Preschool Program

• The Greenwich Public Schools Integrated Preschool Program targets instruction for children with identified special needs alongside their typically developing peers. 
• The GPS Integrated Preschool Program was developed 50 years ago in alignment with special education laws to provide free and appropriate public education for preschool students.
• Our teachers are duly certified by the State of Connecticut in both Special Education and General Education.
• The Greenwich Public Schools Integrated Preschool Program is a structured, center-based program, where each child participates in instructional activities/experiences, which address the areas of communication, cognition, self-help, fine/gross motor and social emotional development.

The GPS Integrated preschool program adheres to the Connecticut Early Learning Development Standards that promote:

• Equity for all children, through setting high, but appropriate, expectations;
• High quality early learning experiences, by providing clear goals and trajectories for learning;
• Provision of individual support, based on each child’s growth and development; 
• Families’s understanding of what their children are learning and  how they can support them;     
• Teachers’ understanding of age-appropriate content and approaches to children’s learning, and;
• Communication across sectors, based upon these common goals for children. 

(Taken from, https://www.ctoec.org/wp-content/uploads/2019/12/CT-ELDS-Main-2014.pdf)
 

Age Eligibility for Students

Students who will turn three years old but will NOT turn five years old by September 1st of the following year are eligible to apply for entrance to the GPS Preschool Program. The GPS Preschool follows state guidelines for kindergarten entrance the year that the student reaches their fifth birthday. 

1. The online lottery application must be completed for all new students whose parents wish to apply to the Greenwich Public Schools Preschool Program. Students currently attending the Greenwich Public Schools Preschool Program who are eligible to attend preschool for another year DO NOT NEED TO REAPPLY.
2. Please indicate which age/gender lottery you are entering for your child based on their age as of September 1, 2025.  There are four (4) separate lotteries:  3 year old female, 3 year old male, 4 year old female, 4 year old male
3. There are currently Preschool classrooms located at the following schools: Hamilton Avenue (magnet), Julian Curtiss (magnet), New Lebanon (magnet), North Street School, Old Greenwich School, please note that site location can not be guaranteed.
4. Please indicate your rank order preference among the preschool locations.  Please also indicate any locations which you are NOT interested in.
5. Students will be accepted into schools based on maintaining balanced classes (age and gender). Please note, town residents and employees are eligible to attend however town residents will have priority over town employees. For Hamilton Avenue, Julian Curtiss, and New Lebanon schools,
   1. First Priority - Siblings of youngsters who are presently enrolled in the preschool program (and will continue in the program as a 4 year old for the next school year) and siblings of Magnet K-4 students presently enrolled at the Hamilton Avenue School, New Lebanon School, or Julian Curtiss School will have priority status for a vacancy in a preschool class. These students are not placed in the lottery system.
   2. Second Priority - Remaining vacancies in the Hamilton Avenue, Julian Curtiss or New Lebanon Preschool classes will initially be filled with youngsters who live within their respective school attendance areas.
6. If more than one child in a family is applying to the preschool program, each child must complete a separate lottery application. There is no guarantee that all children applying from one family will be accepted.
7. Parents will be contacted if/when they receive a placement in one of our preschool classes. You may be contacted up until August for placement due to ongoing enrollment.
8. You will have 5 days to provide payment information to confirm your child’s acceptance in the preschool program.
9. A waitlist will be maintained based on age and gender. If you decline your initial placement you will be removed from the waitlist for any school.
10. Read complete details regarding Preschool Admission in Regulation 6171R.

If you have any additional questions, you may call the Preschool Office at 203-698-7796

****Applications for the 2025-2026 Preschool program must be received by February 2, 2025 to be included in the lottery.****

Application for the 2025 - 2026 school year 

Age Eligibility for Typical Students

Students who will turn 3 years old but will NOT turn 5 years old by September 1st 2025 are eligible to apply for entrance to the GPS Preschool Program. Entrance into the program is based on a lottery.

Schools
Preschool Locations are as follows:

Hamilton Avenue School, New Lebanon School, Julian Curtiss School,
North Street School, Cos Cob School, and Old Greenwich School

To view the address and time of the preschool day at each location click on the school names below.

