About Us
A group of visionaries at St. Mark’s United Methodist Church worked to create a nursery school that would provide loving care, enrichment, and guidance for children from all cultures and religious backgrounds in our community. St. Mark’s Nursery School opened their doors in September of 1968 and since that time, has grown to include an infant and toddler program.
We are situated on the grounds of St. Mark’s Church in a quiet spot off the avenue near a lovely canyon that looks out to Mission Bay. We usually have a nice breeze off the water and a beautiful view to the west. We feel fortunate to have large classrooms, natural light, shaded areas, and gardens to work in with our children.
We do not teach religion in our program, but we are Christian in our values. We believe that we are created in God’s likeness to care for ourselves, others, and our world. We model care and respect for all living things in our program and begin our day with prayer.
We thrive on our partnership with parents and we are a joyful, hard-working staff. While we have evolved and expanded over the past four decades, we have never changed our original purpose: to keep St. Mark’s Nursery School “A Loving Place to Grow.”
Our Philosophy
We believe that the greatest gift we can give each child is an enduring sense of self-worth and an “I can” attitude. Each child must feel valued as a unique, capable individual. We are responsible for providing a safe, nurturing environment in which each child may find pleasure in each day, success balanced with challenges, and pride in his or her increasing independence. We work and play in an atmosphere of God’s love where we are free to reach our full potential. We are committed to safety, partnership with our families, quality enrichment, and lasting bonds with our children.
We accomplish our goals by:
Ensuring safety first
Staffing our center with well-trained, caring individuals
Nurturing our relationship with our church
Interweaving support from church, parents, community, and staff
Caring for our facility in a manner that honors the needs of children
Building a partnership of mutual help with our parents
Inviting and supporting continuing education of our staff
Setting our standards high
Honoring childhood and all that can be accomplished during these important years
Enjoying and caring for each other!
