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Free Half-Day Prekindergarten
Apply today!
Apply now for free half-day pre-kindergarten at:
- Birch Grove Elementary School for the Arts
- Crest View Elementary
- Edinbrook Elementary
- Fair Oaks Elementary
- Garden City Elementary
- Palmer Lake Elementary
- Park Brook Elementary
- Zanewood Community School: A Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math (STEAM) School
FREE HALF-DAY EVERY DAY PREkINDERGARTEN
Our free, half-day prekindergarten program for 4- and 5-year olds meets every school day. It features hands-on learning opportunities and a thoughtful, developmentally appropriate curriculum that will prepare your child for success in kindergarten and beyond.
Small class sizes mean your child will receive personal attention from our highly trained and caring teaching staff. Free transportation is also available to eligible students who live 0.8 mile or more from their school.
This free prekindergarten program is made possible by special funding from the state, which recognizes the established link between early learning opportunities and student achievement.
The free prekindergarten program is available at these schools:
- Birch Grove (Arts)
- Crest View
- Edinbrook
- Fair Oaks
- Garden City
- Palmer Lake
- Park Brook
- Zanewood (STEAM)
What to Expect in Pre-Kindergarten
While there is some variation among schools, a typical day in prekindergarten may include:
- Morning meeting/afternoon welcome
- Story time
- Breakfast (morning session)
- Choice time and small group work
- Physical activities
- Group activities
- School library and computer lab visits
- Snack (afternoon session)
WHAT WILL MY CHILD LEARN IN PREKINDERGARTEN?
Our prekindergarten curriculum will prepare your child for success in kindergarten and beyond. Below are some examples of what children will learn in prekindergarten:
Personal & Social Development
- Express ideas, feelings and needs
- Demonstrate self-control skills
- Use words and other strategies to resolve conflicts
Math
- Count objects
- Duplicate a simple pattern
Language & Literacy
- Connect letters with sounds
- Predict what will happen in a story and talk or draw about it
- Recognize rhyming words
Science
- Ask questions and seek answers through active exploration
Physical Education
- Move body with coordination
- Demonstrate small motor control and coordination
Free pre-k application deadlines
Apply by Dec. 31
Birch Grove Elementary School for the Arts
(separate magnet school application)
Birch Grove Elementary School for the Arts is a magnet school with separate application deadlines.
Apply to Birch Grove by the first lottery deadline of Dec. 31. The online application is available at http://www.nws.k12.mn.us/magnet-lottery.html.
For more information and/or assistance with the magnet school application, contact Northwest Suburban Integration School District at 763-450-1303.
Note: Prekindergartners with older siblings currently attending Birch Grove must complete a magnet school application; prekindergartners are not automatically enrolled based on an older sibling’s enrollment.
About Birch Grove
At Birch Grove, core curriculum in grades K-5 is integrated with music, dance, drama and visual arts for daily classroom instruction. Arts-rich electives and arts troupes provide additional opportunities for students to “learn through our passion for the arts!”
Apply by January 15
Crest View, Edinbrook, Fair Oaks, Garden City, Palmer Lake, Park Brook, Zanewood STEAM
The priority application window for Crest View, Edinbrook, Fair Oaks, Garden City, Palmer Lake, Park Brook and Zanewood is Jan. 15. Please submit your child's application by this date to have the best chance of acceptance into the district's free prekindergarten program.
Applications received after Jan. 15 will be processed in the order they arrive.
Note: Students who live within the attendance area of the school offering the free prekindergarten program have the highest priority for enrollment.
After Sept. 15, applications are considered on a space-available basis for:
- Students living in the attendance areas of other schools offering the free prekindergarten program; and
- Students assigned to other elementary schools in the district or who live outside the school district.
For all applications, additional preferences are given in the following order:
- Sibling - if the student’s sibling already attends the requested school.
- Childcare - if the student’s childcare is in the attendance area of the requested elementary school.
- Employee - if the student’s parent/legal guardian is employed by the district.
Priority/preference does not guarantee that students will be accepted into the free prekindergarten program.
Free Half-Day Prekindergarten Locations
Birch Grove Elementary School for the Arts
4690 Brookdale Drive, Brooklyn Park
763-561-1374
Morning session: 9:30 a.m. – 12 p.m.
Afternoon session: 1:30 p.m. – 4 p.m.
Dr. Ronald Salazar, Principal
Crest View Elementary
8200 Zane Avenue N., Brooklyn Park
763-561-5165
Morning session: 8:50 a.m. – 11:20 a.m.
