4-Year-Old Pre-Kindergarten
Welcome to the School District of Onalaska 4K program webpage! 4-year-old Kindergarten is an early learning program available to all four year old children in the School District of Onalaska. Our programming in Onalaska is guided by early learning standards that support student growth in a variety of developmentally appropriate skills. While 4-year-old kindergarten is a voluntary program, we highly recommend families and children participate in one of our 4K programs to help children learn routines and practice skills that will better prepare them for kindergarten. Take a look at all of the wonderful experiences our 4K program has to offer, and reach out with any questions you may have!
Kelly McMahon
Pre-K Coordinator
608.781.9700, ext. 8123
Locations
The School District of Onalaska offers a variety of programs and locations to best meet the needs of our families. We have three elementary buildings in the School District of Onalaska, and each one has a 4-year-old classroom and program within the school setting. The building sites offer a half-day program, including either an AM session or a PM session. We are also a 4-year-old community approach (4KCA) district, meaning we partner with some of our local childcare centers and private schools to offer a separate setting for 4-year old programming. The community partner sites offer AM sessions, and some provide full-day care.
Eagle Bluff Elementary School | Irving Pertzsch Elementary School | Northern Hills Elementary School |
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200 Eagle Bluff Ct. Principal: Todd Saner Classes |
524 Main St.
Classes |
910 East Ave N.
Classes |
Community Partner Sites
- Children's Tree House Daycare Center
- Christian Chapel Daycare Center
- First Lutheran Preschool
- Gentle Lambs Childcare Center
- Northstar Early Learning Center
- R.W. Houser YMCA Early Childhood Care Center
Children's Tree House Daycare Center
Christian Chapel Daycare Center
First Lutheran Preschool
Gentle Lambs Childcare Center
Northstar Early Learning Center
R.W. Houser YMCA Early Childhood Care Center
Enrollment
All School District of Onalaska residents are guaranteed a spot in our 4-year-old kindergarten program. Enrollment for some sections fills up quicker than others, so early registration is likely to guarantee you your choice of location and AM or PM session. When you enroll your child in the School District of Onalaska, you will have the ability to mark your preference of location and session. The final decision will be made by the District and will be based on application timeline, transportation, resident address, and family preference.
To enroll in 4-year-old kindergarten (also known as pre-k) at any of our building or community sites, your child must be 4-years-old on or before September 1 of the participating school year.
If you are a resident of Onalaska, you can begin the enrollment process in March for the upcoming school year through enrollment in the School District of Onalaska of webpage. Whether you are choosing to enroll in one of our elementary building sites or community partner sites, you need to enroll through our website. You will need the following items ready for when you enroll:
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Verification of Residency, examples include: Driver’s license or state issued photo ID, Utility bill (gas, electric, cable, internet), Lease or Rental agreement, or Property tax bill
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Immunization Records of child being enrolled
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Birth Certificate of child being enrolled
If you are not a resident of Onalaska, you can apply for Open Enrollment through the Wisconsin Department of Public Instruction between February and April for the upcoming school year. The Wisconsin Open Enrollment Program allows you to apply for your child to attend public school in a district other than the one you reside in. You must apply for open enrollment first on the WI DPI webpage. Then, once you receive your Open Enrollment Approval Letter, you can apply for enrollment in the School District of Onalaska.
If you have questions about enrollment, please contact our Student Services Department.
FAQ
- Why should I enroll my child in a 4-year-old kindergarten program?
- How do I know if I live in the School District of Onalaska boundary?
- Do you provide transportation?
- Is there a cost associated with 4-year-old pre-kindergarten programming?
Why should I enroll my child in a 4-year-old kindergarten program?
We highly encourage families and children to participate in a 4-year-old-kindergarten program. Our programs are designed to support students in their academic, social, and emotional growth. By participating in a 4-year-old pre-kindergarten program, your child will be more prepared academically, socially and emotionally for a full-day kindergarten program the following school year. The benefits of a 4-year-old kindergarten program goes beyond the classroom. Families will build relationships and partnerships with our staff as well as other families within the 4K community. Our 4K teachers will provide the families and children with opportunities for engagement beyond the classroom. Please see the Family Connection and Outreach tab (link here).
