Calling all kindergartners

Calling all kindergartners starting school in August 2024. As a sign that the school year is quickly approaching, school supply sales and back to school events are already showing up in local media. As Julius A. Wendt Elementary prepares for a new school year, parents are asked to please come in as soon as possible if they have a potential kindergartener that has not yet been registered. A student is eligible to start kindergarten if they are five by August 31, 2024.

Currently, the school district has 18 kindergartners enrolled. That means there will be one class of kindergartners taught by Mrs. Stevens. The question is how many more unregistered kindergartners are there in the county? Last year, the district was surprised when they started school with one kindergarten class of seventeen students, and 32 showed up on the first day of school leaving 15 students unsure of which classroom they would be in. Staff quickly accommodated student numbers by splitting a first-grade class and creating a kindergarten first grade split class. This is an easy thing to plan for if students are registered prior to school.

Trying to design a classroom with students in mind and prepping the first experience a student has in school is important. Creating a welcoming and inclusive environment is important for every student at every level and laying out a classroom structure prior to students arriving is important at easing anxieties of first day jitters.

Prior to COVID it was easy to determine numbers of incoming kindergartners based on preschool registration. Since the pandemic, it has been difficult to project numbers because so many students are homeschooled, or parents are choosing to hold students for an additional year of maturity.

Principal Nikki Reese would like to encourage parents with potential kindergartners to register sooner rather than later. “This is simply what is best for kids to make the transition to the first day of school. Kindergarten transition is the most exciting day and should be the least stressful as possible.”

One of the most important first steps in a classroom is building class family units. The transition to school may feel unwelcoming to students if they do not see their names on bulletin boards, desk plates or other materials when they arrive. Alleviating that and creating an inclusive classroom can be done by having student numbers prior to the beginning of school. An additional benefit to knowing the number of kindergartners in this year’s class is that the entire classroom structure in elementary depends on how many kindergartners are enrolled. For example, with the current number of students, there will be a K, K/1st, 1st, 2nd, 2nd/3rd, 3rd, 3th/4th, 4th, 4th/5th, 5th grades. The number of kindergartners impacts the student/teacher ratio. Ideally, keeping all class numbers under 25 and even less with kindergarten is the goal. An additional seven kindergarteners will impact the split structure to have a K, 1st, 1st/2nd, 2nd, 3rd, 3rd/4th, 4th, and two 5th grades.

As you can see, “even if you don’t have a kindergartener, it still affects your student,” shares kindergarten teacher Karrin Stephens. The mad dash to readjust and accommodate late registered kindergarteners will change all class structures if additional kinders show up the first day of school, creating a less-than-ideal situation for students being shifted between classrooms as the first week progresses. “What’s best for kids is to have all classes set up prior to the first day,” reiterated Principal Reese. “Teachers can confidently reach out to families and prep students for a smooth transition into a new school year.” That interaction is critical for developing routines and expectations as the year begins. “We want to make the best decisions for our kids,” shares Reese in reference to determining how class structures will be determined based on current enrollment numbers for the 2024/2025 school year.

Please help your kindergartners out by registering them today at the high school’s office or by accessing the paperwork on the schools website: https://www.wahksd.k12.wa.us. JA Wendt is excited to see students return August 27 for our first day of regular instruction and the introduction of a 4-day school week.