CPS fair getting students 'Ready to Learn'

CHICAGO (WLS) -- There is no better time to start planning for your child's school future than now and Chicago Public Schools is reaching out to new parents with pre-kindergarten students about their options.

The district is finding creative ways to get more involvement from parents and kids alike.

Little Mateo will soon have his hands on many more books. He's about to enter pre-kindergarten.

"I was actually online looking to see what dual language schools existed and I saw that Pulaski Academy parent page had a twitter feed that clicked me here, that linked me here," said Mateo's mother, Jasmin Cardenas.

The Chicago Public School's first Ready to Learn application fair probably won't be its last.

"They can come in and make choices they want for their child and over the period of the past several years we've been able to offer families over 90 percent of their first and second choice," said Beth Mascitti-Miller, CPS.

In all, the district will hold four city-wide application events like this one, including one next Saturday.

Parents can fill out an application and their kids can pick up a backpack filled with school goodies. Each action gets both one step closer to their first day of school together.

Maria Martinez said her youngest daughter is excited to come to school and that this fair made it that much more enticing.

"I think it's a fun experience for her," she said. "She gets to see other people. She's a shy kid, but she gets to see other people and see the experience of actually going to school.

Martinez says her daughter wished there were more children here, but that the activities made up for it.

"He's really happy with his backpack, I think he's going to like it here," Cardenas said.

It looks like his parents will too.