170 little fingers, 170 tiny toes, the sweetest of smiles, each with a cute little nose! After nine months of planning and preparation – everything from painting the room and choosing a name to a wishing-well shower and even a few late-night cravings for art supplies – Our Lady of Port Richmond Regional (OLPR) Catholic School is now the proud parent of a new classroom full of 17, three-year-old Pre-Kindergarten students.

To officially welcome the new students and begin the school year, Reverend Dennis Z. Fedak presided over the classroom’s blessing.

“We welcome you, our first Pre-Kindergarten 3 classroom of learners at Our Lady of Port Richmond,” prayed Fr. Fedak.  “May God bless this room, its students, its teacher, the parents, and the entire OLPR family today and always.”

The ceremony ended with the sprinkling of holy water, much to the enjoyment of the young students.

“It’s good to see such little ones getting involved in all that we have to offer in Catholic education,” said Fr. Fedak.  “It is refreshing to see the innocence and the beauty in all of these children as they begin this phase of their journey of education and growth.”

OLPR’s PreK-3 program, which follows the guidelines set forth by the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, will be taught by Mrs. Kimberly McCabe, and will deliver a developmentally appropriate curriculum geared towards children ages three to four.  With an emphasis on learning through exploration and constructive play, the PreK-3 program will instill in each and every student the solid foundation needed to grow spiritually, intellectually, physically and emotionally in a warm, safe and caring environment.

“Mrs. McCabe, who previously taught at both St. Anne’s and Our Lady Help of Christians, brings a world of experience to our PreK-3 program,” said Sr. Mary Ripp, S.C.C., principal of Our Lady of Port Richmond.  “When we first began thinking about offering the program, my immediate thought was how perfect Mrs. McCabe would be for the classroom.  She has been working with children in that age group for years and has done such amazing work.  We are beyond fortunate to have been able to hire her for this program.  There is simply no one better!”

This latest addition is just one in a series of new offerings at Our Lady of Port Richmond, especially in its overall Early Childhood Program.  In 2009, OLPR announced the addition of the nationally-renowned Blueprint for Early Literacy® program curriculum for its PreK-4 students, which specializes in reading, writing and oral language development.  Last year, the program expanded to the Kindergarten classrooms, and this year it will be added in both PreK-3 and Grade 1.

“Our goal at Our Lady of Port Richmond is to offer the best early childhood program we possibly can to our students,” added Sr. Mary Ripp.  “Those formative years are critical to a child’s long-term success, and we continuously strive to offer a curriculum that not only allows our students to play and grow and learn, but prepares them to take the next step in their academic and personal lives.”

With the addition of PreK-3, OLPR now offers a full-spectrum of grade levels for its students.  Beginning with the Early Childhood program, expanding through the Elementary School program and culminating with the Intermediate/Middle School program, OLPR students are provided with a consistent school experience from a child’s first steps into a classroom environment through the transition to high school.

“What we have built here at OLPR is a curriculum that works together year-to-year,” added Sr. Mary.  “Think of it in terms of building a house.  Every layer, or every year, is strategically placed one on top of the other so that what you have in the end is the most solid-standing structure possible.  All of our areas of study are executed with the goal of our students not only mastering each grade level but being consistently prepared for the next.  And having all grade levels available under one roof – PreK-3 to grade 8 – is a huge benefit for our students as they begin, experience and move along in their education and in their lives.”

OLPR’s PreK-3 is a full-day, full-week program.  Due to the nature of the program, seats are limited and fill quickly.  Registration begins in February, and anyone interested is encouraged to sign-up early.  Seats are filled on a first-come, first-served basis.  A waiting list will be provided for anyone registering after the cutoff.  For more information or to be added to our PreK-3 mailing list, please e-mail us at OurLadyofPortRichmond@gmail.com or call the school office at 215-739-1920.