Preschool & Kindergarten | Hickory Flat UMC

Our mission

To provide the children of our community with a Christian school home focused on academics, the value of friendships, respect of others, and the importance of everyone’s role in God’s world.

Ages Served

Our preschool and kindergarten program is designed for children from 18 months to five years old. Children are placed in classes by their age as of September 1 of each school year.

An Overview of Our Program

We have approximately 185 students and a staff of 37. There are 12 classes varying in days offered for different age groups. We have 2, 3, 4, and 5-day-per-week classes. We also make every effort to co-operate with the schedules and needs required of children with special needs.

Class Sizes

Our class ratios are among the lowest to be found in our area. Each class has one teacher and one assistant. Class sizes range from 8-15, with oldest children in the larger classes.

Our Calendar

2022-2023 School Calendar

Our program, with some exceptions, operates on the Cherokee County school system calendar. We begin classes later and end classes earlier than the county schedule. We are also closed on Good Friday, and our Christmas break starts earlier. Our preschool class day is from 9am-12pm, with an option for “Lunch Bunch,” and after school classes allowing your child to be with us until 1pm.

Our Curriculum

Hickory Flat Church Preschool is a theme-based, child centered program where all children are able to explore and learn through hands on activities. Our lessons focus on cognitive skills, language development, motor skills, social interaction, and emotional and spiritual growth. The thematic units combine all components of education: phonics, literature, math, science, art, music, and movement. Hickory Flat UMC Kindergarten is specially designed for families seeking personal and private Christian education for their children. Our Kindergarten allows children to develop all necessary skills to be successful in elementary school. Our class size is 15 with a fully mastered certified teacher and assistant teacher. We use hands on materials and centers within our classroom with all subjects (spelling, math, reading, science, social studies, etc.) Our program is heavily focused on reading. The love of learning and reading are the key to a child’s success in the school.

Community Outreach

Our school feels very strongly about teaching children the importance of giving. We have three to four community outreach programs each year that call upon our families to use these opportunities to teach their children about why we give to others. We vary our outreaches so that many different groups in our “local area” may feel the benefits of this important lesson. All outreaches are geared toward children and seek items that children can relate to. This part of our program strongly supports and is an introduction to missions. Children are never too young to begin to understand the importance of thinking outside their own worlds.

What are Our Goals for Your Child?

Our goals are that when a child leaves our school they will have developed a love for Christ, have a foundation of Christian character, and have all the fundamentals of academics. We strive for excellence in teaching, a solid Biblical foundation, and strong academics.

Registration DAtes

Registration for the 2023-2024 opens February 6th at 8am!

If you are interested in our Kindergarten program, please call the Preschool office at 770-345-9354. We have added a 2nd Kindergarten class for the fall, availability is limited.

Lorey Lovaas, Preschool Director

Office: 770.345.9354

Email: preschooloffice@hickoryflat.org