big picture

The Big Picture

At Mount Vernon, we know that we are educating students who will be the entrepreneurs, writers, artists, scientists, social leaders, and business executives of the future. Committed to the most current research-based practices in early childhood development and learning, our faculty build a strong academic foundation, while challenging our students to ask powerful questions, think critically, and look closely at the world around them.

WHERE KNOWLEDGE MEETS maximum impact

At every stage from early childhood to adulthood, deep learning happens through relevant and contextualized learning experiences. In everything we do, these are the specific literacies, skills, and attributes that create maximum impact.

zooming in

ZOOMING IN

The Frontier is one of Mount Vernon’s signatures. Every day Preschoolers have an opportunity to learn and play outside on the natural playground we call The Frontier. Benefiting from unstructured, mixed-age creative play, the natural terrain, sand, trees, and water features promote imagination and discovery as well as core strength and physical development. Demonstrating abstract thinking, imagination, problem-solving, social cognition, construction, and experimentation, their possibilities, along with their imaginations, are endless.

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Hands-on and hands in! Every Preschooler has opportunities to shine on stage and in the studio. Focusing on integrating movement, music, mindfulness, media, and motor development, students begin to understand how things connect as they create.

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Nurturing Christian values of love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control through weekly chapel and community service, we ask questions, share stories, and build relationships. Inspiring one another through the work we undertake together, we seek to design a better world, searching for maximum impact. The Preschool chapel program is designed with developmental considerations for delivery of the message and timeframe.

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Extended Play is what Mount Vernon calls the School’s after-school care program which is available until 6:00 pm. Within Extended Play are PlayMaker enrichment classes, which offer fun and engaging opportunities starting with older Preschool students to develop specific skills through STEM, robotics, golf, art, dance, and more.

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PRESCHOOL Leadership

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Shelley Searcy Head of Lower Campus
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Kate Canady Director, Preschool
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Terrika Mays Associate Director, Preschool
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Lindsay Vines Preschool Learning Coach
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Dawn Overstreet Preschool Coordinator
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Terri Clayton Extended Play Program Coordinator

Exploring Inquiry

Spotlight

Frontier Arts Day

stories

STORIES FROM THE PRESCHOOL

Preschoolers and AI Unite to Create Original Song “Welcome to Our School”

Last week, Mount Vernon’s youngest learners unveiled something truly special: their original song, “Welcome to Our School“, during Chapel. The preschoolers not only performed their composition but were also deeply involved in its creation from start to finish. The process... Read More

Exploring Extreme Weather: A Journey of Discovery in Preschool

As the leaves began to turn and the air turned cooler, students in PK4 found themselves captivated by the power and wonder of extreme weather. Beginning in September, when hurricane warnings buzzed just south of our region, the looming threat... Read More

Building Grit and Creativity in Preschool’s New Tinker Lab

Mount Vernon is a leader of innovation in education. With a commitment to nurturing the skills and attributes of its students, the School continues to push boundaries to create unique learning experiences. One such initiative is the Tinker Lab, an... Read More

Kirsten Beard

Chief Admissions Officer

Come See for Yourself!