Centennial Community Education

The Centennial School District provides high-quality part-day, full-day, and distance learning preschool experiences. In-person classrooms are located at each of the elementary schools in the Centennial School District as well as the Early Childhood Center. (Part-day classes are only offered at the Early Childhood Center.) Centennial Preschool is held in classrooms with a 1 to 9 staff-to-student ratio, taught by licensed teachers using Creative Curriculum for Preschool and assessment tools approved by the State of Minnesota. Our preschool program has earned a 4-Star Parent Aware rating. Due to the pandemic, we are currently offering only 2-day and 4-day options for in-person attendance. Distance learning consists of a weekly online session combined with two days of offline academic activities. Centennial Preschool emphasizes: Kindergarten Readiness The goal of Centennial Preschool is to help children enter kindergarten with the skills and behaviors necessary to be successful learners. Being ready for kindergarten includes both academic skills such as literacy, math, science, and art, and social/emotional skills such as listening, following directions, sharing, and problem solving. Play-Based Learning Centennial Preschool weaves a learning through play philosophy into each class. Since students learn by doing, we focus on the process of creating rather than the product created. Learning happens when children are given space, materials, and time to play. Students engage in teacher-selected activities that are designed to grow their imagination, large-muscle, fine-motor, social-emotional, and thinking skills. Parental Involvement Part-day classes include a weekly parent attendance day, while full-day classes offer monthly opportunities for parent engagement. Centennial Preschool places an emphasis on parental involvement because research has shown that early childhood programs that involve parents and children learning together are more effective than programs that focus only on the child.

ECFE Is still here for you! The ECFE class schedule has changed in response to Centennial School District's adoption of a hybrid learning model. An updated class catalog will be available by September 1 at isd12.org/ecfe. All classes now on Eleyo are correct for the hybrid school year. We are now offering both in-person and online classes and are following state guidelines for class capacity and cleaning procedures. Please note that masks are required for adults only in all classes. Drop-In Classes Not sure you want to commit to a class right now? We offer drop-in classes that require no registration - come when you can! Explore With Baby meets Thursdays from 1-2 pm. Start coming anytime your child is under 9 months old, and stay through the rest of the school year. A Taste of ECFE meets several times throughout the year on Tuesdays from 1-2:30 pm. Pre-registration is available, but you are welcome to drop-in if space is available. 20-21 dates are October 20, December 8, February 16, and April 20.

Early Childhood Screening takes place Wednesday mornings, October - May. (We may hold screenings additional days in order to clear the backlog of appointments that were cancelled in the spring of 2020.)If you don't see an appointment time that works for you, please check back! You may also call the Early Childhood office at 763-792-6120 to make an appointment for a future screening date.

Gearing Up for Kindergarten is a free program specifically designed for children who would otherwise be entering kindergarten with no preschool experience. Students and a parent/caregiver attend together. Classes take place at the Early Childhood Center at Rice Lake Elementary on Thursday evenings, March 26 - May 14 from 6:30-8:00pm. Registration opens February 15. Class placement will begin March 1, but registration will remain open until the class fills. Have questions? Please call us at 763-792-6120.

9/1/20 update: Please note registration is closed for the beginning of the school year. We are working on staffing and groups. You may submit a contract request here, but it will not be reviewed prior to the start of the school year. We will contact you if and when space becomes available. Thank you. Kids Club is childcare provided by ISD #12 - Community Education. Kids Club offers two separate childcare sessions: one session is for care provided during the school year; the other session is care provided during summer months.

Pre-K Kids Club is childcare provided by ISD #12 - Community Education, providing childcare during the school year. To receive Pre-K Kids Club services, children must be enrolled for Centennial Preschool during their school day (9:30 AM-4 PM).