The Valley Central School District Prekindergarten Program offers 4-year-old children the opportunity to access an educational environment that is learner-centered and promotes the use of early literacy and emergent reading instruction based on effective, evidence-based practices. In alignment with New York State Prekindergarten Learning Standards, the program curricula promote balanced support between the development of early childhood social, emotional, motor and cognitive skills.
Frequently asked questions about UPK at Valley Central are answered here.
Applying for UPK (2023-2024 school year)
Eligible children reside in the district and will be 4 years old on or before December 1, 2023. The application period is January 26 – March 24, 2023. Parent information night is on Thursday, January 26, 2023 at the Berea Elementary gym. Doors open at 6:30 PM and the presentation will begin at 7:00PM. Printed applications will be available.
Applications for the 2023-2024 school year will be available at the District Office beginning January 26, 2023. You may request an application packet be sent to you by email (UPK@vcsdny.org). Email requests must include:
- Your first and last name
- Your child’s first and last name
- Your child’s date of birth
- Your home address
- Your type of residence
- Homeowner
- Rent With Lease
- Rent Without Lease
- Live With District Resident)
2023-24 UPK Provider Open House Schedule
Waiting List for UPK (2022-2023 School Year)
All UPK spots for the 2022-2023 school year are currently full. However, if your child currently resides in the district and turned 4 years old on or before December 1, 2022, you can still fill out an application to be placed on the 2022-2023 waiting list.
Please email UPK@vcsdny.org to request an application be emailed to you.
Email requests must include:
- Your first and last name
- Your child’s first and last name
- Your child’s date of birth
- Your type of residence
- Homeowner
- Rent With Lease
- Rent Without Lease
- Live With District Resident)
Half-Day, Full-Day and Extended-Day Offered
The district offers a half-day 2.5-hour program, a full-day 6-hour program and starting in the 2022-2023 school year, an expanded-day program that includes before and/or aftercare starting as early as 7:00 AM and ending as late as 6:00 PM. Our entire UPK Program is delivered through local collaborating agencies (UPK Providers). UPK Providers are chosen based upon review of their proposals. The proposals are measured by the competitive process set forth by the Commissioners’ regulations 151-1.1 – 1.7.
Half-Day UPK Providers (2022-2023)
Full-Day UPK Providers (2022-2023)
- Learning Together
- Montgomery Nursery School
- Most Precious Blood School
- School Time Children’s Center
Extended-Day UPK Providers (2022-2023)
UPK is designed to:
- Promote literacy through the use of evidence-based practices
- Promote positive emotional, social, and cognitive skills through collaboration between school and parents
- Provide learner-centered activities to promote children’s growth and development
- Provide a balance between teacher-initiated and child-initiated learning activities in order to encourage student self-confidence and independence
- Provide a balance of individual and small group activities for the children
- Provide activities that support parent participation in their child’s educational plan
- Design an assessment process that determines the developmental baseline and progress of all children
- Provide a nutritional snack to all of the children every day
- Provide support services to children and their families that are necessary to support the child’s transition and participation in the Prekindergarten Program
- Promote differentiated instruction to meet the learning styles of the children
- Maximize the integration of preschool children with disabilities
- Provide equal program access to participating children with limited English proficiency