Georgia Pre-K

Georgia Lottery Funded Pre-K Program

At Favorite Time Academy we are passionate and committed to providing a fun and inviting learning environment for your child.  The Georgia Pre K Program is a wonderful tool to prepare your child for kindergarten.  Partnering with Bright From the Start and the Georgia Pre K Program allows us to provide quality early childhood education for all families.

Favorite Time Academy’s Georgia Pre K Favorite Steps℠ program is based on The Creative Curriculum for Georgia Pre K, developed by Teaching Strategies, Inc.  This creative and innovative method of teaching is used in the highest quality schools and centers across the United States, Canada, and Australia.  Children gain self confidence as they independently explore special learning centers, Favorite Zones℠, for dramatic play, math, creative art, science, reading, pre-writing, music, and computers. Our Georgia Pre K Students will be introduced to a variety of concepts including “the awareness of cause and effect relationships”, pro-social behavior, cognitive skills like logical thinking and problem solving, and language arts skills such as storytelling, pre-reading, pre-writing, and listening comprehension.  Our curriculum is designed for hands-on experiences and explorations to help promote learning through the use of language, music, art, games, storytelling, fine & gross motor activities and cognitive activities.  Our caring and knowledgeable teachers along with our leadership team, are passionate in creating lesson plans to incorporate all of the key learning experiences of early childhood education.

Overview

The Georgia Prekindergarten Program is a public/private partnership. Below details basic information and requirements of the program:

• Children must reside in Georgia.
• Children may attend any Georgia Pre-K program in any county and is not restricted to the county of residence.
• Children must be four years of age on September 1 of the Pre-K year to enroll.
• The program is voluntary.
• The core instructional program is free of charge.  Fees for meals, extended day services and other extra-curricular activities may be charged.
• There is no registration fee for the core program. Registration fees may apply to extended day programs.
• Pre-K programs operate 6.5 hours per day, five days per week, 180 days per year. Pre-K programs follow the school calendar in the county they reside.
• Pre-K program providers must use state approved curriculum in the Pre-K program. Ask about the specific curriculum at registration.
• Pre-K program lead teachers must meet state credential/qualification requirements.
• Parents should call the private child care centers or local public school system to determine the Pre-K registration date in their community. Providers must disclose their written policy on their waiting list and enrollment procedures.
• Parents agree to attendance norms as standard with public education goals.

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Our Georgia Pre-K Goals

Our goal is to serve children and families from all walks of life. We believe that quality early childhood education should be available for all children. State and federal programs bring quality and diversity to a child care center. In a majority of cases, a center that incorporates state or federal standards will increase the substance of their curriculums while raising the bar for staff qualification and education. We have personally witnessed (Head Start Program, Illinois) the positive results in children through these initiatives and believe these services are necessary in even the most affluent communities. “No Child Left Behind” begins with early initiatives for all children; we believe we have a responsibility to offer these programs.

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We believe in QUALITY! We deliver RESULTS! Our aim is to consistently improve what we offer through parent, staff, and child involvement. Quality and results are measured through ongoing observations, documented portfolios, and age specific assessments for each child. Results are validated through parent surveys and private/public.

 

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Our Favorite Georgia Pre-K Expectations

Our expectations for each child are that they would love learning and are eager to start kindergarten schooling. Our general objective is to ensure that each child is adequately growing in all four areas of development including physical, social, emotional, and intellectual. Our partnering objective is to assist parents with early detection of possible at risk children who may need further assessments or specialized testing. Through combining the Creative Curriculum and Georgia State assessment tools, we will ensure the integrity, substance, and quality of each child’s educational opportunity and experience.

Georgia Pre-K Waiting List & Enrollment

Favorite Time Academy is pleased to offer Georgia’s Pre-K Program. This program is offered to all Georgia resident families. We are committed to non-discriminatory enrollment procedures. Below is the waiting list and enrollment procedures/policies for our Georgia Pre-K program.

• Children currently enrolled at Favorite Time Academy are able to enroll first.
• If there are more children enrolled in our private Pre-K 3, who are eligible to move into GA Pre-K, selection will then be based on the enrollment date of each child at the center (beginning with the earliest enrollment date).
• In the effort to keep siblings together and in the same school, new enrollees who have younger siblings who are enrolling in our programs will be offered Georgia Pre-K next.
• The remaining Georgia Pre-K applications will be selected off our waiting list in June/July or possibly earlier (depending on when the state approves funding).

