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Preschool

Children are ready to learn. They cultivate 85 percent of their intellect, personality and skills by age five. Young children need real interactions in order to learn. The first five years are also when children build the social and emotional skills they need to succeed in school. On the first day of kindergarten, teachers expect children to be able to follow directions, start and finish projects, and know when they need to ask for help. That's where WPS Preschool Programs can help!

The Virginia Preschool Initiative (VPI) Program

The VPI Preschool Program serves students who are eligible based on at-risk criteria. WPS has 1 three-year-old and 8 four-year-old VPI classrooms. Four-year-old VPI classes are located in all four of our elementary schools. One classroom for three-year-olds is located at Frederick Douglass Elementary but is open to students from all WPS service areas.

Spanish Immersion Preschool

The Spanish Immersion Pre-K Program is a tuition-based program within our Dual Language Immersion Program, housed at Frederick Douglass Elementary School. It is designed for families who would like their PreK children ages 3 or 4 to learn another language while receiving the same high quality academic curriculum as students throughout the division.

Early Childhood Special Education

The Early Childhood Special Education (ECSE) program supports students ages 2-5 who are eligible for special education services. There are 5 ECSE classrooms located at John Kerr Elementary School that include students from all WPS service areas.

Contact Us

Patricia Black

Patricia Black
Coordinator of Early Childhood Education
540-667-4253, ext. 12106

Diane Benitez
Early Childhood Family Liaison
540-686-5436

We welcome you to visit the classroom to find out more about our schools, our teachers, and what a great difference preschool makes.

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Preschool Program Curriculum & Principles

In Winchester Public Schools’ Preschool Programs, we focus on alignment that creates success. We create opportunities and close achievement gaps by aligning instructional practices with professional development and coaching, two necessary pillars in supporting high quality implementation. Our curricula are informed by research showing that high-quality, developmentally appropriate early learning produces the best results for all children. Our curriculum, The Creative Curriculum, is designed to engage children and empower them to develop language, math, critical thinking, and socio-emotional skills that prepare them for long-term academic and life success.

Guiding Principles of the Winchester Public Schools’ Preschool Programs are that children:

  • aspire to be visible and valued;
  • construct meaningful knowledge through intentional interactions and high engagement;
  • experience, process, and interact with their surroundings in unique ways; and
  • are capable of being partners in structuring their own learning. 

In our classrooms, children develop social-emotional and academic skills simultaneously, guided by reflective and engaged adults. Our professionals strive to frame cultural, developmental, and linguistic diversity as assets, rather than barriers, to quality experiences. Children gain the confidence, critical planning, and thinking skills that are necessary to meet the challenges and opportunities ahead.