What age must my child be to participate in Giant Step’s Preschool Program?

The children present at Giant Step during our preschool hours are typically between the ages of 2 to 5. In other words, they are not yet eligible by age to attend Kindergarten. As a “small center-based” program, we do not currently have a large enough staff to separate the children into groups all day. This simply means that all children present participate in our preschool activities.

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What kind of activities are available?

We work hard to ensure that our activities are developmentally appropriate. This means that the activities we provide are:

•  centered on play. Research shows that play is the way children are meant to learn. (NAEYC provides many articles to help families understand why we say that play IS learning.)
• Varied to meet the needs of the whole child, across all developmental domains (social, emotional, physical, cognitive (thought), and language)

• Balanced between time for teacher directed activities (story time, group discussion, music/movement, games) and child directed activities (free play which includes various play centers, art materials, gross and fine motor play, outdoor time, etc.)

Everyone is welcome to visit this site for Teaching Strategies Gold to see how our curriculum and assessments align with Colorado State Standards:

Click to access Colorado-Academic-Standards-2020-Pre-K-10.25.2019.pdf

Can my preschooler attend Giant Step for child care if they are attending public school via Rangely Preschool or private school such as Rangely Christian Academy?

Yes. We do not require preschool aged children to choose us over other options in order to use Giant Step. In fact, many preschoolers use our program in conjunction with Rangely Preschool’s half day program, which provides bussing from us to them and vice versa.

We do want families to know that we are a viable option on our own for preschool education prior to starting kindergarten via Parkview Elementary.

We respect each family’s right to decide what works best for them and their children, whether that choice may be Giant Step, or other schools/programs, homeschooling or any combination.

Since all children participate in preschool activities, what are the benefits of choosing the Prepaid Preschool Tuition option?

Our preschool tuition option allows families to choose between a monthly rate for either two, three, or four days a week. The tuition is paid each month to cover the following month.

• This option guarantees we will hold a spot for your child on their scheduled days. 

• Because the rates are averaged over a 9 month period, no refunds are given for absences; however, we will make an effort to offer a “Make up day” when availability allows. For example, say a child attends 2 days/week on Mondays and Wednesdays, but one week they are ill, missing both days. If the family speaks with us in advance,  we may be able to accommodate their child all four days the next week at no extra charge.

• Twice a year, we provide conferences to share information about how children are developing with their families. This information is derived from Teaching Strategies Gold in conjunction with observations we gather about the children. These assessments assist us in planning activities and providing opportunities that align with each child’s point of development as well as their interests.

• Children attending Giant Step Preschool program exclusively until they transition to Public Kindergarten will be offered an opportunity to meet the current Kindergarten Teacher and check out the School Facility before the start of the School year. • Parents will receive info forwarded from the public school regarding the Kindergarten open house for meet and greet when applicable.

• Please note that prepaid tuition only covers the hours of 8 am to 12:30 pm (essentially a half day rate). Families also needing care outside these hours can pay separately for that care if they are using prepaid tuition.

Does Preschool run year round at Giant Step?

No. Each year we align our preschool schedule with RE-4 District’s Public school schedule. Currently, preschool is in session from September 25th, 2023 to May 16th, 2024. 

During public school breaks, Giant Step may remain open for child care provided there is enough demand. Families are given advance notice to sign up for care at such times and we will post notice when a decision is made prior to the breaks. 

These days are not included in the prepaid tuition, so families utilizing Giant Step at these times should expect to be billed at our regular rates for those days.

When we provide child care during Summer, these days are always billed at our regular daily rate.

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