PreK application submitted!

jlw2505

I just completed the PreK application for my younger DD for the fall.  My older DD was in the program for 2 years (we ended up holding her back a year and she will start kindy in the fall).  They just moved the application to an online system (you can still send in the paper form) and its so nice.  It took me less than 5 mins and now I wait.  They will be doing a lottery starting at 12 noon on March 2nd and I will find out the next week.  So now I am waiting to find out if my older DD gets full day kindy (will get a letter in the next 2 weeks) and about my younger DD with PreK.  I'm not really worried about her getting her - they have 30 spots and we will be in the 1st batch of the lottery (they do the in-district or current open enroll families first on March 2nd and then any new open enrolled families and then if there are any spots left, anyone that applies after the March 2 12 noon deadline goes on a first come, first serve list.  Last year they had 40 spots and I know of a few families that declined so most of the families that wanted the program got in plus this year, they moved one of the classes (at 3 elementary's in the disctrict with 4 classes as my school has 2 classes) to a school that is closer to where I live so I have a feeling that some of the kids that would have applied to my school will switch to the new location.  I really hate waiting though.

franciscaz

We have a state funded lottery program too.  We don't do it b/c we need something that has a longer duration but I've seen my friends wait for it.  That has to be odd.  Good luck.

jlw2505

This is not state funded or very minimally through the money that comes into the district for all early childhood programs.  I pay just as much for this PreK program as I did for the daycare run preschool and the hours are the same as my daycare, includes meals, they do field trips, etc.  Its an amazing program.  They use the Emilio approach which I love.  The program is run by the school districts Early Childhood Programs and in part by the group that does the schools before/after care and summer care programs (Kids and Co).  It is not cheap ($904 a month) but it runs year round with the exception of the last 2 weeks of summer which is the same as the Kids and Co program.  Not many of the districts in our area offer a full time program although many offer some type of part time preschool or YBK program through the Early Childhood Programs or Early Child Family Education Programs.  I know of the one at our district and one other that is like this. Last year was the 1st year that they had to do a real lottery as previously they never had an issue filling the spots and last year, it was only done at the school my kids are at.  The summer program is excellent - they go swimming 1x a week plus do water days on site, go for walks, do a lot of field trips and really work on having the kids outside as much as the weather allows.  They are still learning but the focus really shifts to a different style of learning and doing a ton of fun things.

KL777

Exciting, isn't it!  I submitted mine for Pre-K last month (early) and got a slot!

jlw2505

KL777:

Exciting, isn't it!  I submitted mine for Pre-K last month (early) and got a slot!

  It is exciting.  She has been talking about going for a year now since her older sister is there.  I'm not really worried about her getting a spot, but since there are 2 classes, I am not sure how they deciding who is in which room and I really, really, really want her in the main classroom with the same teachers that had my older DD (and I know the teachers want her).  I know the other teachers and am just not as impressed (this is their 1st year and the lead teacher is just not super experienced where the 2 teachers in the main room have been there for a lot of years and I just love them).