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Milledgeville, Georgia
 

St. Stephen's Day School

Office: 478-452-3417

St. Stephen’s Day School serves children and families of all backgrounds in a program that strives for the development of character and attitudes that will enable children to adopt a Christian approach to values and relationships. We provide a healthy, safe, nurturing environment in which each and every child feels emotionally secure. Our belief is that children “learn through play,” and we, therefore, provide a variety of experiences and exposures to create a developmentally appropriate atmosphere of learning. This environment encourages physical, emotional and mental growth that, in turn, helps children to develop confidence, creativity and an eagerness to learn.

The day school is an outreach program of St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church. The school began in 1985 and it currently serves children two through four years of age. It is licensed and regulated by Bright From the Start: Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning (http.//www.decal.ga.gov). The day school was one of the first schools in Georgia to be awarded the certificate of Center of Distinction. The school is a Georgia Quality Rated program and is accredited by NAEYC (National Association for the Education of Young Children). Our four year-olds participate in Georgia’s lottery-funded Pre-Kindergarten program. Along with state pre-k funding our income is derived entirely from tuition fees. The program is self-supporting and operates on a budget separate from that of the church.

For more information about the day school program, please contact Valerie Dixon, Director or at 478-452-3417.

 

Our Director

Valerie Dixon is a native of Milledgeville and a graduate of GMC Prep School and the University of Georgia, where she received her Bachelors and Masters degrees. Upon graduation, she worked as District Executive for the Central Georgia Council of the Boy Scouts of America for two years, and then began her teaching career. She has 8 years of combined experience teaching middle school in Jones County and also at GMC Prep School. Valerie and her husband, Coby, have two daughters, Caroline and Madelyn, who are both graduates of the Day School and a son, Logan, who is a student in the three year old class. Valerie currently serves as the Children's Ministry Activities Coordinator for her church and has been a parent volunteer at Creekside Elementary School for several years. St. Stephen's Day School holds a special place in Valerie's heart!

 

 Class Information

2 YEAR OLDS - BUSY BEES

Children in our two year old Busy Bees class begin to learn the basic building blocks of how we all work together in a classroom. Much time is spent teaching this age group the schedule of our school day with plenty of time for free play and exploration. Busy Bees participate in large group, small group, centers, recess, art, music, meals, and naptime each day. Children are exposed to many opportunities to develop and enhance their communication, language, literacy, and mathematical skills, in addition to our efforts to support their physical development and social/emotional well-being. The small ratio of 12 children and 2 teachers allows us to meet the individual needs of our youngest learners. 

 3 YEAR OLDS

GREEN FROGS & BROWN BEARS

Children in our three year old Green Frog and Brown Bear classes begin to establish more independence and are more competent in their understanding of each child's role in the classroom. Three year olds enjoy taking responsibility to complete jobs within the classroom each day. They enjoy weekly themes with a number of literacy, math, science and social studies skills embedded. Visits to the Mary Vinson Memorial Library for storytime and neighborhood walks around our campus are very popular with our three year olds. The Christmas Program and Spring Art & Music Show are big events for these classes as well. 

 4 YEAR OLDS

SEA TURTLES & BLUEBIRDS

Children in our four-year-old Bluebird & Sea Turtle classes participate in the Georgia Lottery Funded Pre-K program. This is the capstone year of our preschool experience and four-year-olds begin to establish proficiency in the skills necessary for kindergarten success. These children are exposed to a wide variety of educational domains including personal and social development, language and literacy, mathematical thinking, scientific thinking, social studies, the arts, and physical development, health and safety. Four year olds spend parts of their day in teacher directed learning and parts of their day in child led learning to achieve a balanced outcome of school readiness. Highlights of the year for pre-k students are our Family Thanksgiving Feast, GCSU Nutcracker Field Trip, Easter Egg Hunt, and End of Year Celebration.