About Us
Welcome to First Lutheran Circle of Love Preschool! Serving the South Bay since 1986, Circle of Love is a ministry of First Lutheran Church in Manhattan Beach, California. "COL" is a developmental preschool that facilitates child learning through play. "When we play, we learn!" The teachers create learning opportunities through a structured play environment, offering an array of multidimensional experiences including art, music, children's literature, movement and spoken words. Our primarily hands-on, developmentally appropriate activities target all areas of early childhood development.
Each child will be encouraged in their spiritual, social, emotional, cognitive, and physical growth. We strive to maintain a balance of child-initiated play with activities that are teacher-directed, to provide a well-rounded experience. At Circle of Love, we are committed to ensuring that each child is guided to develop his or her potential in every aspect of life within the shelter and nurturing relationship of Christian love.
See our enrollment page for more information on our procedures and requirements!
Our Shared Mission
"Connecting Hearts, Discovering Purpose in Christ"
We live out this mission by:
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Promoting a learning environment for all that is loving and Christ centered.
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Providing a play-based preschool experience, using a developmental, hands-on curriculum.
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Encouraging creativity, self-confidence, the joy of discovery, and a lifelong love of learning.
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Modeling God’s love by teaching respect for others, social skills, and purpose-filled service to others.
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Connecting the message of God’s abiding love to our families and community.
Our School Philosophy
"When we play, we learn!" Play is a developmentally appropriate way for children to make sense of their world and holds a crucial role in the development of the whole child. Our goal is to connect closely with each child and meet their diverse needs; spiritually, cognitively, physically, emotionally, and socially, supporting them in discovering who God has made them to be. To meet these needs, our curriculum provides opportunities for children to develop and express themselves creatively in our play-based, hands-on, Christ-centered environment. Train up children in the way they should go, even when they are old they will not depart from it (Proverbs 22:6)
A (Very) Brief History of Lutheran Education
The focus on education has deep roots in the Lutheran Church. Over 500 years ago, the Bible was not accessible. There was the obstacle of extremely low literacy, a general lack of access to education, and at that time, Bibles were both rare and written almost exclusively in Latin, not in the languages of the common people. Martin Luther addressed his various concerns with the church in Europe and in response to those concerns, Luther translated the Bible into German, all of which sparked what would be known as the “Protestant Reformation.”
The Lutheran Church was founded on the belief that it is the shared duty of churches, parents, and teachers to share the Good News of Jesus Christ and that all people are entitled to read and study the Bible. At First Lutheran Church and Circle of Love Preschool, we proudly hold early childhood education in the highest regard as it sets the foundation for all future learning. Circle of Love trusts deeply in the tradition of Lutheran education because we believe it is essential to “train up children in the way they should go, even when they are old they will not depart from it.” (Proverbs 22:6)
- Making Jesus Real (Pacific Southwest District LCMS)
More About Lutheran Schools
The Lutheran Church Missouri Synod Pacific Southwest District produced this video to showcase the mission and philosophy of it's various preschools. Circle of Love Preschool and Transitional Kindergarten is a part of the LCMS Pacific Southwest District and believes deeply in the mission of "GROWING MINDS AND KIND HEARTS."
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