St. Michael's Parish Day School
At St. Michael’s Parish Day School, children are loved and valued. In our warm and creative environment, your child will grow spiritually in our regular chapel services designed for children, and creatively in the classroom, in our garden and on the playground, and through special events. He will learn to cooperate, solve problems, create, listen, and to respect others and respect differences. St. Michael’s promotes the growth of the total individual by helping each child develop socially, cognitively, physically, and emotionally. Our child-centered program includes both teacher-directed and self-selected activities, quiet and active experiences, and the recognition that learning occurs in both formal and informal ways. Because young children learn best through active participation, teachers provide every child with many “hands-on” activities. The staff at St. Michael’s works as a team to meet children’s needs, with support from the church and its members, the St. Michael’s Parish Day School Committee, parents, and the community.
At St. Michael's, your child will:
Work with small and large groups and alone
Play and work in centers
Sing and listen to music, stories, and poems
Be exposed to drama and the creation of stories
Share tools, games, materials, and experiences with his/her classmates
Participate in music and movement
Participate in STEM enrichment activities
Learn to listen to and follow directions
Help to keep his/her classroom in order
Build his/her self-esteem and social skills
Attend chapel regularly
Use various art supplies, such as paint, crayons, chalk, paper, material scraps, scissors, and glue as a form of self-expression
Explore math and science concepts
Registration
St. Michael's Parish Day School offers half-day classes for ages 6 months-Kindergarten.
Our Kindergarten class meets from 9:15 a.m.-1:15 p.m. Monday through Friday, and the curriculum is based on kindergarten standards set forth by the NC Department of Public Instruction. All other Day School classes (ages 6 month-Pre-K) meet from 9:15 a.m.-12:45 p.m.
Registration for the 2024-25 school year will be held Jan. 8-19, 2024 using the link below. Please contact Carolyn L’Italien to schedule a tour.
Why We’re Different
Staff Longevity
Lead teachers have been working at the Day School an average of 6 years and have an average of 12 years of experience teaching preschool.
Staff Training
Teachers are required to participate in 5-10 hours of educational workshop training each school year, and have degrees and/or experience in early childhood education.
Support
Our active Parent Council provides support to the director and teachers, sponsors special events throughout the year, and raises funds for special purchases for the school. Membership is open to all parents of St. Michael’s Parish Day School students.
Curriculum
Our curriculum centers around a learning-through-play concept. Our teachers incorporate developmentally-appropriate resources in classrooms, including LetterLand, S.T.E.M. projects and Handwriting Without Tears. Day School teachers practice a Conscious Discipline-based approach when working with students to encourage confidence, independence and respect for oneself and others.
Specials
We are one of the only preschools in our area with a chapel designed specifically for children, and we have music/movement and science teachers on staff.
Relationships
Small class sizes and low teacher-student ratios give teachers plenty of time to work one-on-one or in small groups with children. Teachers share information with families through parent conferences, email, newsletters, and our Procare app.
Leadership
Our director has been a part of the Parish Day School family since 1992. She holds a master’s degree in Early Education.
We also provide Triple P services for Day School parents who have questions about common childhood challenging behaviors. For more information about
Triple P, click here.
Meet the Staff
Carolyn L’Italien
Director
Carolyn has been a part of the St. Michael’s community since 1992, when she joined the Parish Day School staff as an assistant in the two-year-old classroom.
Carolyn spent many years teaching various age groups at the Day School, as both an assistant and lead teacher, including the position of lead kindergarten teacher. In 2011, she earned her master’s degree in Early Education, gaining advanced instructional strategies and a deeper understanding of child development.
In addition to her work at the Day School, she has served in various roles at St. Michael’s Church over the years, including Assistant Director of the Sunday School program, assistant to the Director of Facilities and Coordinator of Children’s Ministry.
Carolyn is very passionate about the Day School community and will continue to bring the same magic that has been in place ever since her early days here.
Courtney Alford
Assistant Director
Courtney grew up in Pinehurst, North Carolina and now calls Raleigh home. After graduating from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a BSBA she taught at St. Michael’s as a three year old assistant teacher while getting her MBA from ECU. In 2008 she started her career with Wake County Public Schools as the AP Accountant and then moved to the technology department with the school system and Wake County Government. Courtney and her husband Jeff have two sons, Hudson (4), Emsley (8 mths.) and a very cute pup, Pippa.
Day School Office Hours 9am - 2pm weekdays | Phone 919-782-6430
