Our Promise
To enhance children's cognitive, physical and moral development through early education and play To encourage their creativity and self-expression for language and social/ emotional development To nurture self-confidence and social skills through positive reinforcement and support from our experienced staff.
Our Mission
For more than 50 years, Peppermint Preschool has been recognized as the Highland Community’s cornerstone Preschool Program. We are located in the south wing of the EvUCC facility, and we provide a nurturing, educational environment for 3-5 year old’s through our Preschool programs. Our talented teachers focus on school readiness, social, emotional and intellectual development and what every child needs – love and care! Our entire facility is licensed by the Illinois Department of Child and Family Services (DCFS). Hot, healthy lunches from our kitchen are provided for the children who attend our all-day program. We offer a secured facility, accessible by personal security codes, as well as an indoor/outdoor recording camera system to keep our children and families safe. All staff are CPR and First Aid trained as well as professionally background checked. All staff regularly attend professional development training to stay updated on the latest and greatest information concerning children, families, health, and educational needs.
When it was time to start considering preschool for our now 4 year old daughter, there was no question about where we would send her. Having attended Peppermint myself, as well as my siblings, I knew this was the perfect place to send her. Peppermint Preschool has been the best starting point for our daughter's academic career. She started last year in Ms. Tara's 3's class and is now in Ms. Amanda's 4's class! She has learned so much these past two years and is always so excited about what activities they get to do during the day! She is always eager to go to school and we feel so lucky that she has a safe space to learn and grow. She has come such a long way since starting last year and has made so many new friends. We love everything about Peppermint and cannot wait to send our 2 year old there as well! We recommend Peppermint Preschool to everyone!
Out daughter has had experience both in the Monday, Wednesday, Friday 3's class and the Almost Kindergarten class, and our son is currently enrolled in the MWF 3's class. Both absolutely LOVE Peppermint Preschool! All of the staff are amazing and truly make sending your little ones to school for the first time much easier! We know our kids are being nurtured, loved, and given a wonderful education while also having fun! As parents who have never had to utilize daycare/babysitters, we have never once felt anxious leaving our kids with any of the teachers here. The atmosphere is one of a kind and you can 100% feel the love once you enter the building. We always tell friends and family how much we love it here at Peppermint and are beyond thankful for such a safe, loving environment for our children.
When it comes to sending your kids to school for the first time, it can be scary both for the kids and the parents. Our son has thrived in the 3's pre-k program at Peppermint Preschool! Coming from a "stay at home" situation, we were apprehensive about sending him to school. We are so happy we did! He's not only learned valuable skills in identifying numbers, letters, reading his name etc. He has also grown socially and emotionally. The teachers at Peppermint are all very kind, educated and caring and create a nurturing environment for our children to grow and feel safe. The teachers are not only excellent in making the children feel comfortable but also the parents. They always stay connected with the parents daily. We not only plan on keeping our son through their Almost Kindergarten program but plan to send our other children here as well!
We have had two kids attend Peppermint Preschool in the 3's room and Almost Kindergarten room and both have loved their experience. The 3's teachers are so wonderful and fun, and we knew our son was loved and cared for there. The Almost Kindergarten (AK) classroom is more structured and was perfect to prepare our daughter for Kindergarten. By the end of the year she was beginning to read and has a good understanding of math. We are very happy with our decision to send our kids here and would recommend it to anyone. All of the teachers, the director, the student teachers and helpers have all been so kind and welcoming to our family. We will miss being a part of Peppermint next year!
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