Pre-K Information Night

Select here to view Pre-K Information Night (Virtual)

Tuesday, February 8, 2022, at 6:30 p.m.

Families of age-eligible students interested in Pre-K in the fall of 2022 will learn about the programs below and the application process.

How do I apply?

Please submit all applications online between February 1 and April 15th at 4pm.

Additional documents are accepted at the APS Welcome Center 2110 Washington Blvd. Suite 100, Arlington, VA 22204 Hours: 8:00—3:30 p.m. M-F You can reach the Welcome Center by phone at 703-228-8665 (By Appointment Only) or 703-228-8000. The Syphax Education Center is located next to DHS off ART bus routes 45 & 42,“Sequoia DHS/2nd St” stop

*To apply to the VPI program, you must follow these steps:

1. A completed VPI application – online at link!
   School Mint Application Video:
    https://youtu.be/uaVk1v0g0ew – English
    https://youtu.be/H9ds0DO0A98 – Mongolian
    https://youtu.be/4e1kz9sNQlo – Amharic
   https://youtu.be/e0uSSl3X6wM– Spanish
   
2. Bring the following documents to the APS Welcome Center after your application is complete by calling 703-228-7663 to make an appointment.
3.    a) A completed APS Income Verification form-provided at APS Welcome Center
      b) Proof of Income
   > A copy of a 2020 or 2021 federal tax return showing adjusted gross income OR
   >Three most recent pay stubs
   > A letter of employment stating salary
     c) Proof of Arlington residence
   Parents/legal guardians are required to show proof that they live with their child in Arlington County.
   > Own or rent property: If the child resides in a property that their parents or legal guardians own or rent.
   One of the following documents must be provided:
   o Deed- Showing that the student’s parents/guardians owns and lives in Arlington.
   o Current Lease Agreement- In the parents/guardian’s name signed by the lessor and lessee or tenant and landlord.
   o Settlement Documentation- Documentation from a new home purchase if the deed has not been recorded.
   Any two of the following supporting documents that show the parents/legal guardians name and address must be provided: Current federal, state or property tax returns; Current payroll or withholding statement; vehicle registration; current utility bills; valid Virginia driver’s license with current address; documentation of financial assistance from Arlington County.
   > Parents/legal guardians who live with their child in a shared housing situation (the residence of someone else)All the following must be provided: Form A, Form B, and proof of residency documents:
   All the following must be provided: Form A, Form B, and proof of residency documents:
   Form A– Parent/Legal Guardian/Adult Student Residency Affidavit. In addition to Form A:
   o Any two of the following proof of residency documents showing the parent/legal guardian/adult  student’s name and address must be provided:
   o Current federal, state or property tax returns
   o Current payroll or withholding statemento Vehicle registration
   o Current utility bills
   o Valid Virginia driver’s license with current address
   o Documentation of financial assistance from Arlington County
   Form B– Statement of Arlington Resident Affidavit. In addition to Form B: One of the following documents must be provided:
   o Deed
   o Current Lease Agreement
   Residency Forms A and B are located on the APS website https://aps2016.apsva.us/registering-your-child/
     d) Proof of Age
   > Proof of the child’s age and legal name –a birth certificate. If the parent/guardian cannot provide a birth certificate, an Affidavit must be completed. APS has the right to forward a copy   of the Affidavit to its law enforcement agency.

The Virginia Preschool Initiative is a high quality Pre-K program for four-year-old children at Arlington Public Schools and is free to all eligible students. Children engage in enriching educational experiences, explore learning materials and new ideas, and build their skills as they prepare to enter kindergarten. The Pre-K curriculum is research-based, fosters the development of literacy and math skills, and builds social-emotional foundations for lifetime learning. Each class has up to 18 children with a certified teacher and full-time instructional assistant. The program follows the elementary school schedule Monday through Friday. Watch our video for more information on the VPI Program: https://bcove.me/seffj1w

Application Information

• The child must live in Arlington County.
• The child has to be 4 years old on or before September 30th.
• The child’s family must meet income eligibility guidelines. Please see the the following chart:
  

