We Believe
We believe each child is a gift from God and should be treated with dignity, kindness, and respect. At St. Mark, the early childhood years are formative, and encouraging children to express their authentic curiosities and interests lays a foundation for deep engagement in learning.
In our classrooms, we encourage students to collaborate and develop meaningful relationships. We operate best as a school community. All of our community members bring a valuable and necessary set of skills and diverse perspectives to the table, and we listen to and consider the views of all members.
We foster independence by intentionally setting all our rooms up to be as accessible as possible for the children. By showcasing the successes, processes, and projects for the students to reference, we create an environment that truly belongs to the children. We encourage students to become responsible classroom community members who take pride in the care of their room.
We value our connection with nature and the world around us. We believe that nature is a master teacher, and we prioritize outdoor time for play, inquiry, art, and development.
Our educators encourage, support, and celebrate our children. We believe our role is to observe and listen to the children’s interests. Our educators allow our children to inquire and research their surroundings to find answers. The SMLP teaching team believes that learning is not something we do to children but evolves naturally from authentic, engaging project work that develops from the children’s natural curiosities and interests.
Teachers model what it means to be a school community member and use consistent language to help children along their social-emotional learning path. As educators, we believe that each child is inherently good inside, and all challenging behavior is communication. We work with students to develop the language and coping skills needed to identify their emotions, work through difficult moments to regain calm, and approach each day with confidence and self-awareness.
