Ready, Set, Kindergarten!

In this episode of Stronger Together: The MPS Podcast, we’re helping families prepare for kindergarten with everything you need to know about Kindergarten Kickoff. Host Monae Stevens is joined by Dr. Shaniece Williams to discuss the importance of early registration, what to expect at the event, and how it supports a smooth start for your future scholar.

Don’t miss this chance to get prepared and connected! We can’t wait to welcome the Class of 2039!

Transcript

SPEAKER_00 0:03

Welcome to Stronger Together, the MPS Podcast. Our schools, our communities, our future in conversation. Here, we bring you real stories, important conversations, and powerful insights from across Montgomery Public Schools. From the classroom to the community, we're exploring the people, partnerships, and possibilities shaping the future of our students. Because when it comes to education, we're not just building schools, we're building futures. And together, we are stronger. Welcome to Stronger Together, the MPS Podcast. Our schools, our communities, our future in conversation. I'm your host, Monet Stevens, Marketing and Community Development Manager for Montgomery Public Schools. Now, today's episode is all about preparing our youngest scholars for their kindergarten journey. And parents, we got you covered. We're joined again by Dr. Shanice Williams, our Executive Director of Curriculum and Instruction, to answer your questions and walk you through an exciting opportunity to get your child registered early during our upcoming kindergarten kickoff event. Dr. Williams, I did do a little bit of research, and it turns out that this group of students that's entering kindergarten in August will be the class of 2039. How exciting is that?

SPEAKER_01 1:24

I mean, that is very exciting. It seems so far off, but 2039 will be here before you know it.

SPEAKER_00 1:29

It'll blink any will be here. So let's jump right in. Normally, registration happens later on in summer break, closer to around the time we get back to school. But why is it important that families register their child for kindergarten early?

SPEAKER_01 1:44

Well, early registration allows schools to plan effectively for staffing the classrooms, ensuring that we have smaller class sizes, the resources for students and parents, and ensuring that every child starts the year in a well-prepared learning environment. And more importantly, we want the children to get acclimated to their school, get excited, the parents to feel comfortable, releasing, you know, their children for kindergarten. It's just an exciting time, and we want them to be prepared and feel comfortable in our schools.

SPEAKER_00 2:14

It can also be a little bit of an emotional time for parents because that's a huge milestone.

SPEAKER_01 2:19

It is, and just reducing that anxiety and just feeling comfortable with their principal, their school, the hallways, the cafeteria, the library, um, and just their classroom teacher.

SPEAKER_00 2:30

Absolutely. And so as we get closer to that first day of school, waiting to register their child can hinder that smooth transition. You know, talk about how it can just be a little bit chaotic to wait into the last minute.

SPEAKER_01 2:46

Well, delayed registration can really limit the access to, you know, the transitional activities, like I stated. And more importantly, we want the child to feel ready, comfortable on the first day, very familiar with their learning environment and just excited and ready to learn. And early registration will also allow for our students to be engaged in our summer learning program this summer. And so if we have any current pre-K students that are rising kindergarten students, we want them to come and get a jumpstart to the kindergarten standards in literacy and math and STEM activities and art as well. And so our summer learning program is June 1st through June 25th, and it's 7:30 to 2 p.m. at all of our elementary schools, with the exception of two. And so if a child is zoned for Danley for kindergarten, then they will attend Vaughn Road. And if they are zoned for Davis Elementary, then they would attend Nixon. But we need these pre-K students who are rising kindergarten students to register first if they would like to attend our summer learning program. And then our surrounding daycares, our students that are zoned for Montgomery Public Schools, we want them to register early. We want them to get into the schools and meet and greet their teachers and do school tours. And we are trying to increase the enrollment because we believe in what we're doing at Montgomery Public Schools.

SPEAKER_00 4:09

And of course, we will have all that information on our website. We will have it all over social media. And if you see it and you know family or friends that need to register their child for kindergarten, tell them. Tell a friend, tell your mama, tell your grandmother, tell who whoever that needs to know that kindergarten kickoff is around the corner and they need to get their student registered. And so, other than early registration, what can parents expect when they bring uh their student to kindergarten kickoff?

SPEAKER_01 4:41

So this event builds familiarity, it reduces the um anxiety and sets just a strong foundation for learning by connecting the students and the families in the school community before the school year starts. We have kindergarten kickoff week at all of our elementary schools the very same week, April 27th through May 1st. Um, you can go onto our website to see, based on your child's zone school, when that school and the time, the days and the times that they will be having kindergarten kickoff during that week of April 27th through May 1st. And so please go on our website as stated and just see whichever school your child attends, those days and times. Um, when they come to register at their zone schools, there will be door prizes. The first 25 students who register at their zone school will receive a free kindergarten t-shirt to jumpstart the 26-27 school year. So please contact your child's zone elementary school. And like I said, you can go on the website. And in addition, they will have a meet and greet opportunity for the kindergarten teachers and staff. There'll be helpful information for students to transition to kindergarten. We will have um different supports and services for students who may have special needs at each school location so we can have those conversations during kindergarten kickoff week as well. And then, like I said, just on-site tours for kindergarten registration. We will also have at each school um iPads or either Chromebooks set up, like a station area for parents to come and register and bring their documents and register if they need support registering, or they can register at home on their own computers. But if they need the help, they can also do it at the school and someone will assist them.

SPEAKER_00 6:22

What are some important documents that they have to bring in order to get their child registered?

SPEAKER_01 6:27

So, in order to complete the enrollment process as a student entering Montgomery Public Schools, you must have the following. The first is a parent guardian photo ID, your driver's license, or non-driver's license or military ID. And the second is the student's birth certificate with the proof of age. The third is a current state of Alabama certificate of immunization. And the fourth is two proofs of residency and at least two primary proofs of residency. And that may look like utility bills, um, electric gas or water, mortgage statement. But if you go onto our website, it will give you the details and the specifics of what those two proofs of residency is and what is acceptable and what is not. And so you would need those forms to register in our portal. Um, and like I said, we'll have registration sites set up at every school to assist parents or grandparents or whomever is registering their rising kindergartner. Or if you have these documents at home, you're free to register at home.

SPEAKER_00 7:26

Yeah, it seems like we have everything that they could ever possibly need at this event. So that's why this is something that you don't want to miss parents. Um just remember the dates again are from April 27th until May 1st. But you want to make sure that you check with your child's zone school because they do have dates and times on which they will uh do registration. So make sure you check that out on our school website, which is mps.k12.al.us. Thanks for joining us for Stronger Together, the MPS podcast. Our schools, our communities, our future in conversation. If you enjoyed today's episode, be sure to share it with a friend, follow us on social media, and check out our website at mps.k12.al.us. Together, we can keep building brighter futures for every student at Montgomery Public Schools. Until next time, remember, we are stronger together.