Who We Are – Our Story

St. John’s Preschool is a small, community based preschool in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C.  Since its inception, St. John’s has been a Reggio-inspired program, firmly holding to the belief in the rights of the child, their competencies, capabilities and intelligences. The first Head of School, Kathy Price, started St. John’s Preschool in 1997 along with four members of the St. John’s Episcopal Church. At the time, Kathy had just spent time in Reggio Emilia, Italy, steeped in a study tour learning more about the Reggio philosophy and how it supports children’s thinking and stages of development. The doors first opened to children on March 4, 1997.  And now, over 26 years later, we are continuing with that commitment.

Our dedication to the philosophy is also woven into our Early Childhood Educator Series (ECES) as we present and collaborate with other Reggio-inspired educators nationwide, as well as our own professional development with trips to Reggio Emilia, Italy and on-going collaboration with Amelia Gambetti.

We believe children are born with a natural curiosity about the world around them and we embrace the opportunity to co-construct knowledge as we research alongside them. The pedagogy of listening and observing bring forward the pivotal values that uphold our work. This prevailing attitude supports the analysis and construction of knowledge through thoughtfully curated environments, diverse languages of expression, different learning styles and the projections of the work.

Children’s learning is enhanced when their ideas, concepts and theories are shared in a social context. It is through their relationships and human connections that their intelligence is sustained. At St. John’s Preschool, we strive to develop these deep relationships and instill a  lifelong love of learning.

St. John’s Preschool is a small, community based preschool in the Georgetown neighborhood of Washington, D.C.  Since its inception, St. John’s has been a Reggio-inspired program, firmly holding to the belief in the rights of children, their competencies, capabilities and intelligences. The first Head of School, Kathy Price, along with four members of the St. John’s Episcopal Church started St. John’s Preschool in 1997. At the time, Kathy had just visitedReggio Emilia, Italy, steeped in a study tour learning more about the Reggio Approach. The doors of the preschool were first opened on March 4, 1997,and to this day maintains its commitment to children, families and the Reggio Philosophy.  

We believe children are born with a natural curiosity about the world around them and we embrace the opportunity to co-construct knowledge as we research alongside them. We practice a pedagogy of listening and observing, which, in turn supports the development of knowledge and competencies through thoughtfully curated environments, diverse languages of expression, social relationships and educational researchChildren’s learning is further enhanced when their ideas, concepts and theories are shared in a social context. It is through their relationships and human connections that their intelligence is sustained. At St. John’s Preschool, we nurture these deep relationships and instill a lifelong love of learning in children and adults.