Program
Our Purpose | Our Core Program | Christian Education | Music | Cooking | Library | Outdoor Play | Extended Care | Enrollment Requirements | Religiously Exempt Status
Our Purpose*
Saint Clement Episcopal School seeks to offer an educational environment, within a Christian community, that promotes the development of children's spiritual, intellectual, social, emotional, physical and artistic potential.
The school strives to help children know God's love and to seek God within themselves and others.
The school is dedicated to encouraging children's curiosity and to maintaining an atmosphere of love, joy and tolerance.
Adopted by the Church of Saint Clement Day School Committee, August 2000.
Our Core Program
Teachers organize classrooms into such interests centers as art, dramatic play, math toys, "library", blocks, science, Biblical storytelling and more. The centers often contain special materials that reflect the current interests of the class or a small group within the class.
Each morning, with guidance from teachers, children make choices about which interest centers they will visit and what activities they will pursue.
Teachers build on children's interests to expand knowledge and to promote social/emotional, physical, cognitive and language development. This happens during one-time activities and through longer term small group and whole class projects.
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Christian Education
Christian Education is integrated into all aspects of our program at Saint Clement's. Our formal Christian education program consists of Biblical storytelling and a weekly Chapel Service.
Each week the children have a Chapel Service led by the Rector of the Church of Saint Clement, Rev. John Hortum. The focus of this service is the week's Bible story. Music and prayer and the Rector's message help the children build their understanding of the story.
Music
In addition to singing regularly in their classrooms, children attend music classes once a week. Led by an experienced music educator, the children enjoy learning about rhythm, movement, pitch, rhyme and other important musical and pre-academic skills.
Cooking
The children go to a cooking class once a week. Half a class attends at a time, insuring a “hands-on” experience in the kitchen. The children make many different foods, ranging from soups to salads, home-made pasta to playdough. The children learn small motor skills, food preparation, vocabulary, and expand their palates by trying new foods that they themselves made.
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Library
Classes visit our in-house library weekly. Our staff librarian reads to them based on the individual class lesson plans, shares follow-up projects with them, and assists the children in picking out books to enjoy. Older classes have the opportunity to take a book home weekly to share with their family.
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Outdoor Play
Saint Clement's has a fully enclosed playground adjacent to the school building. Children play outdoors each morning for at least thirty minutes, weather permitting. Children who stay for afternoon extended care have additional outdoor play time.
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Extended Care
We offer care beginning at 8 a.m. and ending at 3 p.m. or 6 p.m. After school care begins with lunch, sent from home. After a brief outdoor play time, children nap or rest, until 3 p.m. From 3 until 6 the children have a choice of structured and more relaxed play activities. Weather permitting, the children spend much of this time outdoors.
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Enrollment Requirements
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Religiously Exempt Licensure Status
Saint Clement Episcopal School is religiously exempted from oversight by the Virginia Department of Social Services licensure officials, except under certain extraordinary circumstances. However, the School voluntarily complies with all licensure requirements.
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