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Saint Andrew Lutheran Preschool was established by our congregation in 1984 as a part of the educational ministry of the church. As an outreach ministry of Saint Andrew Lutheran Church, we recognize the importance of the preschool to young families. We are mindful that children will learn the most about God's love by the way it is demonstrated to them. We have families from many denominations and different cultural and religious backgrounds. We all are God's children.

Children grow and learn best in a play-based program with hands-on activities where they are encouraged to explore and create. At Saint Andrew Lutheran Preschool, academics are intertwined throughout the curriculum and presented in ways that are fun and meaningful. We work to create a caring community of learners where each child is valued and encouraged to value others. Our program is based on developmentally appropriate practices in early childhood education as evidenced in standards established by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC), Fairfax County Early Learning Guidelines and the Virginia Department of Education.

Questions & Answers

Here are some answers to common questions.

We are an outreach ministry of this Saint Andrew Lutheran Church.  The children attend Sanctuary once each month with their class. During Sanctuary Time, we present a simple Bible story, sing Bible songs and pray; we experience God’s love in age-appropriate ways. Grace is said before our snacks. The theme for December is the story of the Nativity. We are mindful that children will learn the most about God’s love by the way it is demonstrated to them. We have families from many denominations and different cultural and religious backgrounds. We are all God’s children.

We offer classes for three-, four- and five-year-olds.  All children must be toilet trained before entering the program. Our three-year-old classes have two teachers and fourteen students. Classes for our four- and five-year-olds have two teachers and sixteen students.

The lead teacher is required to hold a degree in early childhood or a related field of child development. We seek to employ those persons who are Christians, have an understanding of the developmental stages of children and demonstrate an ability to relate to children in a loving, positive manner. A skilled teacher is flexible and seeks to meet the needs of each child on an individual level, helping them to be incorporated into the group. We work to stay current in the field of early childhood education through continued professional development. All staff pass criminal history and Central Registry checks from the Commonwealth of Virginia and have current training both in First Aid and children's CPR. Staff also receive training in the administration of emergency medications (EMAT). Our program is regulated by Fairfax County and inspected yearly for fire safety and health procedures.

Teachers keep in touch weekly through emails that summarize the classroom activities. Monthly, each teacher sends home a class calendar and information about the classroom themes. The teacher can be contacted by email or by notes sent in your child’s backpack. We have scheduled conferences twice yearly and more frequently if necessary. We want to keep our lines of communication open and flowing.

Yes!  though volunteers are not required, we love parent volunteers. In fact, we have special events throughout the year for both moms and dads to enjoy time in the classroom or a special program by the children.

Preschool Resources