Pre-Kindergarten

Our program is designed to offer 4-year-olds daily instruction that increases awareness and competence in five domains derived from the NYS Prekindergarten Foundation for the Common Core:

• Approaches to Learning
• Physical Development and Health
• Social and Emotional Development
• Communication, Language and Literacy
• Cognition and Knowledge of the World (Math, Science, Social Studies, Arts, Technology)

We accomplish this in a caring, active, play-based learning environment that is rich with adult-child interactions. Daily instruction provides natural opportunities for children to learn readiness skills, exercise their curiosity and imaginations and fortify their ability to work well with others.

There can be up to 18 students per classroom with one teacher and one paraprofessional. If a classroom has over 18 students, a second paraprofessional must be added.

Yes, all teachers are certified.

Your child must reside within the West Irondequoit CSD and be 4 years old on or before Dec. 1, 2025 to be eligible for the 2025-2026 school year. A child who is eligible to attend kindergarten is not eligible for the Pre-K (UPK) program.

Classes are in session five days per week, Monday through Friday. Attendance is required all five days. The program follows the West Irondequoit CSD calendar.

It offers a full-day program that is 6 hours a day. The start and end times of a the program are determined by each Pre-K/UPK site.

Through NYS funding, we are awarded a certain number of student slots for Pre-Kindergarten. The 2024-2025 program currently supports 70 students across three locations. We will know specific slot numbers and locations in mid-February for the 2025-2026 school year.

No. It is a New York State grant-funded education program. There is no cost for the program. Any additional childcare hours/costs for students are the parent/guardian’s responsibility and arranged directly with the childcare facility.

No. Parents/caregivers are responsible for transportation. Timely drop-off and pick-up is required.

New York State requires districts to use a random selection process when there are more eligible UPK applicants than available seats. This ensures the process is equitable and transparent.

If applications exceed seats: each application is assigned a number, entered into an electronic random lottery generator, and placed in order based on the random draw.

Students are placed into seats in the exact order determined by the lottery; remaining applicants form the waitlist in the exact order determined by the lottery as well.

No. Regulations do not allow adjusting results to favor any specific demographic groups.

For twins/multiples, complete ONLY ONE application and include both/all names. Twins/multiples will both/all be placed at the same school and same time if selected.

The electronic lottery generated will be printed and kept of file for the full school year.

Families are notified of placement or waitlist position by email first and then followed up with mail documentation.

Families are contacted in waitlist order when openings occur.

If a seat is declined, the application is removed, or by request, goes to the bottom of the waitlist.

Late applicants are added to the end of the existing waitlist.