Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS) will hold the 2005 kindergarten orientation program from Wednesday, March 23, through Friday, May 27. 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's environment.

Children who will be five years old on or before September 30, 2005, 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 boundary office at 301-279-3331 between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m., Monday through Friday.

An Early Entrance to Kindergarten application process is available for children who will be 5 years old from October 1 through October 31, 2005. Parents who seek early entrance consideration for their children should inquire at their home school.

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

At the kindergarten orientation, parents and students will meet the school principal, kindergarten teachers, and other 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 for children to become familiar with the idea of coming to school in August and to begin to build an important partnership between home and school.

A school-by-school schedule of orientation days for kindergarten is at the link below.