Preschool

Our Preschool Program 

F.A.Q.

Q:  What makes Beginnings Preschool different from any other program in our area?  

A:  Our Teachers are State Licensed and have many years of classroom experience.  We require our teachers to be licensed for a few reasons:  1) We have VERY high standards and want our preschoolers to be prepared for their first day of school 2) We believe the in-classroom training they received prior to graduation (student teaching) is an invaluable asset.  You cannot replicate that learning environment.  3) Our kids deserve a proper introduction to the classroom – many studies have shown that their first preschool experiences can mold their feelings and interest in schooling for years to come – we ensure they have the absolute best educational experience while at Beginnings.  (The requirements for Preschool teachers in ND are that they receive a BS in Early Childhood – this does not require any actual teaching experience, no formal lesson or curriculum planning, no classroom time with a mentor, and all of these requirements can actually be competed online – with absolutely NO child interaction.  We don’t believe this is adequate, so we go above and beyond these requirements to ensure your child has a worthwhile experience.)

Q: How do you know you are preparing them for all of the testing and requirements of Kindergarten?               

A:  We are using the same curriculums as West Fargo schools, the same technologies, and even use similar testing to the STAR program used by WF schools.  We talk to and correspond frequently with Kindergarten Teachers all over the community to ensure we are educating our students properly, and in-line with their standards.

Our Teachers take continuing education courses and curriculum specific weekend retreats to be sure we are up to date with all of the new materials.  We are specifically trained to work with “Handwriting Without Tears”, “Everyday Math”, “The Creative Curriculum”, and we use “StoryTown” for introduction to reading.

Q:  What makes Preschool different from Daycare at Beginnings?

A:  Our child care teachers are trained and highly qualified by various degrees of education, experience and on-the-job trainings.  Our child care teachers are not required to hold a valid teaching license, many of our teachers are studying Early Childhood Education, have many years in the child care field or have been specially trained to work with their specific age group.  The classrooms are still structured, they are teaching them following the “Creative Curriculum”, but it is at a less “intense” level.  As an example; while they may be learning to write their names in daycare, in Preschool they are breaking it down, using correct pencil grip, and structuring their letters properly.  We are focusing on the larger picture in daycare, and breaking down our learning piece by piece in the Preschool Classroom.

Our Preschool Teachers are required to have on the job training in a school under the supervision of an experienced teacher.  They have passed their state testing and are qualified to teach Pre-K to 3rd grade.  We are not aware of another Preschool and Childcare Center that offers this high quality of teaching staff to their Preschool Programs.

Q:  Wow!  You are passionate about Preschool!!

A:  ABSOLUTELY!  We know that Preschool is their first introduction to a classroom.  We want this experience to be fun, educational, and WORTH IT!  We are so passionate about our students and their learning styles that we actually reach out to their teachers once they go to Kindergarten and we survey their parents to see if we met all of their expectations!  We focus on the social and emotional aspect of school, as well as their intellectual needs.

Q:  Why don’t you offer full-day Preschool?

A:  Honestly – we don’t believe in over doing it.  They are young (3-5 years) and still have a lot of “play” in them.  Their time to focus on preschool activities can be limited and we want them to truly enjoy coming to preschool – not wear them out.  Once they go to Kindergarten, they are there for an entire day – this starts at ages 5 to 6, and we feel they deserve to still be “kids” before they start their 18+ years of schooling. Our Preschool Program is intensive, interactive, and very educational- so two to four hours of Preschool is more than enough to balance out that “work and play” atmosphere.

Q:  What technology is used?

A:  We use a SmartBoard, ipads, document cameras and basic computers. Again, we try to acclimate our preschoolers to what they will see and use in kindergarten – all of these great, educational technologies, are offered in West Fargo schools! We are proud and excited to offer them to our students!

Q:  How do you structure your pricing?

A:  At Beginnings Preschool we provide EVERYTHING.  All supplies, books, treats, snacks, field trips, and ongoing costs throughout the year.  You pay the monthly tuition, we take care of the rest.  This means you do not have to go school supply shopping, no parent treat days, no snack packing and no extra fees – EVER!   We also take into account the education of our Teachers and our extremely high expectations that YOU, as a parent, have of your child’s Preschool success.

Your Preschool Tuition can be paid monthly, weekly, or bi-weekly.  We want to work with you as we realize tuitions can be difficult to budget, depending on your personal finances.  We also offer a paid-in-full discount.

 *** Please go to “enrollment forms” to find our required forms and more details about the programs.

Tuition – Preschool (September-May)

Tuition  – Kindergarten Readiness Camp

Tuition  – Summer School