Weekday Preschool
2024-25 Registration:
Full Time 2s: Enrolling now!
2/3 Multi-Age: Enrolling now!
Full-Time 3’s: Enrolling now!
Half-Day 3’s: Enrolling now!
Full-Day 4’s: Enrolling now! (Almost full!!)
Part-Time PM 4’s: Enrolling now!
To set up a tour: email kaleepreschool@gmail.com
We are committed to providing high quality, early-childhood education in a warm and nurturing environment.
Westminster Preschool has been an educational outreach program of our church since 1968. Our program is fully licensed by the Iowa Department of Human Services. We offer preschool classes for children ages two, three, and four (tuition free Universal Pre-Kindergarten).
Through our partnership with parents, staff, and community, our goal is to prepare students to be lifelong learners by giving them the foundational skills they need to succeed in school. Through our program, we hope to set the stage for active parent involvement in their child’s education. Our program is designed to enable the children to reach the following goals:
Discover the joy of learning.
Feel accepted as worthwhile individuals.
Use equipment especially designed for preschool children in developing muscles and coordination.
Play and live happily with other children of the same age in a group setting.
Learn to trust other adults in addition to one’s parents.
Develop intellectual curiosity by having one’s questions answered, by having special visitors, and by taking trips.
Participate in a planned program which promotes the child’s health.
Learn to follow directions for individual and group activity, in a group setting.
2024-2025 Registration
Current families & church members: February 8th, 2024
Incoming families: February 15th, 2024
Registration Form
Click on: Make a Secure Online Contribution
On the Fund line scroll down to Preschool Supply Fee
On the memo line include child’s name, and class
Two-year-olds
Our two-year-old program provides an opportunity for children to play with other children in a warm, nurturing environment and helps ease the transition to preschool. Our play-based environment is designed to provide a welcoming, nurturing and safe indoor and outdoor atmosphere for our students. We focus on helping each child develop a positive self-image while learning how to interact with other children in a group setting. Class sessions provide hands-on art experiences, songs, fingerplays, and stories in a developmentally appropriate atmosphere. Themes are used to help develop social and cognitive skills in the young child.
Class Tuition: $960/month
This program is open to any child who will be two years old by September 15. Classes offered:
Monday-Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
2/3 Multi-Age
New to Westminster in the 2023-24 school year is a part-time multi-age class that will serve 2 and 3-year olds! This offering will help develop your child’s physical, social, language and cognitive skills as well as love and curiosity for learning. The class incorporates learning activities that enhance the socialization of each child. Participation in group activities, taking turns, sharing, taking responsibility for self, interacting appropriately with peers are all important experiences we focus on to help develop the child’s self-esteem, independence and readiness for a more-structured program. We focus on helping each child develop a positive self-image while learning how to interact with other children in a group setting.
Class Tuition: $306/month
This program is open to any child who will be two or three years old by September 15.
Monday-Wednesday, 8:30 a.m.-11:30 a.m.
Three-year-olds
Our three-year-old program follows current best practices in early childhood education and uses the research-based Project Based Learning. The daily schedule provides a balance of teacher-directed small- and large-group activities, center activities, music and movement and gross motor activities. These offerings help develop your child’s physical, social, language and cognitive skills as well as love and curiosity for learning.
The program incorporates learning activities that enhance the socialization of each child. Participation in group activities, taking turns, sharing, taking responsibility for self, interacting appropriately with peers are all important experiences we focus on to help develop the child’s self-esteem, independence and readiness for a more-structured program. Early-learning math, literacy, science, social studies, music, art and fine- and large-muscle development skills are integrated within a thematic approach to learning. Through this approach, children learn about their world in a more connected way, with many opportunities for hands-on exploration and active learning.
Class Tuition: $880/month (Full-Day), $510/month (half day).
This program is open to any child who will be three years old by September 15. Full-day and half-day sessions are offered:
Full-Day Class: Monday-Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Half-Day Class Monday-Friday, 8:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
Four-year-old Universal Preschool
We partner with the Des Moines Public Schools to offer the state-funded preschool program at our site. Our program is designed to continue the preschool child’s development within a community of learners by emphasizing self-sufficiency, self-control and empathy for others. The program provides a set of foundational skills that correlates with success in kindergarten: oral language and vocabulary development, phonological awareness, comprehension, letter recognition, writing, and number and math concepts. Through themes, children are able to practice and refine social, cognitive, communication and fine and gross motor skills.
We offer a full-day session and an afternoon session. It is Tuition-free Universal Preschool for four-year-olds (contingent upon state funding). A copy of a birth certificate must be submitted with registration. Children must be 4 years old by September 15 of the current school year.
Full-Day Class Tuition: $800/month. Afternoon class: Free
Full-Day Class: Monday-Friday, 7:30 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.
Afternoon Class: Monday-Thursday, 12:25-3:15 p.m. (No Tuition)
Preschool Director
Kalee Dykhouse
Hi! My name is Kalee and I am the director of Westminster Preschool! I have a Bachelor’s degree in Child, Adult, and Family Services from Iowa State University and a Master’s degree in Early Childhood Administration from Walden University.
I have taught in two different preschools since getting my undergrad degree, mostly working with ages two and under, but I have lots of experience with the 3-5 age range as well.
I grew up in Southern California, but have lived here in Iowa for the last nine years. I have two cats, Mulan and Nox, I really enjoy working out (I’m a certified personal trainer) and watching Netflix in my free time (big fan of cooking shows!). I have been at Westminster since December 2020 and love growing with the program!
