About the ELC

At St. Monica Early Learning Center, we provide an engaging, safe environment for children to learn, play and grow.   

We serve 3-, 4- and 5-year olds (pre-kindergarten) and provide age-appropriate programming to give children language, literacy and math skills that will help them become confident, capable Kindergartners.  

Of course, success is more than just ABC’s and 123’s. That’s why we focus on developing the whole child: mind, body and spirit.    

 In our age-based classrooms, children engage in a variety of activities that develop their academic, physical and social skills. In addition, we seek to nurture their emotional development and cultivate a spiritual understanding of the world with Christ’s teachings at the center.   

Children learn and practice these new skills and knowledge through teacher instruction, hands-on activities and play.   

Our program enrolls children ages 3, 4 and 5 years (those who turn 5 after Sept. 1) and operates 12 months of the year.   

Applications are accepted any time during the year. New students are enrolled as space is available. Children may attend full-time (5 days a week) or part-time (3 or 4 days a week).   

Children are always learning and growing, and we strive to keep them engaged and challenged. Electronic learning tablets are provided for use by the students, which were purchased through a fundraiser.   

We also introduced Room 5, a learning lab where kids get supplemental hands-on experience to further develop cognitive and fine motor skills. They get practice in sorting, recognizing patterns, creating patterns and more through games and other activities.   

Thanks go to our St. Monica ELC community and St. Monica School and parishioners who helped make these additions possible. Goals for the near future include adding an interactive white board to enhance work with handwriting and letter formation skills, Italian language lessons and music instruction.   

Our dedicated teachers and care-givers are the heart of the St. Monica ELC learning community. They lead by example and help each child develop a positive self-image, a caring attitude and a lifelong love of learning.   

  Preschoolers are full of energy! To help keep them healthy, we offer:   

• Morning and afternoon snacks (Note: St. Monica’s ELC is a peanut-free environment.)
• Outdoor play
• Nap/rest time

  Typical activities in the classrooms include:  

Religion 

• How to live the Gospel Message in our daily lives  

Literacy

•   Nursery rhymes, alphabet, association of letters with sounds, listening and speaking

  Math  

• Number recognition, counting to 10, shape identification, sorting by shape and size, spatial relationships, problem solving  

  Music  

• Music and songs to improve listening skills, learning rules and manners through song, rhythmic body movements, finger plays, playing simple instruments  

  Art

• Color recognition, hand-eye coordination, using scissors, playing with Play Doh, finger painting    

  Gross Motor Skills  

• Climbing, sliding, swinging, running, hopping and jumping  

  Social Skills   

•   Indoor and outdoor games that teach cooperation; practice throwing, catching and kicking balls  

Religion 

• Exploring Gospel themes  

Literacy/Language 

• Alphabet practice, expressing ideas, speaking clearly, speaking in complete sentences    

Math 

• Number concepts, basic shapes, counting, problem solving, estimating, sequencing 

Music 

• Singing and movement, following directions, rhythmic clapping     

Art 

• Crafts, painting   

Fine Motor Skills 

• Control with crayons, markers and paint; use of glue, paint and scissors; writing with a pencil   

Gross Motor Skills 

• Jumping, running, skipping, hopping, climbing, catching and throwing     

Social Skills 

• Working and playing with others, self-control, respecting others and the property of others, recognizing and accepting responsibility  

Religion

• Learning Jesus’ teachings to love God and love others

Literacy/Language

• Exploring different forms and purposes of print, expanding vocabulary in context, pre-writing skills     

 Math 

•   Tracing and copying basic shapes, displaying numbers with manipulatives, identifying and reproducing patterns, problem solving, measuring objects    

  Music   

• Rhymes, songs, marches, clapping to music

We are excited to announce that the following resources have been added to our program: 

•  Interactive White Board 
• Italian Language Lessons 
• Formal Music Instruction  

Call for more information or to make an appointment. Inquiries are always welcome.  

Address:  1720 W. Ritner St.,  Philadelphia, PA 19145 

(entrance at the south of St. Monica Junior School) 

Telephone: (215) 334-6001

St. Monica ELC is open 7:30 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. Full time attendance: 5 days/week, 12 months Part time attendance: 3 or 4 days/week, 12 months St. Monica ELC is open year-round. We close in observance of several religious and national holidays.      

Inclement Weather School Closures: 

We follow the Philadelphia Archdiocese for school closure due to inclement weather.  

Two-Hour Delay: We open as usual at 7:30 a.m. even if the Philadelphia Archdiocesean schools are operating on a two-hour delayed opening due to inclement weather.   

 Thank you to all of those in the St. Monica ELC community, St. Monica School and St. Monica Catholic Church congregation who helped make these additions possible. Children and teachers alike are excited by what is to come this year.

Thank you and God Bless, 

Sister Rosemary Peterson, 

IHM St. Monica ELC Director