Get Started with Pre-K Get Started with Pre-K

The Pulaski County Special School District is committed to providing a quality and equitable education to students in Pre-K through 12th grade. PCSSD’s Pre-K program is a free, standards-based program that aims to build strong foundational skills that help prepare students for kindergarten.

“In Pre-K, students learn how to be a student and develop a love for learning,” said Joe T. Robinson Elementary Pre-K teacher, Ms. Amy Bubbus DeCastro. “They develop important social skills like communicating, sharing, and taking turns. Children also go through a reading readiness curriculum where they learn letters and phonics. They develop math skills such as counting and shapes. Developing fine motor and gross motor skills is so important for pre-k children, and we practice these skills daily.”

Pre-K programs are available at 14 PCSSD elementary schools: Baker Elementary, Cato Elementary, College Station Elementary, Crystal Hill Elementary, Daisy Bates Elementary, Harris Elementary, Joe T. Robinson Elementary, Landmark Elementary, Lawson Elementary, Oakbrooke Elementary, Oak Grove Elementary, Sherwood Elementary, Sylvan Hills Elementary, William Jefferson Clinton Elementary.

“PCSSD’s Pre-K program is one of top Pre-K programs in the state and as teachers we take a lot of pride in that,” said Sherwood Elementary Pre-K teacher Tiffany Darr. “PCSSD is at the forefront of early childhood education and we are fortunate to get extensive training opportunities to help further our education. PCSSD Pre-K classrooms create an atmosphere of love and respect for all students and with our center-based approach to learning students are taught in a way that is developmentally most beneficial to them.”

Pre-K teachers across the District work hard to ensure a positive and loving learning environment for their students.

“I love children, and I love to see them learn,” said Daisy Bates Elementary Pre-K teacher, Ms. Jennifer Martin. “Really I want to set an environment of education for these students that is fun, encouraging, and challenging. I want them to love school. So if I can set a positive example for these Pre-K students, next year they will want more.”

“Pre-K teaches children about what it means to ‘work together,’ what it means to be a friend, and how a teacher really cares for you, and most importantly, how to be a friend to others,” said Oak Grove Elementary Pre-K teacher, Ms. Kim Lee. “This is the first experience for Pre-K children, so Pre-K builds a child’s confidence through consistency, structure, creativity, and positivity. That is why children in Pre-K love school. Children learn that their classroom is a safe place they can learn.”

About Pcssd

In order to attend Pre-K within the Pulaski County Special School District, families must meet at least one of the eligibility requirements issued by the Arkansas Better Chance (ABC) program, which can be found at www.pcssd.org.

Registration for PCSSD’s Pre-K program is now open and can also be found at www.pcssd.org. If you have specific questions related to PCSSD’s Pre-K program, please contact the Pre-K Department at 501-234-2065.

Pulaski County Special School District spans more than 600 square miles in central Arkansas and requires highly skilled and passionate personnel to adapt educational policies and personalization to 26 schools. Every school is accredited by the Arkansas State Board of Education. PCSSD has served schools across Pulaski County since July 1927.

PCSSD is committed to creating a nationally recognized school district that assures that all students achieve at their maximum potential through collaborative, supportive and continuous efforts of all stakeholders.

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Joe David Rice, born in Paragould and reared in Jonesboro, probably knows Arkansas as well as anyone alive. The former owner of an outfitting business on the Buffalo National River and the state’s former tourism director, his "Arkansas Backstories" is published by the Butler Center.

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