PreKindergarten

NEW FOR FALL 2025! St. Paul Academy and Summit School will launch a PreKindergarten program beginning in the fall of 2025. The program will be housed across the street from SPA's Randolph Campus on the campus of St. Catherine University, in the space formerly occupied by St. Kate's Early Childhood Center. 

SPA's PreKindergarten (PK) is built on the belief that every child deserves to be known and seen from the start. We foster a nurturing and joyful environment where children thrive through exploration, inquiry and play, igniting their natural curiosity and sense of wonder. Our PK curriculum is inspired by the Reggio Emilia approach, which encourages children to discover the world around them at their own pace.

We are a community built through play, where children, families, and educators connect and collaborate. From our youngest learners sharing in morning meetings to our graduating seniors delivering impactful speeches, we nurture the development of each child's voice. We value and cultivate a deep sense of belonging for each child, recognizing and celebrating their unique strengths and talents. We believe that a strong sense of community is essential for a child’s social and emotional development.

The Reggio Emilia approach prioritizes allowing children to explore at their own pace, providing ample time for in-depth investigation, and adapting to the children's evolving interests and needs. Our PK program is inspired by this approach and also integrates the expertise of our SPA faculty. The emphasis is on the quality of the learning experience rather than adhering to a strict timeline. Our PK curriculum is play-based while providing authentic learning experiences, such as our STEAM (science, technology, engineering, arts, and math) curriculum. See below for the daily PK schedule. 

At SPA, we are committed to providing a high-quality early childhood education that prepares our PK students not just for kindergarten, but for a lifetime of learning and growth in line with SPA's mission of shaping the minds and hearts of the people who will change the world.