Dear Parent/Guardian:
The Universal Pre-Kindergarten (UPK) program is a special program which was established by the State Education Department and the Manchester-Shortsville School District to provide an early learning experience for the children of eligible families. UPK is a state-funded program and is not mandatory.
In order to be enrolled in the UPK program, children must be four years of age on or before December 1, 2021 or otherwise eligible to attend kindergarten the following school year. A child who is age-eligible to attend kindergarten is not eligible for the UPK program.
There is no charge for the UPK program and currently there is no transportation available. UPK classes are half day, five days per week on school days. A session will serve up to 18 children. The program runs five days a week, 2.5 hours per day from 8:45-11:15am. Once the lottery openings are filled, we do offer an afternoon Pre-Kindergarten session that runs from 12:15-2:30pm. Both programs follow the Red Jacket Elementary School Calendar. All programs follow a structured curriculum that is designed to prepare children for kindergarten in the Manchester-Shortsville School District.
We welcome all applicants for our UPK program. Students will be drawn through a lottery system if more students register than there are eligible spots. UPK APPLICATIONS ARE DUE ON FEBRUARY 26, 2021. The lottery will be held on March 1, 2021. If your child’s name is selected for UPK, you will be mailed a registration packet following the lottery. All applications received after the deadline will be added to the waiting list in the order they are received.
We would be happy to answer any questions related to Manchester-Shortsville’s UPK program. Please call Mr. McCarthy at the Elementary Principal’s Office at 289-9647.