How do I know if I live in the School District of Onalaska boundary?
Our District Boundary Map will help you determine whether you live in the school district boundary, and which elementary school your child will attend for Kindergarten through 5th grade programming. For 4-year-old kindergarten, we have a separate boundary map due to transportation - Pre-K Boundary Map. If your child attends daycare at a site (not including community partner sites) within the Onalaska boundary, your child will attend 4-year-old kindergarten at the elementary school in which the childcare center is located. This means that for some of our families, a child will attend 4-year-old kindergarten at a different building site than they will for Kindergarten through 5th grade.
Do you provide transportation?
The School District of Onalaska partners with GoRiteway for transportation to and from our school building sites. As a resident of Onalaska, we would transport your child too and from any of our Elementary buildings (Eagle Bluff, Irving Pertzsch, Northern Hills), if your child is enrolled in four-year-old kindergarten at our building sites. We also transport between daycare centers and the elementary buildings within the School District of Onalaska boundary. We do not provide any transportation to or from our community partner sites. Please see the District Boundary Map to know whether or not the daycare or childcare center is within the district boundaries. A bus agreement must be completed ahead of time to determine your child’s eligibility for bussing. Please visit the School District of Onalaska Transportation Page for more information.
Is there a cost associated with 4-year-old pre-kindergarten programming?
No, there is no cost or registration fee to our 4K programming. There will be some school supplies or snacks that you will be asked to provide. Please reach out if you need assistance with supplies or snacks. Also, some of the community partner sites offer full-day childcare and/or other services that could require a cost. Please inquire with the community partner site about additional fees for their specific program.
If you have a question, but do not see an answer on this website, please do not hesitate to reach out to Kelly McMahon, or call at 608.781.9700, ext. 8123.
Academics
Each of our 4-year-old pre-kindergarten classrooms uses The Creative Curriculum for Preschool. This research-based resource focuses on nurturing and supporting the whole-child through a play-based approach to learning. It encourages children to become more confident, creative, and caring learners. This resource is aligned to the Wisconsin Early learning Standards, and is proven to prepare students for kindergarten and beyond.
Our building and community partner sites regularly provide families with feedback on how their children are progressing with academic, social, and emotional skills. Below are the developmentally appropriate skills that our 4K learning environment focuses on.
4K Developmental Learning Skills
Cognitive Development
Social Emotional Development
The child appropriately manages their emotions |
The child follows the limits and expectations of the classroom, including routines, transitions, and redirections. |
The child builds a friendship with peers. |
The child uses successful strategies with joining a group or initiating play. |
The child solves social problems. |
The child balances the needs of self and others by sharing, taking turns, and cooperating with peers. |
Literacy
The child recognizes and names at least 10 letters. |
The child produces the correct sounds for 10-20 letters. |
The child generates rhyming words and decides whether two words rhyme. |
The child retells familiar stories using pictures or prompts. |
The child tells where to start reading a text and what direction the text goes in. |
The child asks and answers questions about the text, and identifies story-related problems and events. |
The child writes their name. |
The child begins to write symbols that look like letters. |
Mathematics
The child counts to 20 and counts 10-20 objects accurately. |
The child recognizes (up to five) items in a set instantly, and breaks sets of 6-10 items into parts, describing if one part has more or less. |
The child identifies shapes (circle, square, triangle), and describes two- and three-dimensional shapes. |
The child identifies 5-10 numerals by name. |
The child copies, extends, and creates simple repeating patterns. |
Language
Family Connections
As a part of our 4-year-old pre-kindergarten, we engage in family outreach. 4K outreach supports the belief that families are valued core partners in the educational process. Outreach is intended to develop and promote partnerships between families and schools and to support families in their role as the primary educators of their children.
We create quarterly newsletters, sent via paper copies, to our Pre-K families. Here is one example of our newsletters. They contain activities you can participate in both in the community and at home to continue to encourage and support your child’s development.
We create monthly digital classrooms that provide families with online books, activities, songs, videos, and more! Here are our 2024-2025 Digital Classrooms:
September 2024
October 2024
November 2024
December 2024
Continue to check back for updates on new family events and outreach activities!