Preschool

Preschool Program

Our district offers a free Preschool Program for families within the Chula Vista Elementary School District boundaries. Enrollment for the program is based upon criteria and priorities established by Title 5 of the California Code of Regulations. Documentation is necessary to determine eligibility.

Our Preschool Program primarily serves residents living within the boundaries of the Chula Vista Elementary School District. Services are available to all eligible persons without regard to sex, sexual orientation, gender, race, religion, ethnicity, national origin, color, ancestry, or mental or physical disability. We welcome the enrollment of children with disabilities.

Preschool Program Eligibility Qualifications

Children must meet the program qualifications listed below:

Age - The child must be at least three or four years old by September 1 (not eligible for transitional kindergarten or kindergarten). Preference will be given to children who turn four by September 1 and will attend kindergarten the following year.
Immunizations - The child must have three polio, four; DTP, three Hep B, one Varicella, one MMR, and one HIB. The MMR and HIB must be given on or after the first birthday.
Residence - Priority is given to families within the Chula Vista Elementary School District boundaries.
Income - Family income must fall within State guidelines for low income according to family size.

Preschool Program Staff

Every class is led by a qualified teacher and has a ratio of one adult for every eight students. Every teacher holds a college degree and Child Development Permit from the California Commission on Teacher Credentialing. All instructional assistants have taken college classes in child development.

Program-wide Expectations

All preschool classes have specific behavioral expectations for all children. They will learn to be safe, respectful, and friendly and understand these words' meanings. Classroom rules and re-direction by teachers and staff will always be stated positively, helping children understand the classroom expectations. The teacher/staff may say, "Let's be safe and use walking feet." Our goal is to provide a safe and secure environment for all children and staff. The All Aboard! Program provides environmental and behavioral support for every child to succeed in the classroom.

Procedures for Working with Children who have Challenging Behaviors

The focus of our program is to prevent challenging behaviors. If your child needs a more individualized plan to prevent challenging behaviors, the teacher will let you know which strategies at the second level worked for him. If additional support is needed at the third level of the pyramid, the teacher will invite you to participate in planning and creating a behavior support plan for your child. In the rare instance, your child behaves in a way that endangers either himself (or herself) or others, he (or she) may be excluded from the program. If you are experiencing significant behavioral difficulties with your child and want to learn new strategies to address the behavior, our Parent Implementation Program is here to help.

Parent Implementation Program

We adopted Pre-K On My Way as our curriculum, which is a research-based curriculum that provides various activities and techniques to enhance social skills, language development, and general problem-solving. The instructional program also follows the State of California's Preschool Learning Foundations and Emotional Development, Language and Literacy, English Language Development, Mathematics, Motor Skills, Science, and the Arts. Per Education Code requirements, childcare programs do not include religious instruction or worship.

Preschool Program Locations

The district has preschools at the following school sites: Ella B. Allen, Hazel Goes Cook, Myrtle S. Finney, Harborside, Karl H. Kellogg, J. Calvin Lauderbach, Loma Verde, Mueller Charter, Olympic View, Otay, Lilian J. Rice, Gregg Rogers, Fred H. Rohr, Valle Lindo, and Vista Square.