Preschool Virtue Practices

 In Preschool, our St. Mary Catholic Virtue School students begin to flourish in a nurturing environment that encourages them to explore the natural, intellectual, social, and spiritual world all around us.  When we wonder, we start asking questions–questions with answers that ultimately point to our origin and destiny in God.

The Polaris Practice for Preschool gives parents, as primary educators, the opportunity to consecrate their children to Mary, our Blessed Mother, asking Her help especially in guiding their time of learning and growing at St. Mary Catholic Virtue School.

Polaris Virtues

3 Year Olds

Our 3-year-old classes begin the Polaris path of virtues with the pre-virtue of wonder—the awakening of awe for the greatness of God. We use our senses to discover God in all things and learn to ask questions that lead us to deeper answers. What answers? The answers that guide us toward a friendship with Christ; the answers that help us understand who we are and the gifts God has given us to use for His glory.

While we can marvel at man-made objects, the best place to experience all that God has given us is outdoors. We spend time outside, engaging with Creation and seeing God's work in the world around us, discovering the unexpected along the way.

4 Year Olds

“For it is in giving that we receive” - St. Francis of Assisi

Our 4 year old classes not only learn to appreciate Creation, they are learning to be grateful, not only to God for his Creation, but to each other and our parents.  We continually practice gratitude, knowing the only way to truly show God we are grateful is by loving others.  

We ask for St. Francis of Assisi’s help to show our gratitude like he did, by taking care of ourselves, each other, our classroom and our school.  We learn about St. Francis through prayer and stories.  

4 and 5 year Olds

Our rite of passage is the Presentation of Light, where the Easter candle light is given to students so that their light of Christ can burn brightly through their actions for others.

The ability to wonder is a characteristic of children, and of the childlike who alone will enter the kingdom of Heaven (Mt. 18:3).  In commenting on Our Lord's encounter with the Samaritan woman, the Catechism of the Catholic Church (no. 2560) points out that the "wonder of prayer is revealed beside the well where we come seeking water: there, Christ comes to meet every human being.  It is He who first seeks us and asks us for a drink.  Jesus thirsts; His asking arises from the depths of God's desire for us.  Whether we realize it or not, prayer is the encounter of God's thirst with ours".