Press release from Henderson County Public Schools:
Children turning 5 on or before Aug. 31 will need to register for April 9-11, but first they can meet their teachers and climb aboard a big yellow school bus at the Kindergarten Readiness Rally on April 2!
Presented by Smart Start Partnership for Children and Henderson County Public Schools, with special thanks to Western Carolina Community Action and Children & Family Resource Center, the annual Rally is the ideal opportunity for children and families to acquaint themselves with their new school communities and learn how to prepare for their very first day of school.
At the Rally, parents will have the opportunity to confirm their designated school district, learn which documents to bring to registration, and meet their children’s teachers and administrators. School nurses within the public schools will also be at the Rally to talk to parents and families about immunizations, the required North Carolina physical, and any emergency health plans their student may need.
The district’s new ESL Family Liaison will also be at the Rally to talk to families whose home language is Spanish, discuss registration requirements, and share additional resources through the district’s ESL Family Center.
While the families learn about registration, children can participate in fun learning activities conducted by kindergarten teachers from HCPS elementary schools, which parents can replicate at home to support school readiness. In addition, 36 local nonprofit organizations that work with children and families will host fun, hands-on activities that promote logical thinking, pre-math skills, literacy, color recognition, fine motor skills, and more.
Activities include practicing the “lunch line” using pretend food and lunch trays provided by Smart Start, child fingerprinting and safety information by the Hendersonville Police Department, and learning about school bus safety on board a school bus provided by HCPS. Every kindergartner who attends the Rally can take a book home, choosing from old classics and new favorites, in both English and Spanish.
Parents with a student already enrolled in school can still benefit from attending the Rally by meeting their kindergartener’s future teachers and administrators, and by asking any questions about the kindergarten program at HCPS. The Rally will take place from 4-7 p.m. Tuesday, April 2, at the Blue Ridge Mall in Hendersonville.
To see pictures from last year’s Rally, parents can check out the “Kindergarten Readiness Rally” Facebook event, cohosted by Henderson County Public Schools and Smart Start Partnership for Children via www.facebook.com/HCPSNC.
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