Jefferson Preschool Program

The Jefferson Early Childhood Center serves children from 3 to 5 years old who reside in the Park Ridge-Niles School District 64 boundaries. We offer a half-day program five days a week.Preschool classrooms are multi-age, with 15 students per class.

Each classroom has a certified early childhood teacher and a teaching assistant. A speech and language pathologist, occupational therapist, and school social worker also support the classrooms.

We are thrilled that eligible children can attend our preschool program at no cost to the family thanks to the Preschool for All grant. Children and families must participate in a developmental screening before enrollment to determine the Preschool for All eligibility.

Once registration opens on January 21st, all families (returning and new students) must follow the steps on our Registration Page. As part of the Preschool for All process, we need a few additional items from families to complete enrollment.

For families with a child RETURNING TO JEFFERSON

Before registration is approved, families must submit proof of income and schedule a parent interview. Proof of income can be submitted to the main office or emailed to tconnelly@d64.org. You will not be required to participate in the developmental screening, as your child has already been screened.
- Proof of Income Explanation
- Form to Schedule Parent Interview

For families registering a child NEW TO JEFFERSON

Registration for new students will not be approved until you and your child participate in a preschool screening. This is a requirement of the Preschool for All program.
- Please complete this Jefferson Early Childhood Center Preschool Screening Questionnaire. After completing the questionnaire, you will receive a call to schedule a screening.

Registration Requirements:

Proof of residency within District 64.
Proof of income.
New applicants will be scheduled for a developmental screening prior to the child starting. Parents will be contacted by a member of the diagnostic team to schedule the screening.
In addition to the completed registration form and proof of residency, a copy of the original birth certificate and immunization records are required.

Curriculum:

Creative Curriculum, which is a research-based and developmentally appropriate curriculum that is aligned to the Illinois Early Learning and Development Standards.
Research-based curriculum helps children gain the range of skills they need to be successful in kindergarten.
Students dive deeply into topics of interest through monthly units of study.
Play-based environment supports children in developing their language, pre-academic, play, learn-to-learn, motor, and social and emotional skills.
Children are encouraged to become independent through developing their self-help and self-regulation skills.
Music, art, and physical education/movement are featured daily.
Teachers conduct ongoing assessments to monitor student progress.
Teachers are highly qualified with certification in early childhood, special education and teaching children learning English.
In addition to the teacher, there are specialists (speech pathologist, occupational therapist, physical therapist, and social worker) providing instruction and support in every classroom.
Small class sizes (15 students) with a low student to teacher ratio (1 adult per 5 children at a minimum).
Technology-rich environment with iPads, SMART Boards, and SMART Table activities integrated into the curriculum.
Special activities scheduled on a monthly basis include Dog Therapy, and Library Lady.
Monthly parent education workshops are offered that relate to different aspects of child development. Previous topics include: play with purpose, vocabulary development, stress reduction, summer activities, and community resources.

Calendar:

Jefferson follows the District 64 calendar for holidays and vacations.

Together We Discover, Learn, Grow & Care

At D64, our mission is to foster opportunities for discovery, engagement, and growth for all students. We accomplish this by nurturing interdependence, appreciation of differences, and care for self and others.