Five things to know about kindergarten in Perkiomen Valley School District

While the long, winter days may have area residents longing for spring, Perkiomen Valley School District has its eye on the fall. The kindergarten registration process is beginning.

Children in Lower Frederick, Perkiomen, Skippack, Collegeville, Schwenksville and Trappe who will turn 5 by Sept. 1 are eligible to attend kindergarten in one of the school district’s four elementary schools in the coming school year.

Parents of eligible kindergarten students should contact their child’s elementary school by Feb. 25 to schedule a registration appointment.

Gearing up for a new life chapter can spark questions for both children and their parents.

Assistant to the Superintendent Barbara Russell has addressed five frequently asked questions about kindergarten registration.

How are a.m. and p.m. sessions decided?

The placement of your child in the morning or afternoon session of kindergarten is dependent upon your address. The district attempts to be efficient when transporting students, so those from the same neighborhood will attend together. This also provides our students the opportunity to be with other students they may know both on the bus and in the classroom.

What day care options are available?

Please contact your child’s elementary school for a list of day care providers the Perkiomen Valley School District transports to and from.

What does a typical kindergarten day look like (including times for a.m. and p.m. sessions)?

If your child participates in the morning session, he or she will arrive to school at 8:30 a.m. As part of their experience, they participate in a special area subject each day such as physical education, art or music. Our students are invited to bring in a healthy snack daily and often have a 10-minute recess when they can socialize and play with their peers on the kindergarten playground.

What will my child learn in kindergarten?

Your child will be introduced to the world of reading and literacy. During the early stages of developing our students as readers, our teachers review the letters of the alphabet and their sounds, the blending of sounds to form words, and reading them. Our focus is to help our students establish early literacy skills so that they begin to develop as good readers. Our students also learn concepts in math, science and social studies, as well as how to be a good listener, partner and friend.  

What can I do to help prepare my child for kindergarten?

Share in the excitement of coming to school, learning and making new friends. We want our students to feel comfortable and safe beginning their school experience in kindergarten, and better than anyone else, parents have the ability to help this to happen.

The above information was provided by the Perkiomen Valley School District.