Parents, pediatricians, community preschools and/or the Connecticut Birth to 3 program may initiate a preschool referral to the special education process. Referrals to this process may be made throughout the school year. Team decisions regarding evaluation, eligibility, and recommendations for appropriate educational programming and placement are determined at Planning and Placement Team (PPT) meetings.  Parents are important members of the PPT process.  Once a student is determined eligible to receive Special Education services, an Individualized Education Program (IEP), developed and educational programming determined.

Lori Costa
Intake Coordinator
lori_costa@greenwich.k12.ct.us

Sabrina Motta
Speech and Language Pathologist
sabrina_motta@greenwich.k12.ct.us

  Tara Lunde
Education Evaluator
tara_mcauliffe-lunde@greenwich.k12.ct.us

Curriculum

In an effort to ensure we are providing our students with the most up-to-date research based instruction, we are excited to announce the implementation of a new curriculum for the 23-24 school year and beyond.  During September of 2022, the preschool program began a year-long curriculum vetting process that started with sixteen of the most well respected preschool curriculum programs.  With specific goals in mind such as increasing family engagement, consistency across all of our buildings, and several others, we decided on the Creative Curriculum for Preschool.   Feel free to take a look at our presentation to the Board of Education. Creative Curriculum is designed to inspire children through project based and investigative learning.

To help build a foundation of literacy for our students, we began to implement the Fundations Reading Program from WIlson during the 2022-2023 school year. Fundations is research based and utilizes a multi-sensory approach to reading, writing, and spelling instruction.  Fundations lessons are given on a daily basis in all of our preschool classrooms.

Toileting

Independent toileting and self help skills are strongly encouraged when entering the preschool program. When entering our program it is important to communicate your child’s level of training in order to ensure carry over of skills from home to school.  If your child is not toilet trained, pull ups, wipes, and gloves will need to be provided to the school.

Clothing

Each day children should wear comfortable, washable play clothes to school. Sneakers or rubber-soled shoes are recommended for classroom and outdoor play. If your child wears snow boots to school please send shoes in their backpack.

We spend a part of each day outside (weather permitting), running, jumping, and climbing.  Please do not send your child with necklaces and sharp jewelry as they may pose a safety hazard during active play.  Please dress your child according to the weather with appropriate outerwear.  Mittens, hats, snow pants, boots and scarves should be clearly labeled with your child’s name.  For safety please be sure that mittens, hats and jackets do not have hanging strings.

Before the school year begins, your child’s teacher will communicate the supplies they will need for the school year. This may include a change of clothing, diaper and wipes if applicable, daily snack, a backpack large enough for a lunch box and folder, and/or various school supplies. At that time the teacher will communicate arrival and dismissal routines specific to the school your child will be attending.

In order to provide the receiving Kindergarten team with the most updated academic information related to the incoming student, please complete the K profile | español.  The information should be emailed directly to the assistant principals at the receiving elementary school no later than April 28, 2023.  Please see the table below for the name and email address for each of the assistant principals.  Should you have any questions about the student's home school, please refer to the GPS School Finder.

The following are resources available to families of student with disabilities. Some of these services are available through your Parent Teacher Association Council (PTAC)/ Educational Differences Support (EDS) Committee School Representatives.

Parent Orientation
https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1an6oTRZTsu17hCPDcgLdkjbAPl-Fm_MCBMQNCTrDRn0/edit?usp=sharing

Preschool Parent Guide - English
https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1OmW4JVhae8OtOQlsdaa0wa_miF9Z7Smf7uFtKFtZI_c/edit?usp=sharing

Preschool Parent Guide - Spanish
https://docs.google.com/presentation/d/1JnOpIbGzC-3fU9rQS61iLTe9SK6mH97AlwZrV1fL27M/edit?usp=sharing

Request for Assistance (RFA) Form:   
English Version  | Spanish Version

District Resources
Parents as Partners Handbook English | Spanish

Preschool Handbook Addendum (link as PDF) English | Spanish

Procedural Safeguards

CT Early Learning and Development Standards English | Spanish

 2024-2025 Tuition rates are still pending BOE review.

2023-2024 Tuition Rates

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