Pre-Kindergarten at St. Mary's Academy

     Universal Pre K

The NYS Universal Prekindergarten Program (UPK) is a State-funded program that provides educationally-based high-quality prekindergarten to four year old children.  Since 1998, this program has played an important role in assisting districts and students in meeting higher educational standards.  It has created an earlier entry point to education, assisted in the coordination between a wide variety of early childhood settings and public education and makes progress toward closing the achievement gaps at earlier grade levels.  It has helped young children be better prepared to learn.

The UPK Program is researched based with the goal of ensuring that children receive an excellent educational beginning.  Language and communication skills, creative and critical thinking skills, as well as the healthy development of large and fine motor skills, and optimal social-emotional development are integral components to a high quality program.

Friendships are made at school.

Saint Mary's Academy works in partnership with Hoosick Falls Central School District to meet the needs of the Prekindergarten population in Hoosick Falls, New York.  All interested families apply to the Universal Pre K program in the Spring for the following academic year.  Contacting your local public school office for the application is highly recommended as deadlines apply.

    PreK 3

St. Mary's Academy is proud to offer our youngest students a structured curriculum for social and academic learning.  Students at this level will find a self contained classroom filled with thematic units which include specific learning centers.  Each embed academic and social skills into a play based literacy acquisition model.

Children actively learn within the New York State Learning Standards and Performance Indicators for Pre-Kindergarten.  Students eat, reinforce their bathroom skills and receive instruction from their Lead Teacher and Teaching Assistant within the one classroom.  Art and Music instruction come to the room during the week while Gym enables the students to exercise in a larger area.   

There is a cap of 14 students allowed in the Pre-Kindergarten program.  It is highly recommended parents enroll students early in order to ensure attendance for the academic year.

    PreK 4

All of our Pre-Kindergarten 4 students enjoy active learning based on the New York State Standards and Performance Indicators.  This includes literacy and numeracy in addition to our programs for Art, Music and Spanish.  Students actively play inside and out daily learning cooperation, coordination, sharing and other critical social skills for Kindergarten and life long learning.
	Children learn to count with hands on tools.

Both private and UPK students share classroom instruction with their Lead Teacher and Teaching Assistant.  Thematic units are incorporated in to learning centers where children can develop individual skills.  Children are encouraged to build independent thinking in addition to large and fine motor skills.  By actively participating in their development, we can prepare them for their Kindergarten studies.  

    General Pre-Kindergarten Information

St. Mary’s Academy is a full day program that begins with drop off in the classroom at 7:30am with dismissal from the classroom at 2:40pm.  The hours of UPK are from 8:15-10:45am.  If your child will not be attending the full day program at SMA you may drop off your child beginning at 8:05 with pick up promptly at 10:45. 

Parents may decide to send children to Saint Mary's Academy on a part time basis.  It is highly recommended that the days children go are together in order to reinforce learning and routines.  An after school program is available at affordable rates.  Please remember, each student must be potty trained to attend Pre K 3 or 4.