General Information
We believe that a strong academic foundation must be established in order to support success in a child’s educational future. In our Preschool and Pre-kindergarten classes, our teachers make the initial educational experience enjoyable and rewarding.
Special attention is given to each child in all areas of development. Our teachers believe that solid fundamental components should be mastered in order for students to excel academically. Children are led to develop good work habits and strong social skills. Students are encouraged to develop biblical values, which include respecting authority, learning obedience and practicing self-control.
At Desert Christian Academy, our Preschool and Pre-kindergarten classes help build a strong foundation in both a child’s spiritual life and academic future.
Hours of Operation
- Monday – Friday 7:00 a.m. – 5:30 p.m. throughout the school year.
- Pick up time for half day students is between 12:00 – 12:30 p.m.
- Our Preschool is closed one week for Thanksgiving break, two weeks for Christmas/New Year, and one week for Easter vacation, as well as nationally recognized holidays.
Student Age Ranges
Our program serves children ages 18 months to five years old. It is required for ages three and up to be fully potty trained.
Preschool FAQ
DCA Preschool serves students as young as 18 months all the way through 5 years old.
Children who turn 5 before October 2nd are eligible for DCA Kindergarten
During the school year we operate Monday through Friday from 7:00AM-5:30PM.
Our Preschool is closed one week for Thanksgiving, two weeks for Christmas/New Year, and one week for Easter, as well as nationally recognized holidays.
Toddler class ratio is 6:1
Preschool-PK class ratio is 12:1
The size of the class is dependent upon the size of the actual classroom. Classrooms here range in room for 12-24 children.
Daily schedules and routines differ for each classroom and age group but each class schedule includes both large and small group activities, outdoor play, Bible time, art, and facilitated free play.
Children in our toddler classroom and/or the older two's room do not have to be potty trained. We partner with families to see this important skill mastered. Students are required to be potty trained by the time they are enrolled in the three year old classroom.
Parents provide a healthful lunch for their child and we provide healthy morning and afternoon snacks.
We are a nut-sensitive preschool and do not serve items that have nuts in the ingredient list.
Community Care Licensing requires that we offer a rest time to every child. Our daily schedule includes a two hour nap time for each classroom from 12:30pm-2:30pm. Children aren't required to sleep but are expected to rest quietly to allow their friends to get the rest they need. When appropriate, children who don't fall asleep may be given quiet activities to do until wake-up time.
We use Bob Jones University Christian curriculum, for phonics, language arts, and math/science concepts.
For ages 3 and up, the Handwriting Without Tears curriculum is used to work on writing skills. It includes fun games, practice sheets, music and more to enhance the student's ability to form letters and numbers.
At DCA, God's Word is the authoritative text that governs all of our curriculum. However, it is also essential for students to learn the Bible in its pure form so we have comprehensive BIble instruction across all grades at DCA, leading students to clearly understand God's Word and how to navigate it for themselves. Preschool chapel is every Thursday morning at 9:05am and parents are always welcome to attend.
Parents are not required to volunteer. However, we LOVE when parents participate and get involved. We have a Conqueror Parents group that we welcome parents to get involved with to plug in to the DCA community.
For the toddler and preschool classrooms, options include a Mon/Wed/Fri schedule, a Tues/Thr schedule or a Mon-Fri schedule. Any of those options can be half or full day.
The schedule options for Pre-K are limited to either Mon-Fri half day or Mon-Fri full day.
Half day students are picked-up between 12:00-12:30.
Enrollment fees include:
Application fee: $75, non-refundable
Materials fee: $50 for ages Toddlers & Preschool, $100 for Pre-K
Registration fee: $300, paid annually
Rates are dependent on the child's schedule as well as the payment plan you choose. Tuition is pro-rated for those students that begin after the start of the school year in August.
Financial aid is not available for students in Preschool however it is available for students in grades K-12.
1. Tour: Schedule a tour of the preschool by emailing Lindsay Tolman at ltolman@desertchristianacademy.org
2. Apply: Submit an application at https://desertchristianacademy.org/admissions/, you'll receive a confirmation response once the application has been received.
3. Student interview: Community Care Licensing Title 22 (101218.1) requires that one or more interviews with each child’s parent or authorized representative be conducted so that we can understand the state of the child’s health and physical and emotional development, and assess whether we can meet each child’s needs. This is also the time where we get to share with you more in detail about preschool policies and procedures. This orientation will take about 20-30 minutes. It’s not required that children attend, but they are certainly welcome.
4. Acceptance/Enrollment Packet: Upon acceptance into our program, you will receive and email with instructions about how to access the "enrollment packet." Each step must be completed in order to submit. After you've submitted it you'll receive a confirmation and you child can start school.
Our Preschool director as well as the team in the admissions/tuition office will be there to answer any questions you have along the way.
We offer a 10 week summer program starting the first Monday in June through early August. Please email the preschool director for more information.
Hours of operation in the summer:
7:30-5:30 Monday - Friday
Preschool Forms
