Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) will hold the 2007 Kindergarten Orientation Program from Thursday, March 22, through Friday, May 25. Special registration and orientation programs are scheduled at elementary schools throughout the county.

Kindergarten orientation is designed to help parents enroll their children, including the completion of health forms, and to assist students in becoming acquainted with future friends and the school environment.

Children who will be 5 years old on or before September 1, 2007, are eligible to begin kindergarten in August. Parents are asked to register children for next year’s kindergarten on the date scheduled for the elementary school that serves their neighborhood. Parents who are not certain which elementary school serves their area should contact the MCPS Boundaries Office at 240-314-4710 between the hours of 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., Monday through Friday.

An Early Entrance to Kindergarten application process is available to serve children who will reach 5 years old between September 2 and October 15, 2007. Parents who seek early entrance consideration for their children should inquire at their home school.

Each school has additional information on registration procedures. Parents are asked to call their home school to make an appointment to register on the school’s specified orientation dates.

At orientation, parents and students will meet the school principal, kindergarten teachers, and other school staff members. There will be fun activities for children and an opportunity for parents to ask questions about the school’s procedures and programs. Kindergarten orientation is primarily an opportunity to help children look forward to coming to school in August and to begin to build an important partnership between home and school.

More information about early childhood education is available on the MCPS web site at www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org.