Preschool at NNPS
Preschool at NNPS
Newport News Public Schools (NNPS) Preschool is a program that provides 4-year-olds in Newport News a FREE, high-quality, early childhood experience in preparation for kindergarten readiness (and beyond!). It is a state- and federally funded program designed to ELEVATE and EMPOWER the potential of each young learner through nurturing social-emotional development, building a strong foundation for learning, and partnering with families and the Newport News community. We are ONE NNPS.
Questions? Please call the NNPS Preschool Office at (757) 283-7850 x.10247.
We are no longer accepting preschool applications for the 2025-26 school year. The NNPS Preschool application window will open in early March for the 2026-27 school year.
Please note: NNPS Preschool is a state and federally funded program, and all applications will be reviewed based on eligibility criteria and space availability.
Our Vision
Being a child is magical and joyful. In preschool, we inquire and imagine. We discover and dramatize. We play and puzzle. We read and write. We code and cooperate. We build and brainstorm. We sing and skip. We create and question. We mix and measure. We hug and high-five.
Our Goals
Our curriculum is aligned with Virginia’s Early Learning and Development Standards. We are committed to developing kind, curious, and independent little humans in service to the following goals:
- Engage in learning activities that promote creativity, imagination, and curiosity.
- Apply executive function and self-regulation skills as they interact with the world and others around them.
- Recognize and express emotions and care for self and others.
- Engage in appropriate interactions with adults and other children.
- Know and apply the relationships among letters, sounds, word parts, and vocabulary as they become readers and writers.
- Communicate effectively based on medium, purpose, task, and audience.
- Engage with a wide variety of stories, texts, and media to spark interest and build a love of reading.
- Engage in activities that develop gross and fine motor skills.
- Know and apply routines of physical health and self-care.
- Explore their natural, physical, and social environment by questioning, predicting, and making connections.
- Explore and apply the relationships between mathematical concepts as they become problem solvers.
- Engage in the creative process in order to grow awareness, make connections, and express ideas.
- Ask questions and apply knowledge to understand and interact with the world.
Our Instructional Approach
Students deserve equitable access to high-quality instructional staff, instruction, resources, and opportunities to learn. Students learn about themselves and their world through hands-on experiences, play-based exploration, and meaningful conversations.
Our instructional day includes explicit instruction, inquiry-based learning, cooperative play, and independent exploration through:
- Learning and practicing established rules and routines
- Foundations of early literacy and numeracy
- Units of study
- Interest areas
- Fine arts integration
- Real-world application
Meet the Preschool Team
Annemarie Hanrahan
Instructional Supervisor & VPI Coordinator
(757)283-7850 x.10249
Melinda McCallister
Instructional Coach
(757)283-7850
