The 3-K and Pre-K Applications are Open!

Have children turning three or four years old in 2024?

Then great news: New York City’s 2024 3-K and Pre-K applications are open!

Beginning January 10, 2024, NYC families with children born in 2021 and 2020 can apply to City 3-K and Pre-K programs, respectively, for the 2024–2025 school year.

With hundreds of school options available across the five boroughs, we know that applying to NYC's early childhood education programs can be a bit overwhelming at first for some City families, especially first and even second-time applicants.

A GIF of animated children playing with toys and the 3-K and Pre-K application deadlines below

Fortunately, you can help make your application process a bit easier for you and your family by using the following tips and tools!

  1. Visit our  Sign Up page and register your email address to get the latest alerts, updates, and reminders about NYC Public Schools, including admissions events, sent directly to your inbox.

  2. Review our 3-K and Pre-K webpages thoroughly—each admissions process has key differences that you should know, especially if you’re applying at the same time on behalf of children in both grade levels. Our website will have the most up-to-date information about admissions at any given time.
    • Both webpages also include two useful resources:
      • Our Elementary Admissions Video Series:  3-K and Pre-K, embedded near the top of both our 3-K and Pre-K pages, walks you through various stages of our application processes, including creating a MySchools account, searching for programs, and submitting your application.
      • The 2024 NYC Public Schools Admissions Guide at the bottom of both webpages. Available in 10 languages, this book provides an overview of NYC's public school admissions processes and resources for all NYC public schools and early childhood programs.
  3. Get to know MySchools, and use it as your main tool for exploring and applying to early childhood programs. Through MySchools, you can:
    • Discover and explore 3-K and Pre-K programs available to you. Use filters to narrow your search to find the best fit for your child and family.
    • Find and register for in-person and virtual events listed in the MySchools events calendar, including open houses and information sessions. There are hundreds of events in all five boroughs, and they are scheduled at various times to accommodate family needs.
    • Finalize your choices and submit your child’s application! If you need to make changes afterward, you have until 11:59 PM on Friday, March 1, 2024, to update and submit again. Please note that only your last and final application will be used.
    • Cue the confetti (literally, you’ll see this once you hit the “Send” button!)

___

We hope these websites and resources can help make this year's 3-K and Pre-K application processes smooth for you and your family! On behalf of NYC Public Schools, we wish all our participating families a smooth application period!

Girl in yellow dress reading English alphabet on wallPhoto by Yan Krukau. Accessed via Pexels

Jewish American Heritage Month Hidden Voices Spotlight: Judith Heumann

In celebration of Jewish American Heritage Month, we’re sharing the story of activist Judy Heumann, a daughter of Holocaust survivors whose advocacy would earn her the nickname “the Mother of the Disability Rights Movement” for her important role in the fight for equal access for people with disabilities.

Learn about Judith Heumann on Hidden Voices

Photo of Judy Heumann in front of a sign reading Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.

Books of the Week

May is Haitian American Heritage Month in New York! In celebration of New York City’s large Haitian American community, we’re sharing some of our favorite stories that feature Haitian characters, settings, and culture at the forefront. We hope you enjoy them as much as we do!

Early Readers (3K–Grade 2)

  • Goodnight Goat/Bonnwit Kabrit, by Elizabeth Turnbull; illustrated by Erin Vaganos
  • Haiti A to Z: A Bilingual ABC Book About the Pearl of the Antilles, by M.J. Fievre; illustrated by Anastasia Khmelevska
  • Sélavi, That is Life: A Haitian Story of Hope, by Youme Landowne

Elementary (Grades 3–5)

  • Auntie Luce’s Talking Paintings, by Francie Latour; illustrated by Ken Daley
  • My Day with the Panye, by Tami Charles; illustrated by Sara Palacios
  • Open the Door to Liberty: A Biography of Toussaint L’Ouverture, by Anne Rockwell; illustrated by R. Gregory Christie

Middle School (Grades 6–8)

  • Behind the Mountains, by Edwidge Danticat
  • Serafina’s Promise, by Ann E. Burg
  • The Year I Flew Away, by Marie Arnold

Upper Grades (Grades 9–12)

  • American Street, by Ibi Zoboi
  • Dear Haiti, Love Alaine, by Maika and Maritza Moulite
  • Hold Tight, Don’t Let Go: A Novel of Haiti, by Laura Rose Wagner
Image of two students reading

For even more great reads, check out Sora, our Citywide Digital Library, which provides free access to thousands of digital e-books and audiobooks for our students!

