The Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd, Salinas, California

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Preschool
Good Shepherd Preschool is dedicated to creating a safe and loving environment that encourages learning through self-discovery. Learning is supported by our teachers and our naturally beautiful environment. Spiritual awareness grows through a sense of family and under the guidance of our Chaplain. Recognizing that all children are unique individuals, we interact with the spirit of Christian love to support students with developmentally appropriate experiences that develop competence, strength and a passion for learning.

We are committed to a meaningful, interactive curriculum that creates an opportunity to nourish, enrich and educate young children, honoring families and collaborating with the community to create joyful, life-long learners.

Program Philosophy
We believe that children are rich in their capabilities and in their curiosity, and strong in their desire to relate to other people. We provide a safe, nurturing environment that encourages active exploration and free choice. We offer a stimulating curriculum that challenges physical, social, emotional, creative, spiritual and intellectual growth. 

Vision Statement
Good Shepherd Preschool is a child-centered, sensory-rich environment that provides for varied educational needs, fosters hands-on inquiry and celebrates the spirituality of children from all walks of life.

Program Options
Enrollment Information/Pricing
Staff
Scholarships

Program Options

Preschool
We offer two-day, three-day and five-day preschool programs. Our early childhood program incorporates the standards of the National Association for the Education of Young Children and the National Association of Episcopal Schools. Our programs provide developmentally appropriate curriculum geared toward emotional, cognitive, social, physical and spiritual growth in all children under the direction of credentialed directors, with the assistance of teachers and instructional aides.

The two-day program is designed for three-year olds. The three-day program is geared toward four-and five-year olds. And the five-day program is open to all ages. 

Backpackers  
Based on the same principles and educational philosophy as our Preschool, this pre-kindergarten program is designed for those students who may have outgrown traditional preschool but need “a year to grow” before venturing on to kindergarten. Backpackers is a five-day program, Monday through Friday from 9:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.

Afternoon Enrichment and Extended Care
Responding to the changing needs of our community, the Good Shepherd Preschool offers an activities-based indoor/outdoor after-school enrichment program for children enrolled in the morning programs, as well as an Afterschool Program for Kindergarten and First Grade students from the Washington Union School District.    

The choices for afternoon pickup are 3:30 PM or 5:30 PM 

Early morning drop-off is also available.

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Enrollment Information/Pricing

The annual enrollment period is in the month February for the following school year, which begins in late August. Enrollment is open throughout the school year provided space is available. Parishioners of the Church of the Good Shepherd will have the first option for enrollment, as will siblings of present or former students.   

Please contact the school office at (831) 484-2363 or e-mail cogsps@comcast.net for more information on our programs, tuition schedule or space availability.

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Staff

There are many aspects of our program that set us apart from others in the area. We are proud of the experience and education of our staff, low staff turnover and a compensation program that includes benefits for qualifying teachers. We offer continuing education opportunities for our staff, which includes attendance at national or state conferences annually. We also support a teacher-child ratio that is the lowest in our area. All these facts ensure that your children are receiving a foundational education experience of the highest caliber. 

Sandy French, Co-Director
Sandy came to Monterey in her high school years and is a graduate of Monterey High School. She attended Cabrillo College in Aptos and then attended Long Beach State. Sandy’s background was in purchasing and management. She came back to reside in the area in 1989 and began to study Early Childhood Education. Sandy started a preschool at her home and did her student teaching at the Hartnell College Child Development Center. She graduated with a degree in Early Childhood Education in 1997. Sandy received her credential from the State of California in 1998. Since then she has become a Mentor teacher and taken the specified Administration classes to hold the Director position. She has been working in a preschool environment for 15 years and at Church of the Good Shepherd for 8½ years. Together the Directors work hard to uphold and maintain the Philosophy of this Preschool. 

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Scholarships

Church of the Good Shepherd Preschool has the good fortune to offer financial aid through the Eve Mills Scholarship Fund. Eve was a long time member of this church community, and her commitment to this preschool led her to serve on our Board. At her death, Eve’s family established this scholarship as a memorial, enabling families from all economic levels to enroll their children. The preschool supports the scholarship by donating 10% of our spring Fun!Raiser’s net income to the fund. The program is also supported by donations from the community as well.

For application forms and more information, call the school office at (831) 484-2363 or e-mail preschool@goodshepherdcorral.org.

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