Thanks to our strong educational curriculum, outstanding staff and committment to early childhood learning and development, Helen King Reynolds Private School stands out from other Stratford institutions. We offer a specialized preschool program for children between the ages of three and four.

We strive to provide each individual child with an environment that encourages self-discovery and a commitment to learning. Children are encouraged to learn how to solve problems, express their creativity and build social skills. All in all, our curriculum lays the foundation for a lifetime of learning.

We adhere to the highest standards of educational and child development. What's more, our dedicated staff has the experience and know-how to put these principles to work for each and every child. Helen King Reynolds Private School proudly maintains a very low 4:1 student-teacher ratio and excellent staff longevity.

Ultimately, we have but one goal: the optimal development of your child.

Mission Statement

Our objective at Helen King Reynolds Private School is to provide a pleasant and safe environment for the social, physical, emotional, and intellectual development of the child.  In order to accomplish this, the school program will include many opportunities for social development, large and small muscle coordination, aesthetic appreciation, creative expression, and musical expression.  Age-appropriate reading readiness, number concepts, and language development are integrated on a daily basis.

Our goals for the child:

• To provide opportunities to be with other children in a setting conducive to the development of wholesome social relationships.
• To provide appropriate play experiences that contribute to the developmental needs of the child.
• To provide opportunities for meaningful play that are based on the child's individual needs, interests, and varying abilities, and that will build important foundations for future reading skills and other academic pursuits.

Our goals for the parent:

• To provide opportunities to meet and work with other parents and teachers who have, as their common concern, the interests and needs of the preschool child.
• To provide care for the child while the parent pursues his/her own work or other interests.

Our goals for the community:

• To help meet the needs of the community for an early childhood facility.
• To contribute to the wholesome growth and development of the future citizens of the community.
• To provide a setting in which people of various religious and ethnic backrounds can work together for the good of their children.

Accreditation

The Helen King Reynolds Private School has continuously maintained national accreditation since 1990 from the  National Association for Education of Young Children's Academy of Early Childhood Program.  The NAEYC administers the largest and most widely recognized national, voluntary, professionally sponsored accreditation system for all types of early childhood schools and child care centers.  The NAEYC is the largest organization of early childhood educators in the United States. 

Why is accreditation important?  Accreditation by the NAEYC demonstrates the voluntary commitment of The Helen King Reynolds Private School to excellence in early childhood education.  Early childhood programs accredited by the NAEYC must demonstrate a comprehensive process of self-study by the school staff as well as program compliance reviews by outside professionals to ensure criteria standards are achieved. The evaluation criteria for high-quality early childhood programs includes ten research-based areas of excellence and best practices for young children's development and learning:

1. Promote positive relationships for all children and adults to encourage each child's sense of individual worth.

2. Implement a curriculum that fosters all areas of child development: cognitive, emotional, language, physical, and social.

3. Use developmentally, culturally,and linguistically appropriate and effective teaching practuices.

4. Provide ongoing systematic, formal, and informal assessment tools to provide information on children's learning and development.

5. Promote the nutrition and health of children and protect children and staff from illness and injury.

6. Employ and support a teaching staff with the educational qualifications, knowledge, and professional commitment necessary to promote children's learning and development and to support families' diverse needs and interests.

7. Establish and maintain collaborative relationships with each child's family to foster children's development in all settings.

8. Establish relationships with and use the resources of the children's communities to support the achievement of program goals.

9. Provide a safe and healthful physical environment.

10. Implement policies, procedures, and systems that support stable staff and strong personnel, and fiscally responsible program management so all children, families, and staff have high-quality experiences.

NAEYC Accrediatation is awarded for a five-year term. During that period, programs submit annual reports documenting that they are consistently meeting the NAEYC program standards.

History

The building that houses the present Helen King Reynolds Private School was built in the 1890s as a private residence. It is also now listed on the National Register of Historic Places. In 1911, Sheriff Charles E. Stagg lived here, and in 1940, Bridgeport Post newspaper manager T.A.D. Weaver purchased the home for  his family. In fact, the shed in the back yard was his daughter's playhouse.  Helen King Reynolds, who had established a private school on Main Street in 1931, purchased the property in 1943 and operated her private school here for grades K-8. A teacher under Helen King Reynolds, Eleanor Novak, then continued to operate the school for many years. In the early 1960s, Kathy Fagella and Elaine Letch transformed the school into a preschool. In 1974, Muriel Fletcher bought the school and property and operated her preschool program here for 22 years before selling HKR to Alexandra Semanchik in 1996.  Alexandra Semanchik retired in 2010 after 24 years as a teacher, owner, and director of HKR.  The current director, Lynne Goetz, bought HKR in 2010.  Lynne Goetz and many of the current staff members worked for many years under both Muriel Fletcher and Alexandra Semanchik. The Helen King Reynolds Private School has been nationally accredited since 1990 and continues to run as a preschool continuing a long tradition of educational excellence.