4-A Great Beginning Preschool is a free all-day preschool program which began in the fall of 1996, and is funded by the Commonwealth of Virginia through the Virginia Preschool Initiative and the Tazewell County Public School System. There is a maximum of 18 children in each classroom with a teacher and teacher assistant. The program is for children who will be four years of age by September 30th of the year they attend. 
This special program is designed to create a developmentally appropriate, hands-on learning environment which encourages language development, provides child-choice opportunities and values decision-making skills, while encouraging each child to be responsible for his own actions. The philosophy is that children learn by doing and play is valued as the work of all young children. 
The mission of 4-A Great Beginning Preschool is to provide opportunities which foster self-esteem and self-worth, while maintaining high expectations for all children in a nurturing and respectful environment, reflecting both structure and flexibility.
4-A Great Beginning Preschool adheres to a curriculum which is developmental and designed to accommodate individual differences in a classroom setting that is organized around work areas such as: blocks, art, music & movement, sand & water play, manipulatives, a computer station, language & listening, and dramatic play. Each child is encouraged to actively choose and plan her daily work area(s). Our staff believes active learning requires much experimenting, best achieved by allowing each child opportunities to make many choices.