Shakopee Child Learning Center

The Shakopee Child Learning Center has been preparing preschool children for life in the Shakopee area for 28 years. Owner, director and teacher Mary Olson, formerly Blatzheim, says its philosophy is simple: Each child is special – we want each child to shine.

The school, which is state-licensed, is for children ages three through five. There are two or three day morning and afternoon sessions that run from the first week after Labor Day and continue through May. Morning sessions run from 9 a.m. – 11:30 a.m. Afternoon sessions are held from 12:30 – 3:30 p.m. Class size is limited to 20 students.

Located at the St. Mark’s Church school building, the school rents three spacious and bright rooms. There’s a reading corner, kidsized tables, lots of books, blocks and toys, two resident gerbil “friends” and even a workshop area.

Mary says her Workshop Unit is rather unique for children this age and the preschoolers absolutely love it. The students, wearing protective eye goggles, get hands-on experience working with child sized tools. They even make a small, handmade project to take home by the end of this unit. Each child also has to share with parents and classmates which tool is their favorite and why. Mary says "They are so serious about their favorite tool. They just love the way “this drill makes holes,” she smiles.

The children participate in numerous activities each day, including free play, circle/discussion time, a nutritious snack, physical education, unit discussions and activities on science, alphabet, numbers, etc. in addition to music and literature.

They also enjoy taking the children on field trips to points of interest in the area. Most importantly, Mary says there is a great emphasis on sharing and hands-on learning and play. A few of the instructors have been with Mary for many years and all are licensed teachers. Mary is somewhat amazed at the longevity of her career, but says “It’s a love, a passion of mine. It’s about my heart. I absolutely love what I do. I love the children – we play and have fun while at the same time they learn how to share and to be independent.”

She also admits that it’s gratifying to have children come to her program who belong to some of her first students. “It’s so much fun to talk to the parents, who have fond memories of some of our classroom activities and now want the same experience for their children.” She’s grateful that word of mouth has been one of her most successful advertising tools. Mary says one of her favorite quotes sums up her feeling about being a teacher and how she runs her learning center. “A teacher takes a hand, opens the mind and touches the heart.”

Child Ages:

3 years - 6 years

Licenses & Accreditations:

MinnesotaDepartmentofHumanServices

Preschool:

Yes

Hours of Operation:

Monday-Friday 9:00 a.m. - 3:00 p.m