Jesus said,”Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these.” Matthew 19:13-14
Dear Friends:
Have you heard about the hidden gem at Epiphany Episcopal Church? It’s right here…Epiphany’s very own Preschool! Epiphany Preschool is a developmentally appropriate, child-centered, play-based program offered in a loving, Christian environment. And it’s right here!
Here’s the facts:
- Epiphany Preschool is open from September – June, offering classes Monday – Friday from 9am – 1pm for children ages 2½ – 5. We operate under a Religiously Exempt License from the State of Virginia.
- Our impeccable staff boasts upwards of 80 years of collective experience in education! (In case you don’t know, that’s pretty impressive!) We are all CPR & First Aid certified and are required to complete 9 hours of staff development annually to keep our expertise current. In addition, a handful of us are MAT certified which is a licensing requirement allowing us to enroll children who have specific health requirements. Our staff works tirelessly as a team of professionals (often past contractual hours) to meet the needs of every child in our care. I am honored to work with them.
- Our child-teacher ratios are exemplary. Our 2½ year-olds enjoy our lowest ratio of 8:2. For our threes we offer 10:2 and fours are 14:2. (Again, this is notable in comparison to our local competition.)
- We offer a four-hour program daily, from 9am – 1pm, which includes lunch. Children bring their lunch to school and not only enjoy eating with their friends, but also learn the proper socialization of lunch skills.
- Children attend Chapel with Rev. Hillary weekly. The children LOVE Chapel! Rev. Hillary teaches age-appropriate Bible lessons with the use of prayerful songs, creative props and lots of smiles. As I’m sure you’re aware, Rev. Hillary is amazing with our children! These lessons are carried over into our classrooms as well.
- We are play-based. While that does not mean we play with play-dough all morning, it does mean specific, fun, meaningful activities are offered where children learn by experience. These experiences most often do not include paper and pencil, but manipulatives, movement, and child-safe tools that promote learning in a fun way. This equates to happy children and families!
- Our curriculum is theme-based and includes Learning Without Tears (formerly Handwriting Without Tears). I use the State of Virginia’s Foundation Blocks for Early Learning as a guideline when preparing our monthly curricula to help ensure a smooth transition to Kindergarten for our graduating friends.
- All of this is offered to our community for a competitive monthly fee. (Fees can be found on our website.)
- We are connected! Epiphany has a website that can be reached via the Church’s website or by visiting epiphanypreschooloakhill.orgWe also have a Facebook page! You are welcome to like us!
Can you believe all of this is offered right HERE? At Epiphany Church! You are encouraged to stop by, volunteer or share the news of this hidden gem with friends! However you choose to support Epiphany Preschool is very appreciated! And don’t forget, we’re right here.
Gayle Massey
Director
Epiphany Preschool
703-466-5204
preschool@epiphanyec.org