Transition to Kindergarten

Kindergarten Transition

Kindergarten Round-Up Resource Fair

Saturday, March 11, 2023  |  10 am – 1 pm
Sand Creek Library
Are you ready to register your child for kindergarten and aren’t sure where to begin? At the Kindergarten Round-Up Resource Fair you can ask questions, explore enrollment options, and learn ways to help your child be as prepared as possible to start school.
For more information, visit tinyurl.com/kindergarten-fair or download this Kindergarten Round-Up Bilingual Flyer., 

Welcome to the Kindergarten Information Hub!

Alliance for Kids is serving as the new hub for kindergarten registration information. We’re collecting information from school districts in El Paso County and will provide updates here for parents and families. School choice enrollment provides options for parents and below you will find extra information on this, as well as a link to “find your school district.” To assist families in determining readiness for kindergarten and steps to prepare, additional sections below cover a wide range of topics.

School Choice Enrollment
At its most basic, school choice means families/students can request to attend any public school in Colorado for free, even across school district lines. Your “home” schools (elementary, middle, and high school) are based on your address, and you are always guaranteed enrollment in your home schools. To attend a school other than your home school,  you must apply for a permit during open enrollment periods. To determine your home schools and the district they are located in, use the green button. For more information on types of schools, factors to consider, how families apply, how schools grant choice “permits,” and what do to if your permit isn’t granted, read this article from Chalkbeat.

Find Your School District

Kindergarten Registration Information

Stay tuned to this section as we develop the hub of kindergarten information. As we receive specific kindergarten information, it will be included below. In the meantime, the links below are for the registration page for all EPC school districts. 

 

 

For a listing of all area schools, click here for the 2023 Gazette Education Guide.

School and District-Specific Information

  • Lewis-Palmer School District 38 Kindergarten Promo Video (includes links to elementary schools)
  • Registration for kindergarten in Colorado Springs School District 11 takes place at the individual schools. All District 11 elementary schools offer free full-day kindergarten. Call your neighborhood school to get more information or visit their registration webpage HERE
  • Cheyenne Mountain School District 12: Parents who live within the District 12 boundaries and have children who will be 5-years-old by October 1, 2022 may pick up a kindergarten registration packet at the District 12 Administration Office, 1775 LaClede Street. Parents can also call the District 12 Administration Office at (719) 475-6100 to request a packet be mailed to them, or visit their website HERE. 
  • For Manitou Springs School District 14, in-district enrollment will begin in June. Visit mssd14.org for more details! New students living outside Manitou Springs School District 14 boundaries, entering grades K-12, need to complete the Choice Enrollment Application. For school choice information and application packets, click HERE. 
  • Academy School District 20: For links to all schools with kindergarten, click HERE.

Helping your Child Make the Transition to Kindergarten

During your child’s preschool and elementary years, your involvement in their education can set them on a path to success for years to come. The more you know, the better advocate you can be for your child. Here are a few things that you as a parent can do to prepare your child for kindergarten and get their school career off to a great start.

  • Talk to your child’s preschool teacher or family child care provider on a regular basis and ask how you can help your child learn at home. Your child’s caregiver/teacher can be a great partner in helping you and your child prepare for the transition.
  • Plan a kindergarten visit. Visiting the new classroom or school with your child will help make preparing for kindergarten easier. If possible, meet with your child’s new kindergarten teacher. Kindergarten orientation is time for you to introduce your child and yourself to the teacher. Remember there will be lots of children and families attending, so save in-depth conversations about your child for another time.
  • Establish bedtime routines. Resume the regular bedtime routines about a month before school starts to help ease the kindergarten transition. You will be glad you did this as the first few weeks can be exhausting for a new kindergartner. You may also want to monitor afternoon and evening TV viewing habits or establish new limits to meet the new needs of your child’s school schedule.
  • Establish a morning routine. Having a morning routine will save you time and frustration. See how long it takes in the morning to get to school before that first day. A “dry run” will help with time management. Remember, school preparation almost always takes more time than you think.
  • Plan time for breakfast. Having a good breakfast before leaving for school is important. Be sure to adjust your morning schedule to account for the extra time for your child to enjoy breakfast. Nervous tummies don’t need a huge breakfast that first day.
  • Create a lunch plan. Be sure your child understands the lunch plan. This can be very confusing for a kindergartner who thinks they might want to eat what the school is serving instead of the lunch you may have prepared.
  • Decrease or phase out naps. For preschoolers who still take a nap, begin decreasing nap time so that he/she will be ready for a full day of school by the time kindergarten starts.
  • Make a plan for before- and after-school. Make sure you and your child know the routine for before- and after-school care if that applies. Discuss where he/she will go, how he/she will get between school and child care, how he/she will get home, etc. Have a back-up plan for what to do in case you are late. Be sure that your emergency pick-up people know where the new school or after-school program is located and what the pick-up routine is there. Better to prepare ahead of time than wait for an emergency.
  • Connect with your child’s teacher. It is important to give yourself and your child a chance to “bond” with the new teacher. Give time for the new relationship to develop between you, your child, and the new teacher as you all adjust to the kindergarten classroom.
  • Go shopping together for school supplies. Let your child choose colors or styles for their school supplies. This is a fun activity when getting ready for kindergarten!
  • Once kindergarten begins, keep informed of school happenings. Be sure to read the information that is shared with you about school happenings and don’t be afraid to ask questions!
  • Keep in mind the transition doesn’t end on the first day of kindergarten. You will continue to be your child’s first and best teacher…AND your child’s best advocate when it comes to his or her education.

Check out these other articles on kindergarten transition:

Is Your Child Ready?

Readiness skills, both academic and social/emotional, can help your child’s transition to kindergarten. Since All children develop in their own way, guidelines can help you determine if your child is ready as well as offer opportunities to work on these skills before they start school.

Information shared with permission from CPCD giving children a head start.

Here are additional articles and resources related to determining your child’s readiness:
 

What Kindergarten Teachers Wish You Knew

Kindergarten teachers are offer their advice to parents preparing to send their children to school:

Keeping Up in Kindergarten

Your child’s transition to kindergarten doesn’t end when you drop them off the first day. Check out these resources for keeping up with your child’s progress:

Early Learning & Development Guidelines

The Early Learning & Development video series includes a video on the topic of preparing for school:

Kindergarten Expectations: Preparing for School

Selecting an Education Setting that Fits Your Child

Our community has many choices when it comes to the variety of education settings available. Here are some resources to consider as you begin to knock on doors: