Making the jump and enrolling your child in kindergarten is stressful and scary under normal circumstances, but the 2020 school year is a whole new ballgame.
Despite the pandemic, and all the added worries it brings, it is still just as important as ever to get your child’s education started.
So, how do you know if it’s the right time to send your child to kindergarten and what is the school year going to look like for students in Macomb County?
Joanne Elkin, the early childhood and early literacy consultant with Macomb Intermediate School District offers her tips on kindergarten enrollment in 2020. Plus, a clickable list of school reopening plans in Macomb County.
When’s the right time?
There really isn’t a one-size-fits-all time to start kindergarten. In fact, the “right” time varies from kid to kid. Even kids from the same family may not start kindergarten at the same age as their siblings.
“There are many factors when deciding if their preschooler is ready for kindergarten (and) parents should follow their own best judgment,” Elkin says. “Every child is their own individual and should have their needs addressed.”
That said, there are some skills that kids need to have some exposure to before parents can even think about kindergarten enrollment.
In Macomb County, kids should be able to recognize the letters of the alphabet, attempt writing their own name, understand the concepts of more than and less than, and possess some reasoning and socialization.
They should also have a grasp on most motor skills such as cutting with scissors, building with blocks or attempting to tie their shoe.
“Kindergarten provides children the opportunity to develop and practice (these) skills,” Elkin explains.
How to enroll
If your child has these skills mastered, and is at least five years old on or before Sept. 1, 2020, they can enroll this year. Kids who will turn five after Sept. 1 but before Dec. 1, 2020, may also enroll but their parents will have to request early enrollment for their children and submit their intent of early enrollment to the district of their choice.
Typically, many school districts would hold events for incoming kindergarteners so that the child and their parents can visit the school, meet their teacher, connect with their peers and fill out registration information.
Due to COVID-19, schools had to cancel those events this year but many districts are offer virtual tours, online registration and video meetings with teachers.
Parents can find their chosen school’s specific enrollment processes on their website. They can also call the school district’s administration office directly.
COVID plans
The coronavirus pandemic has caused a lot of uncertainty around back-to-school. Like most U.S. schools, districts in Macomb County are still figuring out what the 2020 school year will look like and things are changing almost daily.
Click on your chosen school’s name below for a complete breakdown of their current plans:
- Anchor Bay Public Schools
- Armada Area Schools
- Center Line Public Schools
- Chippewa Valley Schools
- Clintondale Community Schools
- Eastpointe Community Schools
- Fitzgerald Public Schools
- Fraser Public Schools
- Lakeshore Public Schools
- Lakeview Public Schools
- L’Anse Creuse Public Schools
- Macomb County Intermediate School District
- Mount Clemens Community Schools
- New Haven Public Schools
- Richmond Community Schools
- Romeo Community Schools
- Roseville Community Schools
- South Lake Schools
- Utica Community Schools
- Van Dyke Public Schools
- Warren Consolidated Schools
- Warren Woods Public Schools
For more information on kindergarten enrollment in Macomb County or details on specific school plans, visit the Make Macomb Your Home. Find more articles like this at Metro Parent’s A Family Guide to Macomb County.
