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(262) 673-3155District Office
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4K Questions & Answers
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(262) 673-3155District Office
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4K Questions & Answers
What is a community-based 4K program?
In a community based 4K program, four-year-olds receive pre-kindergarten instruction in a child care center or private/public preschool. A Wisconsin certified licensed teacher, hired by the School District, conducts a two hour and forty-five minute program for five days a week. School District funds support the 4K program at the child care or private/public preschool site. Families may then choose to have their child(ren) participate in additional private pay child care or other services provided at day care licensed sites for the rest of the day.
Will there be a charge for 4K?
School fees are assessed at $41.00 per child for the 2024-2025 school year. Families will be sent an invoice late summer 2024.
How do I know what 4K site my child will be in?
Hwy. 60 is the main criteria used for determining 4K sites. We will be placing your child in a 4K site closest to your home residence. If you have additional questions about registration or placement, please contact Pupil Services at (262) 673-8042.
The District reserves the right to place your child to prevent any additional busing costs. If your child is currently in one of the day care sites, we will attempt to place your child in the site where they are currently attending. If your child is currently attending Happy Hollow Day Care, they will be bussed to Lincoln. The number of sessions of 4K will be determined by the enrollment of 4 year olds in the Hartford program. The District reserves the right to place your child to prevent any additional busing costs.
Will there be transportation for 4K?
Bus transportation is available in the PM for bus-eligible students only to Lincoln Elementary only. (See District Policy EEAB; revised September 16, 2014).
Will the 4K bus routes include K-8 grade students?
Yes, bus transportation for 4K will only include preschool children for pick-up, but drop-off will have K-8 students on the bus.
What will the District do to keep my 4-year old safe on the bus and at pickup and drop off?
We will require an adult that you deem responsible, have visual contact of your child when picked up or dropped off by the bus. They will be checked ON and OFF the bus by the driver and their teacher once at the 4K site. The bus will not drop off your child unless the adult you choose is within close visual contact. The District reserves the right to discontinue your child’s transportation if you or the person you deem responsible isn’t there to meet your child when they get off the bus twice in the school year.
How many days of the week will the 4K classes be held?
Community-based 4K will be held 5 days per week and follows the Hartford Jt. #1 calendar. The school calendar is posted here.
Will there be A.M. and P.M. sessions? What are the times for each session?
Yes, there will be morning and afternoon sessions. Please reference the site location page to determine if your assigned site has a.m. and/or p.m. sessions available.
Times may vary depending on busing schedule. Students may be dropped off no more than 5 minutes before the session start time.
Will there be an open house for my 4K child?
Yes, we will have an open house at your child’s 4K site in August for all registered 4K students. Open house details will be included in the 4K placement letter that you receive prior to school starting. Specific Open House dates/times can be found on the district website.
What will my child learn in 4K?
The curriculum for community-based 4K focuses on learning through discovery and active participation. Activities are developmentally-appropriate and provide language-rich experiences. The focus is on learning through intentionally-designed activities in the areas of social-emotional, cognitive, creativity, early literacy, early math, fine motor, and self-help skills. We utilize hands-on activities and promote the teaching of positive values such as respect and responsibility.
How can I learn more about the standards that will support the 4K program?
We use the Wisconsin Model Early Learning Standards (WMELS) to guide our curriculum. The curriculum focuses on activities that support the categories included in the WMELS.
The WMELS are state standards developed to align with the Wisconsin K-12 Model Academic Standards. They are designed to assure early learning opportunities that support the success of children in school both now and in their future. The areas represented by the WMELS set the stage for curriculum development for preschool classrooms. The WMELS reflect attention to the following categories of early learning: health and physical development, social and emotional development, communication and language development, along with approaches to learning and cognitive and general knowledge.
You can learn more about the Model Early Learning Standards by going to https://dpi.wi.gov/early-childhood/practice
Who will teach 4K?
All 4K teachers are hired and supervised by the Hartford Jt. #1 School District. They are licensed Wisconsin teachers and must have the appropriate license to teach preschool-aged children.
What if my child will be four after September 1, 2024?
Early admission is not allowed for 4K according to our District Policy #JEB-R.
How will emergency weather situations be addressed at each site? How will security be addressed in the different sites?
1. Weather situations will be addressed using the Emergency District Dismissal form. If there is early dismissal, the regular District policy will be followed.
2. School closings and delayed starts will be announced with regular district announcements on both television and the District website.
3. If there is a delayed start, there would be no morning session of 4K. On scheduled early release days, there will be no afternoon session of 4K.
4. Each 4K site will have emergency plans that match District and site expectations. These will include, fire, tornado, medical, and intruder and will be part of the teacher and parent handbook. 4K staff and students will practice these drills.
How will parents be involved?
Parent Outreach is an integral part of the 4K experience and will serve as an important step toward each child’s success in school. It will take on many different forms, some of which are:
Is 4K voluntary or mandatory?
4K is a voluntary program and not subject to mandatory attendance. However, we would anticipate that you would send your child to class each day unless your child is ill or otherwise excused. If your child will be absent, please contact the respective school offices to report the absence.
Will there be a principal assigned to the 4K sites?
Yes. Each site will be assigned a principal. Mr. Neil Hanlon is the Lincoln Elementary principal and Mr. Doan Bui is the principal for Rossman Elementary overseeing the Hartford Rec, Dream Center, and Sycamore Tree 4K sites.
How will my child’s Speech and Language needs be met?
Speech and Language services will be provided at each site by a certified Speech and Language therapist. The therapist will be hired by the School District to provide services and travel between each of the sites. This will eliminate having to bus your child to and from the elementary buildings for speech services.
Are there options for before and/or after school day care?
Yes, there are options for before and after school day care. Registration and information for those needing day care are taken care of by the provider. The providers to contact are:
Please contact the individual site for additional information and availability.