25+ years serving Oswego families
A life-long love of learning starts here…
At Little Shepherd, we prioritize small classrooms and a close-knit team, ensuring every child feels valued and nurtured from their first day. We foster creativity and cooperation in the classroom. A mix of play-based and hands-on learning that integrates pre-K standards is at the core of how we teach.
- Preschool for 3 & 4 year olds, Pre-K for 4 & 5 year olds
- Small, intimate class sizes with consistent, familiar teachers
- Spacious, safety-minded classrooms with room to explore
- Program & camps that follow DCFS guidelines and standards
- A caring, faith-rooted home base at Church of the Good Shepherd
Registration for 2026–2027 is open now · Tours available Monday through Thursday.
Oswego
Why families choose us
Small on purpose, for twenty-five years and counting.
Small on purpose
Intimate class sizes mean our teachers know your child's laugh, their favorite book, and what helps on a hard morning — not just their name.
Open and warm
Our doors, and our teachers' arms, stay open. Every family is greeted by name, every child by a smile they recognize.
Spacious and safe
Bright, roomy classrooms give children space to move, build, and explore — with safety built into every corner.
Close-knit teachers
Most of our teachers have been part of Little Shepherd for years, and that steadiness shows in how they care for your child.
More than a classroom
Everything they get to enjoy here.
A spot at Little Shepherd comes with more than a cubby and a table. There is a room built for moving, Jolly Phonics for early reading, trips out into Oswego, and an app that shows you how the day went. Some of it is for your child. Some of it is for you.
Field trips
The year has outings in it: field trips, seasonal celebrations, and events out in the Oswego community.
Gross motor room
A whole room given over to moving, with floor space to spare. Every class gets time in there, every day.
School readiness
Programs pointed straight at kindergarten: the letters and the numbers, and the stamina to stay with them.
Jolly Phonics
Children connect letters with their sounds through memorable actions and practice, building a foundation for reading and writing.
Family events
Events that bring the whole family into the building — reasons to be here that are not drop-off or pickup.
Social awareness
Classes on the part that is hardest at three: noticing other people, waiting your turn, saying the hard thing kindly.
The specifics change year to year — ask us for this year's field trips, family events, and snack menu.
The shape of a session
The same rhythm, every single day.
Three-year-olds do not read clocks. They read patterns. Ours goes like this, from the moment the door opens to the moment you come back — and it goes the same way in the afternoon as it does in the morning.
Arrival
Coats on hooks, hellos by name, and a slow start at the tables.
Class meeting
The whole class together for calendar, songs, and today's story.
Centers
Small groups rotate through art, blocks, sensory bins, and letters.
Gross motor room
Running, climbing, and balancing indoors — the loud part of the day.
Snack & stories
Something to eat, a book on the rug, and a gentle landing.
Arrival
Coats on hooks, hellos by name, and a slow start at the tables.
Class meeting
The whole class together for calendar, songs, and today's story.
Centers
Small groups rotate through art, blocks, sensory bins, and letters.
Gross motor room
Running, climbing, and balancing indoors — the loud part of the day.
Snack & stories
Something to eat, a book on the rug, and a gentle landing.
Preschool runs 9:15–11:45am on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Pre-K runs the same three days, either 9:15–11:45am or 12:45–3:15pm — one session or the other. Pre-K enrichment adds a fourth day on Thursday, 9:15–11:45am.
Committed, close-knit teaching team
Meet the team.
Some of our teachers have been here for over a decade. Together, they know how to make a small classroom feel like family.
Mrs. Exline
Background in early elementary education
Builds a loving, safe classroom where imagination can run free — and loves watching each child grow more confident and curious.
Mrs. Johnson
Connected to Little Shepherd since 2014
First joined as a preschool parent, now helps children build the confidence to problem-solve and speak up for what they need.
Mrs. Ferguson
With Little Shepherd since 2012
Trained in food allergy awareness and special needs support. Knows every child learns differently and meets each one where they are.
