Preschool
Preschool at Collegiate Academy
Collegiate Academy launched our Early Childhood program in a new purpose-built pre-K space completed in 2021. The program is designed to be a natural introduction to the Core Knowledge grounded, PBL centered model of our K-12 continuum. The preschool program shares our core commitment to small class sizes, a low student to teacher ratio, and a strong sense of community.
Collegiate Academy’s Preschool program is a tuition-based program open to 3-5 year old students. Students must be 3 years old by October 1 in order to enroll in the following year’s program.
Since the preschool program is designed as a ramp to Kindergarten and for success in Collegiate’s K-12 framework, our programming is designed to follow the spiraled philosophy of the Core Knowledge model, introducing academic concepts in literacy, math, science and social studies at an age-appropriate level. Social emotional learning, physical activity & movement are integrated in a play-based learning structure.
In addition to sensory and dramatic play stations, our preschool students participate in regular "specials" classes including art, music and physical education to ensure that they are exposed to a well-rounded curriculum while developing social skills which will be essential for Kindergarten.
These diverse learning activities allow students to begin exploring the individual interests that our teachers can encourage and support to build a lifelong excitement and love for learning! Our very small classes and teacher to student ratios ensure that each child is met at their level, supported where they need it and challenged where they are ready to grow and excel!
Curriculum and Programming
Full and Half Day Options
Our preschool program is offered as a 5-day per week model with the options of a full day or half day, depending upon family needs and each child’s individual readiness level. Both programs include preparation for Kindergarten using a play-based philosophy which integrates development of both social and academic skills needed for success in the K-12 setting.
Students in the half day program experience all of the core instruction that is essential for their academic, social and emotional development, including literacy, math and our specials programs.
Students in the full day program have additional opportunities for enrichment, both in academics and in social play. An integrated rest period ensures that full day students can build stamina and endurance for Kindergarten with age-appropriate supports as they grow and learn.
Calendar & Schedule
Our preschool calendar aligns with Collegiate Academy's K-12 school calendar, which is available at this link. The schedule is designed to generally follow the Jeffco Public Schools calendar with respect to major breaks, although there are some variations.
The daily schedule is designed to provide enough structure to build good routines and habits as we learn how to be students and learners, while including lots of critical time to learn through play and exploration. Our typical daily schedule is linked here.
| Days | Times |
|---|---|
| Full Day (Mon-Fri) | 7:45am - 2:45pm |
| Half Days (Mon-Fri) | 7:45am - 11:00am |
Meet our PK Pups Family
Jamie Finn, PK Director
My name is Ms. Finn, and I am happy to meet you! This will be a fun and exciting year together and cannot wait to you all grow and have fun!
I am from the midwest; I moved to Colorado 8 years ago. I have taught preschool in daycares and in Denver
Public Schools (and also in Illinois) for ten years. I've also taught as a guest teacher in all grade levels. My family is still back east and it's just me out here. I love Colorado! I am active at with my church community, going to help feed those who are homeless and working in food pantries. For fun, I hike, ride my bike and travel the country and the world when I am lucky and have time. I just went to Kenya this summer; it was so much fun to see the zebras, giraffes and elephants!
I’m Lori Hibson, but my students call me Ms. Lori. Before joining Collegiate Academy, I spent many years in the financial industry as a bankruptcy and legal specialist. While I truly enjoyed that work, I discovered my heart belonged in education. I transitioned to a paraeducator at another Jeffco school where I served for five years, and that experience confirmed how much I love working with children. This is my second year at Collegiate, and I am currently the preschool teaching assistant. My first year was spent in the special education department as a one-on-one paraeducator.
I adore being part of a preschool classroom. Watching young learners explore, grow, and discover fills my days with joy. Their curiosity is contagious, and I feel grateful every day to play even a small role in their early learning journey.
I’m a Colorado native and live in Littleton with my husband. We have five adult children and eleven wonderful grandchildren-one of whom has been at Collegiate since kindergarten. With that many grandkids, free time is rare, but when I do find some, I love riding ATVs, baking, playing cards with friends, and traveling whenever I can.
Lori Hibson, PK Assistant
Tuition & Fees
Collegiate Academy’s preschool is a tuition-based program, and payments can be made online through our student fee system. There is a non-refundable deposit of $100 due upon enrollment and required to hold your child’s seat. A supply fee of $50 is due at Registration in early August.
Important Documents & Links
Enrollment Information
Preschool enrollment is managed through the district EnrollJeffco system. The four-year-old program is available for students who turn four on or before Oct. 1, 2025. The three-year-old program is available for students who turn three on or before Oct. 1, 2025. Three-and-four year old students are served in the same classrooms and all programs are licensed by the Colorado Department of Human Services and meet the Colorado Department of Education quality standards for early childhood care and education services.
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Schedule a Tour. Complete our brief contact form to get more information about our program, ask questions and schedule a tour at at this link.
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Apply to Collegiate. Families will apply for CAC's preschool through the EnrollJeffco process.
Returning students: If you have a returning student who attended preschool as a three-year-old, log into EnrollJeffco and complete the prompts for returning students. This must be done within round 1 of EnrollJeffco to ensure your student retains their spot. -
Respond to our offer. Lottery results for preschool will be available in EnrollJeffco. Families can log in to EnrollJeffco to view results and respond to offers. All offers will expire after three days.
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Apply for funding. Qualifying three year-olds and all four year olds will be able to apply for Universal Preschool funding. Families may qualify for tuition assistance through the Colorado Childcare Assistance Program (CCAP) throughout the year.