  U.S. Federal Poverty Guideline 2022
  Household/ Family Size                     100%                130%                200%                  300%               350%
  1                                    $ 13,590            $17,667           $ 27,180              $ 40,770           $ 47,565
  2                                    $ 18,310            $ 23,803          $ 36,620              $ 54,930           $ 64,085
  3                                    $ 23,030            $ 29,939          $ 46,060              $ 69,090           $ 80,605
  4                                    $ 27,750            $ 36,075          $ 55,500              $ 83,250           $ 97,125
  5                                    $ 32,470            $ 42,211          $ 64,940              $ 97,410           $ 113,645
  6                                    $ 37,190            $ 48,347          $ 74,380              $ 111,570         $ 130,165
  7                                    $ 41,910            $ 54,483          $ 83,820              $ 125,730         $ 146,685
  8                                    $ 46,630            $ 60,619          $ 93,260              $ 139,890         $ 163,205
  For families/households with more than 8 persons, add $4,720 for each additional person.*

• Annual household income is determined by completing the Office of Early Childhood Income Verification form.
• The child needs to be toilet trained at the time of entry into the program.

When do I apply?

•  Applications are submitted online between February 1st and April 15th at 4:00 pm. Additional documents must be received by April 10th
• Applications received during this time period are placed together in one pool of applicants and are then divided according to the percentage of federal poverty noted on the application. Placements are made with preference to the lowest income levels through the lottery process.
• Applications received after April 15th are placed on the waitlist according to the percentage of federal poverty.

Where do I apply?

• All applications must be submitted online and additional documents must be received and verified in order to be considered complete.
• Students can apply to more than one school based on their address.
• A student’s neighborhood school is determined by the student’s home address. Each neighborhood school is served by one or more schools that offer VPI Pre-Kindergarten classes.
• To determine the neighborhood school for a home address, use the “Boundary (Attendance Area) Locator” or call School & Community Relations at 703-228-2422.
• There are 35 VPI Pre-Kindergarten classes located at the following schools : Abingdon, Arlington Traditional School, Ashlawn, Barcroft, Barrett, Campbell, Carlin Springs, Claremont, Drew, Henry, Hoffman-Boston, New School at Key, Long Branch, Oakridge, and Randolph.
• Families can apply to :-  Neighborhood elementary school- The options schools: Arlington Traditional School, Campbell, Immersion Schools : Claremont and Key-  Hoffman-Boston ( county wide option for families who do not have a VPI program at their neighborhood school)

Program Information

1. How many students are in each class?

• VPI classes have a maximum of 18 students.
• Each class has a full time certified teacher and instructional assistant.

2. What schedule do the children follow?

• The VPI Pre-Kindergarten program follows the APS school year calendar.
• The hours are the same as the elementary school day for each specific site.
• VPI Pre-Kindergarten students begin on the second day of the school year.

3. What is the curriculum in the VPI Pre-Kindergarten program?

• The VPI Pre-Kindergarten program curriculum is based on Virginia’s Virginia’s Early Learning and Development Standards . The standards cover Literacy, Mathematics, Science, History and Social Science, Physical and Motor Development, and Personal and Social Development. They are available on the Virginia Department of Education’s website.

4. Why is there a home visit?

• The purpose of the home visit is to help the child make a smooth transition from home to school and to create a positive connection between the teacher and the child’s family.
• A home visit is a special time that families can share about their child and their family.
• Teachers will also share valuable information during the home visit that will help a family prepare their child to be successful in school.
• Home visits are an opportunity to build relationships between home and school. When there is a positive and open relationship, children succeed!

5. Will my child attend specials offered at the school?

• Yes, VPI Pre-Kindergarten children participate in art, music, physical education and library.
• VPI Pre-Kindergarten children also participate in other school wide activities and special offerings as appropriate.

6. Will my child be able to take a nap?

• Yes, VPI Pre-Kindergarten children have a rest time in the afternoon.

