St. Matthew's
Early Education Center
An accredited preschool and kindergarten for ages 2 - 5 with year-round child care.
About Us
Who We Are
St. Matthew's United Methodist Nursery School and Kindergarten has been an important resource for young families in the Bowie area since 1965. Developed as a community outreach ministry, church members created a program to "enrich the emotional, social, physical and intellectual lives of young children."
In 1989, St. Matthew's added child care to its preschool classes and became St. Matthew's United Methodist Early Education Center. Today, our dedicated and caring staff have the great joy of serving over 220 children and families. Together, we form a warm and welcoming community of learners.
Our Philosophy
We Believe
that PLAY is the work of young children. Through play, children hone their skills of communication & language, coordination, creativity, problem-solving, planning, self-confidence and socialization. Teachers guide students and support them with an intentional selection of activities and individual attention. In this safe and encouraging atmosphere, our students feel free to EXPLORE their curiosity and , ultimately, they SOAR as students and friends!
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PLAY ... EXPLORE ... SOAR
The St. Matthew's Way!
Why Choose Us
In a recent Family Survey,
parents identified our top five characteristics as:
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Caring & Nurturing Teachers
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Enriching curriculum
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Tuition is reasonable
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Safe & secure environment
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Diverse student body
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But don't take our word for it ... listen to your friends! They have voted us the
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"Best Learning Center in Bowie"
From the Director:
Dear Parents,
Welcome to St. Matthew’s Early Education Center! The EEC is truly a family where parents and teachers are partners in this early childhood experience. Together we form a safe, loving and supportive network for our children at home, in school and in the community.
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Our EEC family is diverse, but we are united in the following GOALS:
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We want our students to LOVE school as much as we do! Loving school comes when children feel successful, make connections with teachers and friends, and learn the social skills to make these things happen. Each child and family comes to us with varying levels of comfort in the school setting, but when they leave us, our students will have the confidence to succeed in any classroom!
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We want our students to develop healthy habits of learning! Our teachers create a variety of learning opportunities each day and encourage students to be curious, to try new things and to have fun exploring.
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We want our children to develop healthy social and emotional skills. Being in community together can be a challenge! We intentionally teach students how to navigate conflicts, how to speak up for themselves, and how to respect each other.
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Learning is a lifelong experience and we feel privileged to have helped so many students get a head start on their journey!
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Schedule a tour to see first hand how we
PLAY, EXPLORE AND SOAR!
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I look forward to meeting you!
Maria Calabrese