Kindergarten Pre-Registration Arrives Thursday for St. Michael-Albertville Parents

This spring and summer, more than 400 4 and 5-year-olds across St. Michael and Albertville, according to District No. 885 data, will be eligible to register for kindergaten in 2011-2012, creating the largest kindergarten class the district has ever seen.

In order to handle that number, the Albertville Primary School asks parents to pre-register students at a special night each year. This year, that date arrives Thursday, with the school opening its doors from 4 to 7 p.m. to parents of those said 4 and 5-year-olds across the district.

"It's a huge help to have those students registered early so we know what to expect heading into next school year. Last year, for example, we had about 40 kids register in late summer, and that creates a lot of confusion, because you have to add teachers to keep class sizes down and move a lot of resources around in the school to accomodate newcomers," said Dr. Ann-Marie Foucault, principal at Albertville Primary School and head of the district's curriculum program.

Registration for kindergartners is always open, but Thursday night parents can get a tour of the Albertville Primary School, talk with Foucault and kindergarten staff, and perhaps get a better feel for the environment their child will experience at the kindergarten center. 

There is a March 4 deadline for Kindergarten Express, which is the school's all-day kindergarten program. 

"We changed it up a couple of years ago so there are no children on this night," Foucault said. "And that really helped the staff and parents, both. You can get to your talking points without any interruption." 

If you want to see your child in a kindergarten setting firsthand, there's a night for that, too. The kindergarten center will host a "testing night" Thursday, May 12. Potential students can be dropped off in a room and observed by staff. They'll study motor skills, social behavior and other important benchmarks to see if kids are ready for kindergarten. 

"It's much different than the pre-kindergarten screening the 4-year-olds have already done," Foucault stressed. "It's a quick assessment, but it can give us a much better idea about a student that might be on the line." 

Foucault said she understands parents might have a lot of "should I, or shouldn't I?" questions when it comes to young kids and kindergarten readiness. For that reason, she and her staffed developed "A Parent's Guide to Kindergarten Readiness" brochure, which is attached to this article and can be printed off at home. 

"I think, reading through it, you can see the milestones and make a determination, rather than just a guess," she said. 

St. Michael-Albertville Superintendent Marcia Ziegler said the incoming kindergarten class shows the district is in the fortunate position of sustained growth.

"We are lucky because we continue to add kids to our population, meaning the classes coming in are just as large, or larger, than the classes that are graduating," she said. "It means the district is healthy."

But it also means staff and administrators have to plan, which is why paperwork must be in for "Kindergarten Express" registration by March 4.

"Even if you don't have some of your health records, or aren't even sure, sign them up. We can take them off the list and adjust accordingly much better than when we have to add students last-minute," Foucault said. "That creates a frenzied start to a new year when you have late additions."

For more information on the Albertville Primary School, check them out online here, or call 763-497-2688.

IF YOU GO

What: Kindergarten Pre-registration

Where: Albertville Primary School

When: 4 to 7 p.m., Thursday, Feb. 10

Why: To sign up young kids for kindergarten prior to the March 4 early deadline

Info: See the attached "Kindergarten Readiness" PDF.