March/April 2023
Registration is Open for the 2023-2024 School Year!
Registration for the 2023-2024 school year is now open! Children must turn four on or before August 31 and live in Mecklenburg County to enroll. Space is limited, so families are encouraged to apply today!

MECK Pre-K classrooms are conveniently located at more than 40 child development centers across the county. Families can select their preferred locations when they apply.

Pre-K can play an important role in a child’s development, but you may wonder: what goes on in the classroom? MECK Pre-K uses the Creative Curriculum®, a hands-on, project-based approach to education that incorporates real life experiences into the learning process. Read our latest blog to learn more about our creative curriculum.
Teacher Testimonial
Ms. Howard from Alliance Center for Education-McAlpine
Here's what MECK Pre-K teacher Ms. Howard had to say about her experience with MECK Pre-K:

"I like working for MECK Pre-K because they really want to help move the children to the next level when they move on to Kindergarten and then the higher grades. They're really implementing things that will help them learn here but they're also making sure that its in an environment that is fun for them and then also developmentally appropriate for them. I love being a teacher because I love seeing the growth from the beginning of the year to the end of the year. I love knowing that I took a part in helping them move on to the next level wherever they started from."

We'd like to hear from you what it means to see your children's growth in MECK Pre-K, Share your story on our Testimonial Page!
If your child won't be four on or before August 31, 2023, you can sign up to be notified when registration is open for the 2024-2025 school year. Visit our Future MECK Pre-K students page.
Scenes From MECK Pre-K Classrooms

The end of the school year is quickly approaching, and our MECK Pre-K students are enjoying every moment while building a lifelong love of learning. Check out some scenes from MECK Pre-K classroom activities below.
Language and Literacy Abilities
"Oh, Man!", March 2nd marks Read Across America Day, also known as Dr. Seuss Day. On Dr. Seuss Day, students in our classrooms practiced their literacy skills by reading all sorts of fun books and by doing lots of fun activities.
Joy of Learning
As students reached 100 days of being in the classroom, they brought our their best 100 year old wardrobe. Some really got into playing the part of a 100 year old. Role playing encourages students to have confidence, think outside the box and enjoy their environment.
Mathematical and Scientific Thinking
Students explored the importance of water and its many uses at school and at home, investigated how water changes, and learned about how water helps people and the environment. Students in this classroom studied how water can be used to make food and drinks like lemonade.
The Water Princess Project
As students continue studying water as part of the creative curriculum, some are finding causes to support along the way. One of our classrooms, Smarty Pants, read the book The Water Princess by Susan Verde in which a girl dreams of bringing clean water to her village. Students wondered why the main character needed to walk so far for clean water and wanted to help. The classroom ended up partnering with Krispy Kreme and found Water.org, an organization that provides water and sanitation worldwide. The classroom had an initial goal of $500 but ended up raising over $2000.

"The foundation provides water for countries all around the world. We chose Africa because it correlated with the Water Princess. We decided to sell donuts. All the teachers, and parents worked really hard to make this goal a reality. Thank you for the support. We greatly appreciated all the help."

-Ms. Joy, Smarty Pants 
Help Spread the Word
About MECK Pre-K!

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Important Community Updates
Week of The Young Child
April 1-7 we recognized the Week of the Young Child™, an annual celebration of early learning, young children, their teachers, families, and communities led by the National Association for the Education of Young Children (NAEYC). Here are some fun ways we celebrated!
 
  • Music Monday: Singing, dancing, celebrating, and learning. Through music, children develop math, language, and literacy skills – all while having fun and being active!
  • Tasty Tuesday: Cooking together and connecting math with literacy skills and science while introducing ways to incorporate healthy habits into children’s lifestyles. 
  • Work Together Wednesday: When children build together, they experience teamwork and develop their social and early literacy skills.
  • Artsy Thursday: Children develop creativity, social skills and fine motor skills with open-ended art projects where they can make choices, use their imaginations, and create with their hands.
  • Family Friday: Sharing family stories. Engaging and celebrating families is at the heart of supporting our youngest learners. NAEYC applauds the role of family members as young children’s first and most important teachers.
National Child Abuse Prevention Month
April is National Child Abuse Prevention Month, which recognizes the importance of communities working together to promote the social and emotional well-being of all children and their families. To report suspected child abuse, neglect or human trafficking, call the Child Protective Services HELP line at 980-31-HELPS (43577). This hotline is open 24 hours a day, seven days a week; including holidays.
Smart Start of Mecklenburg County Celebrates 30 Years!
Smart Start of Mecklenburg County is celebrating 30 years of mobilizing resources, forging partnerships, and supporting families to improve early childhood health, education, and development. Over the past 30 years, Smart Start of Mecklenburg County has been a leader in the early childhood space, helping ensure that all children in Mecklenburg County "turn five ready to thrive."
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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