About Us

Welcome to Learning Lodge West

I want to start by saying thank you for the opportunity to share my vision of early care and education with you. It has been a long-time dream of mine to open an early childhood center. I am committed to providing families with an environment where children receive meaningful care and develop a life long love for learning.  

As a mom of two boys, I know what a treasure children are! I want your children to be excited to come to school - to explore, play and enjoy learning - and for you to feel confident in the care and education they receive while you're away.  Our building is intentionally set up to look more like a lodge-home and thus feel more comfortable. I want to highlight that I value a learning environment that incorporates music, physical movement, character development, and community service.

I graduated from Portland State University with a degree in Marketing Management, but not long after working in marketing research did I miss pouring into the lives of children. I've had the opportunity to work on the administrative side of early childhood and elementary education programs for 20 years now. I can’t express enough how grateful I am to own and operate Learning Lodge West. 

My hope is that you can hear my passion for our youngest learners.  I look forward to getting to know you and your family.  

Jacinda

Jacinda Kirk, Director / Owner
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We have lived in Lake St. Louis since 2009. My husband grew up here and graduated from the Wentzville School District. We are honored that our boys get to attend Timberland High School and graduate from the same school district. We also have two adorable Irish Setter/Poodles (not pictured) that run circles around all of us.

Who We Are

We have a blended teaching philosophy that emphasizes a rich learning environment where children are encouraged to explore and play.  We believe teacher-directed academic instruction is just as important as self-directed exploration as our students learn school readiness, self-help skills, and character development. 

We offer our preschool (2-4 years) and prekindergarten students (4-5 years) additional enrichment with a weekly formal social-emotional class, music class, Spanish, and PE that includes Yoga and Zumba.  Our school age students have home work support, snack and enriching after school activities.  During the summer, we transition to Summer Camp for everyone with weekly themes, water play and field trips for our older students. 

We want parents and teachers work hand-in-hand to prepare students to be life-long learners and gain valuable skills to meet life’s challenges. 

It’s our goal to provide high quality care and early education in an atmosphere of love and respect that fosters growth.

We view each learner as a whole child, striving to meet their intellectual, emotional, social and physical needs. 

Our teachers are committed to educational goals of excellence provided in a safe and loving environment. 

Have questions?

Please don't hesitate to reach out with questions or to schedule a tour.