Boston Pre-K Family Resources

Family Newsletter

Family Newsletters are sent to Boston Pre-K parents and caregivers every three months. If you are a Boston Pre-K parent and are not currently receiving our newsletters, please contact the Family Engagement Coordinator at your program. You can find past newsletters here:

September 2024

June 2024

March 2024

Family Workshops

Boston Universal Pre-K provides workshops for parents and caregivers on various topics including parenting; accessing special education services; proactively teaching social, emotional, and behavioral skills; and responding to challenging behavior when it occurs.

Information on these workshops is included in the Family Workshops SY2024-2025 Pamphlet.

Family Engagement Coordinators

Each Boston Pre-K program has a dedicated Family Engagement Coordinator to support families and provide essential resources to help your child thrive. The Family Coordinator is your primary point of contact, so please contact them whenever you need assistance. If you are unsure who the Family Coordinator is at your program, you can ask your program directly or refer to our continuously updated list.

Early Childhood Family Council

The Early Childhood Family Council (ECFC) is a space for families to participate in the decision-making process of curriculum, policies and procedures for the Boston Pre-K Program. All Boston Pre-K families are encouraged to join this space and become active members of the Boston Pre-K program. If you are interested in joining please email Joelle Auguste, Family Engagement Coordinator, at mauguste@bostonpublicschools.org

Boston Pre-K to BPS K2 Connector System

The Boston Pre-K team and Countdown to Kindergarten at Boston Public Schools works with families of current Boston Pre-K K1 4-year-old students at community providers to transition their children to Boston Public Schools for kindergarten (K2) the following year. Families with a child enrolled in a Boston Pre-K K1 (4 year old) classroom can take advantage of the Connector System. The Connector gives priority to Boston Pre-K 4-year-old children attending a community-based or Family Child Care provider during the BPS lottery assignment for K2 in certain schools. There is no guaranteed connection between a Boston Pre-K community provider setting and a particular BPS school for K2; rather, the Connector gives families of Boston Pre-K K1 community-based children a higher probability of admission to specific schools for K2.

To be eligible for the Boston Pre-K to BPS K2 Connector System, families must register their child during the annual BPS K2 priority registration period as indicated by BPS Welcome Services. The Connector system aims to ensure continuity of the kindergarten experience from Boston Pre-K in a community provider-based provider setting to K2 in a BPS school.

View a map of the current Connector schools here; Connector schools are subject to change.

For more information on the Connector System please refer to the slides below:

More background on the Connector System: The Boston Pre-K Community-Based/Boston Public Schools Connector System was approved by the Boston School Committee in September 2020 after a 2017 pilot. You can see the slides presented by Boston Pre-K staff to the School Committee in August 2020 here. You can also find a memo explaining logistics of the Connector system sent to the BPS Superintendent and Chairperson of Boston School Committee in August 2020 here.

Free Playgroups for Boston Children Ages 1-5

Countdown to Kindergarten offers playgroups for Boston children ages 1-5 with an adult caregiver. Playgroups each meet once a week for two hours and are hosted by trained facilitators from Boston Public Schools. Activities promote social-emotional and school readiness skills, as well as community building.

Playgroups operate during the school year (September through June) and follow the BPS holiday and school break schedule. They are currently held at the Margarita Muñiz Academy in Jamaica Plain and the Mario Umana Academy in East Boston on a variety of days and times. Find a flyer (English and Spanish) here. Caregivers can fill out a form to receive more information: English form and Spanish form.

Boston Early Childhood Research Practice Partnership

The Boston Early Childhood Research Practice Partnership (RPP) began in 2007 and includes practitioners from Boston Public Schools and researchers from the University of Michigan, the Harvard Graduate School of Education, and MDRC. Together, the team uses data and research to improve early educational experiences and outcomes for young children in Boston and beyond.

The RPP team recently launched a new website to share its work. You can explore past and current research studies and all associated publications. Boston UPK community providers are critical partners in this ongoing work and we thank them for their ongoing participation in the Boston UPK Study part of the RPP.