Apex UMC Preschool

At the heart of our program is a simple belief: children learn best through play. Our approach is play-based and child-led, meaning we follow each child’s natural curiosity and interests to guide our days together. We see children themselves as the curriculum, and we thoughtfully build experiences around what excites, inspires, and engages them.

We take time to truly know each child and their family. By building strong relationships, we’re able to meet children where they are—supporting their individual needs, honoring their unique personalities, and helping them grow with confidence.

Our philosophy is grounded in years of research that shows play is essential to meaningful learning. Through play, children develop critical thinking skills, creativity, social-emotional awareness, and a lifelong love of learning.

A typical day includes plenty of open-ended exploration: free play, story time, music and movement, art invitations, outdoor play, games, language-rich activities, and sensory experiences. Each week, children also enjoy chapel with songs and Bible stories, as well as a dedicated music class with our music teacher.

2026-2027 Registration:

We have completed the initial registration process for the 2026-2027 school year. There are a few spaces available in some of our classes. These will be filled on a first come, first serve basis. To inquire about a spot for your child, please email us at preschool@apexumc.org.

Please read this document before registering:

Enrollment & Withdrawal Policies

• Preschool hours for all students for the 2026-2027 school year are 9:15-12:45.
• All students will eat snack and a packed lunch from home while at preschool.

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**Important Communication Information**

Once you have completed the registration request form, please download the Brightwheel app onto your phone.  Make sure to enable push notifications within the app, as well as on your device settings.  We communicate exclusively through Brightwheel.   

Click here for help turning on notifications.

All payments are collected via the Brightwheel app.  Through Brightwheel, parents have the option to pay tuition using a credit card or by setting up an ACH bank draft.  There is also an optional auto-pay feature.  Tuition payments are due on the 1^st of each month.

Click here for our class offerings and tuition rates for the 2026-2027 preschool year which begins August 31, 2026.

For any financial questions, please contact our Business Administrator, Kelly Debevec at  kelly.debevec@apexumc.org.

Currently enrolled families can use Brightwheel to access the necessary information to complete their taxes.  Click on the link below for step-by-step directions.

Self-Serve Tax Info from Brightwheel

• AUMC Preschool is a front-door ministry of Apex United Methodist Church.
• Our staff is experienced and knowledgeable.  Our teachers are lifelong learners who participate in quality professional development every year.
• Teachers consider the four domains of child development when daily planning centers and learning activities.  Our goal is to facilitate the development of fine & gross motor skills, social/emotional intelligence, as well as, communication and cognitive skills.
• Preschool hours for all students for the 2026-2027 school year are 9:15-12:45.
• All students will eat snack and a packed lunch from home while at preschool.
• Each class has a Lead Teacher and a Teacher Assistant and class sizes are purposely kept small.
  • Toddlers= 8 kids
  • 2’s= 10 kids
  • 3’s= 12 kids
  • 4’s and 5’s= 14 kids
• We use the same age cut-off date that WCPSS uses for class placement – August 31.
• All children must be up-to-date on immunizations and a copy of their immunization record is due by the first day of preschool. We do not accept religious or medical exemptions.
• “Specials” include Music and Chapel weekly.
• All ages eat snack and lunch at preschool each day.
• We use carpool drop-off in the mornings and everyone parks and walks in for pick-up in the afternoon.
• We provide each child with a red preschool bag that they will bring to class with them each day.
• We are a nut-free facility.  No nut products are allowed down our preschool hallway. We gladly partner with parents to help support children with food allergies.

Toddlers & Two-Year-Old Classes

We have two overarching goals for our youngest friends.  We want to help them learn that preschool is a fun & safe place and that their parents always come back.

• Children in this age group do not have to be potty trained and teachers will work with you if this process happens during the preschool year.
• At this age they do not have an official circle time each day, but will gather as a group to sing songs, listen to a story or play a game. Most of their morning is spent engaged in play both inside the classroom or outside at one of our four designated outdoor play spaces.
• We will begin to introduce concepts like how to follow 1-2 step directions, taking turns, and making transitions.
• Classes make transitions to music and the playground either by holding hands with a friend (“two by two”) or holding on to rings on a rope to help guide them along.
• Students will begin learning age-appropriate responsibilities, like throwing their trash away after snack and helping clean up toys.

Three-Year-Old Classes

• Children must be independently potty trained starting in the 3s. There are bathrooms in the classroom they can use at any time and group bathrooms up front in the lobby.
• Our three-year-old friends will spend their mornings engrossed in free-choice play.  They will have the ability to move around the classroom exploring and learning with blocks, play dough, sensory tubs, art materials and so much more!
• Students will begin to learn how to line up and walk together in a line when they go places.
• Independence is encouraged! Students hang up their own school bags and coats. They are also taught how to put coats, art shirts, etc. on independently.
• Children in these classes are continuing to learn how to share and take turns, express how they are feeling and how to be apart of a classroom community.

Four-Year-Old Classes

Like our younger friends, our “big kids” are going to spend their mornings engrossed in play!  Research shows us that when young children engage in meaningful, child-led play, they’re developing a variety of important skills, including:

• Social Skills: Sharing, taking turns, cooperating, and negotiating with peers.
• Emotional Skills: Understanding and expressing their feelings, developing empathy, and managing emotions.
• Cognitive Skills: Problem-solving, critical thinking, and creativity as they explore and experiment.
• Language Skills: Expanding vocabulary, practicing conversation, and improving communication through storytelling and role-play.
• Motor Skills: Fine motor skills through activities like building or drawing, and gross motor skills through running, jumping, and climbing.
• Self-Regulation: Learning to follow rules, wait for their turn, and manage impulses.
• Imagination and Creativity: Engaging in imaginative play fosters creativity and innovation.
• Cultural Awareness: Understanding different perspectives and experiences through role-playing and diverse play materials.

Meaningful play is a vital way for children to learn about themselves and the world around them!  But most importantly, it helps build the foundation for learning in elementary school and beyond.

Transition Class (Five-year-olds)

This class is for children who are age-eligible to go to kindergarten but for either social, developmental or academic reasons are being given the gift of time to spend one more year at preschool.

• More independence is expected and encouraged.
• Children participate in fine motor building activities, to build & develop the muscles in their hands.  They also work on developing a proficient pencil grasp.
• The children often receive more individual instruction and the teacher can meet them where they are academically.
• Handwriting Without Tears is continued and each student gets a workbook to use, taking it a step beyond what they did in the 4s.
• Children continue to receive support with social skills and conflict resolution with peers.  They continue with the Second Step program, learning how to name their feelings/emotions and strategies on how to regulate them when needed.