Advertisement The toddler would ask his parents, Danielle and Tim Sprain, about the words he saw on street signs and inquire about the meaning of a flashing yellow light.
“He was so eager,” Danielle said.
The Sprains took their son’s needs into consideration and began looking for a preschool that would suit him.
They saw La Crosse’s numerous preschool offerings as a blessing, as friends had told them of places where there are no choices.
The family attended several open houses and sought recommendations from friends and neighbors.
Their search ended with the
La Crosse Montessori Preschool.
The school’s style and philosophy attracted the Sprains, Danielle said.
“We have found our child is more willing to do things” since he started attending, she said, adding Abie also has become more independent.
Abie will continue his education at La Crosse Montessori Preschool next year as a 4-year-old.
When searching for a preschool, Danielle recommended asking what a typical day is like. She said that will hopefully stir conversation to a level of what happens once the parent leaves the doors.
Also, Danielle said requesting to observe the class for 20 minutes even though your child isn’t enrolled is helpful when making a decision.
Religious
Coulee Catholic Schools: The system has preschool programs at St. Patrick’s School, 127 11th Ave. N., Onalaska, Wis.; Cathedral School, 1319 Ferry St.; and Mary Mother of the Church Early Childhood Center, 2000 Weston St., said Anna Fleming, Mary Mother of the Church Early Childhood Center administrator.
Children will receive some religious instruction, such as basic Bible lessons and prayer, and some locations allow for attending prayer services, Fleming said. Clergy also stop by periodically.
“One of the key differences is we have that faith element there for those parents looking for a faith-based program,” Fleming said.
Enrollment is ongoing. Fleming said parents can call individual schools to schedule visits: (608) 783-5483 for St. Patrick’s; (608) 782-5998 for Cathedral; and (608) 788-5225 for Mary Mother of the Church.
St. Paul’s Evangelical Lutheran School: In addition to hands-on activities and interaction with fellow students, the preschool program offers daily Jesus times and once-a-month chapel time with its pastor, said Heide Mueller, preschool teacher.
“We basically try to develop the child in all domains — physically, socially and spiritually,” Mueller said.
This fall, 3-year-olds will attend class on Tuesdays and Thursdays, 4-year-olds on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays. All sessions are from 8:15 to 11 a.m. at 1201 Main St., Onalaska, Wis. For more information or to register, call (608) 783-4822.
Public
La Crosse School District Preschool Program: The district offers free preschool for
21/2 hours a day at 16 sites throughout the city, said Jane Morken, supervisor of programs for young children.
The 4-year-olds can attend a public school; take class at a child-care facility by a district-hired teacher, using district materials, supplies and equipment; or be taught in a childcare facility that provides four-year degree teachers and equipment but follows district curriculum.
Programs are available for morning or afternoon. A snack is provided at all sessions, and break and/or lunch is possible, Morken said,
Enrollment is ongoing, with about 200 families already signed up for the coming school year. To be eligible, children must be 4 by Sept. 1.
Preschool orientations began this week and will continue through April 7. For more information, check the Family Calendar on G-2 or call Julie Lawrence at (608) 789-7006.
Montessori
The Montessori method allows preschoolers to learn at their own pace and choose what they are interested in, program educators said.
“The Montessori philosophy is follow the child,” said Rene Jacobs, one of two Coulee Montessori Children’s House teachers. The preschool’s
14 students each may be on different tasks; her job, she said, is to watch for when each child is ready for more challenging material.
La Crosse Montessori Preschool: The center, in its 39th year, has three-, four- and five-day programs, with afternoon and morning sessions, for children ranging from potty-trained 21/2-year-olds to age 5, said director Debbie Dellenbach.
The classroom is divided into different areas where children learn practical life, art, pre-reading, pre-math, cultural and geography skills, through their senses, Dellenbach said.
An open house will be held from 1 to 3 p.m. today at the school, which is on the third floor of Asbury Methodist Church, 1818 Redfield St. Or for more information, call Dellenbach at (608) 782-3320.
Coulee Montessori: It’s open to 4-year-olds, who attend class daily from 8:15 to 10:45 a.m. More information is available and visits can be scheduled at the Children’s House in Roosevelt Elementary School, 1307 Hayes St.
Private
Providence Academy: A “rigorous” kindergarten curriculum prompted the independent school that teaches the Catholic faith to begin offering a preschool program in January, headmaster Anthony Biese said.
The structured program focuses on letter and number recognition, while incorporating fun and play, Biese said. Students also have time to color and are read classic literature, he said.
“We want kids to learn. We have high expectations, but we want them to have a lot of fun,” Biese said.
Students in the academy, held in the former St. James School, 716 Windsor St., are required to wear a school uniform. Children now attend three days a week from 9 a.m. to noon, but the program will expand to Monday through Thursday next school year.
The school is enrolling for pre-K through eighth grade. A pre-K and kindergarten open house will be held from 6:30 to 7:30 p.m. Thursday, March 30. For more information or to register, call
(608) 784-6167, or go to the academy’s Web site,
www.providencelacrosse.org.
Waldorf
Three Rivers Waldorf: “Children play and imitate and imagine — all of the activities that strengthen their inner selves and prepare them for the academic work they will encounter in first grade,” according to the school’s Web site, www.3riversschool.org.
At the Three Rivers School, 901 Caledonia St., preschool and kindergarten days are filled with baking and cooking activities,
stories and puppet plays, recitation and singing, watercolor, crayon coloring, beeswax modeling, nature crafts, nutritious snack and circle activity.
Children ages 31/2 through 6 learn together in one room. Attendance can be for a half- or full day and two, three or five days per week.
Open houses are set for 6:30 p.m. April 3 and May 1, both Mondays. Reservations can be made by calling (608) 782-8774.
Traditional
Congregational Preschool: At Congregational Preschool, held in First Congregational Church at Main Street and Losey Boulevard, 3- and 4-year-olds can attend classes in the mornings or afternoons two to five days a week, depending on their age and the program selected, said Diane Landro, executive director.
As part of the La Crosse School District’s program, the Congregational school also has a free 4-year-old program five afternoons a week.
The preschool is in four classrooms, similar to a mini-school, Landro said. Class sizes are small, and children continue with the same group of kids and teacher throughout the school year, she said.
“It involves lots of activities that get them ready for actual strong academics — learning numbers, learning colors, learning letters — through lots of play and fun activities,” Landro said.
All teachers at the preschool have a four-year elementary education degree, Landro said.
To register or for more information, call (608) 784-3640.
Autumn Grooms can be reached atagrooms@lacrossetribune.com or (608) 791-8424.
