Looking to prepare students for kindergarten and beyond, Moravia Central School District has continued its efforts to revamp its universal pre-kindergarten (UPK) program, as the district is pleased to announce the creation of a third UPK classroom for the 2024-25 school year.

As recent as two years ago, the district only had two half-day UPK classes with one teacher. The half-day option presented limitations, as students were present for only three hours per day, making it difficult to provide the desired educational opportunities and outcomes. 

Seeking to rectify this challenge, the district met with the New York State Education Department to discuss potential funding for the program. When funds were presented to the district, the decision was made to provide a new and improved full-day UPK opportunity. 

The additional state funding not only allowed the district to establish a full-day program, but also the opportunity to create a model of UPK education that best supports the academic, social, and emotional growth of the students. 

To that end, the program strives to be active and engaging academically while also remaining age-appropriate related to student development.

With the creation of the full-day program, the district made the decision to implement full math and ELA curriculum into UPK. Topics such as reading and language comprehension are also part of the daily curriculum, which best sets the students up for success in kindergarten and beyond.

Outside of academic preparation, the UPK program is also trying to support students in the area of social and school readiness.

To learn more or apply, please visit: www.moraviaschool.org/upk