preschool in Ahwatukee.
Big beginnings start here.
At Summit School, preschool is where curiosity becomes confidence. Through purposeful play, hands-on exploration, and meaningful relationships, children build the academic, social, and emotional foundation for a lifelong love of learning.
NAEYC Accredited
Exceeds quality standards
Experienced Educators
Preschool-8th Grade Community
More than a preschool.
Everything you want in a preschool.
And a whole school beyond it.
A nurturing early childhood environment, connected to a larger community of learners.
Preschoolers at Summit have a space and experience designed specifically for young children, but their world extends far beyond the preschool classroom.
As part of a Preschool–8th Grade school, our youngest students belong to the Summit community from the very beginning. They learn from experienced early childhood educators while also benefiting from specialist teachers, older student role models, school traditions, and the opportunities of a larger campus.
It’s a warm, joyful preschool experience with something more: an entire school community ready to grow with them.
Little learners. Big opportunities. One connected community.
The Summit Difference.
Everything they need to grow.
The early years should feel like childhood while building the foundation for everything that comes next.
Language & Early Literacy
Stories, conversation, vocabulary, and early literacy experiences build confident young communicators.
Early Mathematics
Numbers, patterns, shapes, measurement, and hands-on exploration develop early mathematical thinking.
Science & Discovery
Children observe, experiment, predict, question, and begin making sense of the world around them.
Social-Emotional Development
Children learn to understand emotions, navigate friendships, communicate needs, and become confident members of a community.
Communication & Collaboration
Conversation, cooperative play, listening, and shared experiences help children express ideas and work with others.
Fine & Gross Motor Development
Movement, play, art, and hands-on experiences build coordination, strength, and growing independence.
Creativity & Self-Expression
Art, music, dramatic play, building, and storytelling give children opportunities to imagine and create.
Independence & Problem-Solving
Children make choices, work through challenges, take appropriate risks, and discover how much they can do for themselves.
The goal isn’t to rush children toward elementary school.
It’s to give them the skills, confidence, curiosity, and love of learning that allow them to thrive when they get there.
Multi-age learning.
Growing Together.
Learning From Each Other.
In a multi-age community, every child has something to learn and something to offer.
Children learn naturally from one another. In Summit’s multi-age preschool environment, younger children watch older classmates model routines, communication, problem-solving, and new skills. They see what’s possible and gain confidence trying it themselves.
Older children benefit just as much. As they help, encourage, and model for younger classmates, they develop patience, empathy, responsibility, and leadership while strengthening their own skills.
And those relationships can last well beyond a single school year. As children move into kindergarten, they may already have friends in first and second grade, recognize familiar faces around campus, know specialist teachers, and feel at home in the Summit community.
Friendships continue, relationships grow across grade levels, and the children who once looked up to others become the role models themselves.
The "Big Kid" school experience starts early.
More to Explore. More to Discover.
Preschoolers at Summit benefit from specialist teachers, enriching experiences, and connections throughout the larger school community.
Music
Rhythm, movement, singing, instruments, and the joy of making music together.
Spanish
Early exposure to language and culture through engaging, age-appropriate experiences.
Art
Creative exploration, new materials, and opportunities for self-expression.
Library
Stories that spark imagination, build vocabulary, and nurture a love of books.
Physical Education
Movement, coordination, teamwork, confidence, and healthy habits.
Big Buddies & Campus Traditions
Connections with older students and shared experiences that make Summit feel like one school community.
Known. Supported. Encouraged.
Teachers who know your child.
The preschool years are a period of extraordinary growth, and the educators guiding your child through them matter.
Summit’s experienced preschool teachers create classrooms that are warm and nurturing while remaining intentional about each child’s development. Small classes and meaningful relationships allow teachers to understand each child’s personality, interests, strengths, and emerging abilities.
Children have room to explore, encouragement to take appropriate risks, and support when they need it. Because kindergarten readiness matters, but so do confidence, kindness, creativity, independence, resilience, and joy.
Excellence from the very beginning.
High Standards. A Community That Grows With Them.
NAEYC Accredited
Nationally recognized standards for high-quality early childhood education.
Exceeds quality standards
Summit exceeds quality standards through Arizona’s quality rating and improvement system for early learning programs.
