Troy Transitional Kindergarten
W.F. Morrison Elementary in Troy will offer a Transitional Kindergarten class for the 2019-2020 school year. This program is designed for young 5 year olds and children who will turn 5 during the first half of the 2019-2020 school year.
The program will be full-time with children attending the same hours and days as all elementary students. Children enrolled in Transitional Kindergarten will be enrolled in traditional kindergarten the next school year.
Transitional kindergarten is recommended for children who turn 5 from April 2019 through February 2020. Children who turn five on or before Tuesday, Sept. 10, 2019, are eligible for traditional kindergarten.
However, children who turn 5 in the late spring or summer are often younger developmentally than those who have birthdays a few months earlier. A few months in a five year old’s life makes a big difference in development.
Today’s traditional kindergarten classes have the same expectations that first grade classes used to have. For example, kindergarten students are expected to be reading and able to write a paragraph by the end of the year.
Young kindergarten students often struggle with these expectations simply because they are not developmentally ready. This can make school a frustrating experience for them and lead to academic and behavioral problems.
The Transitional Kindergarten will use a kindergarten curriculum, but it will be stretched out and be an introduction to skills. In traditional kindergarten, children will master the skills introduced. Transitional Kindergarten will allow for more socialization, language development, and other academic skills.
Transitional Kindergarten may also be suitable for some students who turned 5 before April, 2019. This may be most beneficial for children who fall into one of the two categories listed below:
1) A child who needs more support with social and emotional development. This would be a child who has not had the opportunity or experiences to learn how to interact or socialize with peers and needs more support in social and emotional development.
2) A child who needs more support with academic preparation and language development. This would be a child who can benefit from additional opportunities to develop expressive/receptive vocabulary.
Please contact the school secretary, Nicole Boswell, nboswell@troyk12.org, 295-4321 extension 1110 to enroll your child. If you would like more information, please contact Jacob Francom, Elementary Principal/Superintendent, jfrancom@troyk12.org, 295-4321 extension 1111, or Diane Rewerts, Elementary Assistant Principal, drewerts@troyk12.org, 295-4321 extension 1113.