Meet Sandie Tufts of Funshine Christian Preschool

Today we’d like to introduce you to Sandie Tufts.

So, before we jump into specific questions about the business, why don’t you give us some details about you and your story.
In June of 2012, I was hired at Holy Cross Lutheran Church preschool. They had just fired their director. The director ended up taking the entire staff and all the children with her. The preschool was starting all over. It was the new director and my job to rebuild the preschool.

In November of the same year, the church decided the preschool was costing them too much money and needed to close. The parents of the preschool were given 30 days to find a new school for their child.

I had to come up with a new solution to keep the school open and keep the great families the Lord had provided. I kept praying and talking to family members and finally the Lord spoke to me to start my own school. I went to the church’s governing board and asked for permission to continue the school under a new license and name. After a lot of fighting and tears, they finally granted my wish. In May of 2013, I received the new license and Funshine Christian Preschool was born.

Has it been a smooth road?
It has not been a smooth road. It has been a hard winding road with a lot of ups and downs.

First, I have had to fight with the governing board at the church. Half of them didn’t want a school on campus and still don’t. the other half feel it is a ministry that the church needs to support.

Second is financial. When the school was first starting out, we didn’t have a lot of kids which meant not a lot of money coming in. Paying the school and my personal bills were a struggle. I had to rely on family to help which caused financial problems with them.

Third is getting kids. We had a wonderful school, but no one will take a chance with us. Most parents want a school that has at least 12 kids in a class for socialization.

Fourth is advertising. Being as small as we are, we can afford major advertising. So, we rely on the sign outside the school, or website and word of mouth.

So let’s switch gears a bit and go into the Funshine Christian Preschool story. Tell us more about the business.
At Funshine Christian Preschool, we believe that Christianity is the basis of all education; for God’s promise is that we are to “train up a child in the way he should go and when he is old he will not depart from it.” (Proverbs 22:6) We strive to recognize and meet the child’s emotional, social, spiritual and physical needs.

We acknowledge the parent as the primary influence. We dedicate ourselves to cooperate with them in the shared responsibility of educating their child. God’s command is that parents are to bring up their children “in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.”

We recognize the uniqueness of each child and offer opportunities for growth by providing them with a positive, creative and stimulating environment in which to develop and learn. It is our hope that by focusing on the whole child, with a strong emphasis on self-esteem, children will enjoy continued successes in the world.

Funshine Christian Preschool program has been established to assist parents in their task of parenting. We seek to serve the parents of the community by offering a wide variety of growth experiences in an atmosphere of Christian love for an acceptance of children of every race and creed.

Funshine Christian Preschool is committed to a Christ-centered. Efforts focus on the whole child with emphasis on the spiritual, physical, social, emotional and cognitive development of children in a safe and nurturing environment.

Our mission of Funshine Christian Preschool program is to provide a Christian-based program for children and there by implement genuine care, respect and courtesy for children, parents and the teaching staff. Our goal is to be the premier provider of preschool education for Cypress and the surrounding communities. We will strive to enrich and enhance the lives of the young children we serve to prepare them for the next steps in their education.

We also offer cooking and music classes once a week. We go on field trips at least 3 times a year. Most preschools don’t offer any extra activities like we do.

Any shoutouts? Who else deserves credit in this story – who has played a meaningful role?
When Funshine first started out, we had a great advisor board that helped the school get started.

Aileen Duran, she help keep my books in order.

Celeste May, she was and is the person who helps me get the word out about the school.

Sue Fugue, she is my spiritual guide.

Tom Brott, he is my voice of reason.

I also have to give a shoutout to my family. They have been my cheerleaders through all the up and downs. I would like to thank my mom, Linda Tufts (also my volunteer who cooks with the kids each week and goes on field trip), my brother, Brian Tufts who has helped my financially, and my dad, Chuck Tufts, who was always talking about the preschool before his death.

Pricing:

• We offer 3 full days at $615 a month and 5 full days at $695 a month; hours are 6:30 am – 6:00 pm
• We offer 3 half days at $495 a month and 5 half days at $585 a month; hours are 8:30 am – 1:00 pm

Contact Info:

• Address: 4321 Cerritos Ave; Cypress, CA 90630
• Website: funshinechristianpreschool.com
• Phone: 714-271-1784
• Email: ilvbnys@roadrunner.com

Getting in touch: VoyageLA is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you know someone who deserves recognition please let us know here.