A PreK student at E.N. White practices her handwriting

Amy Roque
Director of Early Childhood Education
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For enrollment questions, please send an Email to the Enrollment Department or call (413) 534-2000, Option 1

Through a special partnership with Valley Opportunity Council (VOC) and the Holyoke YMCA,  HPS is able to provide expanded PreK offerings to our students and families for school year 2024-2025 at Donahue, Kelly, and Lawrence Schools.

For more information about enrolling in Valley Opportunity Council (VOC) please call (413) 552-1559, Extension 329.  

For more information about enrolling at the Holyoke YMCA Preschool, please call (413) 534-5631.

The Department of Early Education and Care (EEC) licenses Family Child Care and Group & School Age Child Care programs in Massachusetts. Learn more about these programs and find a licensed childcare provider that’s right for you.

Holyoke Public Schools offers free pre-kindergarten (PreK) programs in all of our elementary schools (Donahue, E.N. White, Kelly, Lawrence, McMahon, and  Morgan) for children ages 3-5.  We have integrated PreK programs throughout the district, and we also partner with VOC and YMCA through the CPPI grant.  The VOC classrooms are in the Donahue, Kelly, and Lawrence schools, while the YMCA PreK classrooms are located at the Holyoke YMCA on Pine Street. 

About our PreK Program

Our integrated PreK program supports students of all abilities within our classroom settings. Children have the opportunity to learn and play with peers to strengthen their social and emotional skills, as well as, their developmental play skills. Through both large and small-group activities, students participate in gross motor play, music, sensory play, and arts and crafts activities.

Holyoke Public Schools Preschool and its PreK programs follow the Massachusetts Guidelines for Preschool and Kindergarten Learning Experiences. Teachers use Three Cheers for Learning for the PreK curriculum and follow the Pyramid Model Framework to promote social and emotional strategies for the children and families. SEEDS reading strategies and ST Math are also used in classroom settings.  

Every classroom is staffed with a PreK teacher and at least one to two paraprofessionals.  Some classrooms have additional support staff to provide tiered instruction and/or support to students in the classroom setting.  Additional PreK staff include a PreK coach/inclusion specialist, PreK special education teacher, autism consultant, behavior analyst, speech/language pathologist, occupational therapist, physical therapist, school adjustment counselors, educational team leaders, and other building support staff. 

Sessions are 2 1/2 hours daily, on the following schedule:

To apply for the PreK lottery for 2024-25 school year, children must be 3 years old on or before September 1, 2024 and a resident of Holyoke.  

All full-day classrooms will be reserved for students who will be 4 on or before September 1, 2024. There are no school choice slots available for preschool. Space is limited. Enrollment for students who do not have an Individualized Education Plan (IEP) is determined by a lottery. Students will be given priority, but not a guarantee, in the lottery for their zone school as determined by their residential address. Families may inquire about space for students turning 3 years old after September 1 once the student has turned 3. Based on available space, the student can be enrolled or placed on the waitlist at that time.

NOTE:  There are three preschool classrooms at Kelly and one preschool classroom at E.N. White that are part of the Dual Language program. Interested families will need to submit a separate application for the Dual Language program.

**Students with an IEP do not need to fill out a preschool lottery application. Start the enrollment process here. Please call the Enrollment Center at (413) 534-2000, option 1 with questions. 

Upon enrollment as a peer in the classroom setting, children will be given an early developmental screening assessment by the classroom teacher.  Part of our high-quality early childhood program is to provide these assessments to our students within the first 30 days of enrollment.  These early screening assessments play a crucial role in promoting individual health and well-being for our youngest learners. All results of the screening assessment are shared with families upon completion.  

Throughout the school year, the PreK team hosts special events for our district families to participate in with their children in collaboration with our partners at the Coordinated Family and Community Engagement (CFCE) and The United Way of Pioneer Valley.  Classroom teachers will send families information about special events through Class Dojo. We also host annually a “Welcome Back to PreK/ Kindergarten” event at the Holyoke Merry-Go-Round before the start of school each year so students can meet their teachers and meet other families.