Afternoon session: 12:50 p.m. – 3:20 p.m.
Stephanie Webster, Principal
Edinbrook Elementary
8925 Zane Avenue N., Brooklyn Park
763-493-4737
Morning session: 8:50 a.m. – 11:20 a.m.
Afternoon session: 12:50 p.m. – 3:20 p.m.
Aaron Krueger, Principal
Fair Oaks Elementary
5600 65th Ave. N, Brooklyn Park
763-533-2246
Morning session: 9:30 a.m. – 12 p.m.
Afternoon session: 1:30 p.m. – 4 p.m.
Sara Looby, Principal
Garden City Elementary
3501 65th Ave. N, Brooklyn Center
763-561-9768
Morning session: 9:30 a.m. – 12 p.m.
Afternoon session: 1:30 p.m. – 4 p.m.
David Branch, Principal
Palmer Lake Elementary
7300 W. Palmer Lake Dr., Brooklyn Park
763-561-1930
Morning session: 8:50 a.m. – 11:20 a.m.
Afternoon session: 12:50 p.m. – 3:20 p.m.
Sarah Schmidt, Principal
Park Brook Elementary
7400 Hampshire Ave. N, Brooklyn Park
763-561-6870
Morning session: 8:50 a.m. – 11:20 a.m.
Afternoon session: 12:50 p.m. – 3:20 p.m.
Scott Taylor, Principal
Zanewood Community School: A Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Math (STEAM) School
7000 Zane Ave. N, Brooklyn Park
763-561-9077
Morning session: 9:30 a.m. – 12 p.m.
Afternoon session: 1:30 p.m. – 4 p.m.
Adrain Pendelton, Principal
Enrollment Center
7051 Brooklyn Boulevard
Brooklyn Center, MN 55429
763-585-7350
Hours: M-F, 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
Important dates
Apply now! Questions? Call 763-585-7350 or email enrollmentcenter@district279.org.
December 31, 2023
First lottery deadline for Birch Grove
If you wish to enroll your child at Birch Grove Elementary School for the Arts, apply by Dec. 31 in order to be considered in the first lottery. Apply at http://www.nws.k12.mn.us/magnet-lottery.html.
Winter 2023
Schedule Early Childhood Screening
Early Childhood Screening is available at no cost to all children ages three through five. Screening includes a check of vision, hearing, and developmental progress; a review of immunizations* and family information; and an individual consultation with parents regarding the child’s progress and any identified needs. Please call 763-391-8777 to set up your screening appointment.
January 2024
Priority application deadline for Crest View, Edinbrook, Fair Oaks, Garden City, Park Brook, Palmer Lake and Zanewood STEAM
Apply by Jan. 15 so your child has the best chance to be accepted into the district's free prekindergarten program at Crest View, Edinbrook, Fair Oaks, Garden City, Palmer Lake, Park Brook and Zanewood. Email your child's completed application to EnrollmentCenter@district279.org; fax it to 763-585-7368; or put it in the lobby drop box at the Enrollment Center (7051 Brooklyn Boulevard, Brooklyn Center, MN, 55429).
Summer 2024
Update your child’s immunizations
State law requires written proof that prekindergartners have been immunized against the following (or have an exemption*): hepatitis A and B; diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis (DTaP/DT); measles, mumps and rubella (MMR); polio; pneumonia; varicella (chicken pox); and Hib. If you have questions about these immunizations or the free immunization clinic, please call our Enrollment Center at 763-585-7350. *Legal exemptions regarding immunizations are allowed for medical reasons and conscientiously held beliefs.
Watch for information about transportation and open house!
Transportation information will be mailed to enrolled families the last week of August. Please see below for important detailed information.
Students who complete enrollment on or before August 16:
- Transportation to and from school begins the first day of school for children who are eligible for transportation.
Students who complete enrollment after August 16:
- Transportation to school (if morning pre-K) or from school (if afternoon pre-K) will begin the first day of school for children who are *eligible for transportation when an existing stop is available.
- Mid-day transportation (to home if morning pre-K, or to school if afternoon pre-K) for *eligible students is the responsibility of the parent/guardian until mid-day bus routes have been arranged by transportation staff (may take up to three weeks).
- *Children whose Individual Education Program (IEP) requires specialized transportation will receive busing as soon as routes can be arranged, which may take up to three weeks.