Our commitment to safety
How we keep your child safe.
Every preschool says safety comes first. Here is what ours actually consists of — who gets into the building, who gets to leave with your child, who is cleared to be near them, what we know about your child before the first day, and how the rooms are kept.
Secure access
Getting into the building takes secure access. Authorized staff and family members come in. Nobody else does. Cameras cover the outside of the church.
Only the people you named
Your child is released to the people on your Authorized Pickup form and no one else, with ID checked before they go. If someone who is not on the form tries, your child stays with us and we call you immediately.
Every adult vetted & trained
Every staff member and volunteer holds a current background check, as Illinois law requires, plus a child abuse and neglect clearance certificate. They are trained for the room they work in. You can ask to see the paperwork.
Allergies, and how they learn
Allergies and dietary restrictions are recorded when you enroll. A food allergy comes with an allergy action plan, and EpiPens and other emergency medications are kept here, on-site and in date. What you tell us about how your child learns best is held the same way — by the teachers in the room, not in a file nobody opens.
Clean hands, clean rooms
We keep rigorous cleanliness protocols so germs do not travel the way they can in a room full of three-year-olds — surfaces, tables, and the toys that end up in mouths. The other half of it is the children: handwashing gets taught and practiced here until it is a habit they take home with them.
Little Shepherd follows the guidelines and standards of the Illinois Department of Children & Family Services. On a tour you can ask to see any of it — the staff clearances, and how the front door is answered during school hours.
Staying connected
One app, and nothing lost in a backpack.
Little Shepherd runs on Playground, a childcare management app. It keeps families and staff looking at the same information: what happened today, what is coming up, and what still needs signing. If you booked a tour on this site, you have already used it.
It is there so nothing important rides on a note in a bag. The talking still happens at the door, with the teacher who had your child that day — the app just means you are not waiting until then to hear how it went.
Today, in photos
What your child made, did, and got thoroughly stuck into.
Messages, both ways
A question to the teacher, and an answer from the person who was there.
Dates and announcements
Closures, events, and the things that are easy to miss.
Forms, check-in, tuition
Paperwork signed, arrivals logged, payments made. All in one place.
At a glance
The practical stuff.
Hours, dates, and how a spot actually gets held for your child.
School hours
- Preschool
- Monday, Wednesday, Friday · 9:15–11:45am
- Pre-K
- Monday, Wednesday, Friday · 9:15–11:45am or 12:45–3:15pm
- Pre-K enrichment
- Thursday · 9:15–11:45am
Pre-K families pick one session, morning or afternoon.
Dates to know
- First day of schoolMonday, August 31, 2026
- Last day of schoolFriday, May 21, 2027
Holding a spot
Registration for 2026–2027 is open now for Preschool and Pre-K. Spots are limited by our small class sizes.
Start enrollmentNot ready yet? Book a phone call and ask us anything.
Always welcome
Finding us, reaching us.
Reach us
Call 630-528-0838 during school hours, or email hello@littleshepherdps.com. Small questions are welcome ones.
Where we are
5 W. Washington St., Oswego, IL 60543 — inside Church of the Good Shepherd, on the corner in downtown Oswego. Park in the church lot.
Open in Google MapsSick or away?
Send us a message in the Playground app, or email hello@littleshepherdps.com. Tell us the reason and how long you expect your child to be out, as early in the day as you can.
Good to know
Questions parents actually ask.
Not here? Call 630-528-0838 — a person picks up.
The program
How many children are in a class?
Small, and intentionally so — we keep a ratio of ten children to one adult. Staying small is the reason the school exists in the shape it does: a teacher can notice who had a rough drop-off, who is ready for harder words, and who needs a minute before joining the circle.
What is the difference between Preschool and Pre-K?
Preschool is for three- and four-year-olds. Pre-K is for four- and five-year-olds who start kindergarten the following year. Both programs are described here.
What will my child actually learn?
