FAQ | PHILOSOPHY | HISTORY | ACCREDITATION | FOOD ALLERGIES
About Us
HAVE A QUESTION ABOUT ST. PAUL's? FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS (FAQ)
Our Philosophy
Welcome to St. Paul’s Episcopal Nursery School, a vibrant and nurturing place for young children and their families. Since its beginning, St. Paul’s Episcopal Nursery School has been committed to providing a warm and enriching environment for preschoolers in Mt. Lebanon and surrounding neighborhoods. We thrive on a strong relationship among the school and our parents, which allows us to put the needs of each unique child first. Our philosophy has always been based on the concept that education should guide and challenge children towards developing lives of genuine meaning, purpose and service in the world they will inherit. Our curriculum is designed to prepare children for the active work of life…all in the spirit of play.
It is the purpose of the nursery school to provide a secure and happy environment in which children will flourish. Therefore, our focus strikes a balance between each child’s intellectual, social, emotional, and physical development. We strive to develop self-confident, independent, caring, and inquisitive young people who feel comfortable attempting new challenges that will lead to pleasure in learning and respect for others in their world.
Our program is lead by an outstanding staff that encourages an exchange of ideas with each child through questions, observation and reaction. There is a fluid interaction between the teacher and child that gives the children the opportunity to lead and to be lead throughout their school day. St. Paul’s places primary importance on creating opportunities for children to satisfy their natural curiosity and to find fulfilling outlets through music, art, literature, and fine and gross motor activity through dramatic and other forms of play.
History
St. Paul’s Episcopal Nursery School was founded in 1957 by The Reverend Dale Doren, rector of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, along with a group of parishioners interested in starting a progressive nursery school based on sound knowledge and understanding of child development and early childhood education. As a result of our founder's strong belief and advocacy of the importance of a high quality early childhood education, St. Paul’s was one of the first nursery schools in Pennsylvania to be licensed by the state in 1957. We were also one of the first nursery schools to be accredited by NAEYC in the Pittsburgh area and have successfully maintained our national accreditation since 1988.
Accreditation
NAEYC Accreditation:
St. Paul’s was the first preschool to be accredited in the south hills area of Pittsburgh (1988), and one of the first in the nation. We were once again, nationally in 2007, one of the first preschools to maintain our reaccreditation under the new, more demanding NAEYC standards. In May 2012, we received our reaccreditation through 2017.
NAEYC has established 10 program standards that research has consistently shown lead to positive child outcomes. Each of the 10 program standards must be supported by meeting hundreds of separate criteria. The standards include:
- • Standard 1: Relationships
- • Standard 2: Curriculum
- • Standard 3: Teaching
- • Standard 4: Assessment of Child Progress
- • Standard 5: Health
- • Standard 6: Teachers
- • Standard 7: Families
- • Standard 8: Community Relationships
- • Standard 9: Physical Environment
- • Standard 10: Leadership and Management
St. Paul’s is proud to have consistently met all standards through validating evidence of objective criteria that have been observed and documented during our site visits from NAEYC assessors.
Food Allergy Guidelines
Food allergies can be life threatening. St. Paul’s is a nut free school and we do not serve or allow any nut products into the nursery school area. The risk of accidental exposure to foods can be reduced in the school setting if students, parents, and the school administration work together to minimize risks and provide a safe, educational environment for food-allergic students. All food allergies are posted in three places: the child’s classroom, the Director’s office, and the kitchen. All staff members are trained in the use of Epi-pens. We ultimately strive to educate the individual child, within a safe environment at St. Paul’s, to learn to be aware of their own food allergies and to understand and be responsible for their own safety as they move out into the larger world.
