Our Program

The best-kept secret in Mineral Springs...

The staff "loves our students into learning" beginning with age-appropriate social skills and expanding to the basic tools needed for kindergarten readiness. We’ve been given very positive feedback from parents and local schools concerning the readiness level of the students from MSUMC Preschool. We offer a unique opportunity using the Abeka Curriculum to tap into the enthusiasm of our 2's, 3's and 4 year-old’s. Fun activities and songs are used to introduce the children to letters and numbers and then to phonic sounds of vowels and consonants. During the second semester, the 4 year-old’s are blending the sounds together and learning to sound out words as they read a basic twelve-book series of pre-primers. A Christian approach focused on daily blessings and weekly chapel lessons are reinforced by classroom activities. Each class has weekly modules with our Music and Literacy Teacher. All classes have 30 minutes of daily physical activity on the sheltered playground or in our gym.  Age appropriate science modules are a fun learning activity throughout the year.  Two music programs are presented for the parents and guest during the year. At the Christmas Program, all classes perform in costume and the 4-year old’s present The Nativity Story. The Spring Music Program is an opportunity to focus on age level skills and songs from chapel activities. During the last week of school, the 4-year old’s have a Graduation Program complete with gowns. During the year, there are many special events celebrating holidays and fun activities. For our parents, we have the Kid Connection Committee that provides teacher appreciation activities and helps with special functions.

Transitional Kindergarten at Mineral Springs Preschool

Our Transitional Kindergarten class builds on the skills from the 4 year-old program and has an ABeka curriculum that builds on our other age levels. TK is designed to provide a class for the student who has completed a 4 year-old program and has a fall birthday that is between September 1 and December 31. They have mastered the curriculum in an acceptable way but can't start school because they haven't had their 5th birthday by August 31 or the parent wants to delay the start of Kindergarten for various reasons. Our TK class includes chapel, music, literacy, and physical development just as all of our other classes. The TK Abeka curriculum that we use focuses on these five general areas:

Phonics will continue as the cornerstone of reading by learning more about vowel sounds both single and double vowels together, adding consonants and blend sounds to master reading in little readers by the end of first semester.

Writing will focus on the ABeka "houses" with upstairs, downstairs, and basement as a guide for size and placement of each letter. Developing better eye-hand coordination and recognizing the qualities of neatness while caring about their work will be emphasized.

Math will build on the identification and concepts of numbers expanding to addition facts up through the number 10, identifying what numbers come before and after any number from 1 to 100, learning simple subtraction, completing one-step story problems with addition, and recognizing the largest and smallest numbers from a set of numbers.

Thinking Skills will focus on visual perceptions, listening, and understanding surroundings. Strengthening eye-hand coordination, good character traits, healthful eating, exercising, telling time and tying shoes are examples of individual development skills that will be explored.

Lunch Bunch

Our regular day runs from 9:00-12:00 noon, but for a minimal charge, we offer an additional hour in Lunch Bunch until 1:00 pm for any age student who brings a bag lunch. We are one of a few preschools that offer a full 5 days a week program for 2’s, 3’s, and 4’s.  This is an optional opportunity that can be signed up for on a monthly basis.  The lunch should require no refrigeration or heating up.  The teacher can assist in opening containers but will encourage the child to develop self-sufficient skills.  We will let parents know if peanut butter is acceptable based on the health needs of child who participate in that particular classroom.  This is available for all ages 2, 3 and 4. During this time the children say a blessing and learn how to eat in a timely manner while demonstrating good table habits.  It's an excellent preparation for lunch in kindergarten when their class will have 20-25 minutes to eat.  After eating, the group will also participate in teacher lead activities like storytelling and learning how to play board games.  

To better prepare our students for kindergarten readiness, we offer free professional speech and hearing screening and vision screening by the Waxhaw Lion Club.  If parents have concerns with developmental benchmarks or behavioral issues, we will work with the Exceptional Children's Programs of Union County Public Schools to set up evaluations.   

Kid Connection

Parents have the optional opportunity to participate in our version of a PTA.  Not only do the do things for the school, but they also network with other parents.  There are opportunities to help at our Fall Festival and other special ways throughout the year to assist in seasonal activities for the students and staff.  Parents who can be available to be on campus, as well as those who are not available during school hours, are encouraged to participate at their own level.

Abeka Curriculum

We use Abeka Curriculum which was established in 1972 at Pensacola Christian Academy and has been used to educate millions of students in both home schools and Christian based schools.  What started with basic phonics based reading and traditional arithmetic procedures has grown to comprise tried and true methods in education.

All our students work in their personal, colorful workbooks to focus on arts and crafts, numbers and skills, letters and sounds and language development.  Professionally illustrated textbooks and teaching aids, hands-on activities, challenging exercises, purposeful repetition, and the reinforcement of concepts make learning interesting and memorable.

Abeka's spiral approach -- building from the simple to the complex, with frequent review and application within each age level grade and from age to age is effective.  The three major learning styles - auditory, visual and kinesthetic (or hearing, seeing and doing) are incorporated throughout all the teaching opportunities.  All of these educational techniques are approached in such ways with songs, games and arts and crafts, that they are stimulating and simply fun for the students.

Scope and Sequence of Academic Goals Using the Abeka Curriculum:

These are benchmarks, but not requirements.  Each child will enter and exit preschool at their own pace and with their individual achievements.  We simply work toward these to help prepare our students for kindergarten readiness. School and social skills are a key component of our focus.  Opportunities include these goals but are not limited to these goals. Play and fun activities are a vital component of our learning.