The Summit Preschool, as an entity of The Summit: the Lee's Summit United Methodist Church, believes every child should be provided an educational and spiritual foundation in a Christ-focused environment where he or she is encouraged to explore and grow.  We understand the importance of laying the ground work at a young age in order for children to continue their intellectual and faith journey throughout their lives.  Therefore, we also believe it is our responsibility to aid parents and caregivers experiencing this journey with open ears, minds and hearts.

We recognize and support the educational value of early childhood development in areas of intellectual, physical, social, and emotional contexts.  Activities are developmentally age-appropriate and are presented in a variety of formats including: guided play, calendar/circle time, literacy time, music and movement, outdoor play and learning centers.

Here at The Summit Preschool we also provide spiritual growth and Biblical truth opportunities through daily prayers, weekly Chapel time, praise songs and Bible stories.  We work closely with The Children's Ministry Team of The Summit to remain aligned in our beliefs and teachings.

Our Mission
The Summit Preschool strives to provide a safe and nurturing Christian environment for children ages one through five, in which they will be encouraged to develop intellectually, physically, emotionally, socially and spiritually.

Our Vision
To prepare our young students for a successful, lifelong intellectual and spiritual journey.

Our Values

• Loving and Fun Environment
• Individual Student Growth
• Spiritual Guidance
• Strong Partnerships with Families
• Continued Professional Development

Our Goals

• Prepare students for kindergarten.
• Integrate Christian practices in daily living.
• Encourage a love for continued learning.

Curriculum Components
The Summit Preschool strives to follow the Early Learning Standards as set forth by the State of Missouri and the Ages and Stages Guide depicted by Focus on the Family.  Furthermore, we aim to remain aware of the Lee's Summit R-7 School District's goals for their kindergarteners.  It is through these three entities that we believe we are preparing our students for the brightest of futures.  Through a variety of kindergarten-readiness activities, our theme-based curriculum strives to meet the following Missouri Early Learning Standards and Faith Truths:

• Literacy Standards
• Math Standards
• Science Standards
• Physical Development, Health and Safety Standards
• Social & Emotional Standards

Knowing:

• Who God Is and What God Has Done
• Who Jesus Is and What Jesus Has Done

Loving:

• You Can Have a Relationship with God

Living:

• You Can Be All God Wants You to Be
• You Can Do All God Wants You to Do

Discipline Beliefs
We believe every child deserves the chance to recognize God loves them, forgives them and gives them the ability to make wise choices.  By building strong relationships with their teachers, students will feel comfortable enough to trust them as well as their peers and therefore, are more able to understand these truths.  

To guide this process we follow Dr. Becky Bailey's Conscious Discipline.  Some key points are outlined below.

Conscious Discipline:

• makes changes in adults first, which lead to changes in children.
• organizes classrooms around the idea of a school family.
• empowers teacher to be proactive.
• transforms conflict into teachable moments.
• believes "we cannot teach behaviors and skills that we do not possess ourselves".

Classroom teachers will keep parents abreast of any concerns.  Should it be deemed necessary the director will contact the parents.

The Summit Preschool meets all state guidelines and is subject to yearly inspections.