The 2004-2005 school year will be the 24th year of quality education for the young children of Monterey County at Melody Park Christian School. Our school serves 150 children and their families in a variety of choices that fit family needs. We offer:

Our classroom environments reflect this variety in our programming. Each teacher prepares the classroom and curriculum for the use of the particular age and group of children she teaches. Preschool rooms look different than PreK, and half day classes look different than full day rooms. Each teacher has prepared her classroom for the very unique composition of children in her class and how her room fits into our overall program. Our afternoon extended care enrichment program has planned enrichment activities for children by fully qualified early childhood professionals.

In each classroom you will see developmentally appropriate activities and materials for the children, such as art, music, science, cooking, block play, dramatic play, pre-mathematics, with exposure to reading and language arts. We also have indoor and outdoor physical activities that allow the child to develop motor skills. Our curriculum includes large and small group times for social and emotional growth. We also include Christian curriculum, prayer and a Chapel time here at Melody Park.

We have large and small group activities for social and emotional growth. This is accomplished through a small class size of 12 children in individual classrooms. Our student to teacher ratio is 12:1.

Staff are all college trained, professional Early Childhood Educators. Each person is fully qualified under Calif. Title 22 regulations as such. Our commitment to quality education is reflected in the credentials of our staff. In keeping with our view of learning as a lifelong endeavor, staff members to continue their development as teachers through seminars, workshops and continuing education classes. We are certified by the Red Cross in Pediatric CPR and Adult CPR and First Aid. We have 16 teachers on staff, a school business manager and a director.

All of us at Melody Park Christian School share an abiding sense of commitment to quality in Early Childhood Education.

Chapel Time

Each month the children's minister of First Baptist Church and our school director gather the children in the sanctuary for Chapel Time -- a Time of Biblical Teaching. This is a time of music, movement and actions of Bible stories. It is a high energy teaching time and the children love it! Families are always welcome to join us.

Prayer is a part of our lives here at school as well. The staff are role models of Christian principles and allow the love of our Lord to shine through them to all children.

What will my child do?

Your child will have many new experiences and learn many new skills here. For example, he/she will learn to:

• Get along with others, to be cheerful, polite and fair
• Explore new things and ideas
• Plan ahead, ask questions and anticipate future events
• Use new words learned from people, experiences programs, books and pictures
• Be safe, by taking part in safety lessons, fire drills and supervised playground activities
• Share toys, games and experiences with others
• Express him/her self with words, clay, crayons, music, etc.
• Listen to stories, to directions and to others
• Find differences in colors, sizes, shapes and sounds
• Care for self and belongings by going to the bathroom alone, hanging up clothes and putting toys and tools away
• Play fair, follow rules and take turns
• Think of others, by making gifts for parents, classmates, etc.
• Protect him/her self and know where to go for help
• Count, by relating numbers to groups of objects
• Measure, weigh and use math concepts
• Care for living things, by giving pets and plants food and water
• Experience a variety of language arts and literacy activities -- looking at books and learning to use them, dictating letters, words and stories to the teacher