A Christian Preschool on Glen Street Since 1947
On a quiet block of Glen Street in La Mesa, just east of downtown San Diego, St. Andrew's Episcopal Church has run an early-childhood program since 1947. What began as a parish school has grown into St. Andrew's Day School, a year-round Christian preschool and nursery serving infants as young as six weeks through children in transitional kindergarten. The school operates Monday through Friday from 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., excluding holidays, under California facility license numbers 370800551 and 376600304.
The day school is a ministry of the parish, and the parish's priest, Father Ken, is part of the school's staff. Generations of La Mesa families have sent their children to the program, and many of those former students now enroll their own sons and daughters. The campus sits at 4816 Glen Street, and the school's open-air play areas are widely recognized as some of the largest in San Diego County.
Episcopal Roots in the Diocese of San Diego
St. Andrew's Day School is a ministry of St. Andrew's Episcopal Church, a parish within the Episcopal Diocese of San Diego. The school's identity is rooted in that affiliation: faith is woven into the daily routine, and the curriculum includes Bible study alongside art, music, movement, language, math, science, outdoor play, dramatic play, and sensory learning.
Father Ken is the parish priest associated with the program, and the school extends a 10 percent tuition discount to active members of St. Andrew's Parish, as well as to siblings and active-duty military families. The school also partners with subsidy programs including MCCYN, CDA, and the YMCA, and is open to partnering with additional subsidy providers to support families who need assistance.
From Infants to Transitional Kindergarten
St. Andrew's organizes its classrooms by age, with seven rooms in total and three age-specific outdoor play areas. The youngest learners begin in the nursery, where the staff works to make the infant room feel like an extension of a child's own home, with feeding, napping, and daily routines kept in step with each family's preferences.
Nursery (6 weeks to about 24 months). Caregivers strengthen relationships with babies through meaningful, research-based play. The program emphasizes a language-rich environment of talking, singing, reading, and back-and-forth interaction. Sensory play, movement, music, and board books fill the day. The infant playground has soft turf and infant-sized structures for crawling, pulling up, and safe exploration.
Toddlers (18 to 30 months). The toddler program supports the whole child across social-emotional, physical, language, and cognitive development. Children practice managing routines and transitions, sustaining balance, manipulating balls and objects, listening to increasingly complex language, following two-step directions, classifying objects, and constructing with drawing and building. The toddler yard offers a small sandbox, turf, and age-appropriate toys.
Preschool (2 to 4 years). Preschool classrooms build on the toddler foundation with stronger emphasis on literacy and group participation. Children regulate emotions, cooperate in groups, increase coordination through complex movement, develop fine-motor strength for writing and drawing, listen to longer stories, sequence events, develop long sentences, work on phonological awareness, recognize letters and their sounds, identify the parts of a book, and write their own names.
Transitional Kindergarten. The TK program bridges preschool and kindergarten for children who are ready for a more structured setting. Highlights include small class sizes, a track record of kindergarten readiness, qualified early-childhood educators, a balanced curriculum of academic foundations and play-based learning, emphasis on early literacy and math readiness, social-emotional growth, and routines that mirror a kindergarten classroom while honoring developmental needs.
A Day in Each of Seven Classrooms
Each classroom follows its own schedule, but all share a common rhythm of outside play, circle time, snack, lunch, nap, and afternoon free play. A brief look at how the day unfolds:
- Room 1 (2.5 year olds) with Ms. Lexie and Ms. Francine. The day begins with inside play at 8:00, moves to outside play until 8:45, then circle time at 9:50, snack at 10:05, more outside time, lunch at noon, nap from 12:00 to 2:15, and an afternoon program that runs until 5:30.
- Room 2 (3 year olds) with Ms. Huda. Morning care opens at 7:00, followed by outside play, flag and music time, circle time, snack, art, music, lunch at noon, nap from 12:30 to 2:30, and an afternoon program.
- Room 3 (TK and Pre-Kindergarten) with Ms. Julie S., Ms. Ana, and Ms. Laura. The oldest group gathers for morning care at 7:00, then circle time, art, sight words and music, snack, outside play, a Bible story at 11:30, letter of the week, lunch, nap, and an afternoon program.
- Room 4 (Toddlers) with Ms. Zayden and Ms. Katy. Begins with breakfast and free play at 7:00, followed by manipulative play, flag time, outside play, snack, free play with art and music, circle time, more outside play, lunch at 11:55, nap until 2:30, and afternoon free play.
