If your child is 3 years old by August 31, 2026, this is the program for your child.  This class meets on Tuesday and Thursday. There is a half day or full day option.  Teachers will work to help students develop social, emotional, cognitive, and spiritual development. This is a program where students are introduced to a structured environment, making friends, learning through play and following directions with exposure to basic academics. Students participate in hands on activities using centers, fine arts, dramatic play and activities designed to increase mathematical, literacy, physical and fine motor skills.

If your child is 4 years old by August 31, 2026, or if you feel that your child is not quite ready for a five day a week program, you may want to consider the 4 and 5 year old program that meets Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. You can choose a half day or full day program. Teachers will work to prepare students for the pre-kindergarten and/or kindergarten program. Students will spend an additional day at preschool focusing on maturing socially and emotionally, and digging deeper into academics such as higher numbers, counting, learning letters and letter sounds. Students will use hands on activities to extend learning via the use of play, kinesthetic learning and centers.

Our PK program is a pre-kindergarten program for 4 and 5 year old children that do not meet the cut off, or who are not quite ready for the kindergarten program. The PK program is a five day a week program that has a half day or full day option. *Updated 10/2025 For enrollment in this program, your child must be 4 by August 31, 2026, and also meet the age requirement to attend kindergarten for the following school year (2027-2028 academic year).  These students benefit from an additional review of content at a slightly higher level to help students feel confident and ready for their transition to kindergarten. Students will build more stamina for the school week due to additional school days and/or hours by attending Monday through Friday half or full day. Preschoolers are very enthusiastic learners and these positive attitudes can greatly contribute to their future success in school. Preschoolers learn through fun and games as they navigate through their classrooms with toys, puzzles and shapes helping in the development of important cognitive skills, social development and gross/fine motor skills. Research has shown that preschool also provides an atmosphere for the development of early literacy and mathematical skills. The skills learned during the Preschool years can then be applied in math, reading, religion, social studies, science, art, gym and music greatly contributing to future school achievement.

2026-2027 PRESCHOOL TUITION

PRESCHOOL
P3: $1,650 HALF DAY - T/TH
  $2,420 FULL DAY - T/TH

P4: $2,450 HALF DAY - M/W/F
  $3,600 FULL DAY - M/W/F

PK: $3,750 HALF DAY - M-F  
  $5,970 FULL DAY - M-F

REGISTRATION FEE (Non-refundable) 
New Student: $50 
Returning Student: $50 

For more tuition information, please click HERE

Where is the preschool located?
The preschool is located under the church in our early learning building along with our kindergarten classrooms.

Do students have to be potty trained?
Students must be potty trained and able to take care of bathroom needs themselves before entering preschool at Our Lady of the Visitation School.

Are multiple student discounts applicable for preschool? What about financial aid?
Parishioner discounts are not available to preschool.  The Catholic Education Foundation (CEF) of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati does provide financial assistance for qualifying preschool families. Please visit catholicbestchoice.org for more information.  Preschool tuition payments are managed through FACTS.

Is before and after care offered?
Before and after care programs are unavailable for preschool students. Parents can drop students off as early as 7:45 a.m. and extended day is available for all programs until 2:50 p.m.

Is busing available for Preschool?
Private transportation must be used for preschool students. Unfortunately, busing is not provided to us for preschool by the public schools. Busing is available to students starting in kindergarten.

Will the schedule run the same as grades K-8?
For the most part, yes. The school day for all students at Our Lady of the Visitation School begins at 8:18 a.m. All programs run from 8:18 a.m. to 11:20 a.m., with a full day option ending at 2:50 p.m. The P3 program is T/TH, the P4 program is M,W, F, and the PK program (4/5 year old Pre-Kindergarten) program is M-F.  Off days and breaks are the same days as K-8.

Are Preschool students expected to wear a uniform?
No, students should wear comfortable play clothes with velcro shoes. Shorts and pants should allow for students to easily use the restroom independently.