Language arts, mathematics, science, social studies, social and emotional learning, and physical development — the six content areas of the Illinois Early Learning and Development Standards. Children meet them through guided play, process art, hands-on activities, the Jolly Phonics program, the gross motor room, and the interactive whiteboard. Each child is assessed three times a year.
Does Little Shepherd follow state childcare standards?
Yes. Little Shepherd follows the guidelines and standards of the Illinois Department of Children & Family Services, and we are happy to walk you through what that covers when you visit.
Is this a religious school?
Little Shepherd is a ministry of Church of the Good Shepherd, a United Methodist Church, and the classrooms are a nurturing Christian environment. Families of every background are welcome, and the day is built around early learning rather than instruction in doctrine.
Visiting and enrolling
How do I see the classrooms?
Book a tour and come look at the rooms properly, and at the teachers, who are the real reason to choose one school over another. Tours run Monday through Thursday, 9:00–10:00am or 3:00–4:00pm. If you would rather come while a class is in session, say so when you book and we will find you a time. Pick a time, or call 630-528-0838 and we will find one together.
Is registration open?
Registration for the 2026–2027 school year is open now for both Preschool and Pre-K. Spots are limited by our small class sizes, so the list closes earlier than families expect.
What does it cost?
Monthly tuition for 2026–2027 is $230 for three days a week and $280 for four. The year is divided into nine equal payments, running August through April or September through May depending on when you enroll — so the amount is the same every month, with no larger bill waiting in one of them.
A $50 registration fee and a $50 supply fee are due when you register. There is a snack fee at the start of the year as well, which varies with how many days a week your child comes — ask us and we will tell you what yours comes to.
How do we pay?
Through the Playground app, which is also where the rest of the paperwork lives. You add a card or a bank account once, invoices arrive in the app, and you can pay from your phone or turn on autopay and stop thinking about the date. Changing your payment method later is something you do yourself, without asking anyone.
Do you run camps?
Yes — camps run at the start and end of the school year and throughout the year. Call or email for this year's camp details.
The everyday
What are the hours?
Preschool runs 9:15–11:45am on Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Pre-K runs the same three days, and families choose either the morning session, 9:15–11:45am, or the afternoon one, 12:45–3:15pm — a child comes to one or the other, not both. Pre-K enrichment adds a fourth day on Thursday, 9:15–11:45am.
Which days is school closed?
School runs from Monday, August 31, 2026 to Friday, May 21, 2027. Every holiday, break, and no-school day in between is listed on the calendar.
What should my child bring?
[Backpack, change of clothes, snack — to be confirmed]. Everything is labeled with your child's name on the first day, and we send a reminder list before school starts.
Does my child need to be potty trained?
Yes — fully potty trained, and no pull-ups. That one is firm, and it is better to know now than in September. Teachers take the class to the bathroom when they arrive and again at points through the session, and any child can ask to go at any time.
Do you serve lunch?
No — a snack, not a meal. There is a snack fee at the start of the year that covers it, and the amount depends on how many days a week your child attends. Ask us and we will tell you what yours comes to.
My child has a food allergy. How is that handled?
Tell us at enrollment and again at the door. Our staff includes teachers trained in food allergy awareness, and snack is managed around the allergies in the room rather than the other way around.
What if my child needs extra support?
Ask us early and ask us plainly. Children learn differently, our teachers have experience supporting a range of needs, and a small class leaves room to adapt. We will tell you honestly what we can and cannot do well.
My child is sick today. What do I do?
Keep them home, and let us know. Send a message in the Playground app, or email hello@littleshepherdps.com — the reason, and how long you expect they will be out. As early in the day as you can, so we can plan the room, but tell us late rather than not at all.
2026–2027 registration is open
Come see our classrooms for yourself.
The best way to understand Little Shepherd is to walk through our doors. Schedule a tour and meet the teachers who will get to know your child by name. Tours run Monday through Thursday, 9:00–10:00am or 3:00–4:00pm.