Registration is now open for the 2025-2026 school year
Click HERE to register for the 2025-2026 school year.
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There still are a few openings for this year’s classes and registrations are still being accepted for the remainder of the year, click HERE to register.
What Makes Salem Preschool Unique
Salem Preschool, established in 1971, has been serving children, ages three to five, and their families in the New Brighton and
surrounding communities for over 50 years. As a ministry of Salem Covenant Church, our goal is to Grow God’s Amazing Kids cognitively, socially, emotionally, physically, and spiritually so they can enter kindergarten with the skills, self-confidence, and love of learning that prepares them for a successful school career. In a Christian environment, our students experience God’s love and learn to love and respect others in God’s world. Bible stories and themes are incorporated into our curriculum and students pray before eating as well as other times during the school day. We strive to partner with parents in the academic and spiritual growth of their children.
Located in the lower level of Salem Covenant Church, our preschool has two brightly lit classrooms as well as the “Climber Room” with large motor equipment for the students to use on days when they can’t go outside. A gym is also available for the classes to use. Behind the church is a large outdoor space that allows for outside learning and activities as well as a garden where the preschoolers grow produce which is donated to the Ralph Reeder Food Shelf. To the west of the building is a playground for the children to use.
Salem Preschool teachers and assistant teachers all hold a bachelor’s or master’s degree and have over 150 years of experience working with students. Their love for God and their passion for teaching and working with young children are a hallmark of our program.
We hope you find lots of useful information on our website but the best way for you to learn about our program is to visit our classrooms. You can see our school “in action” by scheduling a visit mornings Monday through Friday or on Tuesday or Thursday afternoons. If you can not visit during the day, an evening or weekend visit can be arranged. To schedule your visit, email Preschool Director Shannyn Stoffel, at sstoffel@salem-covenant.church.
We would love to have your child join us at Salem Preschool! All are welcome!
If you have any questions about Salem Preschool, email Preschool Director Shannyn Stoffel, at sstoffel@salem-covenant.church.
About Us
Salem Preschool’s Mission Statement:
Growing God’s Amazing Kids cognitively, socially, emotionally, physically, and spiritually in a Christian environment so they will gain the skills, self-confidence, and love of learning that prepares them for a successful school career.
Our Philosophy:
Children learn best in an inviting, stimulating, caring and safe environment. Teachers strive to promote a Christian atmosphere where students can develop positive feelings about themselves and school. New inviting activities are presented each day in a “center” approach to give students “hands-on” learning experiences. Children also participate in small and large group activities to gain experience in learning how to function in a group. Salem preschool uses developmentally appropriate practices to promote social, emotional, intellectual, physical and spiritual growth for their preschoolers. Daily learning activities include art, music, science, dramatic play, large and small muscle experiences as well as kindergarten readiness skills. Parents are invited to review our program plan at any time.
Our Classes:
There are two new options for the four-year-old classes for the 2025-2026 school year. The Blue Class meets three days a week: Mondays, all day from 9:00-3:00, and Wednesday and Friday mornings from 9:00-12:00. The full day on Monday gives students the opportunity to be at school for longer amount of time and the experience of eating lunch at school in preparation for kindergarten the following year.
The Purple Class meets Monday, Tuesday and Thursday all day from 9:00-3:00 providing three full days of preschool for the students.
Salem Preschool includes enrichment classes on Monday afternoons for the Blue and Purple classes. These Marvelous Monday enrichment classes are Movement (large motor games and activities), beginning Spanish, Musical Mondays, Act It Out (an introduction to Drama) and STEM time. There is no additional cost for these classes as they are covered by tuition.
Read below to hear about our 2024-2025 school year classes.
Salem Preschool offers four classes: two three-year-old classes (the Green and Orange classes) and two four-year-old classes (the Blue and Purple Classes). Our three-year-old classes meet two mornings per week from 9:00-11:30. The Green class is held on Tuesdays and Thursdays and the Orange class on Wednesdays and Fridays.
There are two options for the four-year-old classes. The Blue Class meets three mornings per week, Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays, from 9:00-12:00. The Purple Class meets on Monday mornings from 9:00-12:00, and full days from 9:00-3:00 on Tuesdays and Thursdays providing a full day experience for the students.
Salem Preschool also offers Marvelous Monday enrichment classes on Mondays from 12:00 -1:30 during the school year. (See enrichment class tab for further details.)
In our three-year-old classes, social skills such as listening, following directions, sharing, taking turns and learning how to function in a large group are our main emphasis. Academic skills such as counting, sorting, rhyming and phonemic awareness are “sprinkled” throughout the day.
