Families of VPI students should be included in every step of their child’s school experience. A plan for intentional family engagement should include building relationships between school personnel and family members early in the year, maintaining communication in the months following, and conclude with clear communication regarding a plan for transition to kindergarten.

Transition to kindergarten is a process that is most successful when it is carefully planned out well in advance.

• Carroll County teachers participate in collaborative meetings with kindergarten teachers to discuss students’ progress in meeting standards for learning, and school-wide results on the VKRP assessment.

• County County Pre-K teachers schedule student visits to kindergarten classrooms,

• County County Pre-K teachers schedule parent meetings to communicate kindergarten expectations, and provide "Transitioning to Kindergarten Toolkits" for parents in their primary language, like the ones below.

School Readiness
How do you know if a child is ready for kindergarten? The time that you spend with a child every day can give you lots of information about how he or she is progressing. This section contains a helpful guide on creating an "Early Learning Passport," a kindergarten readiness indicator checklist, an observation and activity guide, and a drawing and writing sample template.

Get Ready to Read!

The Get Ready to Read! Screening Tool is intended to provide early childhood professionals and parents with a "snapshot" of where a child is on the path to developing important early literacy skills. This section includes the screening tool, as well as instructions on how to use the tool and how to score a child's answers. Also included are 36 engaging, skill-building activities for use in group settings.

Visit the Get Ready to Read! online interactive screening tool

Transitioning to Kindergarten Booklist
The AFT Early Childhood Education Cadre has recommended some of their favorite books. Each booklist pairs a set of learning activities (included in this section of the toolkit) with books that explore similar ideas and skills.

Transitioning to Kindergarten Multicultural Booklist
This booklist contains book recommendations available in English and Spanish. Also including selections from Colorín Colorado, this booklist encompasses children’s stories and characters from a rich array of cultures. Each booklist in this guide pairs a set of learning activities (included in this section of the toolkit) from the “Transitioning to Kindergarten” toolkit with books that explore similar ideas and skills.

For Parents
This section guides you through the process of sharing what you know about your child with the kindergarten teacher who will be working with your child in the new school year. It gives you the opportunity to pass on important information about your child’s likes and dislikes, strengths and weaknesses and any concerns that you may have. If your child is receiving any special services, the information that you provide here can help to ensure that those services continue without gaps into the new school year. Also included are 36 engaging, skill-building activities for you to try at home.

Getting to Know My Child: A Guide for My Child's Kindergarten Teacher

Para Los Padres
Este cuadernillo le servirá de guía para transmitir lo que usted conoce acerca de su hijo al maestro de jardín infantil que trabajará con el niño en el nuevo año escolar. Es la oportunidad para que usted comparta información importante sobre lo que le gusta y no le gusta al niño, los puntos fuertes y débiles del niño, y cualquier otra preocupación que usted tenga. Si su niño recibe atención especial, la información que aquí se proporciona servirá para asegurar que esos mismos servicios continúen sin interrupción durante el nuevo año escolar. Las siguientes páginas contienen 36 actividades para el desarrollo de las destrezas de ¡Prepárate para leer! Estas actividades son divertidas, atractivas, actividades de lectoescritura temprana amenas para los niños y que usted puede usarlas en casa.

Conociendo a Mi Niño: una guía para el maestrode kindergarten del niño

Other Resources
There are many free resources available on the internet about transitioning to kindergarten. Some provide ideas for introducing children to new experiences at home and in the community. Others include information about research and best practice in early childhood education. This section contains some helpful resources on the Web for parents, educators and child care providers.

• Carroll County Pre-K teachers providing engaging kindergarten registration/orientation meetings for parents taking into consideration their cultural, racial, and linguistic backgrounds.

A set of helpful resources to help families gain an understanding of the kindergarten transition process has been compiled by Head Start.

Open House- August 9

First Semester Parent Teacher Conferences-Week of October 25-29

Second Semester Parent Teacher Conferences-Week of October 25-29

Carroll County Pre-K program follows the school calendar. Below are the pre-scheduled events.

CARROLL COUNTY PUBLIC SCHOOLS 2021-2022 SCHOOL CALENDAR

August 9 Open House

August 11 Schools Open

September 3 & 6 Labor Day Holidays

October 13 End of First Quarter Grading Period

October 14 Schools Close at 1:00 p.m.

Week of October 25-29 Report Cards Issued – Parent/Teacher Conferences

November 2 Election Day

November 24 Schools Close at 1:00 p.m.

November 25 & 26 Thanksgiving Holidays

December 17 End of Second Quarter Grading Period

End of 1st Semester

Schools Close at 1:00 p.m.

December 20 –January 4 Winter Break

December 20, 21 and January 3, 4 (Make-up days if needed)

January 5 Schools Reopen

January 11 Report Cards Issued

January 17 Martin Luther King Holiday

March 10 End of Third Quarter Grading Period

March 11 Teacher Workday (Make-up day if needed)

March 14 Spring Break (Make-up day if needed)

Week of March 21-25 Report Cards Issued – Parent/Teacher Conferences

April 14 Schools Close at 1:00 p.m.

April 15-18 Spring Break

May 19 End of Fourth Quarter Grading Period

End of 2nd Semester

Schools Close at 1:00 p.m.

May 20 – May 31 (Make-up days if needed)