Additional Enrollment Information:

• If you are interested in Georgia Pre-K, please come visit us and put your child’s name on the waiting list. We encourage parents to visit different Georgia Pre-K sites and meet the teachers. We offer a personalized favorite tour with your family including meeting the teachers and seeing the program.
• Childcare centers that offer Georgia Pre-K typically automatically enroll the children that are currently moving up from their three-year-old classes. When choosing a child care center for your younger ones, it is smart to find a center that offers Georgia Pre-K when your child turns four. Early Childhood Education is expensive and we believe that this is one service we can provide our favorite parents and the community.
• Special Note Regarding Summer Enrollment: Staying enrolled in the summer program is not required to hold your child’s spot in GA Pre-K once your child is given a spot. This state standard makes the availability open for all children, not just children who enroll the summer before Pre-K.
• Please be sure to give us the best contact information when enrollment begins in April/May(home, cell, work, vacation phone numbers). If we are unable to get a hold of you, we will go to the next person on the waiting list.
• After the year begins, if a child does not attend or a slot(s) becomes available during the year, we will continue to select children based on the above procedure. 

Required Documents for a Student

•  Acceptable Proof of Age:
  • Original/certified birth certificate with number or seal,
  • Passport,
  • Green card, pink card or Federal I-94 card,
  • Hospital record of live birth
• Social Security Number (may be waived if a parent signs a statement objecting to the requirement: O.C.G.A. §220-2-150d).
• Certificate of Immunization (DHR Form 3231) within 30 days of program entry,
• Certificate of Ear, Eye and Dental Examination (DHR Form 3300) within 90 days of program entry,

 Frequently Asked Questions

1. Does my child have to live in the same county as your center?

ANSWER: No, the only requirement is that your child resides in Georgia.

2. My friend frowned at the suggestion of Georgia Pre-K and told me that Private Pre-K was better than Public Pre-K. Is this true?

ANSWER: We encourage each parent to do their homework when choosing a Pre-K program for their child. Favorite Time Academy offers both a private and a public funded Pre-K program. Both programs offer different advantages and disadvantages. In general, we believe that Georgia Pre-K programs have higher standards then most private run programs.

Please keep in mind the following:

Ask to see the credentials/qualifications of the lead teacher. Georgia Pre-K requires that lead teachers meet minimum qualifications while these standards are not the same for Private Pre-K providers.

Georgia Pre-K programs must meet state content standards including approved curriculum, classroom management, quality and quantity of equipment, and assessing child growth and development. Content standards cover seven key curricular areas: Language and Literacy, Mathematics, Science, Social Studies, Creative Expression, Social and Emotional Development, and Physical Development.

3. Is it required that my child attend every day?

ANSWER: Georgia Pre-K Program operates just like a school classroom. Parents commit to sending their child to school for the complete 6.5 hours day,180 days per year. Children can be disenrolled for being chronically tardy in the morning or being picked up prior to the end of the instructional day. We work with each family and make reasonable exceptions. For each child to get the most out of the program we encourage parents to only miss days when really needed. We work to improve attendance and tardiness as we partner with each family/parent.

4. What are the times of the program?

ANSWER: Our program starts from 8:30am until 3:00pm. Before and after extended care is available for a reasonable tuition fee.

5. What is your school calendar? Is Georgia Pre-K open during county school recesses/breaks?

ANSWER: Our school calendar follows the Paulding School District calendar. When the Paulding School district is closed for holidays and breaks the GA Pre-K class is also closed. During these breaks we offer extended care in our private Pre-K classrooms at the regular tuition rates.

6. What is the fee for your meals? Can children bring their own lunch?

ANSWER: The meal fee is $95.00 per month. Georgia Pre-K requires centers and schools to provide a complete nutritional meal for children. We encourage parents not to bring bag lunches for their child unless there are diet restrictions. We introduce many healthy foods to the children which is part of the educational program. If your child has identified special food requirements, please let us know.

For more information about the Georgia Pre-K program, visit the Georgia Department of Early Care & Learning, Bright from the Start, at www.decal.ga.gov