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Pre-K

McHenry District 15 Early Childhood Programs

Overview

McHenry School District 15 is committed to providing high quality early education and ensuring equitable access for all children in our community.  Our early childhood programs support the whole child - academically, socially, emotionally, and developmentally.  

Edgebrook Early Childhood Pre-K Program

The Edgebrook Early Childhood Pre-K Program is funded through Illinois’ Preschool for All grant. It is designed as an early intervention program to support young learners and help prevent potential academic, language, and social-emotional delays.

Before admission, each child participates in a comprehensive online screening. This tool helps our team identify at-risk students who qualify for the program by assessing skills in the following areas: Speech and language, Cognition, Social-emotional development, Fine motor skills and Gross motor skills.

Age Requirements

  • Children must be age 3 or older to attend
  • Per Preschool for All guidelines, children turning 5 on or before September 1 of the current school year must transition to kindergarten

The Edgebrook At-Risk Pre-K Program provides early learning experiences that align with our district mission to support all families in our community.

To be considered for the McHenry District 15 Preschool Program, families must complete an online screening packet. All components must be completed in order for the packet to be reviewed.

Steps:

  1. Click here to complete the online request form.
  2. You will receive an email with a link to the online screening questionnaires.
  3. Complete all required screening forms (four total).

Program Information

  • The program runs five days a week (Monday–Friday) for 2½ hours per session
  • All teachers hold Illinois Early Childhood Special Education Teacher certification
  • Curriculum: Creative Curriculum for early learning
  • Parent communication platform: iCloud for sharing books, student pictures, and classroom materials
  • Social-emotional learning: Al’s Pals curriculum
  • Fenced-in, age-appropriate Pre-K playground
  • No cost to parents who qualify
  • Two daily sessions (Please note:  Session placement is determined by age, not parent request):
    • AM Session (9:30–12:00)
      • For 3- and young 4-year-olds not attending kindergarten the following school year
      • Focus: learning school routines, classroom expectations, and play skills
    • PM Session (1:00–3:30)
      • For older 4-year-olds and 5-year-olds who will attend kindergarten the following school year
      • Focus: school routines, play skills, and early pre-academic readiness

Edgebrook Pre-K Special Education Services

McHenry School District 15 provides special education preschool services to ensure a free, appropriate public education for children ages 3–5 with identified disabilities, as defined by Illinois State Criteria. Qualifying disability categories include: Autism, Visual impairment, Hearing impairment, Intellectual disability, Orthopedic impairment, Emotional disturbance, Speech or language impairment, Traumatic brain injury, Developmental delay, Multiple disabilities, Deafness, Deaf-blindness, or Other health impairment.

A child must demonstrate:

      1. A qualifying disability, and
      2. An adverse impact on educational progress requiring specially designed instruction.

Eligibility is determined through a full and individual evaluation and a review of all relevant information at a Multidisciplinary Educational Conference (MDEC).

Services Provided

Special education services are tailored to each child's individual needs and may include:  Academic interventions, Speech-language therapy, Occupational therapy, Physical therapy and Social-emotional and behavioral intervention services

District 15 is dedicated to including students with disabilities to the greatest extent appropriate alongside their peers. Collaboration between special education and general education staff supports inclusive learning environments for all students.

Developmental Concerns

If you have concerns about your child's development:

Call 779.244.1057 to begin the preschool screening process.

For children under age 3, contact Child & Family Connections (Options & Advocacy) at 815.477.4720 or www.optionsandadvocacy.org.