St. James Children’s Center located in the Florida Keys in Islamorada is a mission of St. James the Fisherman Episcopal Church. Started in 1984, the preschool has four classrooms, two of which are VPK classrooms. NAEYC accredited since 2005, St. James Children’s Center is known for their community relationships and parent involvement. With an ever expanding waiting list, St.James has a reputation in the community for being the place to send your child for quality education in a close knit, family focused environment. Their parent advisory board is very active and plans fundraising events to support the center. They held a Read-A-Thon last March to raise funds to increase teacher pay to $15.00. The event was a huge success, raising over $17,000 in one month. The center also partners with Health Start to collect items for pregnant women and families with children under the age of three. They collected items such as diapers and baby formula.
Sue Ellen Bennett, the preschool’s director, has been at the preschool since its opening in 1984. Sue Ellen notes, “ Our school has a great reputation with the elementary schools in our community. The teachers love getting children from our preschool. They say they can tell which children came from St, James, they are prepared both socially and academically.” Many of the current parents were once St. James’ students themselves. When asked why parents love sending their children to the preschool, Sue Ellen explains, “Parents feel the loving nurturing environment when they visit and appreciate the consistent quality of care.”
NAEYC accreditation is at the core of this quality. Sue Ellen explains, “NAEYC accreditation is the best of the best. It has the highest standards and that is what we want for the children in our preschool and in our community. While it is hard work, we have maintained our accreditation consistently. It’s what we do.”
To learn more about St. James Children’s Center visit their facebook page:
