Your School
Cadence Academy Preschool, Grand offers exciting early learning environments for children ages 6 weeks through 5 years old. Our preschool center is accredited by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC) and we specialize in creating engaging educational experiences that help young children develop academic, social-emotional, and physical skill. We are proud to lead the way in preparing children for kindergarten.
Through our specialized curriculum and dedicated teachers, we strive to ensure that your child is not just ready for kindergarten, but ready to excel. In 2024, 100% of the Pre-K children assessed in our school demonstrated Readiness or Advanced Readiness for Kindergarten! Our preschool programs are built upon the Ascend Curriculum, which takes a skill-targeted approach to early education. Our children are constantly developing valuable skill sets in nine subject areas. We personalize educational activities to match the interests and current skill level of our students, which helps them feel engaged, supported, and challenged.
We offer a Before and After School Care Program for children ages five to seven on a limited basis. Please note, we typically restrict enrollment to students who have younger siblings at the school.
At Cadence Academy Preschool, we are proud to have earned a Level 3 rating through Iowa’s Quality for Kids (IQ4K) program. IQ4K is Iowa’s quality rating and improvement system designed to recognize and support child care programs that go above and beyond basic licensing requirements to provide high-quality care and learning experiences.
Our Level 3 rating reflects our ongoing commitment to creating a safe, nurturing, and engaging environment for children. Through quality teaching practices, supportive classroom environments, professional development for our teachers, and meaningful learning experiences, we strive to help every child learn, grow, and reach their full potential.
We are proud of the work our teachers and staff do each day to provide families with quality care they can feel confident in. Our IQ4K Level 3 rating is an important milestone, and we look forward to continuing to grow and improve together with the children and families we serve.
Another significant part of our curriculum is our Kind Child program. Kind Child is a year-long program for children ages two and older that helps our teachers nurture and strengthen every child’s social and emotional skills. We have found that when we focus on the emotional well-being of each child in our care, we strengthen our school as well. We are confident that Kind Child will continue to strengthen the culture of our entire preschool center by elevating every child’s feelings of happiness, improving their well-being, and enriching their friendships.
Thanks to the flexibility of our Ascend Curriculum, we take an individualized approach to early childhood education and encourage every child to progress towards age-appropriate goals at their natural pace. New skills are introduced sequentially in 9 different learning domains each month and activities are modified to fit the interests and current skill level of each child. This skill-based approach to early education ensures that every child feels engaged, supported, and challenged and makes learning fun!
We understand how important communication is to a child’s success, so we like to connect with our parents every day. Our daycare center has an open-door policy and we welcome you to visit at any time and stay for as long as you like. We offer a variety of communications to keep you up-to-date on your child’s overall developmental progress and have formal parent-teacher conferences twice a year so you can join us in setting goals for your child.
Cadence KickStart™ Soccer is a high-energy enrichment program designed to build confidence, coordination, and teamwork through fun, age-appropriate soccer play. Led by the teachers your child already knows and trusts, it’s seamlessly built into the school day.
Designed for ages 3–5
12-week program (once per week)
40–50 minute sessions
Builds balance, coordination, and motor skills
Encourages listening, teamwork, and confidence
Integrated into your child’s daily schedule
Talk to your School Director today to learn more and enroll.
Cooking Up Confidence, One Recipe At A Time!
Kids Café is a hands-on cooking program where children explore new foods, build confidence, and develop essential life skills through fun, guided kitchen experiences.
Talk to your School Director today to learn more and enroll.
Hi, my name is Erica Austin! I am originally from Johnston, IA, and graduated with my Associates Degree in Early Childhood from DMACC in 2007. In 2009, my husband Adam and I moved to Iowa City where I taught 2’s for 4 years, then became the Assistant Director at the Cadence Academy in Iowa City. In 2019 we relocated to the metro area with our two daughters Taylor and Hailey and I started here at our Grand location! As a family we enjoy biking, lake days, cheering on the Iowa Hawkeyes and playing outside with our new puppy Bingo! I have a passion for early childhood and have loved being able to grow at Cadence over the last 16 years!
My name is Madison Whisney. I have worked at Cadence Academy for more than 7 years and have loved working here. I have a bachelor’s degree from Iowa State University. I was drawn to Early Childhood Education from a young age. Both my mother and grandmother were kindergarten teachers and although I took a slightly different path, I am proud to be a third generation Early Childhood Educator. My husband Adam and our 3 beautiful children Sadie, Roxanne, and Hank; enjoy camping, biking, boating and most especially cheering on the Iowa State Cyclones. You will see us at every football game this fall! I am a very outgoing individual and love meeting new people and I feel so fortunate to be able to get to be a part of this school, meet all of your families and of course spend time with the kiddos!
Ms. Cori has been with Cadence for over 18 years. She is a pilar at our school and goes above and beyond to see that her classroom and our whole school is the best it can be. She is always there to help whether it is spring cleanup, a fun project, or ideas for the next parent event, Cori is there to lend a hand. She is a leader in her classroom, running a smooth toddler class, working exceptionally well with her co-workers, and providing a fun and nurturing environment. Outside of the classroom she is the health and safety coordinator and a go to for us in training new employees. Any task we give Cori she will bring her best to it and see it is done well. She cares deeply about our school, the kids, staff, management and the building itself have all been touched by Ms Cori.
Every child deserves access to high-quality early learning experiences. NAEYC (National Association for the Education of Young Children) has set 10 standards for early childhood programs that can help families make the right choice when they are looking for a child care center, preschool, or kindergarten. The standards and criteria are also the foundation of the NAEYC Accreditation system for early childhood programs. To earn NAEYC Accreditation, schools must go through an extensive self-study and quality-improvement process, followed by an on-site visit by NAEYC Assessors to verify and ensure that the program meets each of the ten program standards, and hundreds of corresponding individual criteria. NAEYC-accredited programs are always prepared for unannounced quality-assurance visits during their accreditation term, which lasts for five years. In the 30 years since NAEYC Accreditation was established, it has become a widely recognized sign of high-quality early childhood education. More than 7,000 programs are currently accredited by NAEYC—less than 10 percent of all child care centers, preschools, and kindergartens nationally achieve this recognition.
We want to learn about your experience with Cadence Academy Preschool, Grand. Please take a moment to share your experience with us and let us know how we are doing.
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