Patriot's Virginia Preschool Initiative (VPI) Program

Instructor: Melissa Van Wassen

Registration for 2023-24:

We are looking forward to starting another great year at Patriot with 1 FULL DAY class from 9 a.m. - 3 p.m. The Patriot VPI program is a state funded preschool for children who are four years old (by September 30), live in one of our elementary school zones, and whose families meet income guidelines.

The preschool program services children who live in the school zones of T. Clay Wood, Cedar Point, and Nokesville.

To learn more about the preschool qualifications and to find out how to register your child, for the upcoming school year please contact the Melissa Van Wassen at 703-594-3020 or email her at [email protected].

You can also fill out the Qualification Form to find out if your child qualifies.

Preschool Vision

Preparing today's young children to succeed in tomorrow's world.

Preschool Mission

Virginia Preschool Initiative is a comprehensive preschool program established to provide a foundation for learning and academic success for at-risk four-year-olds. School-readiness activities focus on phonological awareness, vocabulary, number sense and physical, motor and social development to prepare children to be lifelong learners.

Contact Information

Teacher: Melissa Van Wassen,
Assistant: Susan Denham,
703-594-3020

Office Hours

Monday through Friday, 8-9 a.m. & 3-3:30 p.m.

First Day of School Checklist

Please remember to send in the following items in your child's backpack the first week of school:

• Child's change of clothes (labeled and in a plastic bag)
• Breakfast/Lunch Money (if applicable)
• Family Picture (4X6) for Classroom safe place
• T-shirt money (complete form in child's folder)

 High Scope Preschool Curriculum

The High Scope Curriculum is a comprehensive, research based system used in the VPI classroom to provide hands-on experiences, through active learning with people, objects, events and ideas. Children learn to make choices and plans through work time centers, as well as small and large group activities; while teachers model and provide guidance to scaffold the children's learning. Our classroom schedule, lessons and activities are set up to reflect this curriculum and allow children the opportunities to learn through active play.

Conscious Discipline used in Pre-K Classroom

Conscious Discipline is a comprehensive self-regulation program that integrates social-emotional learning and discipline. It integrates classroom management with social-emotional learning, utilizes everyday events as the curriculum and addresses the adult's emotional intelligence as well as the child's. Conscious Discipline empowers adults to consciously respond to daily conflict, transforming it into an opportunity to teach critical life skills to children.