What Is VPK?

preschoolersFlorida recognizes the importance of quality early childhood education, which is why it created the Voluntary Pre-Kindergarten Education Program (VPK). This program provides free prekindergarten for all 4 year olds regardless of family income.

So should your child attend VPK? The evidence is clear: yes. In 2013, 82 percent of children who completed VPK were ready for kindergarten compared to 53 percent who did not attend.

Through VPK, any child who is 4 years old on or before September 1st of the current school year is eligible for a financial subsidy to attend Pre-Kindergarten. Just last year, the law was amended to provide that children who are born between February 2nd and September 1st may postpone enrollment until the following year when they are 5 years old.

St. Cecelia Interparochial Catholic School is a leading provider of VPK as well as being an International Baccalaureate World School. Since our program is full day and goes well beyond the 540 hours of instructional time required under the VPK voucher, the VPK subsidy (which was $2,446 last year) is applied towards the cost of tuition to reduce your family’s financial obligation. We integrate the VPK curriculum with the Diocesan standards and the Florida Core state standards to provide our students with a rigorous curriculum that will prepare them to be leaders. Our curriculum incorporates continuous opportunities for student-directed learning through hands-on observation and exploration in Language Arts, Mathematics, Science, Social Studies, and Spanish.

At St. Cecelia, we believe in the full development of the child, emphasizing the nurturing of social and emotional intelligence along with academics. Your prekindergarten student will also engage in spiritual formation, Art, Physical Education, Music and Movement, and social responsibility education on a routine basis. We provide opportunities for your child to understand another person’s point of view, recognize and celebrate the differences and similarities among people, grow and develop at individual rates, and transfer trust from adults in the home to those in a school setting.

Learn more about St. Cecelia’s VPK program and how to enroll.

More VPK resources for families of young children:

The Office of Early Learning
Florida VPK Frequently Asked Questions

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