Frequently Asked Questions-2021-2022 School Year
Welcome
Jersey City Public Schools
Preschool Program Pre-K
Frequently Asked Questions
PREK Frequently Asked Questions for the 2021-2022 School year PDF for Download
Dear Pre-k Family,
We hope that your summer is going well. By now, you should have received the placement letter for your pre-k child. If you have not received the letter, please contact the Early Childhood Department at 201-915-6078/6045/6246.
As we look forward to the beginning of the 2021-22 school year, below is pertinent information regarding our pre-k program:
1. School Hours for Pre-K Students
Arrival time: 8:30a.m.
Dismissal Time: 2:30p.m.*
*For students who walk to school (not transported by bus), your child’s teacher will notify you about the procedure at arrival time.
In the morning, students transported by bus will be met by staff upon arriving at the receiving school and will be escorted into the building and to their classrooms.
2. Transported students:
Pre-k students who are bused from their home school will receive a letter with their bus schedule by the end of August. In the mornings, pre-k students will be picked up at their home school and transported to the receiving school. All pre-k students should wear a mask. At the end of the day, the students will be transported back to their home school. Family members listed on the Emergency Contact form will be available to pick-up the students. The Early Childhood Department will send specific information with your child’s bus schedule. There is no cost to families for transporting their children.
3. Contactless Sign-In/Out:
Please bring your own pen for signing your child on (mornings) and off (afternoons) the bus.
4. What to Expect on the First Day:
- You will meet your child’s teachers. Each pre-k classroom has a certified teacher and a paraprofessional.
All students must have a completed Emergency Contact Form on the first day of school, Thursday, September 9, 2021. Transported students will not be allowed to ride the bus without a completed form. A copy of the form can be access at the following link: https://bit.ly/JCPSPREKContactForm
- Your child’s teacher will provide information about the daily routine, contact information, Food Program application, etc.
- On your child’s first day, we invite you or another significant adult in your child’s life to join him/her in the Pre-K class to meet and greet the teacher in-person and see the classroom. Due to COVID-19 and social distancing, family members visiting the classroom must make their own transportation arrangements for getting to and from the school.
5. School Uniforms:
Your child’s teacher will provide information about the school uniform or you may call your child’s school.
6. Is there a list of required school supplies pre-k students need to bring with them on the first day of school?
You will need to send the following items with your child in a resealable plastic bag with your child’s name clearly printed on it:
1. extra set of clothing (pants, shirt, underwear, socks, in case of ‘accidents’) and
2. crib sheet for child’s cot (blanket optional)
Please put your child’s name on all items.
7. Pre-k Students and Masks:
As per Executive Order 251, all students and staff will be required to wear a mask when indoors regardless of their vaccination status.
8. Naptime:
Naptime will be included in the daily routine following CDC guidelines. Students will be placed 3 feet apart with a head to toe arrangement and masks will not be worn during naptime.
9. The Pre-K Classroom Daily Schedule:
The Jersey City Public Schools implements the HighScope curriculum, one of the curriculums approved by the Department of Education. HighScope provides guidelines for implementing an age-appropriate schedule. For more information about our curriculum, please visit the Jersey City Public Schools website at https://bit.ly/JCPSEarlyChildhood
You can also visit www.Highscope.org for additional information.
Your child’s teacher will inform you about the specific daily schedule for the classroom.
10. Food Program:
Each month, your child’s school will provide a copy of the breakfast and lunch menus.
On the first day of school, your child’s teacher will provide the application for the Food Program.
11. The District’s Early Childhood Centers Principals:
The Early Childhood Centers (Danforth Avenue, Glenn Cunningham, Infante, and Westside Avenue) house only pre-k classrooms.
Michelle West-Levine, - Danforth Avenue and Glenn Cunningham Early Childhood Centers
Dianne O’Connell- Infante and Westside Avenue Early Childhood Centers
12. Independent toileting:
Your pre-k child does not need to be potty trained to attend our program. However, we encourage families to work with their children to become more independent with their toileting skills.
13. Vaccination status and mask usage:
All staff members and students are required to wear a mask, as per Executive Order 251, regardless of vaccination status.
Thank you for choosing Jersey City Public Schools!