Our four-year-old classes continue to work on
developing their social skills, however, activities that promote kindergarten readiness skills are the main focus. Students are introduced to letters and sounds, writing activities, numerals, counting, and patterning which helps them prepare for kindergarten.
Salem Preschool’s curriculum is theme based and the week’s activities, projects and lessons center around the theme. Each month, the students have a chapel time with Salem’s pastor, Mark Pattie, and monthly Bible verses are learned. Spiritual truths and Godly character are promoted throughout all the preschool activities.
Mrs. Stoffel has been at Salem Preschool since 2018.The first two years she was a teacher and since 2020, she has been the director. Prior to that, she taught kindergarten for 35 years in the Spring Lake Park and Centennial School Districts in Minnesota. Shannyn received her degree in elementary education from the University of Minnesota, Morris and her master’s degree in educational leadership from Bethel University.
Mrs. Harris has been teaching at Salem Preschool for over 25 years. She earned her teaching degree from St. Could State University.
Mrs. Shelly has been teaching at Salem Preschool for over 30 years. She received her degrees from the University of Minnesota in Child Psychology and an Early Childhood Pre-K teaching license. She also works in the Minneapolis Public Schools as a School Success Program Assistant for Early Childhood Screening.
Mrs. Sykora has been teaching at Salem preschool since 2018! She graduated from Bethel University in 2003 with a BA in Elementary Education and a minor in Spanish. She taught kindergarten for several years before becoming a mom.
Mrs. Carolyn has taught at Salem Preschool since 2018 and holds a degree in theater arts from the University of Minnesota, Duluth. 
Mrs. Tanya has served as the Musical Mondays instructor and as a substitute teacher at Salem Preschool since 2022. This year, she is joining the staff as teacher assistant in the green class. Tanya graduated from Indiana Wesleyan University in 2000 with a degree in K-12 Music Education and also holds a Master’s Degree from Wheaton College in TESOL. Tanya leads preschool music classes with Music Together in the community and teaches piano lessons out of her home. She has spent the past twenty-four years teaching in some capacity (five of those years teaching English in China). She can’t wait to join the Salem Preschool team! 
Mrs. Hamilton is a long-time member of Salem Covenant Church. She started attending Salem as preschooler with her parents when she was four years old. She began teaching at Salem Preschool in 2023.
The morning begins with an hour-long free play time where students may choose from a wide choice of activities and centers. A dramatic play center may be set up as a home living center, a McDonald’s restaurant, a construction site, a grocery store or pet hospital. Students may choose to build with blocks, Duplos or Magna Tiles, explore in the science center, play in the sensory center or sandbox, do fine motor activities such as tracing and cutting, do counting, numeral identification, and sorting activities; match pictures that rhyme or begin with the same letter or read a book in the book center. During this free play time, all students will complete an art or craft project they can take home.
After the students help with clean up, students gather to talk about the calendar and weather and to do sharing. The theme for the week is introduced and stories are read, and songs are sung relating to the theme. During the large group time, many literacy and math skills are introduced and worked on.
If the weather permits, students go outside and play games in the back yard or play on the playground west of the church. When the weather is not suitable for outdoor play, students may play on the large motor equipment in the “Climber Room, play a game in the gym, or do activities with the parachute.
On Tuesdays and Thursdays, the Purple Class takes a bathroom break and washes their hands for lunch. Students bring a lunch from home and pray before they eat.
Before getting ready to go home, the Purple Class has another opportunity to work on their large motor skills by going to the park, playing a game outside or in the gym, or playing on the equipment in the “Climber Room.”
Throughout the year, there are several special activities for the students. Programs such as Mr. Freeze, the 3M Visiting Wizard, and the Raptor Center come to preschool to enhance the students’ learning. Holidays are celebrated at preschool. On Halloween, there is a parade and a party. At Thanksgiving there is a Thanksgiving Feast. Christmas, Valentine’s Day and Easter are celebrated with a class party. Special days such as pajama day and beach day are held during the year. The three-year-old classes go on at least one field trip during the year and the four-year-old classes go on field trips to Silverwood and Tamarack Nature Centers.
3-year-old Green Class:
Salem Preschool offers Marvelous Monday enrichment classes on Mondays from 12:00 – 1:30 during the school year. These four-week or five-week classes include Movement Mondays (sports and games), Musical Mondays (making music together), Uno, Dos, Tres! Let’s Learn Spanish, Adventures in Children’s Literature, and Act It Out (an introduction to drama). Parents can register their children for any or all these classes. The cost is $10 per week and classes run for four- or five-week sessions. Students bring a bag lunch from home to eat before the class begins. 