Kindergarten Round-Ups Set for This Week

It's Kindergarten Round-Up time.

Brighton Area Schools will host roundups at and elementary schools on Tuesday and at and elementary schools on Thursday. All events are 6:30-8 p.m.

"Last year we put it in one building, and it just didn't work," Superintendent Greg Gray said at Monday's Board of Education meeting.

"This year we've worked hard to put on a good presentation in every school," Gray said, thanking his team of administrators, principals and kindergarten teachers.

Gray confirmed the district will offer all-day kindergarten free of charge to parents who elect it for the first time in 2011-12. Half-day kindergarten will remain an option, and junior kindergarten, also a half-day program, will be offered in every building "depending on enrollment," Gray said.

Children are eligible for kindergarten in 2011-12 if they turn 5 years old by Dec. 1. Junior kindergartners are usually "young fives," with birthdays in late summer or fall.

To evaluate all incoming students and recommend kindergarten placement, the district will host a screening on March 25. Parents can sign up for screenings during Kindergarten Round-Ups.

The roundups will also include information sessions, a kindergarten DVD and Q&A period, as well as classroom visits. Parents will get a chance to meet representatives from transportation, special education, community education and Tot Spot, as well as the school nurse.

"I'm just excited about the Kindergarten Round-Ups," Gray said. "We need to maintain and increase enrollment at early childhood levels."

Kindergarten Round-Ups are for parents only.