• Kindergarten Program

    Overview

    North Carolina was the first state in the nation to make full-day kindergarten universally available and fully funded for its children and the state continues its strong dedication to early childhood education.  The NC Office of Early Learning (Link) provides guidance for the kindergarten program. 

    To participate in the Halifax County Schools Kindergarten Program, parents/guardians must complete a "paper application" and provide the requested registration documentation. A Kindergarten Registration announcement is scheduled twice a year, generally for two weeks in the winter (January) and two weeks in the spring (May).

    Kindergarten Registration Preparation:

    The elementary director ensures the Kindergarten Application and the Kindergarten Registration announcement are shared with district administrators and posted on the district's social media. The elementary school administrators receive a copy of both documents and print them for parent access.  

    Registration Process:

    The school's front office designates and communicates the Kindergarten Registration process with reference to the announced dates & times.  The registration area includes access to the current year's Kindergarten Application, pen/pencils, paper clips, and large envelopes to secure the applicant's documents (optional).  Applications are kept at the school. However, the number of applicants is reported to the elementary director directly after the registration period is completed. 

    Resources:

    Kindergarten educators recognize that children enter school “ready” with what they know and are able to do upon entering kindergarten. However, their experiences are at varying developmental levels.  The Let’s Get Ready! A Family’s Guide to Supporting Kindergarten Readiness (Link) is structured using the North Carolina Foundations for Early Learning and Development (2013).  It is a great resource to assist parents with their kindergartener's growth and development throughout the school year.  A copy of the resource should be made available to parents during registration. 

    Foundations provide focus to the five areas of development which guide the understanding of what children know and can demonstrate within the age range from birth to five years. Explore each focus area: 1. Approaches to Play and Learning 2. Emotional and Social Development 3. Health and Physical Development 4.  Language and Communication Development 5. Cognitive Development

    Each section of the guide includes “I Can Statements” based on the Older Preschooler indicators from Foundations. These help children develop self-confidence and ownership of their learning. “I Can Statements” enable children, family, and caregivers to work together to support the development and mastery of specific skills.

    The Let’s Get Ready! guide is a tool to support the family-school partnership. It is a collection of ideas and strategies to empower families and caregivers in supporting the natural unfolding of a child’s skills, abilities, and potential for lifelong learning. 

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