Classes & Curriculum
Class & Tuition Schedule
Age as of 9/30/25
Days of the Week
Time
Monthly/Annual Payments
Extended
Day*
Add Per Day/Month
2
T/Th
9:15-11:45 AM
$191/$1,719
11:45 AM-1:15 PM
$23/$184
2.5
M/W/F
9:15-11:45 AM
$273/$2,457
11:45 AM-1:15 PM
$23/$276
3
M/W/F
9:15 AM-12:15 PM
$319/$2,871
12:15-1:45 PM
$23/$276
3
T/Th
9:15 AM-12:15 PM
$252/$2,268
12:15-1:45 PM
$23/$184
3.5
M-Th
9:30 AM-12:30 PM
$371/$3,339
12:30-2 PM
$23/$368
4
M-Th
8:45 AM-12:45 PM
$422/$3,798
12:45-2:15 PM
$23/$368
4
M-F
8:30 AM-12:30 PM
$469/$4,221
12:30-2 PM
$23/$460
4.5 Pre-K
M-F
8:30 AM-2 PM
$644/$5,796
The age cut off is September 30th except for the Young 3s, their age cut off is December 30th.
*Children will bring a lunch to school in the extended day program. Parents may select 1,2,3,4, or 5 days.
Tuition Information
Classes will begin in September and end in May. The annual tuition for each class will be divided into nine monthly payments. One month's tuition will be due May 1st, 2025 in order to hold your child’s place. This "commitment payment" will be non-refundable and applied towards your last month’s tuition. We need to receive your check by May 8th or we will go to our waiting list. On September 1st and each month thereafter, monthly tuition will be paid on the 1st of each month through April. After September 1st, if you need to withdraw your child, we will require 30 days' notice. All other decisions are at the discretion of the Director.
Siblings attending St. James paying monthly tuition qualify for a 5% discount on the lower rate.
Curriculum
The curriculum at St. James’ Preschool is tailored to specific age groups. Although children develop at different rates in different areas, we have structured our curriculum around areas of development that we feel are appropriate to introduce and expand upon during the preschool years.
The curriculum at St. James’ Preschool is diverse and will prepare your child for their eventual next step into kindergarten. Subjects such as art, music, language, and mathematics are gently introduced to children in a kind and open learning environment. Our preschool teachers are known for their loving care and personalized attention to each student they teach.
2-3.5 Year Olds
Creative Expression Children love to create! To enable them to discover their own creative abilities, they will have numerous opportunities in art and music. Children will be introduced to the colors of the rainbow. During our art sessions, students will have the opportunity to draw, color, paint, cut, and glue. Our young sculptors will also learn how to shape and mold new creations. Song and dance is an important aspect of our curriculum. Children will clap, skip, and march to the beat of a variety of rhythmic instruments and songs. Language Development To strengthen their communicative ability and self-expression, children will participate in a variety of activities that include show and tell, drama, and reading time with books, stories, nursery rhymes, and poems. Students will be introduced to the letters of the alphabet. Our 3.5-year-olds will expand upon this knowledge by learning to write their name. Number Theory Children will learn basic counting and number recognition. Shapes and the relationships of size and position will be taught. Children will learn about the days in the week through an introduction to the calendar. Our Environment Our teachers will discuss the daily weather, seasons of the year, and holidays. Children will learn basic safety as it relates to their environment and will participate in a number of science and nature activities to learn about God’s world. Children will gain an understanding of their senses and have opportunities to learn about basic food preparation. Physical Growth Large muscle development will be promoted through playground activities, neighborhood walks, hopping, skipping, throwing, and catching. Small muscle coordination will be improved through practice of fine motor skills in finger plays, puzzles, and play-time at our sand and water table. Social Development St. James’ Preschool provides an atmosphere in which our students’ natural curiosity is encouraged and where they can experiment free of judgment or fear of failure. Children will learn to share toys and equipment and understand the responsibility of sharing. Values of respect, courtesy, and politeness will be reinforced by understanding everyone’s rights, differences, and possessions.
