Houston’s Chapelwood Church Sponsors a School for Children

With experience serving as an intern at Gerber Construction in Houston, Texas, Cole Hranicky is working toward a BBA with an emphasis in finance at Texas Tech University. Cole Hranicky has been involved in several community service projects, such as arranging a mission trip with Chapelwood United Methodist Church. Founded in 1948, the church operates the Chapelwood School for Children, teaching children ages three months to prekindergarten. The program’s curricula include the following topics for each age level:

Infants

Making the little ones feel loved is the main goal in the infants’ classroom. They are talked to, held close, and learn Baby Signs, a system of hand gestures developed by two doctor who are also mothers. Their exposure to art and music also begins at this stage.

Toddlers

Chapelwood’s teachers work hard to keep these busy kids occupied. They are allowed to run, climb, jump and otherwise release energy. They continue to use Baby Signs to communicate and begin learning how to take care of themselves and their environment by washing their hands and putting away their belongings.

Two Year Olds

This group practices skills of increasing sophistication, such as using art materials and identifying animals by shape and color. They also work on movement skills, using the balance beam and riding toys. As they improve their social skills, they begin to learn about science, Spanish, gardening, and other domains.

Three Year Olds

Teachers help these kids with cognitive abilities, such as matching and sequencing objects and writing. As they learn numbers and letters, they also begin to attend church and continue to enjoy free play.

Pre-Kindergarten

As they prepare for advancement, pre-K children develop their decision-making to become more confident. Teachers employ the Handwriting Without Tears and Everyday Mathematics programs and show the kids how to use the library.