We are the large church on the corner of Third and Randolph with the tall white steeple. While our mailing address is 1333 Third Street the preschool entrance faces Randolph Street across from the large county parking lot.
You do not need to be a Presbyterian; you don’t have to be religious at all! We are simply an outreach of the First Presbyterian Church and have been here since the 1960’s and officially a licensed preschool since 1973. ALL children are welcome regardless of beliefs, race, or parent’s marital status. We have children from all faith backgrounds attend and feel comfortable!
We have a secure keypad entry, as well as monitored access to all campus entry points. We also have regular fire and emergency drills. Your child will only be permitted to go home with those adults on their authorized pick up list. The only adults that will ever be alone with children are the PDS staff; all staff in California have had a Livescan fingerprint clearance.
Not at all! When the time is right we will work with your child at any age once they are showing interest and ready. Some children are ready before age two and some are five, no pressure at any age!
For many preschool age children napping outside home or in their car seat is a big transition! After lunch ends at 12:30 pm we have all children use the bathroom/change diapers/add a nap pull-up before heading to rest time. We have blinds closed, quiet music playing and staff are there to rub backs and help children settle down to relax. We have some children bring a small stuffy or a pacifier for nap and parents provide a blanket from home. We have found MOST children will nap once they are used to it at school. Those children that do not fall asleep are allowed to get up to play quietly after about 20 minutes. We find most children wake up on their own around 2:00 p.m.,by about 2:30 p.m. we turn the lights back on and start transitioning to the afternoon activities.
Our playground is in the interior of our campus, which is not visible from the street, and includes a weather-proof covering so that kids can play in any weather. When you come for a tour we can show you! We have bikes, a sandbox, play houses and a play structure. All the photos on our website taken outside are from the preschool.
As a community outreach of the First Presbyterian Church we do not pay rent and tuition covers most of our operating expenses. We are extremely fortunate that our church wants to serve as a welcoming place for all families. When we do have a tuition increase we carefully determine the correct amount by looking at our program costs, hiring needs and upcoming expenses. We strive to keep prices as affordable as possible for our families.
We have open communication between parents and staff, we are available for a brief check in at drop off and pick up time or are happy to schedule time for an in depth conversation. We do have an app for communication between parents and staff or you can send an email or text.
We have three teachers on staff and one full-time director. The children know all of us since we interact throughout the afternoon in mixed age groups. The teachers have the required courses in Child Development but we chose them because of their experience and love of children! Most of our teachers are still taking classes, doing virtual training and attending workshops to continue learning. The state requires a ratio of 1 teacher for every 12 preschool children and we currently operate at a 1 to 8 ratio.
We are almost always looking for new teachers with a heart for working with young children and with college courses completed in Early Childhood Education. If you are interested in learning more about working with young children, please reach out to us.
We are fortunate to share our entrance with Studio G School of Music & Theatre, which is located on the second floor and led by founder, Genavieve Gillis (Mrs. G). Studio G is Napa Valley’s premier youth musical theatre company, providing exceptional training in voice, acting, and dance for children and teens. Mrs. G meets her students at the entrance and leads them upstairs for their programs. From time to time you might see parents and children of all ages waiting out front to be let in for their classes. We love hearing the big kids dancing and singing upstairs!