Calender & Events
2024-2025 School Year
Tuesday, September 3: First Day of School!
September 12, 5:30-6:30 pm: Family Workshop: How to Talk about Race
October 16 -18: Parent/Teacher Conferences
Thursday, October 31, 4:00-5:30 pm: Halloween Festival
Monday, November 11 CLOSED: Veterans Day
November 27 @3pm t0 Nov 28 CLOSED: Thanksgiving Break
December 20 @10:30: Winter Celebration, Caroling & Lunch
December 23 – January 1: CLOSED: Winter Break
Monday, January 20 CLOSED: MLK Jr. Day (Staff Development Day)
Monday, February 17 CLOSED : Presidents’ Day
Thursday, February 27 : Classroom Meeting
April 21- 25: Parent/Teacher Conferences
May 5 - 9: Teacher Appreciation Week
Monday, May 26 CLOSED: Memorial Day
June 12 : Summer Celebration (5:00-6:00 pm)
Thursday, June 19 CLOSED: Juneteenth
June 30- July 4 CLOSED: Summer Break
August 27- 29 CLOSED: Annual Classroom Set Up & Teacher Professional Development
Monday, September 1 CLOSED: Labor Day
Upcoming Events
Winter Celebration: Caroling and Lunch
Join us for Caroling at Willows of Ramsey Home followed by a catered lunch at Big Wonder!
Halloween Parade and Party
Big Wonder Halloween Party!
You are invited to our Halloween Party! At 3:45, children will put on their costumes and embark on their Halloween Parade at 4:00 to Trick-or-Treat around the building! We will end the parade in the gym for a Halloween Party. We will have snacks, games, and a dance party!
Family (including grandparents and siblings)are invited to join us for the Parade and the Party (but not expected). Enjoy some pumpkin decorations and pumpkin-spiced treats!
It’s going to be Spooktacular!
1st Year Celebration
You are invited to Big Wonder's 1st Year (Birthday) Celebration on August 7th from 5:00-7:00!
Big Wonder is turning 1! We have learned so much and come far in the past 12 months. We would love to celebrate our first year with you!
Our Year in Review:
We opened on August 7th, 2023, with only two children. Thankfully, we have grown and developed in so many ways. This year we:
had the privilege of serving 38 children and their families,
gave scholarships to four children
grew to 3 incredible full-time teachers with livable wages
expanded network of volunteers and supporters, who have helped us organize entire rooms of donated materials
gave two professional development workshops on Race Conciousness in early childhood for the Reggio Inspired Network of Minnesota and the Saint Paul Academy
developed our social-emotional and race-consciousness frameworks
built a fence and took down a wall (thanks largely to our wonderful partnership with St. Johns and a grant from WomensVenture!)
offered Mindfulness Classes every Wednesday (thanks to two amazing volunteers)
collaborated with St. John's to increase our Scholarship Funding
are working to create a public Nature Playground in partnership with the City of St Paul and the Ramsey Hill Association
shared 500 healthy snacks with children
enjoyed countless moments connecting with children and nurturing their hearts and minds by welcoming them to the classroom, singing Happy Birthday, teaching resiliency and kindness, building forts, and collecting flowers.
Attained financial viability! (This is HUGE! Demonstrating sustainability and proof of concept for our radically equitable and transparent facial policies.)
This year, more than I ever could have hoped, we have lived up to our ambitious mission:
To honor the unique rights of children, families, and teachers to create a just and harmonious community. Big Wonder is committed to equity and race consciousness. We serve families of different races, family structures, religious beliefs, and social-economic backgrounds. We are inspired by Reggio Emilia, Montessori, and spiritual inquiry frameworks to provide high-quality education for our youngest learners. We create and model innovative methods to find sustainable solutions to improve early childhood education.
Come Celebrate Big Wonder's first year! It was a year of learning, tenacity, heart, community-building, and optimism, and now it's time to enjoy some cake!
Please RSVP here:
Community Forum on Nature-Based Playground Addition to the Holy Tot
Big Wonder Child Care and Ramsey Hill Association are collaborating with the City of Saint Paul to design and create a nature-based playground in a portion of the Holy Tot. We know this playground is beloved by the community and would love your input!
Come to a community meeting to consult and share ideas as we.l envision a dynamic, nature-based addition to a wonderful pocket park in our community.
Playing with the Language of Music Workshop!
Playing with the Language of Music
Certificate of Attendance available
Explore the influence music has on children's learning and how to grow this language with children through imagination, participation, play and active music-making.
Facilitator: Mark Sorvari, Certified in Orff Schulwerk, trained in Music Together and experienced in the Reggio Emilia Approach
Hybrid Gathering:
Zoom: link sent after registration
In-person Location: Big Wonder Preschool
60 N. Kent St.
St. Paul, MN
Students: Limited spots available at no cost for students - email Heidi Wolf for details and registration hwolf@bsmschool.org
Halloween Parade!
Families are invited for a fun filled trick or treat parade! Come as you are or dressed up! We will have some music, some games, some snacks and lots of cuteness and laughs!