Early Childhood

Admission to PS9 for Early Childhood (pre-kindergarten and kindergarten) is handled centrally by the New York City Department of Education (NYCDOE) − not at the school level. Each grade has its own application process. Grade specific information for pre-kindergarten and kindergarten applications is available on the NYCDOE website.

A hard copy of the most recent New York City Public School Admissions Guide is available at schools, early childhood programs and public libraries. A digital version can be found on the NYCDOE website. The guide is available in the ten official NYCDOE languages - English, Arabic, Bengali/Bangla, Chinese, Haitian Creole, French, Korean, Russian, Spanish, and Urdu.

Early Childhood admissions is not first come, first serve. All applications submitted by the deadline are treated the same (based on standard admissions priorities). Preference is given to students who reside in the school’s zone, and/or have siblings who currently attend the school.

  • two students on the playground

Kindergarten Registration at Sarah Smith Garnet PS9

If your child received an offer to PS9 for Kindergarten 2023-24, here is how to get started with our registration process:

Accept your offer:

  • Go to https://www.myschools.nyc/en/  and accept or decline the offer to PS9 by Friday, May 5th. If you do not accept the offer by the deadline, the kindergarten seat will be changed to a waitlist offer.

  • We are hosting a Kindergarten Open House on Friday, April 28th, 9:00-10:15am. You may register to attend at:  https://forms.gle/d8Y9goDdHJQUu3cMA 

  • Please Note: If you have applied to more than one kindergarten program at PS9 and your child was waitlisted for one of them, accepting or declining your current offer will NOT remove your child from the waitlist, or affect the waitlist number.

  • Once you have accepted your offer, you will be ready for registration.

Register your child at PS9:

  • Registration will take place in-person at PS9 April 17th to June 9th.

  • Registration will occur Monday to Friday, 9am-11:30am. You do not need to make an appointment. 

  • You must bring the following to register:

  • Final registration will require a completed New Admission Physical Exam Form that is required before the start of school.

  • Additionally, if your child received an offer to our Dual Language Program and you have stated that your child’s native language is Spanish, your child must attend registration with you to be assessed in Spanish.

  • You may read more about the Kindergarten admissions process at: https://www.schools.nyc.gov/enrollment/enroll-grade-by-grade/kindergarten

     

Waitlist Information: Waitlist activity will begin after May 5th, when the offer period is closed. Please reach out to us after May 5th with waitlist questions, and continue to check your MySchools account for up-to-date offer information.

 

Carol Sheldrake csheldrakeherna [at] schools.nyc.gov 718.638.3260 X1302

Charmaine Derrell-Jacob cderrell [at] schools.nyc.gov  X1121

Ellen Bolotin ebolotin [at] schools.nyc.gov X1241

 

Pre-K Application Now Open

Happening Now: 

The pre-K application is open and the deadline to apply is March 10, 2023.

You can apply in one of three ways: 

  1. Online with MySchools.nyc.
  2. By phone at 718-935-2009. Call us Monday-Friday between 8am and 6pm. 
  3. Contact a Family Welcome Center. Learn how at schools.nyc.gov/FWC.
  4. Read more at: https://www.schools.nyc.gov/enrollment/enroll-grade-by-grade/pre-k 

Eligibility

Every child in New York City has the right to a free, appropriate, public education. Eligibility for each grade is based upon the year in which a student was born.

Students enter pre-kindergarten in September of the calendar year in which they turn four years old.

For kindergarten, students enter in September of the year in which they turn five. While students are not guaranteed a seat at the school where they attended pre-k, once a child enters kindergarten they can remain at the same school until its final elementary grade. PS9 goes up to grade 5.

How to Apply

The window to apply to is only open for a period of time each spring. Sign up for a MySchools account to prepare for that time and to receive updates about the application process.

During the appropriate application period, families can apply in one of two ways:

Online

Use the MySchools website to apply online in any one of the ten official DOE languages.

 

By phone

Call (718) 935-2009. Interpretation services are available in more than 200 languages for over-the-phone applications. You can ask questions and request information about admissions in any language when you call.

Dual Language

Dual Language Spanish - English Immersion (DL) classes are offered in every grade at PS9. Application to this program for Early Childhood is also done through your MySchools account. Students whose native (or home) language is Spanish are given preference in admission.

Open Houses

We host a series of Open House events (in-person and virtual) during the school year. Please refer to our public calendar for any upcoming dates.