Would you believe that it is already time to prepare for Alton High’s Graduating Class of 2027?
The Alton School District is hosting two dates for kindergarten enrollment this spring. This event is for you if you have a child who will be 5 on or before Sept. 1. Your participation in this early enrollment process ensures your child’s spot at your home school and allows the district to prepare and plan the optimum kindergarten experience for your child. This is a parent’s first step in supporting a child’s school success.
Join us on 1-7 p.m. April 3 or 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. April 8. Both dates are scheduled at Main Street Methodist Church in Upper Alton. Parents should allow approximately an hour for the enrollment process. Enrolling students will participate in an early literacy activity with a teacher while the parent fills out the necessary paperwork.
Please bring the following information with you: Students certified birth certificate, student Social Security card, parent/guardian driver’s license/ID, health records information (if available) and two proofs of residency. Visit the website for details, www.altonschools.org, or call 618-474-2600 with questions.
Often parents ask what their students need to know to be successful in kindergarten, and so much of the preparation is addressed in the routine of raising children. Language skills are the essential ingredient to predicting success in school. Language develops when parents talk to their children, helping them to name pictures and describe experiences. Sharing books is an excellent way to develop language skills while pointing out words in the book. Parents can begin teaching children letters of the alphabet, and it is especially useful when a child comes to kindergarten able to recognize and write her own name.
Parents sometimes are surprised by the academic expectations of kindergarten. Beyond snack and recess, our students are learning to spell, read, write, count, add and subtract in kindergarten. Students have fun in kindergarten, but both early enrollment and daily attendance is essential to developing the skills necessary for college, career and citizenship.