New Prague Area Community Education

The district preschool classes will provide an opportunity for your child to attend school independently, make their first real friendships, build emerging literacy and math skills while also expanding social emotional skills. Students will develop a love of lifelong learning and the confidence in school readiness skills in preparation for kindergarten at New Prague Area Schools. There are a variety of full-day and half-day class schedule options to provide your family choices that work best for your child. All of these classes can be combined with PreK-WRAP Childcare to provide your family with a schedule that works best for you. Most classes are held at the Early Learning Center at the Central Education Campus in New Prague. 

The Monday through Thursday full-day classes at Falcon Ridge Elementary and Eagle View Elementary follow the same strong tradition of the preschool classes that are held at the Early Learning Center located at the CEC.

• Warm and welcoming environment where children build peer friendships. The students will become a community of learners as they spend the day together. Families will provide a daily home lunch for students, and they will eat together in the classroom.
• Child-centered approach to learning
• Play-based learning throughout the classroom instructional day. Playground time will be with similar-aged peers or at a time dedicated just for their class.
• Research-based curriculum
• Inclusive classrooms
• Family involvement is encouraged
• Licensed early childhood teachers and highly trained paraprofessionals

A nature-based classroom is also available. This class will meet three afternoons a week. The preschool years are when children’s brains develop more quickly than any other time. Play-based education in an outdoor learning environment allows children to explore the world around them while developing their whole selves. It provides an authentic experience that promotes creativity, attention span, and enjoyment in learning. Our nature-based classroom will have the goal of being outside a minimum of 50% of the time throughout the school year, reserving indoor time for extreme weather conditions. In collaboration with Three Rivers Park District, Monday classes will be held in a classroom at the Central Education Campus to set the stage for the week’s learning. Wednesday and Thursday classes will be held outdoors at Cedar Lake Farm in New Prague.