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Our History

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Cathedral Child Care (now Saint Petersburg Christian Preschool) was established in 1970 under the ministry of Don and Arthlene Rippy. Arthlene visualized a place where pre-school children could receive the love of Jesus in their hearts.

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In 1970, the pre-school opened in Suncoast Cathedral at 2021 62nd Avenue where St. Petersburg Christian School now stands. Pastor Rippy founded SPCS just one year after his wife opened the Child Care Center. Both schools have been providing spiritual and academic opportunities to families in our community for over 51 years.

In 1981, the church purchased 16 acres of land across 62nd Avenue, built a 60,000 square foot multipurpose worship center, and moved the Cathedral Child Care Center, as a ministry of Suncoast Cathedral, to the new facilities at 2300 62nd Avenue. SPCS stayed at the property across the street and assembled a school for over 500 students from Kindergarten through the 8th grade.

 

In 1983, Cathedral Child Care center aligned with the State of Florida to insure we continue to offer a quality child care program. The center was licensed by the state through the Pinellas County License Board for Children’s Centers and Family Day Care Homes. We currently meet or exceed all local and state regulations.

 

In 1999, Cathedral Child Care Center became a member of the Florida League of Christian Schools (now League Of Christian Schools). By operating according to their Standard & Licensing Procedures Handbook we received Preschool Certification from FLOCS (now LCS). We also received accreditation through the Association of Christian Teachers and Schools and have maintained a high level of Christian standards for the children in our care. We strive to show our families, and the community, that Christ-centered, Bible-based, Holy Spirit-directed, Christian Schools will be the solution to the educational challenges facing our world today.

 

Our preschool is licensed in the category- PRESCHOOL.

 

Our capacity is for- 177 children including 18 toddlers.

 

The age of children in care may be -12 MONTHS THROUGH 6 YEARS AND SCHOOL AGE.

 

Our preschool has 13 classrooms, 2 offices, 1 cafeteria, a staff lounge, a literacy center for children and a curriculum resource closet.

 

The larger office is for the Preschool Director (Chief Administrator). The smaller office is for an Office Administrator who manages tuition, accounts receivable and accounts payable. The Children’s Pastor from Suncoast provides chapel once a month. Suncoast also provides a Financial Manager and Financial Committee who oversee budget and financial operations. They, in turn, report to the Elder Board of the corporation.

Our Beliefs

Our preschool believes that the guidance and teaching a child receives in early childhood greatly impacts the success he or she experiences in school. We are confident that we can help provide a foundation for your child’s success. We will coach your child through play and multi‐sensory experiences in a flexible curriculum within a comfortable academic atmosphere. Our goal is to create a caring, nurturing environment that fosters Christ’s love. We use a Bible-based, age appropriate curriculum that includes hands-on activities to build a solid foundation. We strive to meet the individual needs of children in all realms of development: spiritual, intellectual, physical, emotional and social. Our preschool curriculum is planned to include a balance of activities. We offer many opportunities for enrichment through our daily curriculum. Readiness activities include:

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  • Socialization

  • Math

  • Outdoor Play

  • Chapel

  • Dramatic Play

  • Reading

  • Library

  • Prayer

  • Music

  • Language Development

  • Fine Motor Skills

  • Life Skills/self-help skills

  • Creative Movement

  • Nutrition

  • Science

  • Creative Art

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Our Goals

Our goal is to influence your child in five areas:

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ACADEMICS - Your child will discover his/her academic potential and will gain foundational knowledge through new learning experiences and hands‐on activities that will help to promote success in school. We use a systematic approach to teaching phonics through Sing, Spell, Read and Write. We also use a thematic approach to organize our learning environment using Beyond Centers and Circle Time Curriculum.

 

EMOTIONS - Your child will grow in confidence, responsibility and self‐discipline through encouragement and open communication. We purposefully teach character education to equip children with life skills to solve conflicts.

 

SOCIAL SKILLS - Your child will have opportunities to share, respect and care for others, cooperate and interact with adults and peers through group and individual activities. We intentionally address preschool social skills to teach respect, responsibility and generosity.

 

PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT - Your child will exercise his/her large and fine motor skills in indoor and outdoor experiences to develop dexterity, strength and coordination.

 

SPIRITUAL GROWTH - Your child will learn about God’s grace in our Savior, Jesus Christ, through Bible stories, chapel and open discussion.

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