FAQ

The first day of learning at home for Pre-K students will be Thursday, September 3. However, teachers will be in touch with families to schedule virtual meetings to introduce themselves and get to know your student between August 31 and September 2. 

Pre-K seats will not be held for families who do not enroll. If a student does not attend (either learning at home virtual instruction or hybrid, if/when that is available), they will lose their seat.

For learning at home, attendance will be recorded based on the student / family logging into Canvas, DCPS’ Learning Management System, each day between 6:00 am and 11:59 pm.

If a student is un-enrolled from their Pre-K class, either due to parent choice or zero attendance, they will need to reapply in the school lottery for the following school year (unless entering Kindergarten at their neighborhood school).

DCPS understands the need to provide flexibility for student attendance, particularly for young learners and working families. For this reason, the online platforms and access to daily lessons for PK students will be flexible to accommodate participation with varying daily schedules.

DCPS expects enrolled families to participate in virtual learning activities and record attendance daily on Canvas.

Even if not participating in live lessons, students and families will still have access to important instructional content on Canvas. Through the online learning tool, you will find resources and supports for learning at home that are critical to kindergarten readiness, a key goal of DCPS early childhood programs.

DCPS has a limited number of Pre-K seats, and we want to ensure children with the highest needs have the opportunity to participate in this program.

We understand the unique needs of this age group and recognize that young children learn best through active engagement and cannot be expected to thrive in a digital-only environment.

We also know families may have childcare arrangements or other circumstances that may not make it possible to join live, online lessons. The online platforms and access to daily lessons for Pre-K students will be flexible as we look to accommodate participation with varying daily schedules.

Daily schedules for PK3 and PK4 students are being developed with our youngest learners in mind. Your child’s learning at home schedule will include short bursts of live, virtual instruction with teachers every day (30-60 minutes daily). It will also include ample opportunities for child-directed play and off-line learning with adult support.

This off-line learning will include simple activities that caregivers can incorporate into their daily routines in order to promote learning. These resources will be posted on Canvas and will support parents and caregivers in understanding how they can incorporate literacy and math skills into daily activities such as sorting clothes, making dinner, and taking a walk.

In virtual learning, students will feel loved by their school community, challenged by a joyful and rigorous curriculum, and prepared to take the next steps in their learning. We spent the spring and summer working with over 200 teachers and staff to transfer our curriculum to an online learning management system, which will allow for a more user-friendly, efficient and organized approach to virtual learning.

Pre-Kindergarten 3 and 4 (PK3 and PK4): Short, small bursts of learning and individual learning activities are most effective for our youngest learners. Therefore, the PK3 and PK4 structure of the day will include lessons in small groups focusing on developing a love of learning, and individualized lessons that families can also join. The PK3 and PK4 schedule will also include asynchronous (watch videos on your own at any time) lessons for art, music and other skills so that families can access lessons when it works for their children. PK3 and PK4 students will have live learning and asynchronous lessons for an average total of about 2-3 hours per day.

All students will need the following items for successful virtual learning:

As a part of the DCPS schedules, teachers will have times they are available for individual questions and support. Each school will issue guidance on teacher communication and availability using newsletters, robocalls, and other platforms. If you have content-specific questions, contact your child’s teacher directly.

Students with IEP and 504 plans will follow the same grade-level appropriate systems and structures as general education. IEP and 504 services will be delivered virtually in collaboration with teachers and parents. Teachers and parents of students with IEPs will collaborate on individualized distance learning addendums at the beginning of the school year. The addendums do not replace the IEP.