Kent County Public School System, has announced the dates for pre-kindergarten and kindergarten registration for Kent County residents. Please contact your home school to schedule an appointment.

Spring Registration Dates:
Galena Elementary School                     April 16, 2018           410-810-2510
Rock Hall Elementary School                April 17, 2018           410-810-2622
H. H. Garnett Elementary School         April 19, 2018           410-778-6890

PRE-KINDERGARTEN
Kent County Public Schools is pleased to offer FREE full day Pre-Kindergarten (locally and state funded) to all children who reside in Kent County and will be four years of age on or before September 1, 2018. The overall goal of the program is to provide learning experiences to develop and maintain school readiness skills necessary for successful school performance. The program achieves this goal by providing developmentally appropriate experiences that address the cognitive, social, emotional and physical needs of young children.

Income eligibility information is collected from all families as part of the registration process. Children who are economically disadvantaged, homeless, enrolled in preschool special education, limited English proficient, or exhibit lack of readiness will receive immediate notice of Pre-Kindergarten school assignment. Those who are eligible under other criteria will receive confirmation of school assignment by July 30th. In some cases, the parent/guardian may be responsible for transporting their child to and from school. We look forward to serving your family in the Kent County Public School District!

KINDERGARTEN
The State of Maryland requires children to attend kindergarten before entering first grade. Children who are five years of age by September 1, 2018 must register and attend kindergarten before entering the first grade. There are some exceptions to the law.

Parents may:
– apply for a home school instruction program as an alternative to the school attendance requirement.
– request a one-year level of maturity waiver if they believe a delay in school attendance is in the best interest of their child.

Parents having questions about registration are invited to phone their area elementary school. County residents are also asked to contact the school’s principal if they know of a child who should be enrolled but whose family have not received registration information.

As a reminder, a regulation pertaining to lead poisoning went into effect in 2003 for students residing in areas designated as at risk for lead poisoning. Documentation from a physician will have to be provided that certifies that if the child resides in an at-risk area, or has ever resided in an at-risk area, has undergone blood testing for lead poisoning. Forms for this purpose will be available at the school.

Please contact your child’s home school to set up a registration day appointment.

On registration day, parents should bring the following documents:
• the child’s birth certificate
• the child’s completed Immunization and Health Inventory forms
• proof of residence (one of the following):
o electric, gas, or water bill
o property tax/real estate tax bill
o lease or rental agreement
o contract of sale (including settlement or mortgage statement)
o homeowner’s/renter’s insurance statement/policy
For Pre-K only:
• proof of income
If claiming income eligible, a form will be completed during the application process and verified through the Supervisor of Student Servicesat the Central Office

Health Form: Part 1 of the health form must be filled out by a parent or guardian. Part 2 of the health form must be completed by your family physician.

NOTE: IF THE CHILD HAS BEEN EXAMINED AFTER NOVEMBER 1, 2017 AND A COPY OF THE RESULTS IS PRESENTED AT REGISTRATION TIME, ANOTHER CHECKUP IS NOT REQUIRED.

Congratulations to Kent County Public Schools (KCPS) Kindergarteners for achieving the top ranking in Maryland on the 2017-18 Maryland Kindergarten Readiness Assessment (KRA)! WAY TO GO!!!

On Monday, January 29th, the Maryland State Department of Education released Maryland KRA scores for the 2017-2018 school year. The statewide average for kindergarten students demonstrating readiness is 45% percent, up from 43% percent in 2016-2017. Kent County kindergarteners outperformed their peers to achieve the #1 Maryland ranking; 62% percent demonstrated readiness, up 18% percent from last year’s scores. Equitable access to Universal Pre-Kindergarten and enriched learning environments has provided Kent County kindergarteners with a solid foundation that helped them outperform students in other jurisdictions. Kent County was only one of nine school systems that demonstrated gains of more than 15%. KCPS continues to narrow the achievement gap and for the first time, African American students in kindergarten outperformed their peers by 2%.

This is the fifth year KCPS has offered full day Universal Pre-Kindergarten programs to every four-year-old who resides in Kent County. Despite tough economic times, the Kent County Board of Education and Superintendent Karen Couch has continued to invest in early childhood education. They recognize children who attend high quality preschool programs gain critical skills needed for future academic success and early interventions mean children are less likely to require special education services. Quality early learning instruction and Universal Pre-Kindergarten programs are offered at no cost to KCPS families and the investment is beginning to pay huge dividends. Eighty-nine percent (89%) of KCPS children enrolled in Kindergarten were enrolled in the KCPS Universal Pre-Kindergarten program, with fifty-two percent (52%) living in low-income households and eleven percent (11%) with identified
disabilities.

As evidenced by the KRA scores, KCPS teachers, principals, and support staff are doing an excellent job for the students in Kent County and achieving great results. Congratulations to KCPS for making early childhood and school readiness a top priority!