4-4.5 Year Olds
Language Skills Emphasis will be placed on the development of oral language and the recognition of printed letters and their sounds. Children will explore printed words and become familiar with the parts of a book, learn about the roles of the author and illustrator, and listen to literature. Public speaking skills will be approached through Show and Tell, songs, rhymes, finger plays, and dramatic retelling of stories. Students will begin to identify words that rhyme and have the same beginning sound. Your 4-4.5-year-olds will learn to identify common signs and logos. By describing their artwork, children will begin to structure their own short stories and explanations. Students will be taught to identify upper and lowercase letters. Children will be taught to recognize and practice printing his or her printed name. Math Skills Students will engage in thinking activities and problem-solving to determine relationships between numbers through such activities as counting, combining, sorting, and comparing numbers. Simple patterns will be investigated and children will learn to identify shapes and sizes. Students will be taught measurements and will be introduced to picture graphing to learn how pictures can be used to represent quantities. Science Skills Through our science curriculum, students will explore common materials, objects, and the growth, change, and needs of living things. Children will learn about sequencing and physical attributes, such as color, shape, texture, size, position, and speed. Through this exploration, children will also learn about graphing results. Students will also develop an appreciation for their environment by learning about weather and “green” concepts such as conservation, recycling, and reuse. History and Social Studies Children will become familiar with interesting people from history, as well as people that work in various jobs within our community. The background of holidays will be discussed, as they occur throughout the year. Children will learn the basics of reading a map. Safety lessons will be a focus; children will begin to understand the purposes of various traffic signs and lights, as well as the need for and reasons why people call 911. Preschoolers will learn their address and phone number. Citizenship and patriotism are a cornerstone of our preschool program. Children will learn why it is important to take turns, share, and participate in various classroom and household jobs. Honesty and rule following will be stressed. Students will learn about the American flag and each day will begin with a recitation of the Pledge of Allegiance.
Extended Day Program
Extended Day Program five afternoons a week St. James' Preschool's Lunch and Playtime is our extended day program offered after our morning classes. This extra time together includes lunch, story time, outside time, music, and free play with friends. At lunch, the children will learn useful lunch time manners while enjoying conversations with friends. During playtime, the children have the opportunity to build on their social learning, develop self-help skills, and strengthen their relationships with classmates. For more information, please call 703-777-8439. *Priority will be given to children who sign up for all 5 days
Chapel & Music Program
Children meet weekly for Chapel in St. James’ beautiful and historic Nave with our dedicated Chapel Leader. Here, they will experience the special beauty and peace of “God’s house” and learn and sing worship songs and simple prayers. They receive lessons and stories about God’s creation and how each of them is a unique child of God with their own special gifts. Lessons and prayers are centered in the Christian faith and traditions. The purpose of weekly Chapel at St. James’ preschool is not a replacement for your own faith traditions or Sunday school in your faith community, but rather to teach them of a loving God who created them, loves them always, and gives each a heart of loving kindness to share with others. We also have a monthly “Family Fours Chapel” – offered by the Rector and Associate Rector of St. James’ and offered to our four-year old students and their families. Chapel is followed by approximately 30 minutes of focused Music and movement time in our Parish Hall. Music is a joyful and active time providing engaged musical instruction and participation in various types of coordinated skills and creative movement set to music. Children will learn a variety of songs and be introduced to a variety of musical/rhythm instruments. They will participate in guided activities to further develop their listening skills by following musical cues, learn concepts such as low/high, loud/soft, fast/slow, steady beat, etc. The four-year-old and Pre-K classes will prepare for and sing in a Christmas concert in December, and all classes will perform in a Spring Concert.
Student: Teacher Ratios
10:2 for the 2, 2 ½ year old classes
12:2 for the 3 and 3 ½ year old classes
14:2 for the 4 year old classes
16:2 for the 4 ½ year old class
