Mission
The mission of Holy Spirit Episcopal School is to provide a unique and outstanding high school preparatory education which combines the best traditions of learning with relevant and contemporary programs that promote excellence in scholarship, richness of soul, godly character, and physical well-being.
Core Values
 | A heart stands for our loving, nurturing, joyful environment, which is essential to the healthy development of our students. |
 | A sunburst represents our spirit of optimism and a commitment to diversity, which prepare our students for the larger world. |
 | An open book symbolizes our strong, research-based academic programs, which combine traditional and experiential learning methods. |
 | A leaf signifies enrichment and growth through offerings that allow each student to follow their unique path. |
 | These elements are bound together by the symbol of the cross, in recognition of the strong core of faith-based character that we strive to build in every member of our school community. |
Our goal at Holy Spirit is to provide, in a Christian atmosphere, the most enriching environment possible for our students. We are deeply committed to our principles and place an immeasurable value on each individual child’s intellectual exploration, personal growth, and social responsibility. Our teachers are degreed, experienced, dedicated, caring, and creative. Their goal is also to foster a sense of self-confidence, independence, and intellectual curiosity in all of their students.
Pre-kindergarten children at Holy Spirit enjoy experiences in Language Arts, Math, Science, Social Studies, Art, Music, Religion and Technology as well as a significant amount of physical activity and playtime. Throughout the entire school experience, children are encouraged to form appropriate relationships with peers, learning to share and respect others in the classroom.
Language Arts
Learning to read and write is critical to a child’s success in school and later in life. The early childhood years, (from birth through age eight) are the most important period for literacy development. Our pre-kindergarten teachers are committed not only to helping young children learn to read and write but also to fostering and sustaining their interest and disposition to read and write for their own enjoyment, information, and communication.
Our Language Arts curriculum encompasses:
- A print rich environment.
- Identifying all letters - both upper and lower case.
- The alphabetic principle - the understanding that there is a systematic relationship between letters and sounds (the ability to identify those sounds).
- Linguistic awareness through nursery rhymes, rhythmic activities, choral reading.
- Phonemic awareness - the understanding and conscious awareness that speech is composed of identifiable units, such as spoken words, syllables, and sounds.
- Writing – Children acquire a working knowledge of the alphabetic system not only through reading but also through writing. Pre-kindergarten students use their tacit knowledge of phonological relations to spell words. Proper letter formation is taught using “Handwriting Without Tears”
Library
All classes visit the Holy Spirit library once a week for a read aloud by our school librarian. Each classroom has a library center. We also attend book dramatizations performed by lower school students several times a year.
Mathematics
We introduce mathematical concepts through the use of manipulatives. Our program is an introduction for reading and writing numbers and counting sequentially. The children perform simple addition and subtraction problems using manipulatives. They work with calendars, (learning to count to 30 and above) and they construct geometric shapes. Classifying, patterning, estimating, sequencing, and graphing become part of their daily vocabulary.
Science
At the pre-kindergarten level children learn about science through observation and experimentation. Our program includes units of study on: the five senses, animals, reptiles, dinosaurs, insects, amphibians, water, plants, ocean life, and weather to name a few. Our highly integrated curriculum enables students to relate the study of science to their immediate world.
Social Studies
In pre-kindergarten our focus is on socialization where socialization skills are emphasized throughout the year. Conflict resolution is taught and responsibility and citizenship are stressed. A child will start with their small world and will begin to move beyond their own areas, broadening their sense of place.
In the beginning of the year our focus in social studies is on the family unit which culminates with our Grandparents’ Day Celebration. We continue our study by learning about others and our community and community helpers. Pre-kindergarteners participate in our school wide community service projects.
Art
Children at Holy Spirit have the opportunity to explore a wide variety of materials and make discoveries about color, shape, and texture through art experiences. Our teachers work with the students to gain control of fine-motor muscles and practice hand-eye coordination.
Music
Our pre-kindergarteners attend Music class three times a week. There they learn to express themselves through singing and movement and by playing simple instruments.
They learn to experiment with music concepts, volume, tempo, and sound. The pre-kindergarten classes come together twice a year to perform for their parents, friends, and relatives in the Parish Hall.
Religion
The children attend a chapel service twice a week. They sing songs and are introduced to Bible stories that develop an understanding that God made all people.
Spanish
Spanish is introduced through interactive lessons that develop beginning vocabulary.
Technology
Our pre-kindergarteners attend a computer class once a week in the lower school computer lab. Our technology instructor will introduce them to a variety of input devices, such as a mouse, and keyboard. They will follow basic oral or pictorial cues for operating programs successfully. Children use engaging, age-appropriate, and challenging software to extend their knowledge and to enrich their learning of curriculum content and concepts.
Physical Education
All of our pre-kindergarten students participate in a Health Fitness class in the gym for a twenty-five minutes every day. There they participate in movement skills such as walking, skipping, running, throwing, catching, and kicking. They will begin to move in rhythm and to participate in group games developing skills that they will use later in games and sports throughout life.