The School District of Fort Atkinson has announced enrollment registration for its regional preschool programming, “Flourishing First Steps,” will open this Thursday.

Those interested in enrolling their children, ages birth to 4, in a fall, 2024-25, session may do so Thursday through the following link: fortschools.org/firststeps. 

The program offers several three-week sessions designed to provide the area’s “littlest learners” with an opportunity to make discoveries through peer interaction, free play, sensory and art activities, and literacy, according to a recent release.

Additionally, the release noted, the program offers guidance to learners and caregivers through interaction with members of the School District of Fort Atkinson Early Childhood staff.

The program sessions are free and open to all families.

While children explore, learn and play, the release stated, caregivers will learn new and throughtful ways to interact with their children, and they also will be able to ask questions of the district’s early childhood staff about developmental milestones.

The program is structured to provide learning opportunities by dividing preschool-aged children into two distinct learning groups: children age birth to 24 months are placed in the “Itty Bitty Pre-K” group.

Children age 25 months to 4 years, are placed in the “Mini Pre-K” group.

Three-week session are provided within each learning group.

Sessions run as follows:

• Session 1: Running between Sept. 30 and Oct. 16, children will explore shapes and colors.

• Session 2: Running between Oct. 21 and Nov. 6, children will explore “Our Community.”

• Session 3: Running between Nov. 11 and Dec. 4, the session is titled: “Jingle Bells.”

Within each three-week period, sessions will be held as follows:

• Itty Bitty Pre-K students in all sessions will meet Mondays and Wednesdays, between 8:15 and 9 a.m.

• Mini Pre-K students attending session 1, will meet Mondays and Wednesdays, between 9:30 and 10:30 a.m., and Mini Pre-K students attending session 2 will meet Mondays and Wednesdays, between 11 a.m. and noon. According to the release, there will be three Mini Pre-K sessions. Dates for sessions beginning in the spring will be made available in December.

Caregivers are required to stay with their children during the sessions.

Sessions will be held at the School District of Fort Atkinson 4K partner, Fort Preschool and Childcare Center, 31 Milwaukee Ave., W., Fort Atkinson.

Those with questions are encouraged to contact program coordinator Molly Fuller by email: firststeps@fortschools.org.

Earlier stories about the program, as published on Fort Atkinson Online, are here: https://fortatkinsononline.com/flourishing-first-steps-preschool-program-provides-learning-opportunities-for-regional-families/, and here: https://fortatkinsononline.com/flourishing-first-steps-launches-new-mini-movers-program/.