UPK Program
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Click here to start registration
Registration Questions?
Contact Sally Cukierski, Central Registrar, 716-362-3091, scukierski@amherstschools.orgProgram Questions? Pre-K Office
Karen Redding, PreK Coordinator, 716-362-4184
Kredding@amherstschools.org
Office hours are Monday, Tuesday and Thursday. You can expect a reply on those days.
Full Day UPK Offered for 2022-23
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Supply Lists for 2022-23
Windermere Blvd. & Smallwood Drive UPK Supply Lists
ACCCCC and Amherst Nursery UPK Supply Lists
Amherst Central School District has been awarded additional state funding to support the implementation of Full-Day Universal Pre-Kindergarten for the 2022-23 school year.
Full-Day: Additional state funding allows the district to establish four full-day UPK classes with two classrooms at Smallwood Drive Elementary and two classrooms at Windermere Boulevard Elementary. Enrollment in each class will be capped at 18 students.
Half-Day: The district-run UPK program will offer five half-day classes at Amherst Community Church Child Care Center and one half-day class at Amherst Nursery School.
Transportation: Busing will be provided to and from all UPK locations for students in the full-day sessions at Windermere and Smallwood and the half-day sessions at ACCCCC and Amherst Nursery School. To be eligible for transportation, you must reside within the Amherst CSD boundaries.
Age Requirement: UPK is open to any four-year-old residing in the district. The child must be four by Dec. 1 of the school year they are applying for. Your child is only eligible to attend Pre-K the year they turn 4 prior to Dec. 1.
Lottery System: If there are more students than spots available in a selected class, a random lottery will take place.
Site Preference: Parents can select a preference, but placements are not guaranteed because class sizes are limited. As a result of the program being funded by state grants, definite confirmation will occur only after the New York State budget is passed and Universal Pre-kindergarten funding is guaranteed.
2022-23 UPK Registration Timeline- May-June – Pre-K Orientation (TBD), Parent handbook available on website
- August – Placement letter mailed home with teacher assignment, teacher welcome letter, supply list, and PreK calendar.
- Late August – Bus assignments for those attending Windermere Boulevard and Smallwood Drive UPK sites will be available in the Aspen Parent Portal
Program Details
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Full-Day Program Details
UPK at Windermere Boulevard, 291 Windermere Boulevard
Hours: 9 a.m.- 2:30 p.m.
Busing is provided and you must reside within the Windermere residency boundaries.
Wrap-around care at ACCCCC is not available for students registered in the full-day program.UPK at Smallwood Drive Elementary, 300 Smallwood Drive
Hours: 8 a.m.- 1:30 p.m.
Busing is provided and you must reside within the Smallwood residency boundaries.
Wrap-around care at ACCCCC is not available for students registered in the full-day program. -
What Does A Full Day Look Like?
Amherst Central Schools Full Day UPK program will include the same wonderful components of our half day program along with additional extended time for gross motor activities, instructional reinforcement of Literacy and Math concepts as well as lunch and rest time.
Our UPK curriculum ensures developmentally appropriate content aligned with NYS Learning Standards while providing an environment that promotes social-emotional development. Engaging learning centers are frequently utilized to promote play, communication skills, social-emotional skills, fine motor development, and skill reinforcement in ELA, Math and Science.
The full day program begins with a Morning Meeting that brings the class together as a community of learners to start the day. Next, breakfast is served, family style, which allows for social and self-help skills to be fostered and modeled by our highly qualified teachers. Whole group story time and reading lessons occur during circle time, as well as opportunities for play at one of the classroom learning centers. These centers include art, math manipulatives, blocks, sand/water, and computers. The dramatic play area models real-life settings such as a house, store, restaurant, or post office. Our monthly themes allow for science and social studies content to be connected throughout our daily learning. Additional time in our full day is designated not only for extended academic time but for social skill development, gross motor opportunities and rest time. The day ends with a Closing Circle where students recall the learning from the day while also helping to build a positive classroom community
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Half-Day Program Details
The ACSD Universal Pre-Kindergarten Program is a half-day program (2.5 hours) with morning and afternoon sessions at two sites:
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- Amherst Community Church Child Care Center (ACCCCC) 77 Washington Highway
AM session 9 - 11:30 a.m.
PM session 12:30 - 3 p.m. - Amherst Nursery School, 350 Saratoga Road
AM session only 9:15 - 11:45 a.m.
- Amherst Community Church Child Care Center (ACCCCC) 77 Washington Highway
- Transportation will be provided by the district to and from the ACCCC and Amherst Nursery School. You must reside within the Amherst CSD school boundaries.
- ACCCCC has wrap-around childcare available for families enrolled in the half-day session that is self-pay. This means you can have your child attend daycare there and the 2.5 hour UPK portion of the day is free. Wrap-care spots are limited and are separate from the UPK program. Contact Andrea O’Hern, ACCCCC Director, at 834-9701 for more information about childcare.
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