Transition to Kindergarten

Transition to Kindergarten for the 2023-2024 school year will run from January 29, 2024, through the end of the school year (The last day of school is currently June 21, 2024). Applications will be accepted starting in November 2023. A link to the application form will be added below when the application window is open. Interviews and student selection will take place in December 2023.

 

WHAT IS TRANSITION TO KINDERGARTEN?

Transition to Kindergarten (TK) is a federally-funded program for children ages 4 or 5, who will attend kindergarten in the fall of 2024. This means they will be turning 5 years old on or before August 31, 2024. Participants must meet the eligibility requirements below and are identified through a screening process to be in need of additional preparation to be successful in kindergarten the following school year. Transition to Kindergarten is a full-day program similar to regular kindergarten in both length of day and beginning of K curriculum. The program starts at the end of January and operates on our regular school district calendar. This program will focus on foundational academic, social and self-help skills to jumpstart qualifying students toward success in school.

  

WHAT ARE THE KEY ACTIVITIES AND TIMELINES FOR TRANSITION TO KINDERGARTEN?

November

* Communications with area early-learning providers
* Communication with families about the program
* Application process opens

December
* Student interviews
* Program placement decisions finalized and communicated to families
* Online enrollment

January
* First day of Transition to Kindergarten: January 29, 2024

WHERE WILL OUR TRANSITION TO KINDERGARTEN CLASSROOMS BE LOCATED?  Tahoma will have two transition to kindergarten classrooms, one being housed at Cedar River Elementary and one at Lake Wilderness Elementary. Transportation will be offered to all students in our district. Students who opt-in for district provided transportation will ride a transfer bus from their home school to the school where the program is located. Our early start schools (Glacier Park, Lake Wilderness and Shadow Lake) attend the Lake Wilderness program. Our late start schools (Cedar River, Rock Creek and Tahoma Elementary) attend the Cedar River program.

HOW DO STUDENTS QUALIFY FOR TRANSITION TO KINDERGARTEN?

To be eligible for Transition to Kindergarten, children must:

  • be 5 years old on or before August 31 of the year the program starts*
  • live within the boundaries of Tahoma School District
  • not be currently enrolled in an early learning program (preschool/daycare)
  • demonstrate academic and/or social-emotional needs through a screening process

*This means they will be eligible to start kindergarten in the fall of that same year.

WHAT IS THE FIRST STEP TO GET MY CHILD ENROLLED IN TRANSITION TO KINDERGARTEN?

If parents believe their child meets the eligibility criteria, and may qualify for Transition to Kindergarten due to a need for additional preparation to be successful in kindergarten the following school year, parents/guardians should complete this questionnaire/interest form by the end of the day November 30, 2023. Once the form is received, it will be reviewed and families will be notified if their child is invited to participate in an interview or not. 

 

WHAT SHOULD WE EXPECT IF WE ARE INVITED FOR AN INTERVIEW?

An in-person interview will be scheduled with eligible families to assist in determining acceptance into the program. The interview is a screening used to determine your child’s developmental strengths and needs. Parents will answer questions about their child and have an opportunity to ask questions about the program. Your child will draw, count, name shapes/colors, jump and have fun!    

If you have questions about Transition to Kindergarten in Tahoma, please contact Carole Witruk



Website by SchoolMessenger Presence. © 2024 SchoolMessenger Corporation. All rights reserved.