Van Dyke DaySchool is an outreach ministry of Van Dyke Church. Our mission is to share the truth of Jesus Christ with children, parents, and families in the community by providing quality full-time childcare and preschool services that meet their physical, spiritual, emotional, and educational needs and build strong Christian children and families.
Van Dyke Day School admits students of any race, color, religion, national and ethnic origin to all the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school. Van Dyke Day School has been awarded a Gold Seal of Excellence by the National Accredication Commission (NAC).
PROGRAMS
Part-time Preschool
This program runs from 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. for children 2 1/2 to 4 years of age. (2-year old children need to be 2 years old by March 1st.) We offer a 3 day (M/W/F) or a 2 day (T/Th) class for 2 and 3 year olds year olds. Our 4 year old children attend a Monday through Friday program from 9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m. All part-time programs generally follow the same calendar as Hillsborough County public schools and run from August to May. Children in our 3 and 4 year old classes have the option of staying until 2:00 p.m. with our “Lunch Bunch” Enrichment program for an additional cost.
The Day School participates in the state-funded Voluntary Prekindergarten program (VPK) for both part-time 4 year olds (9:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m.) and our full-time 4 year old program.
Full-time Preschool
This program is designed for households where both parents work outside the home. We are open from
and serve children from 2 - 4 years of age. This program runs the full year including a summer program. Enrollment into a certain age group is classified by attaining that age as of September 1st. Children are kept in the same classroom all year long.
Elementary After School Program
This program serves children from Kindergarten - 3rd grade that attend either Northwest or
Schwarzkopf Elementary Schools. A Day School bus will transport the children to our center. Our program remains open on most days when
Hillsborough County schools are closed. Weekly-themed camps are offered during the summer.
CURRICULUM
All classrooms are center-based and blend child-initiated activities with teacher directed times. The daily lessons have been developed to allow children to learn through hands-on experiences and center-based activities. All children attend music once a week and our 3 and 4 year old children attend chapel once a week.
The curriculum for 2-year olds provides a range of age appropriate activities designed to lay a foundation for facilitating spiritual, physical, and cognitive growth. Our curriculum integrates Christian education with developmentally appropriate skills and activities.
The curriculum for 3-year olds integrates Bible-based themes with developmentally appropriate activities in the areas of language, fine and gross motor, social, and cognitive skills.
The emphasis in our Pre-K classrooms is to provide a foundation of lifelong learning through play. The children will gain self-confidence in their abilities while achieving readiness skills necessary for kindergarten.
Our Elementary After School Program curriculum provides learning through games, songs, and activities, as well as Bible stories and related activities. Discovery zones are arranged through the classroom. We provide a variety of activities for students to choose; from computer and wii games, to music and art expression, and even a science center, to a quiet reading place. Children also enjoy outside games and acitivities. During the school year, all of our elementary children participate in 'Sports Fun', a physical activity program one afternoon each week. Homework assistance is provided for those children who's parents request it.
STAFF
We are blessed to have a team of dedicated professionals who have the welfare and best interest of the children as their top priority. Everyone on our staff is required to have the State of
Florida 40 hour Introductory Child Care training, 5 hour Early Literacy and Language Development course, with an additional 10 hours of childcare related training per year. All staff has been fingerprinted and has gone through a background screening before beginning work at our preschool. The majority of our staff has CPR and First Aid training. Each classroom has a lead teacher with a Child Development Associate credential or higher.
Child/Teacher Ratios
Van Dyke Day School strives to keep our child/teacher ratios as low as possible.
Two's
11 children : 2 teachers
Three's
15 children : 2 teachers
Four's
20 children : 2 teachers
SNACK & LUNCHES
Snacks are served twice a day at Van Dyke Day School. We offer snacks to all children during the morning preschool hours and again around
for our full-time and elementary children.
Lunches are to be provided by the parent as we do not have facilities to heat or keep lunches cold. We ask that the parent provide a thermos and/or cold pack in their child’s lunch box as needed. The children eat lunch in their classrooms.
Van Dyke Day School is an outreach ministry of Van Dyke Church. Our mission is to share the truth of Jesus Christ with children, parents, and families in the community by providing quality full-time childcare and preschool services that meet their physical, spiritual, emotional, and educational needs and build strong Christian children and families. 
Part-time Preschool
The curriculum for 3-year olds integrates Bible-based themes with developmentally appropriate activities in the areas of language, fine and gross motor, social, and cognitive skills.