When you think about where and how your child learns best, what comes to mind? Is it an environment in which they are comfortable exploring? A space where they feel supported and loved by people they trust? Or perhaps it is more about having a routine; understanding what is expected of them while still having room to move, have fun, and be a kid?
At Hill Country Christian School, we have designed our preschool program with all of these things in mind, because we understand how important it is to create a positive learning experience for young learners. For many of our students, this is their first school experience and we want to offer a nurturing environment that engages their spiritual, academic, and physical growth as they are equipped to become lifelong followers of Christ.
Below, you’ll find a brief overview of our priorities and what we offer, including:
Explore. Play. Grow.
Creating a safe place for your child to learn is one of the most important things we value at Hill Country. But we also recognize that safety is not just about setting up an age-appropriate, secure classroom — it’s about designing a space where your child will feel comfortable to grow physically, socially, emotionally, academically, and spiritually. What does that type of learning environment look like at Hill Country?
INSIDE OUR PRESCHOOL CLASSROOMS, YOU WILL FIND:
Sensory stations that encourage your child to experiment with their environment through hands-on experiences and daily play opportunities.
Just enough classmates to grow with socially, without feeling overwhelmed. Each classroom features one attentive lead teacher and one teacher’s aide with a maximum of 12-16 students.
Daily routines that engage your young learner and prepare them with kindergarten readiness skills.
Technology is used to enhance academic and Bible lessons with singing and worship, movement, and learning support. Classes use iPads with learning apps to reinforce phonics, reading, and math.
Would you like to see one of our preschool classrooms? Schedule a tour and see if it is a place where your child will flourish.
Preschool Programs
Parents of three to five year olds have the flexibility to choose a program that is right for their child’s learning needs.
Preschool
Full Day
(three- and four-year-olds)
5-Day Program
Full Day
Monday-Friday
8 a.m.- 3 p.m.
Kinder Bridge
Program
(four- and five-year-olds)
5-Day Program
Full Day
Monday-Friday
8 a.m. – 3 p.m.
School begins at 9:00 a.m. every Monday with arrival beginning at 8:30 a.m. Tuesday through Friday Classes begin at 8:00 a.m. with arrival beginning at 7:30 a.m. We also offer Monday morning childcare from 7:30 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. at no additional cost to parents who need to drop off early due to work.
After School
Our fee-based afternoon program runs from 3:00-6:00 p.m. and provides children with an opportunity for extra play and learning activities. Your child will experience active play, singing, and learning centers, as well as lessons in phonics, reading, science, Bible, and more. Children have a rest time every afternoon.
What is Kinder Bridge?
Our Kinder Bridge class for four- and five-year-olds is designed to help each child build skills and confidence to thrive in kindergarten and beyond. This program bridges the gap between preschool and kindergarten. It also gives children with summer birthdays more time to mature and grow physically and academically.
Through fun, engaging, hands-on activities, students have daily lessons to develop emergent reading and math skills. Our early literacy curriculum centers around oral language development, including vocabulary and listening, phonological/phonemic awareness and knowledge of the alphabet, and reading aloud to model all of the concepts students will learn as they become readers.
Kinder Bridge students enjoy morning and afternoon recess.
- Follow three- to four-step directions
- Develop friendships
- Gain leadership skills
- Continue to develop fine motor skills (proper writing, scissors skills, and using glue)
- Continue to develop motor skills (running, hopping, jumping, and skipping)
- Improve working memory and problem-solving skills
- Develop alphabet knowledge through daily practice
- Develop language awareness activity using nursery rhymes
- Daily practice with phonemic awareness skills: Rhyme, Onset Fluency, Phoneme Isolation (initial, final, and medial), Blend words, syllables, onset-rime, and phonemes, Segment words, syllables, onset-rime, and phonemes, Add words, syllables, and initial phonemes, Delete words, syllables, and initial phonemes, Substitute initial phonemes
- Learn sight words
- Begin to read word families
- Practice and learn to count to 100
- Practice activities like counting, looking at shapes, and talking about sizes can help children develop early numeracy and math skills
- Learn and practice reading and math concepts through movement and music
- Practice learning concepts through exploration during center time
- Play and problem solve learning stations to develop playing skills and relationships
- Play during morning and afternoon recess to develop playing
Weekly Enrichment
Music
Library
Spanish
PE
Chapel
Four ways we foster kindergarten readiness
Spiritual Joy
Each week, your child will learn to praise the Lord through song, prayer, and interactive Bible lessons. Scripture memory is taught with the aid of movement, visuals, and object lessons. Our goal is to model God’s love for each child and instill in them the desire to obey God and serve Him faithfully.
Social and Emotional Growth
Your child will discover some of their unique, God-given traits as they develop social skills, such as self-control and cooperation, through structured and unstructured play. Outside the classroom, they will have the opportunity to attend special events and participate in service projects that further build social and emotional skills.
Cognitive Development
Our faith-based curriculum is taught through a biblical worldview and includes phonics and literacy skills, numeracy and mathematics skills, and handwriting. Our students take enrichment classes such as Spanish, art, and music. We place emphasis on developing phonemic awareness skills. By the time your child graduates from our preschool program, they will be able to:
- Identify their upper and lower case letters and sounds (in any order!)
- Begin sounding out words
- Count to 100
- Know their colors and shapes
- Trace letters and numbers
- Understand book care
Physical Gains
Is your child a wiggler? We love our active learners and encourage them to grow physically through daily recess and physical education class, where they play games in a fun and engaging environment. In PE, your child will learn important concepts such as sharing, cooperation, and participation as they develop good character and healthy habits.
Meet a Teacher
Mrs. Elaine Burleson
Experience: B.S. in Applied Learning and Development 1st-6th; specializations in Early Childhood, ESL, and Drama
Favorite Scripture: 3 John 1:4
“Every child has unique gifts given to them by God. I help my students discover, develop, and nurture those gifts. I love to read Bible stories and hear students say, ‘Do we have time for another one?’ Helping my students understand God’s great love for us and learn to apply grace and forgiveness in their relationships brings me great joy.”
Want to meet the teachers who will care for your child? Check out our Staff Directory.