About
University Covenant Nursery School includes activities such as sensory exploration, collaborative play, creative expression, and other hands-on activities. Children take part in STEM experiences like building a bridge and noticing and replicating patterns in nature, as well as reading aloud, sharing a story, and having lunch with peers and teachers. The program also includes Christian faith elements such as sharing Bible stories, talking about prayer, and hearing children pray, and it describes play in terms of engineering, literacy, cognitive and creative experiences, and social-emotional development.
• Ages: 2–5 years old
• Schedule: Friday Frogs Multi-Age Program on Fridays from 9am to 12pm; extended day multi-age combined class options to stay until 1pm or 2:30pm
University Covenant Nursery School describes its mission as “Nurturing Hearts & Minds Through Play-Based Learning” and states that it has provided a warm and loving Christian preschool for children ages 2–5 in the Davis community for over 20 years. The school offers a 2’s/3’s Program (for children who are 2 by December 1st) as a gentle introduction to the school environment, a 3’s Program (for children who are 3 by December 1st) that focuses on independence and wonder, and a 4/5’s (TK) Program that integrates kindergarten readiness and STEM into a play-based curriculum. It also offers the Friday Frogs Multi-Age (3–5) Friday program from 9am to 12pm in a cohort style for the school year and an extended day multi-age combined class where children can stay until 1pm or 2:30pm. The program states that it emphasizes social-emotional transitions and making first friends, focuses on collaborative play, creative expression, curiosity, self-awareness, problem-solving skills, and STEM, and describes itself as an inclusive preschool environment where every child feels seen, understood, and celebrated.
The leadership team includes Amy Duffy as Children & Families Pastor and UCNS Director, Christy Caldwell as Ministry Support Director, Lisa Brizee as Staffing and Inclusion Director, and head teachers Kristen Boughton, Steve Haffly, and Kate Ramsey. Staff credentials include degrees and permits in Human Development, Early Childhood Development, Psychology, Biology, English, and Multiple Subject Teaching Credentials, as well as a Child Development Site Supervisor Permit, a State of California Child Development Teacher Permit, and site-supervisor certification. The program holds License # 573610075.
University Covenant Nursery School reports that it has provided a Christian preschool for children ages 2–5 in the Davis community for over 20 years. Amy Duffy taught kindergarten and first grade from 1997–2002 before founding First Friends Nursery School in 2002, helped found UCNS in 2004, and has served as director since its opening. Kristen Boughton re-joined the UCNS staff team in 2015, Steve Haffly joined in 2017, and both Lisa Brizee and Christy Caldwell joined in 2015. The program notes community involvement through Amy’s service as a Sunday morning preschool teacher at University Covenant Church for over 15 years and Christy’s roles in small group ministry, Sunday morning KidZone, MoPS leadership, and long-term service on the UCNS Board, now as an Emeritus Advisor.
Parent testimonials describe a gentle transition to school, children talking about “engineering” block towers within the play-based approach, and families finding a community of parents that feels like a village.
Last updated July 5, 2026.
• Ages: 2–5 years old
• Schedule: Friday Frogs Multi-Age Program on Fridays from 9am to 12pm; extended day multi-age combined class options to stay until 1pm or 2:30pm
University Covenant Nursery School describes its mission as “Nurturing Hearts & Minds Through Play-Based Learning” and states that it has provided a warm and loving Christian preschool for children ages 2–5 in the Davis community for over 20 years. The school offers a 2’s/3’s Program (for children who are 2 by December 1st) as a gentle introduction to the school environment, a 3’s Program (for children who are 3 by December 1st) that focuses on independence and wonder, and a 4/5’s (TK) Program that integrates kindergarten readiness and STEM into a play-based curriculum. It also offers the Friday Frogs Multi-Age (3–5) Friday program from 9am to 12pm in a cohort style for the school year and an extended day multi-age combined class where children can stay until 1pm or 2:30pm. The program states that it emphasizes social-emotional transitions and making first friends, focuses on collaborative play, creative expression, curiosity, self-awareness, problem-solving skills, and STEM, and describes itself as an inclusive preschool environment where every child feels seen, understood, and celebrated.
The leadership team includes Amy Duffy as Children & Families Pastor and UCNS Director, Christy Caldwell as Ministry Support Director, Lisa Brizee as Staffing and Inclusion Director, and head teachers Kristen Boughton, Steve Haffly, and Kate Ramsey. Staff credentials include degrees and permits in Human Development, Early Childhood Development, Psychology, Biology, English, and Multiple Subject Teaching Credentials, as well as a Child Development Site Supervisor Permit, a State of California Child Development Teacher Permit, and site-supervisor certification. The program holds License # 573610075.
University Covenant Nursery School reports that it has provided a Christian preschool for children ages 2–5 in the Davis community for over 20 years. Amy Duffy taught kindergarten and first grade from 1997–2002 before founding First Friends Nursery School in 2002, helped found UCNS in 2004, and has served as director since its opening. Kristen Boughton re-joined the UCNS staff team in 2015, Steve Haffly joined in 2017, and both Lisa Brizee and Christy Caldwell joined in 2015. The program notes community involvement through Amy’s service as a Sunday morning preschool teacher at University Covenant Church for over 15 years and Christy’s roles in small group ministry, Sunday morning KidZone, MoPS leadership, and long-term service on the UCNS Board, now as an Emeritus Advisor.
Parent testimonials describe a gentle transition to school, children talking about “engineering” block towers within the play-based approach, and families finding a community of parents that feels like a village.
Last updated July 5, 2026.
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