Choosing where your child takes their first steps into school is one of the most important decisions a family makes. At Resurrection Lutheran School (RLS), our full-day Junior Kindergarten gives four- and five-year-olds a faith-based Pre-K experience that gets them ready for kindergarten and grounded in their faith. Located in the Lochmere community on the southern edge of Cary, we welcome families from nearby neighborhoods such as Kildaire Estates, Regency, and Amberly. If you have been comparing private Pre-K options and want a Christ-centered foundation for your child, this is a program worth a closer look.
What Sets a Faith-Based Pre-K Apart
A faith-based Pre-K weaves spiritual growth into everyday learning rather than treating it as a separate subject. At RLS, daily faith formation sits at the heart of the classroom, and children join the school family for weekly Chapel. This gentle, consistent rhythm helps young children feel secure, valued, and understood.
Our Junior Kindergarten explores weekly unit themes rooted in a Biblical worldview, giving students a meaningful lens for understanding the world around them. Alongside letters, numbers, and stories, children practice the fruit of the Spirit: love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control. Most importantly, every child is known and loved as an individual, which is the tone we want to set from a child's very first year of school.
Inside Our Full-Day Junior Kindergarten
Who is the Program For
Our Junior Kindergarten is a full-day program for children who are four years old by August 31. The school day mirrors regular RLS hours, running from 8:30 am to 3:00 pm, which gives families a consistent, full-day routine. This sets it apart from our partial-day Resurrection Lutheran Preschool, which serves younger children ages two through five.
Think of Junior Kindergarten as the bridge between preschool and Kindergarten. It offers the structure and pace of a real school day while remaining developmentally gentle and rich with play. For families weighing preschool and Pre-K in Cary, this full-day option is often the right next step for a child who is ready for more.
A Day of Purposeful Learning
Learning in our Pre-K classroom is active, hands-on, and joyful. Children move throughout the day, both indoors and outside, and explore interactive stations designed to spark curiosity. A stimulating environment filled with developmentally appropriate materials supports a wide range of cognitive, social, and motor skills.
Our youngest students also enjoy the same enrichment specials that run throughout the school:
- Music, where children sing, move, and explore rhythm
- Physical Education that builds coordination and healthy habits
- Art that invites creativity and self-expression
- Library time that grows a love of books and stories
- Technology introduced in age-appropriate ways
- Spanish, which is now part of the program for every grade from Junior Kindergarten through eighth
Because teachers coordinate their lessons rather than teaching in isolation, children encounter the same ideas in several settings across the day. That thoughtful repetition helps young learners connect new insights to the world in ways that last.
Small Group Instruction and Personal Attention
Four-year-olds thrive when a caring adult truly knows them. RLS is built around small group instruction and a low student-teacher ratio, so each child receives the attention and encouragement they need to flourish. Our teachers are qualified, dedicated, and love what they do.
This personal attention is one of the main reasons families stay with us year after year. In a smaller setting, a quiet child is gently drawn out, an eager child is challenged, and every child is guided with patience. Parents tell us they feel comfortable leaving their little ones in the loving care of teachers who treat students like family.
How Pre-K at RLS Prepares Children for Kindergarten
A strong Pre-K year does more than fill the calendar. It lays the groundwork for a confident start to elementary school. Here is how our program prepares children for Kindergarten and the years that follow:
- Foundational skills. Children master early building blocks such as recognizing patterns, observing the world, asking questions, and listening carefully.
- A love of learning. Our first goal is to instill a positive attitude toward learning that grows into a lifelong love of education and exploration.
- Growing independence. Students are encouraged to work toward independence and to begin taking responsibility for their own learning.
- Social and emotional growth. Children learn to be a good friend, a respectful classmate, and an important member of the school family.
- Seamless continuity. As a PK-8 school, RLS lets families make one enrollment decision and stay through middle school, with a smooth path into our elementary program.
Extended Care for Working Families
We understand that a school day and a workday rarely line up perfectly. To make mornings and afternoons easier, RLS offers Before and After School Care that Junior Kindergarten families are welcome to use.
- Before Care is available daily from 7:15 am to 8:15 am.
- After Care runs from 3:00 pm to 5:00 pm, Monday through Thursday.
Our extended care provides a relaxed, home-away-from-home atmosphere where children can play and unwind in a less structured setting. You can find hours and details on our Before and After School Care page.
A Community That Welcomes Your Family
Families sometimes wonder whether a Lutheran school is only for Lutheran families. It is not. About ninety percent of our families come from other Christian backgrounds, and we warmly welcome Christian families of every tradition who want a Christ-centered education for their child.
RLS is dually accredited by the National Lutheran Schools Association and Cognia, a reflection of the academic quality behind our nurturing environment. We serve families across the region, including Apex, Holly Springs, and Fuquay Varina, as well as established communities like Kildaire Estates, Regency, and Amberly. Many parents describe a distinct sense of belonging from the moment they walk through the door.
Affording a Private Pre-K Education
Investing in a private Pre-K education is a meaningful decision, and we are committed to helping families understand the value behind it. Rather than list figures here, we keep current tuition and fee details, along with the ways we help families make it work, in one convenient place. Please visit our Affording Resurrection page for those specifics.
Schedule Your Visit
The best way to understand our faith-based Pre-K is to experience it in person. We would love to show you our classrooms, introduce you to our teachers, and answer your questions about the Junior Kindergarten year. To schedule a tour or request more information, please reach out through our contact page.
Frequently Asked Questions
What age is Pre-K at Resurrection Lutheran School?
Our full-day Junior Kindergarten, which serves as our Pre-K program, is for children who are four years old by August 31. Kindergarten students must be five years old by August 31.
How is Pre-K different from your preschool program?
Junior Kindergarten is a full-day program that follows regular school hours, while Resurrection Lutheran Preschool offers partial-day classes for children ages two through five. Junior Kindergarten acts as the bridge year that prepares four-year-olds for Kindergarten.
Do you offer before and after care for Pre-K students?
Yes. Before Care is available daily from 7:15 am to 8:15 am, and After Care runs from 3:00 pm to 5:00 pm, Monday through Thursday.
Does your Pre-K program include Spanish and other specials?
Yes. Junior Kindergarten students take part in specials including Music, Physical Education, Art, Library, and Technology, and Spanish is now offered for every grade from Junior Kindergarten through eighth.
What neighborhoods do you serve?
We serve families throughout the area from our Lochmere campus, including nearby communities such as Kildaire Estates, Regency, and Amberly, along with families from Apex, Holly Springs, and Fuquay Varina.
A Strong Start, Rooted in Faith
Choosing a Pre-K program is one of the first big educational decisions a family makes. At RLS, our full-day Junior Kindergarten pairs academic readiness with genuine Christian care, so your child begins school feeling safe, capable, and loved. We invite you to take the next step and schedule a visit to see it for yourself.
