St. Mary’s Child Center’s early childhood program is inspired by the Reggio Emilia philosophy, recognized worldwide for its innovative approach to education. “Hailed as the best pre-schools in the world by Newsweek magazine in 1991, the Reggio Emilia approach to early childhood education has attracted the worldwide attention of educators, researchers and just about anyone interested in early childhood education best practices. Even the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC)’s revised version of developmentally appropriate practices (DAP) guidelines also included examples from Reggio approach. Today, Reggio approach has been adopted in USA, UK, New Zealand, Australia and many other countries.”

“Loris Malaguzzi (1920-1994) founded the ‘Reggio Emilia’ approach at a city in northern Italy called Reggio Emilia. The ‘Reggio’ approach was developed for municipal child-care and education programs serving children below six. The approach requires children to be seen as competent, resourceful, curious, imaginative, inventive and possess a desire to interact and communicate with others.”

“The ‘Reggio’ vision of the child as a competent learner has produced a strong child-directed curriculum model. The curriculum has purposive progression but not scope and sequence. Teachers follow the children’s interests and do not provide focused instruction in reading and writing. Reggio approach has a strong belief that children learn through interaction with others, including parents, staff and peers in a friendly learning environment.”

Principals of the Reggio Emilia philosophy include:

• The strong image of the child with the vision that every child is competent, resourceful, curious, imaginative, inventive, a powerful learner and possesses a desire to interact and communicate with others.
• The role of the environment as teacher: Educators are very concerned about what the environment teaches the child. Great attention is given to the look and feel of the classroom and learning spaces. The learning atmosphere is filled with playfulness and joy.
• The teacher as researcher: the teacher’s role is complex. The role of the teacher is first to be that of a learner alongside the children. The teacher is a teacher-researcher and guide as she/he lends expertise to the children. The teacher listens carefully, observes, provides provocations for learning, documents children’s work and the growth of community. The teacher is reflective about his/her own teaching and learning. Teachers share information and mentor each other.
• Long-term projects: Children’s learning is supported and enriched through in-depth project work in which provocation, responding, recording, playing, exploring, hypothesis building and testing occurs.
• Documentation as Assessment and Advocacy: Project work is documented and displayed, allowing the children to express, revisit, construct and reconstruct their feelings, ideas and understandings.

• Children’s multiple symbolic languages: The arts are used as a symbolic language through which to express their understandings in their project work. Graphic arts are integrated as tools for cognitive, linguistic and social development. Concepts and hypotheses are presented in print, art, construction, drama, puppetry, photography and shadow play.
• Home-school relationship: Children, teachers, families and community are interactive and work together. Programs are family centered and focus on each child’s relation to others. Engagement and relationships with families are considered to be essential.

Click here to see our Reggio Inspired Environments.

 “Having kids be able to choose what they want to do and us teach from what their interests are is incredible.  We aren’t some extremely structured program where we have to go by the books.  I think all of us teachers can agree that we learn from them everyday.  It’s not just them learning, we’re learning right along with them.” – Mimi Barry, St. Mary’s Educator

(Information on the Reggio Emilia Approach from www.brainy-child.com)

The Preschool at St. Mary’s Child Center is Reggio inspired and nationally accredited.   The children are involved in the highest quality early learning experiences.  Our work facilitates cognitive, social, emotional, physical and creative development.  The children are ready for school when they complete the program and move on to kindergarten.  Click here to see what is going on in our classrooms.

“In the Reggio Emilia preschools, however, each child is viewed as infinitely capable, creative, and intelligent. The job of the teacher is to support these qualities and to challenge children in appropriate ways so that they develop fully.” 

-Louise Boyd Cadwell, Author of Bringing Reggio Emilia Home

Click here to learn about the Reggio Emilia Approach. 

To view photos from our 2019-2020 school year, click here.

St. Mary’s provides a low adult to child ratio, social services, nutritious meals and a highly qualified staff.

We provide full day preschool at four locations:  Thompson Building (downtown), Gilliatte Building (Fort Harrison), St. Anthony's Catholic School and the IPS/Butler Laboratory School (34^th and Meridian).

