FAQ

preschool 4 year olds

Please find below a list of our most frequently asked questions regarding the school. For answers to registration and lottery related questions, please see our Admissions FAQ.

Registration for Trinity Preschool begins in January. Priority groups include: current students, siblings of former students and Trinity Church members. After priority, registration is open to the public by lottery; which will be held on the Monday January 23rd at 9:00am. The drawing of names will begin at approximately 9:15am. See our Lottery Process page for more information.

  1. You may schedule a tour of the school at any time. Tours of the school occur throughout the year.
  2. Lottery – In 2023, the lottery will be held on Monday, January 23rd for fall. Registration form and fee are due for children who receive a spot in the school.
  3. First week of April – an information packet is sent home to students enrolled for the fall. The packet includes the required Medical Form.
  4. May 15th – Tuition deposit for following year. This is the first of 10 payments for tuition.  This deposit, along with the registration fee, is non-refundable.
  5. Mid-August – Teacher Assignment letters are sent home to families.  Included in this packet is a "Get to Know You" questionnaire, so we can know more about your child.

Trinity's licensed capacity is 128 total children.  Because not all students attend every day, there are approximately 90 students each day.

We can schedule tours most days around 9:30am, though we can be flexible on the time. Usually, it is better for parents to visit without children, so that they can give their full attention. 

Every day students go to music class, gym and the playground. In the classroom, teachers plan developmentally appropriate activities. See our curriculum information for more details.

We are not a nut-free school. However, if a student has a severe allergy, we will work with parents in individual classrooms to minimize risk.

Each teacher sends out periodic emails with details from their specific class. The Preschool Office sends a weekly email update with information about school-wide upcoming events.  In September, parents can attend our "Back to School" night and in early February we scheduled parent-teacher conferences for all students.

Music is held every day by a separate music teacher. Special science & gardening classes classes are held monthly by our own science teacher. Teachers incorporate other activities in their daily classroom activities.

Before the start of school, each teacher meets with students in the classroom one-on-one. In late September, we have a Back to School Night, where you will learn about you child's daily schedule. In early February, we offer parent teacher conferences to provide updates on your child's development.

Class ratios are set by Arlington County licensing code: under 3, the ratio is 4:1, 3 years old - 8:1, 4 and above - 10:1.

Some of the older classes participate in off-site field trips, that have included: the nature centers, planetarium and a local farm.  Special events have included seasonal puppet shows and fire truck during Fire Safety Month.

Parents can volunteer as Room Parents or on our Preschool Board. Additionally, some classes will invite parents to read in the classroom or if there are special projects requiring additional supervision.  There are no requirements for parents to volunteer.

Children say a blessing over their snack each day.  At Christmas, we sing seasonal songs and the older students act out a Christmas pageant.

Lunches and snacks are sent from home each day. Some teachers have a weekly "special" snack day. Parents can sign up to bring a snack to share with the class.  Special snacks are coordinated with the teacher, to minimize risk to students with food allergies.

Some of the students who start Trinity have a birth date after September 30th and will miss the kindergarten deadline. Those students enter Trinity in a 2 day 3 class. The following year, parents can choose either 3 day or 5 day 4 year old class. Their last year here, the child would be enrolled in our Pre-K class. Once a family has enrolled in Trinity, they are guaranteed a spot for subsequent years.