Who can apply?

• Pre-K: Students are eligible to attend in the calendar year in which they turn 4. Families with children born in 2020 can begin Pre-K in September 2024.

• 3-K: Students are eligible in the calendar year in which they turn 3. Families with children born in 2021 can begin 3-K in September 2024.

 

Families apply in the winter, receive offer letters in the spring, and begin school in September. To learn more about Pre-K, 3-K and the admissions process, please refer to NYCDOE Pre-K. Additional questions can be directed to Enrollment@ps290.org.

 

About MNS Pre-K and 3-K

PS 290 is an inclusive, caring community, where children and families are treated with respect and kindness.  We currently have three full-sized Pre-K classrooms, each with a maximum of 18 students and two 3-K classrooms with 15 students. Classrooms have one certified head teacher and one assistant teacher ‘paraprofessional’.

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• Pre-K and 3-K students have their own dedicated bathroom.

• Toileting skills are not required before the start of school (assistance will be provided if needed at the beginning of the year) but students will develop skills to use the bathroom independently, part of their emotional and physical growth.  

• A free breakfast and lunch are served each day in the classroom. Students may also bring their own healthy lunch. Meals served and brought in are nut-free. All students bring water and an afternoon snack. For more information, see https://www.schools.nyc.gov/school-life/food/school-meals

• Rest: all students have a rest time / nap time in the afternoon. Pre-K rest time is approximately 30 minutes and 3-K rest time is about 60 minutes. ​

• Our Pre-K and 3-K students play outside on a padded playground turf.

 

Our classrooms are planned with thoughtful and purposeful design to hold exploratory learning centers to permit the development of creativity, independence, and group collaboration. The centers can and do change over the course of the year as the children’s interests change and as they progress along their learning journey.

 

To see a 360 degree view of the inside of a 3-K, Pre-K, and Kindergarten classroom

 please click here

 

School Hours
The school day is the same as the rest of the school, around 8:20am - 2:40pm, with slight adjustments for staggered arrival and dismissal with other grades.

 

After school classes are available for Pre-K 4 students only, for a fee, from 2:45-4:00pm.

Daily activities include learning exploratory center times, whole group circle times, small group work, outside playtime, lunch, rest time, snack, and a visit with one of our specialist teachers for Art, Science, Gardening, Music, and Physical Education. 

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Curriculum 
Our program offers a child-centered curriculum that provides students with opportunities to develop socially, emotionally, physically, and cognitively. The curriculum is based on 3-K and Pre-Kindergarten’s interdisciplinary units of study developed by the Division of Early Childhood Education for Pre-K for All. 

 

The Units of Study are a research-based resource to support student learning in all domains using developmentally appropriate practices.

 

• Our teaching teams in each room focus on nurturing inquiry, language, and problem solving skills. This serves as the lens for how we organize each of the Pre-K classroom environments, monitor, guide, and reflect on the interactions of students, explore the use of purposeful play, incorporate carefully selected children’s books, other texts, develop and nurture new vocabulary, and extend family engagement experiences within these practices.

• Student interests are the base for projects and themes that guide our focus within each Unit of Study.

Throughout these Units, children will be able to choose from a variety of activities and experiences grounded in the Pre-Kindergarten Foundation for the Common Core (PKFCC).  To learn more about the Units of Study, click here.

“Play gives children a chance to practice what they are learning.”-Mr. Rogers

“Play is the work of the child.”-Maria Montessori

 

Play is an important part of the students’ day, as play develops the “whole child”. Through carefully designed learning exploratory centers, children have many opportunities to demonstrate their understanding of a range of concepts. The learning exploratory centers also provide teachers the opportunities to foster the social, emotional, cognitive, and physical growth of each child. 

Teaching Credentials 
Our Head Teachers hold Early Childhood NY State Certification, a Masters Degree in Education, and meet the criteria put forth by the NYCDOE. They are members of the PS 290 staff. 

Applying for Kindergarten after being enrolled in Pre-K 
Even if your child attends Pre-K at PS 290, you MUST follow the procedures and apply for kindergarten during the kindergarten admission process next year. Enrollment in a Pre-K program does not necessarily affect your child’s enrollment for kindergarten.

 

PS 290 is a zoned school, thus kindergarten offers depend on the number of kindergarten applicants from several priority groups. Zoned students with siblings in the school and zoned students have priority for kindergarten placement ahead of non-zoned students who participated in Pre-K at that school. 

 

To learn more about admission to PS 290, please see our website at www.ps290.org/admissions

For additional information on priority of offering seats please refer to NYCDOE Kindergarten Admissions Overview.