2020-2021 Preschool Calendars

Full Day Preschool
Monday- Friday
Open 47 weeks a year
*Scholarships available, On My Way PreK, Indy PSP, CCDF vouchers and tuition accepted ($246/week at Thompson Building and $246/ week at Gilliatte Building)

To learn more about On My Way PreK, please visit https://www.in.gov/fssa/carefinder/4932.htm

To complete your application for the On My Way PreK program for the 2020-2021 school year, please visit https://www.in.gov/fssa/carefinder/4932.htm?fbclid=IwAR1J-XiVQkbgKFjnXPDwEMJP5ZaD1DunC13X1bH5bHHrXTa5c0fXOsfeSVo.

“For years I have described the work of the educators at St. Mary’s as “watching angels on earth.”  Their educational practices represent the highest quality of teaching in the context of appreciating and strengthening the child as a capable, competent, powerful learner.”
-Ena Shelley, Dean, College of Education, Butler University

“The care and thoughtfulness with our children as human beings is exceptional.  I work across the USA and internationally in education- you are a model in both the philosophy/implementation of pre-k/education as well as a model of diversity (socioeconomic and ethnicity).  I feel so fortunate for my children to be part of the St. Mary’s family.”
-Robert Price, Parent

“I was very impressed with the center and its ‘the child is capable’ approach.  I loved that all the walls were covered in beautiful pictures and comical quotes from the kids.  I think that it is such a great experience for those children to have; getting to go on numerous field trips and having teachers that really care and want to be there.”
– Butler University Speech and Hearing Student

“I enjoyed my job before, but I have been so extremely content since I have started working with St. Mary’s that it is incredible.  Thank you for giving me the opportunity to work with you guys!  I love it!   You and your staff have been so helpful and I am so appreciative.   This year I am definitely thankful for St. Mary’s!”
- Jay Patterson, Peace Learning Center

On My Way PreK Funding Detail:

St. Mary’s provides funding at some level for 93% of our children.  St. Mary’s does receive funds from Indiana’s Preschool Program.  We are delighted and so grateful!  When we first heard about the preschool funding, we had hoped we would never have to worry about turning away a child  because we lacked funds.  However during the past school year, state dollars only covered 27% of our budget.  St. Mary’s raises the funds to fully provide scholarships for the children who don’t receive state funding. We ask for only $10 per week from the family and many of them can’t pay that. State funding is helping us move towards our goals of expansion to be able to serve more children. For more information, please click here.

 2018-2019 Annual Report

General Brochure

Preschool Brochure

Outreach Brochure

Resolutions

Buildings
On November 18, 2005 the Board of Directors of St. Mary’s Child Center officially recognized the extraordinary support and philanthropy of Bob Thompson and Gerry Gilliatte by conferring the highest recognition of appreciation possible by permanently naming the two buildings after them.  The downtown building is now referred to as the “Thompson Building” and the Ft. Harrison building is now referred to as the “Gilliatte Building."

Board Room
On February 2, 2006, the Board of Directors of St. Mary’s Child Center officially recognized the priceless historic and ongoing contribution of Bill Carson by permanently naming the board room at the Thompson Building the “A. William Carson Board Room”.

Click here to download a pdf of the resolutions in their entirety.

Miracle Maker Award Winners
Since 2005, an extraordinary supporter of St. Mary’s Child Center has been recognized at the Miracle Ball in November.  The winner is picked by a committee and must meet certain criteria.

2005- Rick Albrecht

2006- Bill Carson

2007- Russ and Donna Dellen

2008- Frank Moran

2009- John Lienhart

2010- Don Steel

2011- Paul Rioux

2012- Larry Griggers

2013- Terri Stauffer

2014- Dan Moyer

2015 - Doug Brown

2016 - Jim Zink

2017 - Wally Justus

2018 - Matt & Jan Cohoat

2019 - John Hart

Success in Learning-Success in Life

St. Mary’s Child Center Preschool provides the highest quality early childhood experiences that will ensure success in school and build the foundation for life long success for our children.

St. Mary’s believes that all children have the right to the highest quality early childhood education.  The benefits of the child’s involvement in a high quality program are proven.  It is our intention that all children and families who walk through our doors experience the best educational experience possible.

