The Butterfly House is our on-campus child care facility, licensed in the Commonwealth of Virginia, serving the children of Seminary students, faculty, staff, and the wider community for over 30 years.
The Butterfly House provides a safe, healthy, nurturing environment for children ages six weeks to six years.
We create opportunities for each child to grow in these key developmental areas:
Social-Emotional
Cognitive
Linguistic
Physical
Creative
Our Philosophy
We integrate emergent, child-centered, play-based curricula, and the theories of Loris Malaguzzi, Erik Erikson, Jean Piaget, Lev Vygotsky, Howard Gardner, and Arnold Gesell, into a holistic approach to early childhood education. Based on these principles, we offer children a path to self-expression, communication, logical thinking, and problem-solving.
We encourage diversity in all aspects of our program, invite family participation, and foster positive community relationships.
Our Program
At The Butterfly House (ages two to five years) and Caterpillar Club (ages six weeks to 28 months), children interact daily, not only with children their own age but with older and younger children. A diverse, mixed-age grouping gives every child an opportunity to successfully interact and allows for a gradual transition from one age group to another, thus minimizing anxiety by maintaining caregiver consistency.
Each week, we expose children to language, math, media, geography, science, and social studies, as well as opportunities to participate in drama, music, art, and physical education activities.
We operate our program both indoors and out, as outside play essential to healthy physical and mental development. Children spend a minimum of one hour outdoors every day except for in inclement weather.
Enrollment
VTS applicants wishing to enroll their children at TBH are accommodated on a first-come, first-served basis as determined by the receipt date of their registration deposit. The number of TBH spaces available varies annually, with priority given to the children of full-time or degree program VTS students and employees of VTS and Episcopal High School. Every effort is made to accommodate eligible children, especially the children of parents with full-time employment.
Nature Explore Certified Outdoor Classroom
Children engage in unstructured gross motor experiences, teachers facilitate open-ended learning opportunities, children engage in both parallel and cooperative play, and the larger community collaborates together in order to take care of our natural space.
Because there are no pre-established rules to these activities, children often use creativity and problem-solving skills to create them. The regular use of creativity, critical thinking, and problem-solving skills in an unstructured outside setting helps children build critical skills and abilities that will serve them in the classroom and in future careers.
Forms and Information
To apply, fill out the Waitlist Application at the link below. Priority is given to VTS students and VTS/EHS employees. Admission to VTS does not result in automatic admission to TBH. Admission is determined by August of each year.
Waitlist Application TBH Menu*
*Open enrollment will be twice a year in September and January. Admission is determined by July of each year.
For the 2024-2025 school year
Annual Registration Fee: $250
Annual Supply Fee: $300
Annual Activity Fee: $300
PreK 4 Graduation Fee: $75
(Due March 2025)
The Caterpillar Club
Infant Classroom (6 weeks – 16 months): $2,575 per month
Toddler Classroom (16 months – 28 months): $2,260 per month
The Butterfly House
Blue Butterflies/2-Year-Old Classroom & Green Butterflies/Rising 3s Classroom: $2,155 per month
Orange Butterflies/PreK-3 Classroom & Purple Butterflies/PreK-4 Classroom (3-6 years old): $2,100 per month
*A sibling discount is available
*Tuition includes breakfast, lunch, and an afternoon snack
*Tuition rates are classroom-based
*Priority families contact the director for your rates
Contact
For more information, please email Director Juanita Sanchez or call us at (703) 461-1786.