Universal Pre-K Policy and Procedures
Somers Universal Pre-K Process
1. The Somers CSD runs a Universal Pre-Kindergarten (UPK)Program for 4-year-olds that reside in the Somers School District. The program is housed in Primrose School which is also our K-2 building.
2. The YMCA partners with us to provide this program. They follow the Scholastic Pre-K My Way Curriculum and they also use the Hegarty and Fundations Pre-K literacy programs that our K-2 students use.
3. The Somers contact for UPK registration questions is Stacey Elconin, Director of Special Services, who can be reached at selconin@somersschools.org. The Director of the YMCA Program, who oversees UPK teachers and curriculum is Margarita Pineiro, who can be reached at mlozada@ymca-cnw.org.
4. Since we do not have enough space for every 4 year old that resides in the district to attend the UPK Program, students are chosen by random lottery. The UPK lottery is open on a rolling basis until Feb 28 of the year a child would potentially be enrolled in the UPK. The lottery being opened is published in the local paper, in weekly emails to families in our 4 schools, on our school signs, and in our local library starting in the Fall of the year prior. Parents will be sent a link to sign up for the lottery once they email Stacey Elconin.
5. During the week of March 1st of the year of potential enrollment names are chosen for the UPK by a random name spinner on the internet by the Director of Special Services as one of her office assistants watches. Emails are then sent to families stating that they have either been chosen with a registration deadline of April 30, or that they have not been chosen and asking if they want to be kept on a waiting list.
6. Once the registration deadline of April 30 passes, families who have not registered are emailed and called to make sure they are not registering, and any open spots are again chosen by the random name chooser and families are notified of their updated status.
7. If a child is attending the UPK program, the parent will need to register them 2 times – once as a student in the Somers Central School District, and once with the YMCA. Parents use the Somers CSD website to register as a student under NEW FAMILY REGISTRATION at this registration link. The YMCA sends a separate email with their registration procedures.
8. Students who receive services under the Committee for Preschool Special Education (CPSE) such as Special Education Itinerant Teacher (SEIT), Speech, OT, and PT are eligible to register for the lottery and they can receive services while attending the UPK program.
9. The program follows the school calendar for the year in terms of student days off, holidays, conferences, and staff development days. The program runs daily from 8:30- 1:30 and parents are responsible for all transportation. There is no childcare available before 8:30am, but the YMCA does provide care after 1:30pm at parent expense.