Good Shepherd School for Children

Early Childhood Education: Good Shepherd's Early Childhood Education program is based on "creative curriculum." Creative curriculum also works in collaboration with developmentally appropriate practice in early childhood programs: As published by the National Association for the Education of Young Children ("NAEYC"). We believe children learn from everyone around them and they grow and learn differently. Children construct their own knowledge as a result of their interaction with their world. We provide opportunities for them to explore and grow. The classroom environment enables children to be engaged in positive interactions with their peers and teachers. The environment typically includes the following learning centers, as space and interest of the children allows: block, house corner, table toys, art, sand and water, library, music and movement, and outdoors. With the environment in place, the teacher will then develop lesson plans with a focus on the arts, language, literacy, mathematics, science, social studies, social-emotional and cognitive learning. Creative curriculum that was specifically developed for early childhood education, beginning at the infant stage. It also has established guidelines on including children with special needs. Our program is individually guided with a specific learning plan defined for each child. Formal assessment of each child's development is assessed semi-annually. Collaboration with parents is crucial to the assessment and goal setting process to ensure that goals are appropriate and consistent between the school and home environments. Our professional staff have degrees in early childhood or education and work with each child to reach his or her educational potential. We maintain a low child-to-teacher ratio so that each child can receive individual attention.

Pediatric therapy services: Our Pediatric Therapy services provide year-round physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech therapy and developmental therapy. The services are provided for children who have special needs or delays, ages six weeks to eighteen years, who are students in our early childhood classrooms, are outpatients, and/or are home visit clients. Students served have a variety of special needs including autism, down syndrome, spina bifida, learning disabilities, speech/language disorders and various development delays. Most of the children have multiple special needs. Our pediatric therapy program expands into the community to focus on family support and early childhood intervention and to serve additional children. While our facility is located in west St. Louis county, our pediatric therapy program has touched lives throughout the metropolitan area including families who live in St. Louis City, St. Louis County, and St. Charles County. Children who receive service through our pediatric therapy program receive therapy one to five times per week through our multidiciplinary approach to treatment. The frequency and goals for therapy are determined based upon the needs of the child. A treatment team which includes the parent, educators, and therapists develop an individual plan for each child to maximize progress. Most services are provided within a child's natural environment which is either the child's early childhood education center or their home. Program activities include: Maximizing the child's ability to be independent at school, home, and the community; Educating parents on how to advocate for their child and to access community resources; Decreasing the child's need for further therapy servies; And providing a foundation for lifelong learning and independent living.