Pre-K
3 & 4 Years
The Universal Pre-Kindergarten Program (UPK) is funded by New York State for Rochester City School District residents who have children ages 3 and 4.
Who is eligible?
A child who will turn 3 or 4 on or before December 1st and is a Rochester City School District resident is eligible for free Pre-K.
- The program runs Monday through Friday, 9:00 am - 3:00 pm.
- Universal Pre-K aligns with the City School District Calendar.
- *Before and aftercare is available from 7:00 am through 5:30 pm*
Families must enroll with Rochester Childfirst Network (RCN) and also apply through Rochester City School District and select Rochester Childfirst Network as their choice of placement. RCN staff can assist families with this process.
Classroom size and staff
During program hours, there will be 18 children maximum.
Staff will include a certified early childhood teacher and 1 assistant teacher. In addition, a special education teacher and a speech therapist will rotate in the classroom to provide additional support to children with special needs.
Parent involvement:
- Parent teacher conferences 2 times per year
- Parenting workshops
- Special activity days and field trips
What do children learn in RCN’s Pre-School
Program?
- Alphabet recognition
- Body parts
- Categorization skills
- Clean up after self
- Color recognition
- Cooking
- Cutting, pasting, drawing
- Days of the week
- Field trips
- Following directions
- Language Development
- Learning to make choices
- Stories
- Table Manners
- Listening
- Making Friends
- Measuring
- Months of the year
- Music
- Name recognition & writing
- Opposites
- Outdoor Play
- Painting
- Puzzles
- Resting & Relaxing
- Role-playing & pretending
- Seriation & sequencing
- Shape Recognition
- Learning to make choices
- Taking turns & sharing
- Water & sand play
- Counting
- Large Muscle Development
What Parents Say
Since being at RCN, I’ve changed in the ways I react and respond to things my child says and does. I’m still a work in progress, but life is much better than it was before RCN!
RCN Parent
My husband and I were searching for a childcare center that would teach our son to be kind to others, offer to be helpful, have listening ears. Because of RCN, you have taught us as parents to instill in our son amazing skills and everyday traits that will take him through his educational development.
RCN Parent
Thank you, RCN, for teaching our son to be a wonderful young boy and a bright, smart SHINING star!
RCN Parent
I love how RCN is so inclusive and willing to work with the entire family…our daughter will succeed in Kindergarten with the extra support and tools instilled by RCN. Thank you!
RCN Parent