What Makes GMPS Different?
From our outdoor campus to our gentle start, discover what sets the GMPS experience apart.
Families in our community are fortunate to have many excellent preschool choices. At GMPS, several things about the way our school is designed — and the way children and families experience it — make the GMPS experience distinctly our own.
Some are immediately visible, like our expansive outdoor campus and full-size gym. Others are part of how we care for young children: giving them a gentle introduction to preschool, respecting individual developmental timelines, and creating meaningful opportunities to explore their world.
At a Glance
- Expansive Outdoor Campus
- Car-Line Drop-Off & Pick-Up
- No Potty Training Required
- Full-Size Gym
An Outdoor Campus Made for Childhood
Our expansive, tree-filled campus is one of the things that makes the GMPS experience distinctive.
Children have access to much more than a traditional playground. Our outdoor spaces include a playground, separate fenced Trike Track, Mud Kitchen, garden, Meadow, courtyard, and watershed nature trail.
Depending on the day, several connected spaces may be open at once so children can move between areas, follow their interests, and extend their play while teachers supervise and support learning throughout the outdoor campus.
Children garden, dig, build, ride, investigate puddles, look for wildlife, explore seasonal changes, sled and ski in the Meadow, and spend meaningful time outside throughout the year.
At GMPS, outdoor time isn’t separate from learning. It’s one of the places learning happens.
A Track of Their Own
Our separate, fenced Trike Track gives children plenty of room to pedal, steer, navigate, practice safety, and build balance and coordination.
A Gentler Start to Preschool
We don’t expect a young child to arrive at an unfamiliar school, meet unfamiliar adults, and simply be ready to say goodbye.
Before the school year begins, children have several opportunities to build familiarity.
- 1
Home Visit
One of your child’s teachers comes to meet them in the place they feel most comfortable.
- 2
Class Park Playdate
Children begin recognizing classmates in a relaxed setting.
- 3
Meet & Greet
Children visit their classroom with a parent or caregiver before attending independently.
- 4
Car-Line Handoff
Once school begins, a teacher welcomes each child directly from the car and helps them transition confidently into school.
Families receive a Brightwheel update after their child has settled, often with a reassuring photo from the classroom.
We give children a runway into preschool.
No Potty-Training Requirement
Children develop on individual timelines — and we believe preschool should make room for that.
GMPS does not require children to be potty trained before attending, regardless of age group.
Teachers change diapers when needed, assist with potty training, and work in partnership with families as children develop independence.
Readiness isn’t a deadline. We meet children where they are and help them move forward.
Learning About the Wider World
Our 4’s Cultural Awareness experiences introduce children to countries, traditions, foods, clothing, music, languages, and ways families live around the world.
Throughout the year, our 4’s classes “visit” different countries, and GMPS families are invited to come into the classroom and share their own heritage and traditions.
The goal is more than learning facts about another place. Children begin to understand that families and traditions may look different from their own — and that those differences are interesting, valuable, and worth learning about.
Some of our best learning happens when families bring the world into the classroom.
Simple, Healthy Snacks — Provided by GMPS
GMPS provides daily snacks that are primarily fruits and vegetables, giving children simple, familiar choices while helping us avoid many common high-allergen foods.
GMPS is peanut- and tree nut-free, and we make additional classroom accommodations when children have specific allergies.
Teachers sit and eat with children, so snack becomes more than a food break. It is also a relaxed opportunity for conversation, manners, independence, and classroom community.
Room to Move — Even When We’re Indoors
Chicago weather doesn’t always cooperate with preschool plans.
When conditions keep us indoors, children have access to our full-size gym, with room for trikes, scooters, wagons, obstacle courses, games, music, and large-motor play.
The gym also gives GMPS space for school-wide celebrations, performances, and family events.
Even on an indoor day, children still have room to move.
Different in Ways That Matter to Young Children
A great preschool is more than a list of programs or amenities. What matters is how all of those pieces shape a child’s day.
At GMPS, children have room to move, time to play, opportunities to explore their world, support for developing at their own pace, and a gentle path into independence.
Many of the things that make GMPS different are simple. Put together, they create a preschool experience that feels distinctly GMPS.
Come See GMPS for Yourself
Schedule a TourAbout the Author
Written by Karen Coan, M.A. in Education, Director of Glenview Methodist Preschool
Karen has served as Director of GMPS since 2016 and works closely with teachers and families on curriculum, school transitions, behavior guidance, safety, staff development, and program planning.
Last updated: October 2026