Why St. Mark?

St. Mark Community Preschool receives rave reviews from parents, who often place new siblings on the school’s waiting list within days of their births. The preschool is described in glowing terms, with parents noting the safe and comfortable environment, a sense of family and an appropriate balance between academic and social development. According to many parents, “Everybody loves St. Mark!”

Small classroom sizes and teacher to child ratios

A warm and loving, family-centered environment

Experienced, educated, and professional teachers

A place where learning is fun!

Other strengths cited by parents include:

A positive transition from preschool to kindergarten, particularly from a social perspective

The school helps its students develop a strong sense of self

Parents are down-to-earth and friendly

Waiting list system is more positively perceived than other schools’ lottery systems

Some schools are too academic, but at St. Mark Community Preschool the emphasis is on developmentally appropriate activities. Kids learn their letters, how to write their names, and other age-appropriate skills, while also learning how to enjoy social situations.

Discipline is not punishment, but guidance – helping children learn to resolve their own conflicts

The Preschool has built a strong reputation and loyalty with families; siblings and cousins often enroll in the school

Dedicated staff, volunteers and board

St. Mark has provided a warm and loving environment for our family. Both of our children benefited from the small classroom size, all the attention from the loving teachers, and the amazing Nature Yard! Our daughter needed some accommodations and the staff were willing to help and create the best school experience for her. We are beyond appreciative of our St. Mark Family!

~The Larson Family

We moved across country from NY and were complete strangers to Newport Beach. As soon as we took our first tour at St. Mark, we felt immediately welcomed with open arms by the staff and extremely advanced teachers. They cared about my kids as if they were their own kids. They genuinely cared about their success and well-being. Even though I was constantly working and traveling for business, I always felt at ease, knowing my kids were in perfect hands with the teachers. The activities and development the school promoted took my children’s capabilities to another level. My kids made amazing improvement during their tenure there. I can’t believe it’s over, but I know the foundation the school built within my kids will help them going forward.

~ SMCP Family

When our family moved to Newport Beach from the East Coast our greatest priority was to find a preschool for our daughter that would ease the transition. St. Marks met and exceeded our expectations! Not only did our daughter absolutely love her teachers, classroom and the beautiful nature yard but she made great friends who are still with her today. A few years later when our son was ready for preschool we had an entirely different set of concerns as he was diagnosed with severe food allergies and was too young to understand or communicate them accurately. We were worried the extra safety precautions would be too burdensome for the teachers and staff but again, St. Marks was a blessing. The staff and teachers were so accommodating and flexible and went to great lengths to not only keep our son safe, but to make him feel included in all the special events and activities. He graduated this year and is more than ready for Kindergarten in the Fall. We are very grateful to St. Marks for watching over our children and providing them with such a safe and loving environment for them to learn and grow.

~ The Delle Donne Family