Important Announcement - October 26, 2023:
The District is pleased to announce that all families who participated in the initial preschool lottery, held for applicants who completed the two-step enrollment process by the March 10, 2023 registration deadline, have been offered placement into our preschool program!
As such, the District will hold a second lottery to fill the open preschool seats available for the 2023-2024 school year. Applicants with an active online enrollment application submitted by October 31, 2023, will be eligible for the second preschool lottery. Families interested in participating in the lottery may submit an online application found under the Registration section of the South Orange-Maplewood’s District website.
Families selected by the lottery will receive follow up instructions, timelines and a list of requirements to be satisfied to be eligible for enrollment in the District’s preschool program. All communications regarding the lottery, placement and additional instructions will be sent via email to the email address listed on your enrollment application. The anticipated start date for all eligible preschool students selected by the lottery is December 2023.
For questions regarding our preschool program, we invite you to visit our Preschool FAQ Guide. SOMSD remains committed to preschool expansion and looks forward to providing more opportunities for students and families to join our program.
STAFF:
Mr. Leroy Johnson
Supervisor of Preschool Education
e: ljohnso3@nullsomsd.k12.nj.us
p: (973) 762 - 5600 ext 1843
Ms. Susie Budine
Assistant Superintendent
Special Services and Youth Services
p: (973) 762 - 5600 ext 1841
Early Screening Inventory
All general education students who are new to the South Orange Maplewood District Preschool Program will be screened using the Early Screening Inventory-Revised developmental screening instrument. Click here to learn more.
Frequently Asked Questions
An FAQ has been prepared by educators and parents as a tool to answer essential questions the community may have. You can view the FAQs below:
Preschool Tools of the Mind (TOM) Curriculum
Aligned with the New Jersey Preschool Teaching and Learning Standards, TOM is a comprehensive curriculum that presents content in an integrated manner. Its instructional strategies reflect a combination of student-initiated activities, explicit instruction, individualization through multiple levels of scaffolding (problem-solving through teacher modeling followed by increasingly independent student practice), and the ongoing use of multiple assessment data. Progress reports are shared with parents/guardians three times per year, and parent-teacher conferences are scheduled throughout the year. Click here to learn more about the TOM Curriculum.
Registration
For registration information please click here.