Preschool Links
RCPS Preschool
All Rockingham County Public Elementary Schools will be registering Kindergarten students, and taking applications for the PreK programs, during the week of March 11-15, 2024. To apply, a birth certificate, proof of residency, and proof of income will need to be provided. An appointment for an interview and screening of the child will then be completed. Please call your area school to make an appointment.
Overview of Preschool
Full Day Program Monday-Friday Bus Transportation Provided
Maximum Class Size - 18 students
Highly-qualified Instructional Staff: -Teacher certified in early childhood education -Teacher's Assistant in every classroom
Support Services Staff: -Family Services Worker
Goals
To support young children’s eagerness to learn
To help young children develop positive attitudes toward school experiences
To support young children so they have opportunities to become successful with the school curriculum
To provide families with support so they can help their child develop skills necessary for school success
To help families link with available community resources
Student Eligibility
Child must be 4 years old by September 30 to enter the preschool program.
Student selection factors include family income, student disability/IEP, limited education of parents, homelessness, English Language Learners, family stress factors, and health or developmental concerns.
Priority is given to children who reside in the school attendance area.
More information regarding student eligibility is available at each elementary school.
Student progress is assessed using a variety of methods that include a math assessment, social/emotional progress checklist, and the statewide PreK VALLS assessment which evaluates students’ literacy readiness skills.
See definition of school readiness adopted by the state Board of Education.
Click here for more information about Early Childhood School Readiness.
Invitation to Parents and Contact Information
Visit in the classroom.
Help with classroom activities.
Come with your child on class field trips.
Check out school books to read at home with your child.
Come to parent-teacher conferences.
Learn about opportunities for adult education and job training.
Come to parent meetings and learn about child development, about helping children through family literacy, and about healthy foods.
For more information, please contact, Michele Judd, Director of Federal Programs at 540-564-3238 or mmjudd@rockingham.k12.va.us
Funding
The State Virginia Preschool Initiative (VPI), and Rockingham County Public Schools provide funds to support preschool programs in public schools for at-risk four-year-old children.
Initial Screening
Pre-School Screenings Available
If you live in Rockingham County and suspect that your preschool-age child may have a disabling condition, or have concerns about your child’s development, you may request a screening. Developmental, speech/language, vision, and hearing screenings are available at no cost to parents.
Please refer to the information on this site for details on how to proceed: Screening Procedures
If you have questions about this process, please contact Karie Wilburn, Rockingham County Supervisor, Pupil Personnel Services, at 540-564-2697 or email kwilburn@rockingham.k12.va.us
About VQB5
To prepare all children for kindergarten, Virginia’s early childhood system must ensure that all children have quality teaching and learning experiences that meet their unique needs. In response to state law, Virginia has developed the Unified Virginia Quality Birth to Five System (VQB5) to measure and help improve the quality of all publicly-funded birth-to-five classrooms and support families to choose quality programming across program types.
The Virginia Department of Education (VDOE) is a state agency that oversees birth-to-five early childhood programs including child care centers, pre-K or preschool in public schools, family day homes, and Head Start. This includes measuring the quality of programs.
Our goal is that all Virginia children have learning experiences that prepare them for kindergarten. Measuring the quality of these learning experiences helps strengthen programs and provide important information to families.
VQB5 helps families learn about different birth-to-five programs so they can choose a program that best meets their needs.