East Valley Christian Preschool (EVCP) offers something rare in the preschool landscape: dedicated STEM and coding instruction built into the program from the very beginning. Located at 2715 S. White Road in the Evergreen area of San Jose, EVCS is accessible to families throughout the East San Jose corridor and serves children from toddler age through high school within a single, faith-centered school community.
A Complete Preschool Program
Our program is structured in distinct levels designed to meet children exactly where they are developmentally, with curriculum and classroom environments that match the specific needs of each age group.
Toddler Program: Ages 2 to 3
Our Toddler Program creates a warm, secure environment where young children begin exploring their world with confidence. Toddlers at EVCS learn primarily through hands-on experience and guided discovery, with teachers who understand that active engagement with their environment and trusted adults is how young children grow best.
Even at this age, our curriculum is intentional. The Toddler Program introduces:
- The beginnings of phonics and number concepts, building foundations for future literacy and math
- Fine and gross motor development through age-appropriate activities
- Simple science observation and guided discovery
- Social skills for group settings, including taking turns and following directions
- Basic self-help skills that build independence and confidence
We also provide potty training support for children up to age three, working in partnership with families to navigate this developmental milestone with patience and consistency.
Preschool Program: Ages 3 to 4
Our Preschool Program bridges the toddler and pre-kindergarten years for children who are ready to move beyond early discovery into more structured early learning. Using the Abeka curriculum, our three- and four-year-old students engage with:
- Beginning phonics blends and early reading foundations
- Math skills including counting, number recognition, patterns, and shapes
- Hands-on science exploration and observation of the natural world
- Fine motor activities that prepare children for future writing success
- Art, music, and creative expression
Our teachers adapt these materials to each child's readiness and learning style, so no two children are expected to move at exactly the same pace.
Transitional Kindergarten: Ages 4 to 6
Our Transitional Kindergarten program provides the crucial bridge between preschool and elementary school for children ages four to five. This is where academic intensity meaningfully increases, where kindergarten readiness skills are directly targeted, and where our signature coding program is introduced.
TK students at EVCP develop advanced phonics, reading readiness, writing foundations, mathematical thinking, and science exploration skills, all through the structured, systematic Abeka curriculum that has been preparing young learners for academic success for decades. By the end of the TK year, most students demonstrate measurable progress in letter recognition and sounds, number concepts, fine motor control, attention and task completion, and social readiness for the elementary classroom.
Screen-Free Coding: Where STEM Thinking Begins
One of the most distinctive features of the EVCS preschool program is our coding instruction for Transitional Kindergarten students. Our TK coding program uses Space Rover sets, a screen-free approach that teaches computational thinking through hands-on physical activity rather than screen-based interaction.
This matters enormously for young children. The developmental science is clear: children ages four and five learn most effectively through tactile, physical engagement with their environment. Putting a tablet in front of a preschooler and calling it coding education is not the same as guiding a child through the physical process of planning a sequence of steps, executing them with a physical tool, observing what happens, and adjusting their plan. That is the kind of thinking that screen-free coding builds.
What Children Learn Through Screen-Free Coding
Through guided activities with Space Rover sets, TK students at EVCS develop a set of skills that carry far beyond the preschool classroom:
- Sequencing: planning ordered steps to reach a goal before beginning
- Directional reasoning: understanding how movement and position relate to outcomes
- Cause-and-effect thinking: observing what their instructions actually produce
- Persistence: returning to a problem after a failed first attempt without giving up
- Collaborative communication: explaining their reasoning to a partner and listening to others
These are precisely the habits of mind that researchers identify as foundational for success in mathematics, science, reading comprehension, and eventually formal computer science. Starting this work in a physical, playful format at ages four and five gives children a meaningful and genuine head start.
STEM Is Woven Throughout the Entire Preschool Curriculum
Our dedicated coding program for TK students is the most visible STEM feature of our preschool, but it is not the only one. Science, technology, engineering, and mathematical thinking are woven throughout our preschool curriculum at every age level. We build on this developmental window with programs deliberately designed for young learners.
The Abeka curriculum we use across all preschool levels explicitly includes:
- Scientific exploration and discovery through hands-on experiments and nature observation
- Mathematical concept development through number recognition, counting, patterns, sorting, and shapes
- Motor skill development that builds the physical precision needed for future lab and engineering work
- Inquiry-based learning that encourages children to ask questions, test ideas, and observe results
Our experienced teachers do not simply deliver this curriculum as a script. They observe each child, identify where additional support or additional challenge is needed, and adapt their instruction in real time to meet each student where they are. That is the difference between a structured program with great teachers and a structured program with teachers who are simply going through the motions.
