Overview

It is very important to provide opportunities for young preschoolers to explore, learn and grow and to become independent thinkers and problem-solvers. Our preschool program offers a quality, safe and nurturing setting with developmentally appropriate materials and wisely structured schedule with organized activities and carefully supervised free play.

Our curriculum provides consistency and a predictable routine, which is comforting to children. It includes open-ended activities and materials that can be used in a variety of ways. The curriculum that is taught to the preschoolers promotes multisensory experiences and invites exploration and discovery.

Additional Information

Falls Church Preschool and Daycare is a full time preschool for ages two and a half years to entry to Kindergarten. Rooted in classical European education philosophy, we offer a structured and fun environment in which children build an exceptional foundation to start Kindergarten in academics, character development, social development, and life skills. Our facilities are clean and pleasant, our staff friendly and professional, and our curriculum is top notch.

The standards, methodologies, and curriculum represent a synthesis of classical methodologies rooted in her education and experience. This synthesis includes principles borrowed from Vygotsky, Waldorf, and Montessori. The three pillars of our educational system are Academic development, Social-Emotional Development, and Life Skills. In developing these three areas, our school provides a balance of structured activities and free play. The school day is designed to provide a healthy rhythm in the daily routine. For Academic Development, we use high quality research-based curriculum materials. For Social-Emotional development, we take proactive steps to teach skills such as sharing, kindness, inclusion, positive attitude, dealing with conflicts, empathy, and other such skills that help them to have good character, be good citizens, and have successful relationships. We are a very diverse school, and the children learn to always have space in their heart for someone new. We teach life skills such as putting on school shoes when entering the classroom, dressing for outdoor play or nap, good hygiene, picking up toys after playing, and assisting staff to set tables and do other tasks. Because we have numerous structured activities throughout the day, the children learn to get in place, stay quiet, and listen to the teacher in an orderly way. This gives the children a distinct advantage, having developed the skills that will help them succeed in Kindergarten. Cooperation is accomplished using consistency, routine, redirection and positive reinforcement. We are an English speaking school, but we incorporate strong multi-lingual education through our Russian and French curriculum. Children are able to absorb languages more easily and naturally when they are young, and we take full advantage of that. Most of the staff is bilingual to support our multi-lingual education.

Child Safety is always our highest priority. If a stranger comes to our facility, they will find a locked door. Only parents and staff can enter the preschool, and each parent is issued a FOB for electronic access or a key code. We take physical security very seriously so that only those who belong in the preschool have access to the children. Our facilities are child-proof and age appropriate, and everything is relatively new and in good condition. Corners are protected with corner protectors. Regarding health, our staff is certified with Medical Administration Training and CPR. Our HVAC system has UV sanitization in the ducts to kill germs without allowing them to recycle in the classroom. This helps to make outbreaks of sickness less frequent and less severe. We also frequently wipe down our toys and play surfaces with sanitizing solution to minimize the spread of germs. Our teacher-child ratios are always compliant with state standards, and our staff is second to none in providing a safe environment conducive to learning.

We are open Monday to Friday, 7:30AM to 6:15PM.

We serve healthy meals and snacks: a continental breakfast, a professionally catered hot lunch, and an afternoon snack.

We use professional, research-based, age appropriate curriculum in each of our classes. The children love our curriculum, and it always holds their interest. The children build a very strong foundation in literacy, math, science, and all core subjects. Students who graduate from our Pre-k class are usually substantially ahead of their peers entering Kindergarten, and the feedback we have is that they score exceptionally well on entrance exams to some of the most prestigious private schools around. In addition to our core courses, art and music are part of our regular curriculum.

Many habits and routine skills are learned in preschool which serve them well as they grow. We work on instilling good cleanliness and hygiene skills and training the children to be self-sufficient and helpful in completing routine tasks. We keep our classrooms clean by training children to take off their dirty street shoes and put on clean indoor shoes when they enter the classroom. Taking off and putting on shoes is an important life skill for the children. The children wash their hands frequently, before and after meals and snacks and after using rest room. This helps prevent the spread of disease. When it is time to change clothes or shoes or put on or take off a coat, we try to train the children to learn to do it on their own. We train the children to be as independent as possible on the toilet. Every child has one or more jobs to help out in the classroom each day, such as helping set up for lunch. This develops responsibility and maturity. Our goal is for the children to be able to perform all of these tasks by themselves with confidence.

French and Russian language classes are a core part of the curriculum. For those who want even more practice, optional language enrichment classes are available depending on interest level. Unlike language classes in primary and secondary education, learning a language in preschool is fun. It is interactive, playful, and there is no homework or tests. We consider this foundation in multi-lingual education to be extremely valuable as they get older and continue to build language skills. The staff in each class is bi-lingual to daily support and reinforce our language curriculum in the classroom.

Each month, we have a workshop to support social-emotional development and continue reinforcing the theme throughout the month. We cover topics like sharing, kindness and acceptance, positive attitude, learning from mistakes, dealing with conflicts without hurting ourselves or others, and so on.

Several times a year, your children become stars when they perform music, drama, and dance for the parents. The children practice for these performances in their music classes. The older children traditionally perform our version of "The Nutcracker" during the winter performance.

During STEM week, the children learn and develop curiosity through hands-on activities relating to math, engineering, and science.

During our "Travel Around the World" week, we celebrate cultures and parts of the world through pretend travel to countries around the world. Children and parents are encouraged to get involved by doing an interactive presentation about their ancestral culture and homeland.

Our Fashion Show allows the children to display confidence and positive attitude on the red carpet with their favorite clothes and costumes.

In addition to the regular curriculum, optional enrichment classes are offered according to interest in subjects such as:

• Russian and French
• Ballet
• Karate
• Tennis
• Other educational and fun subjects