Early Childhood Program Sites And Enrollment
NEW 3K-5K student enrollment for the 2024-2025 school year IS OPEN!
Data shows that kindergarten readiness impacts student success all the way through elementary school. The best way for parents to ensure their child's readiness is to enroll them in a quality preK program, either in District 7 or the community. District 7 has worked to support kindergarten readiness by incorporating 4K classrooms in every District 7 elementary school and by educating our community about the importance of early childhood education.
If your child is already enrolled in District 7, you DO NOT need to complete this new student enrollment process. You will not need to take any action until you receive instructions for registering your returning student in April. As a reminder, 4K students enroll in their zoned elementary school for 5K, even if they are attending a non-zoned school for their 4K year.
Instructions on how to apply/enroll are below. Parents may also visit their neighborhood elementary school between the hours of 8:30am – 2:30pm Monday through Friday for assistance.
How To Apply/ Enroll
Enrollment Next Steps
Once you have submitted your new student enrollment forms (see enrollment instructions above), you will receive an email to complete the enrollment process online.
Need to register your student to ride a bus, set up online payment for school lunches, or set up your Powerschool Parent Portal account to follow along with your child's progress in school? All of that and more can be found on our Additional Links for Registered Students page.
More Info About District 7's Early Childhood Programs (3K-5K)
Kindergarten Readiness is critical.
Data shows that 5K readiness impacts student success all the way through elementary school. The best way for parents to ensure their child's readiness is to enroll them in a quality 4K program, either in District 7 or the community. We are working to support kindergarten readiness by incorporating 4K classrooms in every District 7 elementary school and by educating our community about the importance of early childhood education.
As cited by Nobel Laureate and human development expert, James J. Heckman, “Early childhood education fosters cognitive skills along with attentiveness, motivation, self-control and sociability- the charter skills that turn knowledge into know-how and people into productive citizens.” Students begin their schooling as three- and four-year-olds in a program that gives them a strong foundation in:
Early literacy and numeracy skills
Social and emotional development
Early childhood physical skills such as gross and fine motor development
Early Literacy and Numeracy Skills
In District 7, we strive to help develop young minds by inspiring curiosity and creativity through purposeful play and nurturing guidance. Through our interactive and discovery-based learning model, children gain a strong foundation of early literacy and numeracy skills that sets the stage for future academic success and that instills a love of learning and continual discovery.
Social and Emotional Development
Research shows that social-emotional intelligence is one of the best indicators of future success. D7 weaves character development and life skills into daily experiences so that each child learns how to handle their emotions and how to work and interact with other individuals in a positive manner.
Gross and Fine Motor Development
District 7 schools teach healthy living and encourage each child to lead a healthy, active lifestyle. Students master gross motor skills through regular PE classes and daily outdoor play. As students slide, climb, and run in the playground, teachers encourage and challenge students to learn proper techniques for movement and balance. Inside the classroom, teachers frequently work with students to build their fine motor skills through a variety of activities such as weaving, lacing, cutting and tearing paper, and stringing beads.