St John's Evangelical Lutheran

Preschool at St. John's

A Caring & Supportive Learning Environment

St. John's Lutheran Preschool has again been voted the "Best Preschool Program"

for 2024 by the readers of Maple Grove Magazine!


At St. John's, we provide play-based learning in a loving, academically rich, and arts-minded program. Our Christian school promotes a healthy foundation for social and emotional well-being, helping students to express feelings and needs in age-appropriate and kind ways. Preschool at St. John's is led by professional, licensed teachers who love what they do! We are also licensed by the State of Minnesota and fulfill all requirements for a safe, healthy program.

About Our Preschool Program

Faith Formation

Daily devotions, Bible lessons, regular classroom visits with our pastors, and weekly chapel services are just some of the ways that preschoolers learn about Jesus, the Bible, and the Lutheran confessions. Students and teachers alike practice their faith each day, showing grace, forgiveness, and humility in their interactions.

Classroom Philosophy

Our classrooms are Christ- and relationship-focused, play-based, and strive for academic excellence for Kindergarten readiness. A typical day includes free play, art, literacy, math, sensory experiences, science experiments, music lessons with instruments, small and large group time, indoor/outdoor recess, and rest time. These activities provide a healthy balance of movement and rest, along with a large variety of teaching styles to accommodate various learning styles.

Special Activities

The classroom isn't the only place where learning and fun take place. Extra special activities include field trips, an annual Christmas concert and Pilgrim program, celebrating National Lutheran Schools Week, enjoying Grandparents Day and holiday parties, and much more.

Classroom Structure

Studies show that children learn best through play. With this in mind, we've created numerous learning centers throughout each classroom, allowing children the opportunity to engage in a variety of literacy, math, science, music, art, and play activities. Along with this child-directed play, we also structure part of our time for targeted learning goals, based on our in-house created curriculum. This curriculum has been developed over years of expert care with state standards and Kindergarten readiness in mind.

A Day in the Life of a Preschooler

A Friendly Greeting

One of our preschool teachers will give you and your preschooler a warm welcome each morning to kick off the day. This will provide your preschooler the level of comfort they have become accustomed to in this setting. Additionally, it enables you to communicate with the teacher every morning to ensure a seamless transition from home to school.

Learning Through Engagement & Discovery

Your preschooler will participate in educational, hands-on activities that will prepare him or her for school as well as a range of exploration activities that will foster critical thinking and self-assurance. Providing a fun and educational learning experience.

Group Time & Activities

It is important to start developing social skills at a young age. We achieve this by having group time for teacher reading and interaction to the story with fellow classmates. Also activities in which your preschooler can interact and work with the peers on fun activities and games.

Rest & Quiet Time

It’s important at this age that children still receive the proper amount of rest. Your preschooler will have the chance to relax and take a nap on their very own cot after a busy morning. While their classmates are sleeping, non-nappers are encouraged to engage in quiet time activities on their cot.

Preschool Classes

Our experienced and skilled preschool teachers hold 4-year degrees in early childhood education and participate in regular and on-going training. They also utilize teaching techniques to help students enoy learning, build their confidence, and interact with their fellow classmates. 

Our curriculum, which focuses on faith development, Kindergarten-readiness, and self-help and social skills, was created in-house by licensed teachers specializing in early childhood education.  We use a variety of educational methods,  materials, and activities to prepare students for success in Kindergarten and beyond.

  • Religion: Weekly chapel, daily devotions and Bible lessons, and memory work are regular parts of our preschool program. "Train up a child in the way he should go; even when he is old he will not depart from it." Proverbs 22:6
  • Literacy: We utilize weekly Scholastic readers as well as focusing on a letter each week. Books are always available in the classrooms, and children visit our school library each week. Teachers also read out loud to children often, and sometimes we even have older students visit to serve as "reading buddies."
  • Math: Counting, patterns, shape identification, sorting, and graphing are all integrated throughout our day. These foundational building blocks set up children well for Kindergarten math skills.
  • Science: The best way to learn about science is by doing! Children enjoy special hands-on activities such as observing the life cycle of caterpillars and then releasing them into the open, taste testing various apple varieties and comparing them, planting and watching seeds grow, and much more! These concrete examples and others creates a strong foundation for their future education.
  • Social Studies: From special visitors like fire fighters and police officers to ever-changing dramatic play areas like a post office, veterinarian clinic, or a flower market (just to name a few), our social studies curriculum focues on the people and world around us and how we all play a part in God's beautiful creation.
  • Physical Education: Preschoolers are active and busy little boys and girls, and physical education is vitally important (and very fun). We utilize our beautiful outdoor playground and full-size gymnasium to focus on moving, stretching, and controling our bodies in appropriate ways.
  • Art: To encourage creativity in our students we always have paint, play dough, collage materials, crayons, markers, and much more ready and available. Teachers also love working in small groups within their classes to create individual masterpieces together. 
  • Music: The Arts provide learning experiences for all and build many skills used in other academic areas. It teaches sharing, focus, math and counting, reading skills, and much more! Our music program, which children enjoy three times each week, incorporates the basiscs of music theory, instrument exploration, and leanring the hymn of the month to sing at chapel.
  • Sensory Play: Whether it's squishy, sandy, smelly, or soft, all children love to explore their world. Sensory play is available each day for students to play and interact with. This activity helps strengthen muscles in the hands for writing skills and broadens their experiences for cause and effect.
  • Dramatic Play: The imaginative play that takes place in the dramatic play center encourages language development, problem-solving skills, and self-regulation. Children engaging in this play are able to test their ideas iin a low-stakes environment and interact with their peers to learn social skills. Dramatic play is available each day and switched out regularly to match our themed units.

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