Updated 2/27/24
Kindergarten Roundups are on the calendar for many public school districts and private schools. Scroll to the bottom of story for list of local roundups.
Following is a list of Kindergarten Roundups in St. Clair County, provided as a service.
Families with children who will be five years old before September 1st of this year will need to get their child registered before the start of the school year.
A common question parents ask is, “What does my child need to know before they go to Kindergarten?” The State of Michigan asked Michigan teachers what they thought. The teachers picked the following:
- Enthusiasm Toward Learning
- Solid Oral-Language Skills
- The Ability to Listen
- The Desire to Be Independent
- The Ability to Play Well with Others
- Strong Fine-Motor Skills
- Basic Letter and Number Recognition
If your child is struggling with any of these skills, there’s plenty of time to work on them before school starts in September. There could even be time to find a high-quality preschool for the rest of this school year.
Vaccines and Dental Exam
Children entering Kindergarten need to be caught up on vaccines and starting this year, need to have had a dental exam. This is due to a new law passed by the Michigan legislature.
Children are required to have a dental screening/oral health assessment completed before starting school. Parents or guardians will need to bring this form to their child’s intended school by October 31st. Vision and hearing screenings need to be completed before Kindergarten enrollment also.
Transitional & Developmental Kindergarten
Some schools offer Transitional Kindergarten. Denis Metty, Principal at St. Edward on the Lake Elementary School in Lakeport, described his school’s program as “a go-between of our Preschool program and Kindergarten program.” Metty said, “Some kids aren’t ready developmentally for Kindergarten from an academic, social, or behavioral rigor standpoint, but are advanced beyond the preschool program. The TK Program uses the Kindergarten curriculum, but at a much slower pace and with less requirements as it pertains to the standards and objectives.”
Memphis and Capac offer Developmental Kindergarten, which is similar to Transitional Kindergarten in that it offers that bridge between preschool and kindergarten.
A Young 5s program is another option for a child who is not quite ready for Kindergarten. At St. Mary/McCormick Catholic Academy in Port Huron, students in Young 5s attend school for a full day and build those critical kindergarten readiness skills.
Marysville Public Schools offer a Begindergarten Program for the Fall of 2024 with both half and full-day sessions.
Monday, March 11 from 5 to 6:30 p.m. – PHS – Garfield Elementary School
Tuesday, March 12 at 5 p.m. – PHS – Crull Elementary School
Tuesday, March 12 from 5 to 6:30 p.m. – PHS – Indian Woods Elementary School
Tuesday, March 12 at 5 p.m. – PHS – Roosevelt Elementary School
Thursday, March 14 from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. – PHS – Keewahdin Elementary School
Thursday, March 14 at 5 p.m. – PHS – Michigamme Elementary School
Thursday, March 14 from 5 to 6:30 p.m. – PHS – Thomas Edison Elementary School
Thursday, March 14 from 5 to 6:30 p.m. – PHS – Woodrow Wilson Elementary School
TDB in May – PHS – Early Childhood Center
BlueWaterParent.com can not guarantee the accuracy of the times and dates, as things may have changed since publication. Please confirm times and dates before attending. Please send any additions or corrections to events@bluewaterparent.com. Events will be added as they are announced.
