AXIS International Academy Preschool
Your child and family can join one of the most diverse communities in Fort Collins! We are Northern Colorado's only true International School.
Preschool Program & Classroom Structure
| Full Day Language Immersion Prekindergarten | Full Day Language Enrichment Preschool | Half Day Language Enrichment Prekindergarten | |
| Enrollment Requirements | 4 years of age or older before October 1st and fully toilet independent. | 3 years of age by first day of attendance in the program and fully toilet independent. | 4 years of age or older before October 1st and fully toilet independent. |
| Partner Language Offering | Half day immersion in your choice of French, Mandarin Chinese, or Spanish with English in the afternoons. | Language enrichment in all three AXIS partner languages for 1 - 2 hours daily on a rotating schedule. | Half day prekindergarten with 60-90 minutes of language immersion in your choice of French or Mandarin Chinese. |
| Schedule Options |
Full Day 8 AM - 3:10 PM
Monday - Friday
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Full Day 8 AM - 3:10 PM
Monday - Friday
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Half Day (8 AM - 11 AM)
Monday - Friday
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Before & After Care
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Before Care (7:00 AM - 8:00 AM)
After Care (3:10 PM - 5:30 PM)
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Before Care (7:00 AM - 8:00 AM)
After Care (3:10 PM - 5:30 PM)
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Before Care (7:00 AM - 8:00 AM)
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Our Full Day Prekindergarten Programs:
- Offer learning and language growth through activity and intentional play (Play-based philosophy).
- Build language skills and important knowledge following the Core Knowledge Scope and Sequence.
- Build math and number sense in alignment with Singapore Math.
- Use the Handwriting without Tears materials.
- Use the RULER Social Emotional Learning program from Yale University's Center for Emotional Intelligence.
- Offer automatic enrollment in our tuition-free, K-6 language immersion public charter school.
- Follow the AXIS School Year Calendar (mid-August through the end of May).
- Have ample outdoor time.
- Are invited to perform at and join in our seasonal cultural festivals: Fall World Festival in October, Winter World Festival in February, and Culture Fest in May.
- Offer multi-age and same-age classroom configurations so students get the benefits of both configurations.
- Follow state guidelines on child to teacher ratios.
- Have competitive tuition rates are intentionally set based on our value of diversity across all areas, including socio-economic diversity.
Our Preschool Program:
- Focuses on helping prepare students for a dual immersion language education by placing emphasis on developing social skills and familiarity with the classroom environment.
- Offers learning and language growth through activity and intentional play (Play-based philosophy).
- Builds language skills and important knowledge following the Core Knowledge Scope and Sequence.
- Builds math and number sense in alignment with Singapore Math.
- Uses the RULER Social Emotional Learning program from Yale University's Center for Emotional Intelligence.
- Offers a pathway to automatic enrollment in our tuition-free, K-6 language immersion public charter school.
- Allows students to have the first choice of partner language specialization when they move into Prekindergarten.
- Has ample outdoor time with 3 daily recesses.
Programming and Core Knowledge Curriculum
The Unique AXIS Pre-Kindergarten and Preschool Programming: Language Immersion and Core Knowledge
What sets AXIS International Academy's Pre-kindergarten and Preschool programs apart? Language Immersion and Core Knowledge. Two highly beneficial elements are synthesized in one program. Both Preschool and Pre-Kindergarten include daily language immersion in Spanish, Mandarin Chinese, or French taught by a "partner language" teacher who is a native or native-like speaker with teaching experience. AXIS also includes the highly successful Core Knowledge Scope and Sequence. English teachers and partner language teachers work together to best meet the needs of kids.
Many of our parents choose to have their child learn Mandarin or French through preschool through 5th grade, and then it is easy to add Spanish in middle and high school. Consider giving your child the gift of THREE languages over their childhood!
More about Language Immersion
More about Language Immersion
At AXIS our languages other than English are called "partner" languages, as we prioritize the learning of English and French, Mandarin Chinese, or Spanish. The partner language is provided in an immersion environment. In its simplest definition you can think about immersion as the way your child learned English (or their mother tongue). The partner language teachers use strategies proven to encourage language acquisition (like repetition and total physical response), and she builds oral and listening skills through activities and experiences. The partner language teacher shares stories, art, music, and cultural artifacts from countries that speak the language. Language classes are capped, and language choice is available on a first come, first served basis.
Core Knowledge Preschool Scope and Sequence
In addition to language immersion, AXIS fosters growth in knowledge and skills through the content-rich Core Knowledge preschool sequence. The Preschool Sequence addresses physical, social, linguistic, and cognitive aspects of development. During same-age English learning time, full-day pre-kinder students are engaged in a content-rich, developmentally appropriate environment where teachers construct teacher-directed and child-directed learning experiences and activities aligned with the Core Knowledge curriculum.
“The Core Knowledge Preschool Sequence is a set of model guidelines describing fundamental competencies and specific knowledge that, for children from three to five years of age, can provide a solid, coherent foundation for later learning in kindergarten and beyond."
In addition to language immersion, AXIS fosters growth in knowledge and skills through the content-rich Core Knowledge preschool sequence. The Preschool Sequence addresses physical, social, linguistic, and cognitive aspects of development. During same-age English learning time, full-day pre-kinder students are engaged in a content-rich, developmentally appropriate environment where teachers construct teacher-directed and child-directed learning experiences and activities aligned with the Core Knowledge curriculum.
“The Core Knowledge Preschool Sequence is a set of model guidelines describing fundamental competencies and specific knowledge that, for children from three to five years of age, can provide a solid, coherent foundation for later learning in kindergarten and beyond."
"The Core Knowledge Preschool Sequence is the result of a long process of research and critical review...resulting in a synthesis of exemplary practice and experience, both in the United States and abroad (France, Japan, Korea, and Italy). The programs and practices have been empirically validated with millions of young children (here and) elsewhere in the world." More about the Core Knowledge Preschool Sequence can be found here: https://www.coreknowledge.org/our-approach/core-knowledge-sequence/preschool-sequence/.
This sequence includes building knowledge and skills in these areas: movement and coordination, social emotional development, language skills, visual arts, music, mathematics, history and geography, and science. Teachers work to integrate content areas together.
Multi-Age and Same-Age Classrooms
Children across AXIS get the opportunity to be in both mixed-age and same age classrooms. They get the benefits that both of these classroom configurations offer. Our Spanish class includes preschoolers and pre-kindergarteners together with two teachers. Our French and Mandarin classes include pre-kindergarten and kindergarten students together with two teachers. Full-day pre-kindergarten students have English in the afternoon together with two teachers.
School Lunches
AXIS offers free breakfast and lunch to all preschool and prekindergarten students who choose to participate.
Please visit our Nutrition Page for more information.