7. Do you have any resources on toilet-training?

• Parents are strongly encouraged to have their child toilet trained at the time of the entry of the program.
• Resources are available on the resource section and can be found here
  https://connectability.ca/2011/03/14/steps-towards-toileting-independence/
  https://www.seattlechildrens.org/health-safety/keeping-kids- healthy/development/toliet-potty-training/

8. How many schools offer VPI Pre-Kindergarten classes?

• The VPI Pre-Kindergarten program is open for all eligible children who live in Arlington regardless of whether your neighborhood school has a VPI Pre-Kindergarten class.
• VPI Pre-Kindergarten classes are located at the following schools: Abingdon,  Arlington Traditional School, Ashlawn, Barcroft, Barrett, Campbell, Carlin Springs, Claremont, Drew, Henry, Hoffman-Boston,New School at Key, Long Branch, Oakridge, and Randolph.
• There are 35 VPI Pre-Kindergarten classes available in Arlington in School Year 2022-2023. Remember that students can apply to more than one school based on their home address.
  APS VIRGINIA PRESCHOOL INITIATIVE (VPI) LOCATIONS SY 22-23 – English
  APS VIRGINIA PRESCHOOL INITIATIVE (VPI) LOCATIONS SY 22-23 – Spanish
  APS VIRGINIA PRESCHOOL INITIATIVE (VPI) LOCATIONS SY 22-23 – Amharic
  APS VIRGINIA PRESCHOOL INITIATIVE (VPI) LOCATIONS SY 22-23 Arabic
  APS VIRGINIA PRESCHOOL INITIATIVE (VPI) LOCATIONS SY 22-23 -Mongolian

10. Is transportation provided for VPI students?

• Transportation is provided for all VPI students—except for those who live within the walk zone of the school they are attending.

11. What are the tuition fees for VPI?

• The VPI Pre-Kindergarten program is free.

12. How do I learn about my child’s progress in VPI?

• Teacher parent conferences are held twice a year. You may request a conference with your child’s teacher at any time. Pre-K progress reports are written and distributed at conferences in March and sent home in June. Below are links to the blank Pre-K progress reports.

 4 YO PreK Progress Report-English
 4 YO PreK Progress Report-Spanish

The Community Peer Pre-K Program provides students the following:

•  Arlington Public Schools (APS) meets the needs of 2-, 3-, and 4-year-old children with disabilities through Pre-Kindergarten Special Education services. We have programs located in most APS elementary schools.
• Pre-K children without identified disabilities from the Arlington community have the opportunity to participate in one of the Preschool Special Education Programs through the Community Peer Pre-Kindergarten Program (CPP). Eligible students for the toddler program are 2 years 6 months through 3-years old (by September 30). Eligible students for the 3-5 year old program are 3 years 6 months through 4-years old (by September 30). The CPP program is designed to support general education experiences for our younger students with disabilities.
•  Through this program, preschoolers from the community will participate in a high quality pre-k program at an APS elementary school. Our toddler programs provide play-based instruction to target all developmental areas with a focus on communication, interactions with peers and adults as well as fostering growing independent skills. Our 3-5 program provides instruction that is aligned with the Virginia Preschool Initiative (VPI) program and differentiated to meet student’s needs.  CPP provides pre-k students with and without disabilities opportunities to learn together and grow in all developmental areas.
•  Priority consideration and enrollment in the program is given to neighborhood-zoned children, children in families below 80% of the median income in Arlington County (currently $103,200 for a family of four in Arlington ) and current APS employees.

Application Criteria

• Must be a current Arlington resident.
• For the 3-5-year-old programs, children must be age 3 years 6 months by September 30th and toilet trained.
• For the toddler programs, children must be 2 years 6 months old by September 30th.

Application Process
*To apply to the CPP program, you must follow these steps:

1. A completed CPP application online application portal! 
    How to use the SchoolMint online application:https://youtu.be/qcGEXrnkTp8 (additional languages will be added soon!)
2. Copy of original birth certificate
3. Copy of Identification card of either parents/ guardian

Schools

Tuition Fee Schedule : Montessori-Fees-FY22-Adopted 
Application Timeline:
Timeline 2022-2023 Application–English
Timeline 2022-2023 Application-Spanish 
Timeline 2022-2023 Application-Mongolian
Timeline 2022-2023 Application-Amharic
Timeline 2022-2023 Application- Arabic