Pre-K registration for Byrd First Class Early Learning Center opened March 1, and with the selection lottery in less than a month, principal Lashonda Brown said there are still plenty of spots open.

Brown said 20 students have signed up so far, and there are a total of 200 spots available for the 2017-2018 school year.

“We’re way below our average at this time,” Brown said Tuesday. “We definitely need them to sign up, and if they’re not sure about where they’re zoned, they can always come in and speak with me or the secretary, and we can kind of look through our zones and our school list. We would love to have them here at Byrd.”

The only requirements are the student must live within the city limits of Selma and must be four years old on or before Sept. 1.

“I would encourage any parent if our child is old enough to bring them here because that is the first leg on a long road to education that they will have, and it can start here, and it should start here,” Brown said.

Registration is a little different this year. Registration is now online at http://alpreK.education/A, and the site code for Byrd is 683793.

Once parents log in, they will have to fill out a registration form.

“Once we get that information in, then we compile it all and then sometime around the middle of May we’ll start assigning classrooms,” Brown said. “Then we’ll send them a formal letter that their child has been accepted into Byrd’s pre-K program, and then they’ll have to bring in the formalities like a copy of their Social Security card, birth certificate and shot record, but that won’t come until sometime later.”

If parents don’t have access to a computer, Brown said they can come to the school and register on site through the website.

Pre-K and kindergarten are not required by the state, but Brown said it is a great opportunity to get children prepared for school. Byrd’s curriculum is play-based and focuses on gross and fine motor skills, socialization as well as the basics like colors, shapes and the ABCs.

“The learning aspect of it alone is invaluable. I’m not saying parents can’t teach their children letters and alphabets, but we spend 7.5 hours every day Monday through Friday making sure we develop the whole child,” Brown said. “They learn how to play and to share, and just because someone else has it and you want it, it doesn’t mean you snatch it from them and take it, so we work with them with redirecting their behavior.”

For parents that aren’t sure about registering their children, Brown said parents ae welcome to visit the school and observe the classroom.

“If any parent wants to come in and see what it’s like and what we do here before they bring their child, I welcome them to come and just walk around and look at the classrooms that are here,” Brown said. “They’ll be amazed at what goes on here.”

Students that register will be selected at random in a lottery process, but Brown said as long as there are spots available, anyone that signs up now will be placed in a classroom.

For more information, call Byrd First Class Early Learning Center at (334) 873-1620.