Cognia Accredited K–8
For families who continue at Summit, nationally accredited learning continues through eighth grade.
Ready for Kindergarten. Already Part of the Community.
For families who choose to continue at Summit, kindergarten doesn’t have to mean starting all over again.
Children can move forward already knowing the campus, familiar faces, school traditions, specialist teachers, older students, and friends beyond their own grade.
The environment is familiar. Their relationships are real. Their world simply gets bigger.
A Place Families Grow With.
Common questions.
What Families Want to Know.
What makes Summit different from other preschools in Ahwatukee?
Summit combines a nurturing, developmentally appropriate preschool experience with the opportunities of a Preschool–8th Grade school. Children benefit from purposeful play, experienced educators, specialist instruction, multi-age relationships, broader campus experiences, and a school community that can continue growing with them through eighth grade.
What ages does Summit Preschool serve?
Summit Preschool serves children who are 3 years old by September 1. Children who are 4 years old by September 1 are considered Pre-K students and learn within our multi-age preschool community, with developmentally appropriate experiences designed to help prepare them for kindergarten.
The multi-age environment allows younger children to learn by observing and interacting with older classmates, while Pre-K students build confidence, independence, and leadership as the older members of the community.
All children must be fully independent in bathroom habits before beginning the program.
What are the benefits of a multi-age preschool?
Multi-age learning gives children meaningful opportunities to learn from one another. Younger children can observe and learn from older classmates, while older children develop confidence, responsibility, empathy, and leadership by helping and modeling for younger peers.
These relationships can also extend beyond a single school year. As children move through Summit, familiar friendships and connections can continue into kindergarten and the elementary grades.
Is Summit Preschool play-based?
Purposeful play and hands-on exploration are important parts of how young children learn at Summit. Teachers intentionally create experiences that support early academics alongside physical, cognitive, social, emotional, and creative development.
Children have opportunities to explore, ask questions, create, collaborate, solve problems, and develop new skills in ways that are engaging and developmentally appropriate.
Does Summit Preschool prepare children for kindergarten?
Yes. Kindergarten readiness at Summit includes early literacy and mathematical thinking as well as communication, independence, social-emotional development, problem-solving, collaboration, classroom routines, curiosity, and confidence.
For children who continue at Summit, there is an additional advantage: they can enter kindergarten already familiar with the campus, teachers, traditions, older students, and friends throughout the school community.
Do preschool students participate in specials?
Yes. Summit preschoolers benefit from enrichment experiences including music, Spanish, art, library, physical education, and other age-appropriate opportunities within the broader school community.
These experiences allow children to explore new interests while becoming comfortable with specialist teachers, different learning environments, and the rhythms of a larger school.
Does Summit offer before-and-after school care?
Yes. Summit offers Extended Day programming for families who need care beyond the regular school day. Extended Day provides children with a safe, supportive environment before and after school and is available for an additional fee.
Visit our Extended Day page to learn more.
How much does Summit Preschool cost, and are scholarships available?
Preschool tuition is established annually, with payment options available to families. Qualifying preschool families may also be eligible for Quality First Preschool Scholarships based on income eligibility.
Visit our Tuition & Affordability page for current tuition, fees, payment options, and available financial resources, or contact Admissions for assistance.
Do you accept new preschool students throughout the school year?
Yes. Summit Preschool may accept new students throughout the school year when space is available at the appropriate age/class level. Enrollment is subject to availability and completion of Summit’s admissions requirements and process.
Families interested in joining Summit during the school year are encouraged to contact Admissions to learn about current availability and next steps.
Can my child continue at Summit after preschool?
Yes. Summit is a Preschool–8th Grade school, allowing families to continue within the same school community from the early childhood years through middle school.
Children who continue into kindergarten can move forward within a campus, culture, and community they already know. As they grow, their academic opportunities expand while familiar relationships, traditions, and connections can grow with them.
the Beginning of Something Bigger.
Choosing a preschool is one of the first big educational decisions you’ll make for your child.
At Summit, you’ll find a nurturing place where childhood is celebrated, learning is joyful, teachers know their students, and little learners become part of a community filled with opportunities to grow.
Come experience Summit Preschool for yourself.