In consideration of the Declaration of Rights for Indiana’s Young Children (presented by the Indianapolis Reggio Collaborative to Representative John Day and the Indiana State Legislature on December 11, 2009), the community of St. Mary’s believes that:

• ALL children have the right to be recognized as citizens of our state and deserve a childhood that enables them to develop to their fullest potential.
• ALL children have the right to a high quality early childhood setting that values the involvement of their families and develops an alliance between school and home.
• ALL children have the right to high quality health care, nutrition and safe home and school environments.
• ALL children have the right to adults providing learning environments that respect childhood by providing opportunities for children to construct meaning and strategies by actively pursuing learning experiences that connect thought and action as opposed to being passive recipients of direct transmission of information.
• ALL children have the right to have access to multiple ways of learning, doing and expression in developmentally appropriate settings that support their limitless potential and possibilities.
• ALL children have the right to highly qualified educators who are compensated as professionals and are respected by the community.
• ALL children in Indiana deserve access to public preschool and kindergarten funded by the state.

The Preschool Program at St. Mary’s Child Center has a strong history of serving children who live in poverty.  We live in this mission and give intense focus to this work in consideration of the high stakes involved. Our Board, donors and funders are dedicated to funding the participation of children who live in poverty in the Preschool Program.  The cost per child is $10,000 per year.  One hundred percent of the children who qualify for free or reduced lunch receive substantial assistance.

Research on children living in poverty:

• One in four children in Indiana live in poverty.
• Poverty can be devastating to the child’s development.
• Children in poverty are strong, competent, capable and loved but often lack common experiences because of the stress poverty brings to a family.
• Studies show that children in poverty are read to only 25 hours before entering first grade (compared to 1400-1700 hours for their middle class peers)
• Marian Wright Edelman, CEO and Founder of the Children’s Defense Fund, tells us that children in poverty enter the “Cradle to Prison” pipeline at the moment of their birth.
• Children in poverty enter kindergarten 1.5-2 years behind and the gap widens as they progress through school.  The child experiences failure, drops out, often becomes involved with the criminal justice system.  “Achievement gaps develop well before children being Kindergarten.” – US Chamber of Commerce, Institute for a Competitive Workforce

However…there is compelling evidence that shows that the effects of poverty can be mitigated by the child’s involvement in a high quality early childhood program.  Children who are involved in such programs have higher IQ’s, achievement levels and graduation rates.  They are less likely to be retained, enrolled in special education or incarcerated.  This is why we do our work and why we have a special focus on children living in poverty.

“Investment in early education for disadvantaged children from birth to age 5 helps reduce the achievement gap, reduce the need for special education, increase the likelihood of healthier lifestyles, lower the crime rate and reduce overall social costs.  In fact, every dollar invested in high-quality early childhood education produces a 7-10 percent per annum return on investment.  Policies that provide early childhood educational resources to the most disadvantaged children produce greater social and economic equity.  We can create a more level and productive playing field for all by making wise and timely investments in effective education.”  – James Heckman, The Economics of Inequality

The work being done at St. Mary’s Child Center ensures that our children will not enter school with great delays, drop out and be incarcerated.  They will not progress along the “Cradle to Prison” pipeline. The great majority of our children enter kindergarten at a 5 year level in all domains of development.  We expect that our children will be successful in school and successful in life.

Kindergarten Readiness Stats

“The research is clear.  Early learning opportunities for children from birth to age 5 have great impact on a child’s development and build a strong foundation for learning and success later in life.” -US Chamber of Commerce, Institute for a Competitive Workforce

St. Mary’s Child Center’s Educational Outreach Program is designed to help the educators that we teach to develop high quality programs in their schools.  We intend, therefore, that the children those educators serve will also experience the amazing life-long outcomes described in the research.

All schools operated by schools and parishes under the guidance of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Indianapolis admit students of any race, color, national and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school. The schools do not discriminate on the basis of race, color, national and ethnic origin in administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, scholarship and loan programs, and athletic and other school-administered programs.

Click here to see our client diversity plan.

Click here to see our board and staff diversity plan.