SPOTLIGHT ON OUR SCHOOLS

Last month on Wednesday, April 17, we celebrated our third Climate Action Day of the year. Check out the photos below to see how some of our schools embraced the day's theme of “Health, Wellness, and Green Space,” with fun and creative ways to care for the environment in their community and beyond!

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31R055 PS 55 Henry M. Boehm CAST
01M184 PS 184M Shuang Wen School
03M333 PS 333 Manhattan School for Children
21K525 Edward R. Murrow High School
18K233 PS 233 Langston Hughes
22K193 PS 193
30Q010 IS 10 Horace Greeley

Dates to Remember

  • All Month Long: Asian American/Pacific Islander and Jewish American Heritage Month
  • May 6–10: Teacher Appreciation Week
  • May 7–17: NYS Math Exams (Grades 3–8)
  • May 9, 16, 23: Evening Parent-Teacher Conferences
  • May 13–24: NYSELAT for ELL and MLL students (Grades K–12)
  • May 14: Pre-K Offers Released for Fall 2024 Admissions
  • May 15–17: NYS Science Exams (Grades 5 and 8)
  • May 16: 3-K Offers Released for Fall 2024 Admissions
  • May 27: Memorial Day; schools closed

Click here to see more of The Month Ahead (May 2024)
AAPI Heritage month square graphic.
Celebrating Jewish American Heritage Month square graphic.

The 3-K and Pre-K Applications are Open!

Have children turning three or four years old in 2024?

Then great news: New York City’s 2024 3-K and Pre-K applications are open!

Beginning January 10, 2024, NYC families with children born in 2021 and 2020 can apply to City 3-K and Pre-K programs, respectively, for the 2024–2025 school year.

With hundreds of school options available across the five boroughs, we know that applying to NYC's early childhood education programs can be a bit overwhelming at first for some City families, especially first and even second-time applicants.

A GIF of animated children playing with toys and the 3-K and Pre-K application deadlines below

Fortunately, you can help make your application process a bit easier for you and your family by using the following tips and tools!

  1. Visit our  Sign Up page and register your email address to get the latest alerts, updates, and reminders about NYC Public Schools, including admissions events, sent directly to your inbox.

  2. Review our 3-K and Pre-K webpages thoroughly—each admissions process has key differences that you should know, especially if you’re applying at the same time on behalf of children in both grade levels. Our website will have the most up-to-date information about admissions at any given time.
    • Both webpages also include two useful resources:
      • Our Elementary Admissions Video Series:  3-K and Pre-K, embedded near the top of both our 3-K and Pre-K pages, walks you through various stages of our application processes, including creating a MySchools account, searching for programs, and submitting your application.
      • The 2024 NYC Public Schools Admissions Guide at the bottom of both webpages. Available in 10 languages, this book provides an overview of NYC's public school admissions processes and resources for all NYC public schools and early childhood programs.
  3. Get to know MySchools, and use it as your main tool for exploring and applying to early childhood programs. Through MySchools, you can:
    • Discover and explore 3-K and Pre-K programs available to you. Use filters to narrow your search to find the best fit for your child and family.
    • Find and register for in-person and virtual events listed in the MySchools events calendar, including open houses and information sessions. There are hundreds of events in all five boroughs, and they are scheduled at various times to accommodate family needs.
    • Finalize your choices and submit your child’s application! If you need to make changes afterward, you have until 11:59 PM on Friday, March 1, 2024, to update and submit again. Please note that only your last and final application will be used.
    • Cue the confetti (literally, you’ll see this once you hit the “Send” button!)

___

We hope these websites and resources can help make this year's 3-K and Pre-K application processes smooth for you and your family! On behalf of NYC Public Schools, we wish all our participating families a smooth application period!

Girl in yellow dress reading English alphabet on wallPhoto by Yan Krukau. Accessed via Pexels

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