- Room 5 (2 year olds) with Ms. Rachel and Ms. Lala. Inside play from 7:00, outside play, flag time and music, art, snack, more outside play, circle time with counting, shapes, colors, and stories, lunch at 11:45, nap, and the afternoon program.
- Room 6 (Nursery Extension) with Ms. Joi and Ms. Kaylee. Inside play from 7:30, outside play, snack, story time, art, lunch, nap from 11:30 to 1:30, and afternoon indoor play.
- Room 7 (3.5 year olds) with Ms. Taera, Ms. Cat, and Ms. Julie O. Inside play at 7:00, outside play, circle time with calendar and books, art, letter of the week, music and movement, lunch, nap, and the afternoon program.
The nursery itself is set up for the littlest learners with a ball pit, pull-up bar, and tummy-time space.
Three Playgrounds and One of San Diego's Largest Outdoor Spaces
St. Andrew's Day School has one of the largest open-air play spaces in San Diego, plus three age-specific playgrounds designed for safety, growth, and exploration. The nursery playground features soft turf and infant-sized structures. The nursery step-up yard is a transition space for toddlers, with a small sandbox and turf. The toddler yard provides sandbox play, turf, and age-appropriate outdoor toys.
The award-winning main playground is used by all age groups in designated time blocks. It includes a spacious sandbox, climbing structures, swings, monkey bars, a balance log, large tractor tires, sponge playground flooring and turf, and tricycle walkways. A planned shade structure, supported by the school's annual Summer Party and Art Show fundraiser, will make the outdoor space more comfortable during the hottest months.
Long-Term Staff and an Open Door for Parents
The school is known for its long-term staff. Ms. Tennille serves as Supervisor, Ms. Julie S. is Director, and Ms. Julie M. is Business Manager. Classroom teachers and assistant teachers include Ms. Cat, Ms. Crystal, Ms. Jesse, Ms. Katy, Ms. Laura, Ms. Rachel, Ms. Ana, Mr. Chris, Ms. Francine, Ms. Joi, Ms. Kaylee, Ms. Lexi, Ms. Shayna, Ms. Caitlin, Ms. Cielo, Ms. Huda, Ms. Julie O., Ms. Lala, Ms. Lisa, Ms. Taera, and Ms. Zayden.
Parents stay connected through the BrightWheel app, which supports messaging between home and teachers, sharing of student photos, and tuition payments. Monthly newsletters, an open-door policy in the office, parent-teacher meetings on request, and pre-K assessments twice a year round out the communication. Families can also serve on the school board, and several parents currently do.
Safety Drills, Subsidy Partnerships, and Open Enrollment
Safety is built into every room. Emergency backpacks stocked with disaster plans, first-aid kits, and essential supplies are kept in each classroom. The school works closely with the La Mesa Fire and Police Departments to keep its plans current, and the campus is gated with keypad entry and security cameras at the entries and in the parking lots. Staff participate in CPR and first-aid training at least twice a year.
Enrollment begins with a simple application and tour. Once a child is enrolled, the school welcomes tuition subsidies from MCCYN, CDA, and YMCA, and is open to partnering with additional subsidy programs. A 10 percent discount is offered to siblings, active military members, and St. Andrew's Parish parishioners. Families experiencing financial difficulty are encouraged to reach out; the school says it strives to support families and work with them when possible.
Faith Woven Into the Day
The Episcopal character of the school shows up in small, daily ways. Children pause for prayer at snack and lunch. The school prayer, recited together, gives thanks for the night and the morning light and asks for help to be kind and good. A shorter prayer before meals echoes the familiar refrain: God is Great, God is Good, and we thank him for our food.
Bible stories are part of the preschool and TK schedules, and Bible study is one of the themes woven through the curriculum. The school describes itself as grounded in daily prayer, with students growing in love for God and learning to pause to connect with Him throughout the day.
Easter Bunnies, Christmas Pageants, and End-of-Year BBQs
Throughout the year, the school hosts events that bring families together. A springtime celebration with the Easter Bunny fills the campus with songs and smiles, and each child receives Easter eggs. Muffins for Mom is a grab-and-go morning treat for mothers and mother figures. The Christmas Pageant, the End-of-the-Year BBQ and Art Show, and the Preschool Graduation round out the calendar. The annual Summer Party and Art Show fundraiser supports improvements to the playground, including the planned shade structure.
Hours, Address, and Getting in Touch
St. Andrew's Day School is located at 4816 Glen Street, La Mesa, CA 91941. The office can be reached by phone at 619-469-5330 or by email at office@standrewsdayschool.org. Business hours are Monday through Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., excluding holidays. Donations to the school are accepted online through standrews.betterworld.org.