ST. JOHN'S LITTLE LEARNERS
grow. explore. discover
lITTLE LEARNERS OF lATTINGTOWN and mill neck: About Us
Nestled within the two-acre campus of St. John's Parish, St. John's Little Learners Preschool in Lattingtown has been a beloved community institution for over forty years. In response to a growing client base, Jennifer Strazzeri, the owner and director, established a second location at Mill Neck Manor three years ago. Our Mill Neck location, situated on an 86-acre estate, offers the same nurturing, structured program as our Lattingtown site. Our mission is to offer a space where children can explore the world around them, build social skills and friendships, and prepare for their entry into Kindergarten. The success of St. John's Little Learners in both locations is measured by the many returning families who continue the tradition.
Jennifer Strazzeri has three decades of experience as an educator in public and private school settings. For fifteen years, she worked as a consultant for the Locust Valley Central School District. She also owns and operates a New York State-approved preschool agency, catering to children at different stages of early childhood education. Jennifer is certified as a Special Education teacher, Educational Administrator, and Behavior Analyst by the state of New York. As a career educator, she commits herself to helping every child reach their full potential.
Jennifer Maselli serves as the Assistant Director in Lattingtown. After receiving a degree in English literature and creative writing from Hofstra University, she spent 20 years working as a business technology journalist and freelance writer. When she had her children, she unearthed a newfound passion for the education field. She regularly attends conferences in the field of education, including those related to gifted and talented, neurodiverse learners, and twice-exceptional students. For a decade, she served as president of the Special Education PTA in the Locust Valley Central School District. She provided support for children and families during their CSE meetings, collaborated with the administration for improved educational outcomes, advocated for diverse learners, promoted enrichment activities for gifted students, and fundraised for scholarships. She also served as the Nassau County PTA Special Education chairperson and held positions on Locust Valley Middle and High School parent councils. She served as a trustee and president of the Locust Valley Board of Education after running in 2018.
Dorothy Pizza is the Assistant Director of Little Learners at Mill Neck. After dedicating 35 years to public education, Dorothy retired in 2021. During her career, she spent 16 years at Locust Valley School District, including two years as the Elementary Math Coordinator and 13 years as Vice Principal of Bayville Elementary. Throughout her tenure, she took on additional responsibilities as the District Elementary ELA Coordinator and CSPE Chairperson. She taught her Golden Retrievers to be therapy dogs and implemented a Therapy Dog program in the school district, Senior Housing Facilities, and Library programs. Additionally, she conducts workshops for Nassau Boces, helping school districts establish Therapy Dog Programs. She is cherished by everyone in the Locust Valley School community and we are grateful to have her as the administrator at Mill Neck.
St. John’s Little Learners in Lattingtown and Mill Neck: programs
We're proud to offer an all-inclusive and well-balanced early learning experience for children at our facility. Our curriculum comprises a diverse range of activities, incorporating reading, motor skill development, social skill development, science, music, and art. We provide small student-to-teacher ratios, spacious classrooms, indoor playrooms, large outdoor playgrounds, and strolling gardens in both locations. Dedicated, experienced teachers are here to support your child's growth.
Open and frequent communication with parents is a key factor in ensuring the success of any program. We provide multiple contact options such as phone, email, and a dedicated online application. Our application provides parents with the ability to connect with administration and teachers, receive pictures of their child's daily activities, access a calendar of events, review billing statements, and utilize autopay options. Convenient drop-off and pick-up lines mean we take the children out of your car for you and bring them to your car at the end of the day. A weekly Friday folder goes home with projects and flyers about upcoming school events, and a monthly newsletter allows our families to view our programs from another vantage point. For more details about grade-level curriculum, click on the desired program below.
Literacy skills develop even before children learn to read. Our students focus on language acquisition, practicing attentive behavior during morning circle time, and becoming familiar with written names, including their own and those of their classmates. Engaging in daily read-aloud sessions with their teacher and having access to books cultivates an early passion for reading.
Our toddlers are exposed to the arts through a variety of mediums. They learn songs and dances in our weekly music class, taught by a seasoned public school music teacher, and create using crayons, paint, and other crafting materials. Hidden lessons lurk throughout our arts program. Holding a crayon works fine motor muscles, a paintbrush encourages hand-eye coordination. Drawings and coloring sent home are perfectly imperfect and entirely their own creation.
Exploration is a key part of every child’s development. Sensory activities include sensory bins, play-doh, paint, and nature walks. Taste test apples and collect different colored leaves during a stroll in the gardens. Feel objects that are soft, hard, or crunchy. Children learn best by using all of their senses.
Literacy skills continue in our three-year-old program. During morning circle time, centers, and music class, our students focus on letter and color recognition through stories, games, and activities. The children become more engaged with books, making up their own as they flip the pages, recalling a story’s sequence of events, writing symbols that resemble letters, and more closely associating certain sounds with the corresponding letter.
Our school bases its literacy curriculum on the Fundations program. Fundations is a multisensory and systematic phonics, and handwriting program. Our pre-k students learn the letter sounds corresponding with each letter of the alphabet. In the second half of the year, they begin a formal program to learn to write upper and lower case letters and they learn to write their names. By the time our students reach the pre-k level, they have truly developed. a love for literature.
Teachers assess our students based on typical skills development for their age group. We send a progress report home to parents in January and again at the end of the year. Teachers and administrators are always available to discuss any concerns a parent may have about their child. Formal parent-teacher conferences are held in January for our pre-kindergarten students.
Little learners in lattingtown: facilities
Six Bright and Spacious Classroooms
A large turf playground with swings,
slides, a seesaw, a clubhouse,
a store and plenty of
room to run, play, and pretend.
Use of the Church for Special Events such as graduation or the holiday sing-along
The Parish Hall serves as one of two large indoor play spaces. It’s the perfect space for indoor gross motor activities. Mrs. Bender plays piano and guitar here during our weekly music classes.
two-acres of property means lots of space for nature walks
A large indoor playroom provides plenty of opportunity for imagination, sharing and friendships
Little learners at Mill Neck: facilities
Within the eyeshot of the iconic Mill Neck mansion, Little Learners of Mill Neck
is perfectly situated on the Mill Neck Manor campus.
strolling gardens
spacious classrooms
Large Outdoor playground
indoor Play Space
Summer Camp Registration