Spanish: A Second Enrichment Program for All Preschoolers
In addition to STEM and coding, every preschool student at EVCP participates in a Spanish language program. Language acquisition in the early childhood years is uniquely powerful: young children absorb new languages with a fluency that becomes progressively harder to replicate as they age.
Our Spanish program begins in the preschool years and continues through our K-8 program, giving children who start with us early a genuine multi-year foundation in a second language that is practically and professionally valuable throughout their lives.
Teachers Who Stay, and What That Means for Your Child
Strong programs are only as strong as the people delivering them. At EVCS, our preschool faculty hold degrees in early childhood education from accredited institutions, maintain current CPR and First Aid certification, and participate in ongoing professional development throughout the year. But what truly distinguishes our teaching staff is something harder to credential: the commitment to stay.
Our average staff tenure exceeds 14 years, and many members of our teaching team have been with EVCS for more than 20 years. In a sector where annual teacher turnover is common and sometimes severe, this level of continuity is genuinely unusual. It tells a story about school culture, about how teachers are valued, and about what it feels like to work in our community every day.
With an average class size of approximately 15:1, our teachers have genuine capacity to know each child individually, not just manage the group.
Year-Round Scheduling and Extended Hours
Our preschool operates on a year-round schedule, closing only on national holidays. This means no summer learning gap, no scramble for backup care in June and July, and no adjustment period every fall when children return to a program they have been away from for months.
Extended care hours run from 6:30 AM to 6:00 PM, accommodating working parents with early starts or late finishes. Even during the extended care hours outside the core curriculum block, children engage in purposeful, developmentally appropriate activities rather than unstructured waiting time.
Making Quality Preschool Accessible
EVCP is committed to the belief that access to high-quality early education, including enrichment programs like STEM and coding, should not be determined solely by a family's financial situation. Our preschool tuition is significantly lower than many comparable private programs in the Bay Area, and we partner with multiple financial assistance programs to extend access further for qualifying families.
Available assistance options include:
- Go-Kids program for income-qualifying families
- CalWORKs for eligible parents or caretakers
- Choices for Children subsidized childcare through the Santa Clara County pilot program
- Flexible monthly payment plans for all enrolled families
- A 10% sibling discount for each additional child enrolled after the first
Our admissions team works one-on-one with each family to identify the right combination of support for their situation. More information is available on our financial aid and scholarships page.
Frequently Asked Questions
What age can my child start at EVCP?
Our preschool program begins with our Toddler Program for children ages two to three. Children must be two years old to enroll. We also offer a Preschool Program for ages three to four and our Transitional Kindergarten for ages four to five.
At what age does the coding program begin?
Our screen-free coding program is offered to children in our Transitional Kindergarten program, which serves students ages four to five. Using Space Rover sets, TK students engage in hands-on sequencing and problem-solving activities without the use of screens. Coding instruction continues and builds through our elementary after-school enrichment program and into our K-8 clubs program.
Does EVCP really stay open year-round?
Yes. Our preschool operates year-round, closing only on national holidays. Extended care is available from 6:30 AM to 6:00 PM daily. This schedule is designed specifically to support families who cannot afford gaps in care or learning across summer months.
Do I need to be Christian to enroll my child?
No. We welcome children and families from all faith backgrounds. While our school is rooted in Christian values and our curriculum incorporates Bible stories, prayer, and spiritual formation, we respect the diverse backgrounds of the families we serve.
How do I take the first step toward enrollment?
The first step is scheduling a private tour with Principal Perez. You can contact our admissions team to arrange your visit. During the tour, you will have the opportunity to observe classrooms in action, meet our teaching staff, and discuss all available financial assistance options before making any commitment.
Ready to See the EVCS Difference?
A preschool that offers screen-free coding for four-year-olds, Spanish for every enrolled child, a year-round schedule with extended hours, experienced teachers who stay for decades, and access to financial assistance programs that make enrollment genuinely possible is not something you will find on every corner. East Valley Christian School has been serving the greater San Jose community for over 40 years, and our preschool reflects everything we have learned about what young children actually need to thrive.
We would love to introduce your family to our teachers, our classrooms, and our community. Contact us to schedule your tour today and come see why so many families choose to start their child's educational journey here, and stay all the way through high school.
