November/December 2022
It's Never Too Early to Start Thinking about Pre-K
There is a lot of anxiety for parents of young children when it comes to making decisions about their care, development and education. It's important to have a good understanding of your options and know what your child needs to be prepared. The foundation created in a high-quality pre-K program prepares children for the demands of life — not just in the short term as they succeed in school, but also in the long term. Check out our recent blog "When Should I Start Thinking About Pre-K" and sign up on our future enrollment page to be notified when your child is eligible to register for MECK Pre-K!

If your child turned four by August 31, 2022, they are already eligible to attend MECK Pre-K. There's still time to help them prepare for kindergarten. Apply today to enroll before registration closes for the current school year on January 31, 2023.
Parent Testimonial
Here's what MECK Pre-K Parent, Eric had to say about his family's experience in MECK Pre-K this year:

"My son Gabriel now recognizes all of his letters, can count to twenty, knows how to spell his name, and traces letters, and this is only the first two months of pre-k! I love the activities that they have the children do in class, and how much they appreciate parent involvement. My son loves going to his classroom every day, and the teachers really love and respect all of their students."

We would love to hear from you; share your story on our Testimonial Page!
Join the MECK Pre-K Team
Are you looking for an opportunity to have a positive impact on the lives of young children? Consider joining the MECK Pre-K team as a Teacher or Assistant Teacher! MECK Pre-K teachers and assistant teachers are employees of the individual child development centers, but receive the same pay as Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools' educators through the MECK Pre-K program. Benefits include health insurance coverage or compensation to pay for other coverage, 3% contribution toward retirement plans, and more. Learn more about teacher and assistant teacher positions here, and click the link below for current openings.
MECK Pre-K Partners with Promising Pages to Provide Books for Students
Community partners enhance the MECK Pre-K experience in so many ways, and we are so grateful for our partnership with Promising Pages. This wonderful organization collects unused books and redistributes them to under-resourced families and schools throughout the Charlotte community. During recent teacher workdays, Promising Pages hosted MECK Pre-K teachers, allowing them to shop for books to fill their classroom libraries and provide to students to read at home. A total of 4,515 books were donated, filling libraries in more than 100 MECK Pre-K classrooms!
Scenes From MECK Pre-K Classrooms

MECK Pre-K students have been busy learning during their Building and Clothing Study units over the past two months. Check out these scenes from the classroom.
University Child Development Center Northcross had a very special visitor drop by during their Clothing Study. Chicago Cubs player, Tyler Ladendorf talked to students about the special uniform and gear he wears while playing baseball!
Families worked together to create models of their favorite buildings. Students enjoyed presenting their projects to the class.
This class at Kid City USA had lots of fun expressing themselves on Silly Sock Day while learning about clothing accessories.
Help Spread the Word
About MECK Pre-K!

Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube and share our posts! Also check out our new LinkedIn profile. You can also talk about MECK Pre-K on social media using this Social Media Primer in English and Spanish.
Important Community Updates
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools Future Enrollment
Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools is now enrolling new students for the 2023-2024 school year. If your child will be entering kindergarten next school year, now is the time to get them registered. CMS is hosting multiple info sessions to educate families on the enrollment process and assist with registering on site. Families can also apply directly online. Check out this video to learn more about the required documents and information you'll need, and visit the CMS website to enroll your future kindergartener now.
Smart Start of Mecklenburg County Impact Report
Guided by the vision that all children in Mecklenburg County enter kindergarten healthy and ready to succeed, Smart Start of Mecklenburg County proudly shares our fiscal year 21-22 Impact Report. Read the Impact Report and learn more about the ongoing initiatives to improve early childhood health, education and development.
ANSWER Scholarship
The ANSWER Scholarship program is on a mission to mentor and prepare mothers of school-age children to achieve a college education and inspire them to be role models of academic, personal, and professional success for their children. To date, ANSWER Scholarship has provided 173 scholarships to over 100 moms in the Charlotte region. Applications are currently being accepted through March 1, 2023. Click here to learn more.
Smart Start supports families to improve early childhood health, education and development - all to help ensure that children turn five ready to thrive.
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