Below are answers to frequent questions. If you can't find what you're looking for, please don't hesitate to reach out to our Admission Team! Email admission@austintrinity.org, or call us at 512-472-9525.

Each classroom has a "calm down center" that students can visit when they are feeling big emotions. We use the Conscious Discipline Method, a teaching strategy that utilizes everyday situations to teach children self-control, emotional management, problem-solving, and interpersonal skills by promoting adult role modeling, encouraging positive risk-taking, empowering choice-making, and fostering a sense of community. Children learn to recognize emotions and appropriate ways to express their feelings with one another.

Our teachers are supported by a team of support staff, keeping our student-teacher ratio exceptionally low. Our student-teacher ratios are 4:1 for PK Two, 7:1 for PK Three, 10:1 for PK Four, and 6:1 for Bridging Kindergarten. All of those are well below Texas state averages. Class sizes for each age group are 7 for PK Two, 10 for PK Three, and 15 for PK Four and 12 for Bridging K.

Each class has the same core centers: Math and Science, Reading and Literacy, Blocks, Dramatic Play, Art, and Manipulatives. The class has lessons in all of these areas, and children can play freely in them at certain points throughout the day.

Teachers send weekly updates to inform parents of their child's class activities, and our weekly newsletter provides school-wide information on things like events and volunteer opportunities. We host Back-to-School Night at the start of each year as well as parent conferences in the fall and spring. We also share written progress reports twice a year. We have an open line of communication for our families, and we value and encourage parent partnership.

Our birthday cutoff is September 1 for all age levels. The clue is in the name as you might have guessed! For example, a child must turn 2 years old before September 1 to be eligible for our PK Two program. Bridging K participants must have spring and summer birthdays and be 5 by September 1. It's normal for children to develop at different paces for different milestones, and we differentiate our instruction to teach to each child's strengths and struggles.

Students in our PK Four and Bridging Kindergarten classes will participate in field trips throughout the year. Visits to places like museums, farms, or local businesses help children connect their learning to the real world, fostering deeper understanding and engagement (Greene, Kisida, & Bowen, 2014).

Normal school hours for the 2023-2024 academic year are 7:30 a.m. to 2:45 p.m., Monday to Friday, August 16 to May 23. We observe typical school holidays, including winter break and spring break. However, we offer after-school care and summer camps to accommodate your schedule. Early dismisssal occurs on select days with advanced notice.

Our faculty and staff are trained to care for minor bumps, scrapes, and bruises. For more considerable injuries, teachers consult the school nurse and complete an Incident Report to inform parents the "when, where, and how" of the injury. In the event the injury warrants additional medical attention, we immediately notify parents or legal guardians.

Blue House Preschool children of all age groups, except Bridging K, have a scheduled rest time. Our littlest members do tend to fall asleep! We provide each student with their own cot, but parents provide a nap mat. Rest times vary by age group and occur just after lunch. PK Two is 12–2 p.m., PK Three is 1–2 p.m, and PK Four is 12:50–1:50 p.m. No rest time is required for Bridging K students.

Students experience the outdoors daily, and on most days, they enjoy our outdoor spaces more than once including our gardening area. A wealth of research supports the value of outdoor learning experiences for children. It aids in physical development, social-emotional skills, cognitive abilities, and fosters a deeper connection with nature (Fägerstam & Blom, 2013).

We provide both morning and afternoon snacks. We ask parents to provide snacks if their child is allergic to specific foods or has dietary restrictions. All children bring their own lunch and a standard-sized water bottle. Snacks and lunches should be healthy and should not require heating.

Toddler teachers work with their students throughout the year on bathroom skills. Students must be toilet independent before they go into the PK Three classroom. Teachers provide valuable resources to parents, and we encourage partnership with our teachers and families to create a consistent routine for students.

Students must be vaccinated to attend school. Our Immunization Policy requires all students to be fully vaccinated within the recommended timeline set forth by the Center for Disease Control and the American Academy of Pediatrics. We no longer enroll children with Affidavits for Exemptions from Immunizations for Reasons of Conscience. Exemptions from vaccinations for medical reasons will be considered.