Is snack provided by the school? Will students eat lunch at school?
Snack is not provided by the Preschool. Parents will need to send a healthy snack with their child each day.  Students that stay for the full day program will pack their lunches. Hot lunch is not available for preschool students. Milk can be purchased daily. 

How is admission priority determined?

As Beacons of Light continues in the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, Our Lady of the Visitation, St. Joseph, and St. Jude will unite as one parish with three locations. Our Lady of the Visitation School is a ministry of the Divine Mercy Family of Parishes. In light of this, admission to Our Lady of the Visitation School is considered according to the following priorities:

1. Children of active parishioners of any church within the Divine Mercy Family of Parishes who are currently enrolled at Our Lady of the Visitation School.
2. Children of active parishioners of any church within the Divine Mercy Family of Parishes with siblings already enrolled at Our Lady of the Visitation School.
3. Children of active parishioners of any church within the Divine Mercy Family of Parishes enrolling for the first time.
4. Children of active parishioners of any Catholic church outside of the Divine Mercy Family of Parishes.
5. Children of non-active parishioners & non-Catholic families.

These priorities apply only to applicants who submit all required application materials by the published deadline. When the number of applicants within the same priority level exceeds the number of available spaces in a class, admission decision shall be determined according to the following criteria as outlined in the Pledge to Our Lady of the Visitation School:

1. "Participate in the faith life of the Parish by attending Masses on weekends and Holy Days throughout the year as a family evidenced by envelopes collected at Mass. (Any Divine Mercy Family church may be attended - minimum of 32 Sundays)"

** If multiple families equally meet this criterion, then the following will be used:

2. “Participate in the community life of the Parish by volunteering our time and talent to ministries and organizations.” (includes school volunteerism).

Definition of Active Parishioner: An active parishioner is a registered parishioner within the Divine Mercy Family of Parishes who participates in the faith life of Our Lady of the Visitation, St. Joseph, and/or St. Jude churches. This is demonstrated through attendance at weekly Sunday Mass and Holy days, participation in the community life of the Family of Parishes by volunteering time and talents in ministries and organizations, and financially supporting the Family of Parishes on weekly basis through the Sunday offering in addition to staying current on tuition. Active parishioner status will be reviewed on a regular basis.

If an applicant falls under priority number 4, they must provide a letter of good standing from their registered parish stating that they are an active parishioner.

What do I need to know to apply? 
• You need to be able to determine the class your child will attend. Your options are P3 - 3 year old program, P4 - 4 year old program, or PK - 4/5 year old program. If you are unsure as to which class to sign your child up for, you as the parent must make your best guess at registration. If a parent changes their original choice the admissions team will consider changes after all registrations have been processed based on availability. 
• Please determine if half day or full day classes are best for your child. You will have to mark half day that ends at 11:20 p.m. or full day that ends at 2:50 p.m. If you are unsure, sign your child up for half day. If staff permits, we can add your child later to full day. However, if you sign up and choose not to use the afternoon, there will be a financial penalty for withdrawal. 

How does the aplication process work?
Registration will take place online. After completing the online registration, you will be sent an email confirming receipt of your online form.  You will be notified via email if your child has been accepted or placed on a wait list. More information can be found here: https://olvisitation.org/school/Join-Our-Family/Registration

When will parents be notified if they are accepted?
This is dependent on enrollment of new families. Families will find out if they are accepted or placed on a wait list by the end of February. 

What curriculum is used for preschool?
We use Joyful Discoveries for our preschool curriculum. This is used by most schools in the Archdiocese of Cincinnati.

Will I be able to volunteer in preschool?
Parents may choose to volunteer at Our Lady of the Visitation Preschool, but it will not be required. All volunteers must be in compliance with the Archdiocese’s Decree on Child Protection. Please check our website under Get Involved>Safe Parish.
 

Preschool Calendar

Preschool Carpool Video

Preschool Handbook

Preschool Staff