Village Lutheran Church Preschool

And they were bringing children to him that he might touch them, and the disciples rebuked them. But when Jesus saw it, he was indignant and said to them, “Let the children come to me; do not hinder them, for to such belongs the kingdom of God. Truly, I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it.” And he took them in his arms and blessed them, laying his hands on them. — Mark 10:13-16

Welcome

Welcome to the Village Lutheran Church Preschool. Our warm, caring preschool is small by design, serving families in the St. Louis suburb of Ladue, Missouri since 1979. It is our joy to share the love of Christ and provide a nurturing environment for children ages two through five.

ABOUT US

Our Mission

Reflecting the love that Christ has shown to us, Village Lutheran Church Preschool seeks to provide a safe and loving early childhood educational environment, where children are nurtured to grow spiritually, physically, intellectually, emotionally, and socially. 

Our School

Village Lutheran Church Preschool is home to three classrooms: the Fish Room for ages 2 and 3, the Bug Room for ages 3 and 4, and the Croc Room for ages 4 and 5.

We also boast a dedicated art room and indoor activity playroom, as well as a well-equipped and fenced playground with a winding bike path.  

The school year runs from September to May. School morning begins at 9:00 a.m. and ends at 11:45 a.m. Extended Day, or Lunch Bunch for potty trained children, dismisses at 2:45 p.m. Lunch ONLY Bunch ends at 1:00 p.m.

Our Curriculum

In everything we do, learning through play is a key component of our curriculum. We strive to prepare children for years beyond preschool by developing their academic skills, nurturing their social and emotional development, and instilling them with truth. All classes provide plenty of opportunities to discover, explore, and be challenged through open-ended activities.

In addition to exploration and play centered on various themes, we integrate the following curricula into our classrooms:

Our Framework

Village Lutheran Church Preschool is a ministry outreach of Village Lutheran Church of Ladue, a member of The Lutheran Church–Missouri Synod.

The standard of operation of the preschool is founded upon and directed by the “In His Hands” resource manual. Administered by the congregation, the Board of Christian Education of Village Lutheran Church oversees the preschool.

Enrollment Information

Please email us to request an enrollment packet, which includes tuition information and more. 

OUR STAFF

Our teachers and staff are carefully chosen to focus on the individual and unique needs of preschoolers:

Preschool Director – Diane Caughlan

Diane received Child Development degrees from both St. Louis Community College at Forest Park and Jefferson College. She is a certified Parents As Teachers educator and received her certification as a Childcare Director in 2016. For the last 15 years, she has served at St. John’s Lutheran School in Arnold, Mo. She taught preschool for 11 years and has been a full-time administrator since 2017.

It is her goal, with the help of God, to support staff and families by providing safe, nurturing, and educational experiences which help children reach their greatest potential while building a lifelong relationship with their Savior.

Diane and her husband live in South County, have three daughters and enjoy travel, music, movies, events through church, time with extended family, sports, and games. 

Fish Teacher (2s and 3s) – Berkley Plummer

Berkley has been the Fish teacher for 3 years. With a degree in social work, she loves working with young children.

She has built many of the features in the Fish room herself! Her favorite part about working at VLCP is the sense of community among the families and their giving hearts, including generous donations to local charities.

In the classroom, she loves to read Pete the Cat, The Honey Bee and the Robber, and Dragons Love Tacos. 

Bugs Teacher (3s and 4s) – Kim Luongo

Kim is married with four adult children, and she has been at VLCP for 10 years. She has a degree in early childhood education from the University of Kansas.

Her favorite part about teaching at VLCP is watching the children develop throughout the school year. She loves reading The Three Little Pigs and Chicka Chicka Boom Boom while laughing with the kids at the rhyming and humor.

Her favorite Bible verse is "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called the children of God." (Matthew 5:9)

Crocs Teacher (4s and 5s) – Kristi Marriott

Kristi and her husband, Jim, have two children: Joel (13) and Kirstin (10). Kristi has a Master's degree in Early Childhood Development and Education.

As the Crocs teacher, Kristi loves to guide her students to make connections and figure out their learning. Watching the lightbulb light up in her students’ faces brings a great joy. 

Kristi loves to share the love of Jesus everyday while teaching at VLCP.  Her favorite part of the classroom is reading with her students, especially The Very Hungry Caterpillar.