Ground has been broken on a state-of-the-art early childhood center for pre-K3, pre-K4, and kindergarten at St. Andrew’s Episcopal School’s lower elementary campus in Fondren.

In ceremonies held this morning, head of school, Dr. George Penick , Jr. called the day an historic moment for St. Andrew’s. “As you see behind me, the scope and scale of the new center will make a difference not just today, but for many years to come,” he said. “We want to make St. Andrew’s the best it can be for every child, here and in the future.”

Tim Alford, head of the lower school said St. Andrew’s has been a successful school for so long because of their supportive families and passionate faculty. “But it’s also our curriculum,” he added, “and this center will provide us with the ideal place to carry out that curriculum.”

The early childhood center will include an essential indoor play space and flexible, central activity room that can accommodate an entire grade level, and a center for the Institute for Learning, Teaching, and Engagement. All of this will be housed in a space filled with natural light and warm colors, a space Alford says is reminiscent of the comforts of students’ homes.

The project is being funded by the school’s Forward Saints campaign that encompasses a five year master plan for overall campus growth and renovation that also includes a 65,000 square foot athletic healthplex on their Highland Colony North Campus in Ridgeland.