Prelude Prep opened on the Southside of San Antonio in August 2021 serving young children and continues to expand every year, with a goal to educate students in grades PK–8.
Pre-Prep is the program for students in pre-K, and immerses them in an environment that allows them to develop the foundational academic and social skills to prepare them for life success. Students get to play and participate in hands-on activities to help them develop social and emotional skills, emergent reading and writing, math, science, and social studies, as well as fine arts and physical development. Prelude Prep offers a tuition-based pre-K program for families that do not qualify for free pre-K.
For students in grades K–2, the Early Prep program helps students develop a strong personal and academic foundation, preparing them for a future of possibilities. Students build knowledge across all subject areas, including civic education. They also build strong social and emotional learning skills through daily indoor and outdoor play.
The Early Prep curriculum covers several academic focus areas. For English language arts, reading, and writing, students receive systematic phonics instruction, grammar instruction, and build reading and writing skills through a knowledge-based approach, including studying such topics as zoology, family stories, ecology, plants, animal stories, and entomology. In mathematics, students develop conceptual knowledge and build number fluency. During science lab, students receive specialized science instruction from a content expert. They investigate using the scientific method, participate in garden-based learning, and program robots. For social studies, students build knowledge of diverse civilizations and cultures, including Mesopotamia, Ancient Egypt, the culture of Mexico, and other topics that build their knowledge of the world.
Students learn through indoor and outdoor play, and enjoy meaningful interactions and conversation. For indoor play, students have access to centers such as blocks and building, art, toys and games, and dramatic play. The goal is to help students learn to solve problems, persist through challenges, self-regulate, build vocabulary skills, and enhance their ability to learn. Students also enjoy sand and water activities, and daily outdoor recess time.
Prelude Prep offers the Lower Prep program for grades 3–5. Students in Lower Prep build on the strong foundation they have received in the earlier years. The rigorous curriculum builds knowledge across all subject areas, teaches social and emotional learning skills, and involves students in civic education. Students participate in hands-on, engaging assignments where they are challenged and supported to meet high levels of excellence.
Prelude Prep uses the Caring School Community program to support the social and emotional learning of students. The school will support students by helping with responsibility, empathy, and cooperation, creating a culture where students feel heard, known and cared for.
Civic education allows students to engage with the school and the local community in meaningful ways. One pathway for giving back is through sharing produce from the school garden. Students also study our greater community’s needs and participate in quarterly service projects. In addition, student government provides opportunities for sharing ideas and interests with school faculty and leadership. Students attend monthly town hall meetings where they vote on service projects, receive recognition for goals and achievements, participate in activities that build a strong school community, and learn from community leaders.
The Upper Prep program at Prelude Prep is designed to serve students in grades 6–8.
To learn more about Prelude Prep in the news, we recommend that you click on the articles linked at the bottom of this post. Also, we invite you to join the San Antonio Charter Moms discussion group on Facebook and ask questions; the group includes current Prelude Prep families who can comment with answers based on their own experiences.