St. Columba's Nursery School, DC

“St. Columba’s is a welcoming Christian community that seeks to be open in spirit, deep in faith, rich in worship, active in service.” This mission statement is embodied in all that we do, from making music and celebrating the Eucharist, to the many ways we engage in lifelong faith and formation, to the ongoing care and hospitality that we extend to one another and to those outside our walls. A sense of mission is woven through the very fabric of this place. It’s not by accident that the first phrase after “seeks to be” is “open in spirit.” We long to be open to the transforming power of God’s love and to live that love in active service. We know that we meet God in the rich vitality of our worship and we place a strong emphasis on the power and importance of continuing formation and education for all ages. In all of our seeking we value hospitality, the sincere welcome of new companions on the journey of Christian life and witness. At this point in our history and in the complexity of our time, we seek to be open to the wonder of God’s creation and human diversity. All are welcome here. We seek to be grounded in such depth of worship that our lives are transformed and renewed each Sunday. The faith that grounds us also sends us out in service to the world. Our Celtic cross carries the message in its interlocking knots: open in spirit is represented by the dove on the right, deep in faith is the fish on the left, rich in worship is the trinity on top (a form of the Celtic triquetra, symbol of the one God in three persons) and active in service is the heart on the bottom. These four elements weave together to form a cross, the ultimate symbol of a Christian community, which makes a powerful visual statement about the work and mission of our parish. We seek to be rooted in the joyous wonder of the Celtic tradition, vibrant in color and moving forward into God’s Future. Every child is special. Each one changes and grows along a developmental continuum in a pattern as unique as a thumbprint. The philosophy of St. Columba's Nursery School affirms that every individual connected with the school is regarded as a person with an inestimable capacity to grow and learn - children, parents, and staff. Young children, of course, are the primary focus of the school. Discerning the child's level of development and challenging him or her with new and varied experiences are the goals of our approach to teaching and learning. At St. Columba's we guide and support our students as they grow in self-sufficiency, motivation to learn about and explore the world around them, and in becoming eager collaborators in the classroom. We believe that the best preparation for on-going school, and quite frankly, for life, is to help children learn to take care of themselves and their belongings, express themselves in acceptable ways, and to learn the give and take of leadership and collaboration. Children need space to grow in mind, body, and spirit and so half of each school day is spent outdoors. Our large well-equipped playgrounds with their paved areas for riding vehicles, wide-open slopes for sledding and rolling hoops, places to dig and burrow, sandboxes, gardens, running water, slides, climbing structures and swings has no equal in our area. Our full-time playground coordinator ensures that the playgrounds are ready and inviting for play each day. Similarly, our six classrooms, music, and environmental science spaces are light-filled, spacious and attractive and filled with materials and equipment to promote children's learning and exploration. Since 1959 St. Columba's has been a haven for childhood, embracing play as the child's most natural and effective way of learning. We'd love to have your child join us for a rich, joy-filled, and exuberant first school experience. Child care is an important part of our welcome to St. Columba’s youngest members and their families. It offers a place where infants and young children can experience the love and care of this community, and it offers parents an opportunity to give their full attention to worship and other church activities. Child care is available for infants and children up to age 3 every Sunday morning and for occasional evening services and lectures. Sunday hours are from 8:45 am to 12:45 pm (September through early June) and from 10:15 to 11:45 am during the summer service schedule. Children can stay for any length of time while child care is in operation. We have three adult child care providers to engage with children. You will be asked to sign in your child, inform the child care workers of any special information and tag your diaper bag. You will be given a beeper in case we need you to return to the child care room.