District 721 Preschool

Through a play-based learning approach guided by highly trained, licensed early childhood teachers, your child will be immersed in opportunities that promote peer friendships, positive relationships with others, curiosity about learning, and developmentally-appropriate academic skills. The preschool curriculum is comprehensive and research-based, aligns with the state of Minnesota’s learning standards for early childhood, and teaches to the whole child in an inclusive environment. As the school district’s only preschool program, it exemplifies the district’s proud tradition of excellence.

Our dedicated teachers work with students to develop:

• Group, friendship, self-help and independence skills
• Rhyming and alliteration awareness
• Letter and sound recognition
• Print and number awareness and concepts
• Problem-solving and critical thinking
• Sensory and discovery play
• Art and music

District 721 offers three convenient preschool locations:

	Central Education Campus (CEC) 410 Central Ave N New Prague, MN 56071
	Falcon Ridge Elementary (FR) 1200 Columbus Ave N New Prague, MN 56071
	Eagle View Elementary (EV) 25600 Nevada Ave  Elko New Market, MN 55020

Registration for the 2024-2025 school year is currently open here. You can also download the 2024-2025 preschool brochure to view class offerings, childcare options and more.

• View the 2024-2025 preschool calendar
• Download the 2024-2025 parent handbook

Being at school for a longer period of time can really benefit some children but may not be helpful for other children. You know your child the best. Please consider: Does your child have the stamina for a full-day experience? Does your child still need a nap? Can your child be away from you for the whole day? You want to set your child up for success.

We strongly feel that parent choice is very important. Families have different situations and needs, so we like to offer options that can work for your child and you.

Once your child starts kindergarten, they will transition to this schedule. They will be attending school for a long time. We feel it is critical for young children to have unstructured time and developmentally appropriate opportunities. The Preschool WRAP childcare program does this very well. WRAP offers care on non-school days and before and after preschool classes. All day, five days a week school experiences are provided in kindergarten.

All of our preschool locations have a nurse and the appropriate facility to help your child with all of their health needs.

Classroom sizes vary from 14-17 students. It depends on enrollment. Classroom maximum is 20 students.

We follow the guidelines from the MN Department of Education. For every 10 students, there is one adult. All classrooms have a licensed teacher and a paraprofessional. Some sections of preschool have an additional early childhood special education teacher. In those cases, there are 15-20 students with 3 adults.

As part of a permanent program through the State of Minnesota, free meals will be provided for all students. This includes one breakfast and one lunch per school day for preschool students enrolled in a full-day class. For those in half-day morning classes, breakfast will be provided. For those in half-day afternoon classes, snack will be provided. Students who are enrolled in Preschool WRAP childcare before, after or on non-preschool days may also receive meals during the hours they are in attendance.

Children should be toilet trained during the day. It is very important for children to be independent using the bathroom. However, we do realize that children grow and develop at their own pace.

During preschool, there are no scheduled rest times. Students that attend WRAP have a daily rest time in the afternoon. Some kids nap at that time.

All preschool parents conference with their child’s teacher in January. You may request another conference at any time.

Anytime after your child’s third birthday, screening should be completed. We screen children ages 3-5 years old. Waiting until your child is older does not mean they will do better. Preschool scholarship recipients must screen by November 1. We require all children enrolled in district preschool to be screened by December 1.

If you have a child age birth to 5 years and do not receive district NPAS Early Learning brochures, make sure you are registered with the New Prague Area Schools District Office. Click here to complete the registration process for your child. If you have questions about the district registration process, please contact Janelle Sasse at [email protected] or (952) 758-1703. For more information on Early Childhood Screening or to schedule an appointment, contact the Early Learning office at (952) 758-1674.