding. To stimulate and support curiosity. To develop fantasy play which facilitates imagination, ideas and creative thinking processes. To foster creativity and free self-expression in art, music and dramatic play. To help the children learn how to complete a task, follow directions and expand their attention span. To encourage the expression of all feelings--fear, anger, and happiness--in acceptable ways; to develop positive qualities, such as the capacity for fun, humor, and optimism.

Enrollment         Call to put your child on the waiting list anytime after they are born: Sylvia Henry and Heidi Rudd: 310.474.2889 You will be invited to a parent information meeting in January of the year when your child would start in September. At that time you will tour the school, see a presentation of the philosophy and activities of the school, and receive an application form. Westwood Presbyterian Church Preschool was founded in 1960 as a community outreach mission of the church. It is now licensed to care for 80 children at any time per day in four classrooms with 92 children enrolled. The school was the first in this area to become accredited. Early childhood programs accredited by the National Academy of Early Childhood Programs have voluntarily undergone a comprehensive process of internal self-study, invited external professional review to verify compliance with the Academy's Criteria for High Quality Early Childhood Programs, and been found to be in substantial compliance with the Criteria. This is an ongoing process; the program is re-evaluated every fifth year. Children must be at least two years, nine months of age and toilet trained when they begin to attend. Parents must show a physician's certificate of good health, a record of immunizations against diphtheria, tetanus, whooping cough, measles, polio, HIB, and a negative "Mantoux" TB test before the child may be admitted. Children are admitted on a non-discriminatory basis in order of application, although priority enrollment is given to siblings of children who have previously attended WPC Preschool and to children of church members. The church members must be attending and participating in activities of the church. The ministers of the church determine member priority. Members must continue in good standing for siblings to be considered. The school reserves the right to balance classes as necessary in the judgment of the director and staff. A limited number of tuition scholarships are available to families of any background who wish to enroll a child but cannot afford to do so.         Registration, School Hour Choices and Tuition         The preschool follows the regular national holiday schedule, roughly from mid-September to mid-June with longer breaks at Christmas and Easter. School hours are from 7:30 a.m.-5 p.m. The tuition fees for the 2007-2008 schoolyear are as follows. There will be a tuition increase of about 5% each year.         5 mornings a week 8:45 - 11:45 $585.00/mo. (Monday - Friday)         5 day-lunch bunch 8:45 - 1:15 $720.00/mo. (Monday - Friday)         5 extended days 7:30 - 3:00 $850.00/mo. (Monday - Friday)         5 day-full time 7:30 - 4:15 $880.00/mo. (Monday - Friday)         5 day-full time 7:30 - 5:00 $890.00/mo. (Monday - Friday)         4 afternoons a week 12:45 - 3:15 $432.00/mo. (Monday - Thursday)         4 afternoons a week 12:45 - 4:15 $560.00/mo. (Monday - Thursday)         4 afternoons a week 12:45 - 5:00 $636.00/mo. (Monday - Thursday) There is a $75.00 registration and insurance fee payable each year when your child is accepted for enrollment.         Director of Preschool Sylvia Henry, now in her 17th year as director of the preschool, feels that the most important time in a child's life is these early years. She and the staff work very hard to create an atmosphere where every child can explore, try out new activities, do messy art, make friends, and solve problems. They help them build a strong foundation for the next years in elementary school. The staff constantly works to make the school the best place possible for parents and children. See News from WPC and the church Calendar for more information on activities at WPC.