About Our Early Childhood Program
Accreditation
St. Alphonsus-St. Patrick Early Childhood Program has been accredited by the National Association for the Education of young Children (NAEYC). This accreditation ensures that the focus of the program will be the formation of the child as a whole based upon his/her developmental needs.
About our Pre-K Program
Classes are held Tuesday, Wednesday & Thursday from 11:00 to 2:15. The overall curriculum is 
designed to meet the individual growth and development needs of each child enrolled. Activities are provided in the areas of art, music, children's literature, concept development, large and fine motor skills, dramatic play and listening skills. Readiness skills in the areas of mathematics, language arts, social studies and science are also part of our curriculum.
Our program is accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children. This is the nation's largest organization of early childhood educators. The NAEYC requires certain educational standards for the teaching staff, the classroom itself and the curriculum. We have voluntarily gone through a comprehensive process of review to ensure a high quality early childhood program.
About our Pre-K Teacher
Hello! My name is Terese Turner and I teach pre-kindergarten. My own children attended school at St.Al/St.Pat's. I am certified in early childhood and have always enjoyed working with young children. Before coming to teach at St. Alphonsus / St. Patrick School, I taught at the First Church of the Nazarene 
in Lemont. Prior to that I taught at a preschool in Dallas and a private school for emotionally disturbed children in Chicago.
While raising my own children in Lemont, I worked part time at the children's section of the library and also at Short Stuff daycare. Young children are so full of energy and curiosity. Their creativity is contagious! My motto for teaching young children is " capture the moment ". When they are interested in something, they are more apt to learn.
About Our Kindergarten Program
At St.Al's/St.Pat's we offer a full-day kindergarten program. Since children learn best through play and hands-on experiences, our instruction is multi-sensory across the curriculum. Throughout the year we help the students foster a positive attitude toward religion, overall learning, self image and their place in 
our community.
Consistent with our pre-k program, our activities include art, music, children's literature, concept development, large and fine motor skills, dramatic play, listening skills, mathematics, language arts, social studies, and science. We stress readiness for 1st grade by enhancing our math, writing and reading skills.
About Our Kindergarten Teacher
Mary Jo Jenkins comes to St. Al's/St. Pat's with a variety of experience. She earned her education degree from St. Xavier University in Chicago. She began her professional career downtown as a paralegal at a top Chicago law firm. She remained there until her title changed to "mom". She spent the next ten years as a stay-at-home mom raising 3 children. During 
this time, Mary Jo kept a hand in the field of education by volunteering to teach CCD and as a substitute teacher. She taught 2nd grade at St. Damian in Oak Forest and joined us as the Kindergarten teacher in 2007.
More Information
For enrollment information or questions, please call 630-783-2220 or email schooloffice [at] stals-stpats [dot] org.