🍎 Staggered Start Reminder for K4 Families 🍎

Hello, Henderson Homeroom families!

To help our students have a smooth and successful transition into school, Greenville County Schools uses a staggered start for all K4 students during the first week.

Please have your child attend only on their assigned day listed below:

🩷 A–F: Tuesday, August 11
💜 G–M: Wednesday, August 12
🩵 N–S: Thursday, August 13
💛 T–Z: Friday, August 14

Beginning Monday, August 17, all students will attend school every day on their regular schedule.

Essential Supplies 

• Shirt
• Pants
• Socks
• Underwear
• A towel or blanket (to be used each day at rest time)

Recommended Supplies

• Crayons
• Markers
• Liquid Glue
• Glue Sticks
• Child Scissors
• Clorox Wipes
• Baby Wipes
• Sandwich Bags
• Pencils

Prepare your student for Pre-K

• Read books. Spend time reading books about preschool, such as "Maisy Goes to Preschool" by Lucy Cousins, "Llama Llama Misses Mama" by Anna Dewdney, "Little School" by Beth Norling, or "The Kissing Hand" by Audrey Penn.

• Act it out. Use your child's interest in pretend play to prepare them for Pre-K. Pretend that you're going to school, hanging up your backpack, and sitting down for group time. Play games, read stories, and make a simple snack. Teach your child a few basic social skills. Talk about how to get someone's attention, take turns, or join in play.

• Work on self-help skills. Going to Pre-K marks a big developmental leap for your child and independence will become a larger focus. Help your student master self-help skills that will be used daily like washing hands, using the toilet, putting shoes and socks on, and using utensils at the table.

• Express and acknowledge feelings. Beginning Pre-K is an exciting adventure, but it's normal for both of you to have feelings of anxiety. Encourage your child to express those feelings, listen closely, and acknowledge your child's fears. At the same time, acknowledge to yourself your own feelings of ambivalence or anxiety. You might notice changes in your child's behavior as they works through their feelings. Children often regress in one area as they make developmental growth in another. Children sometimes regress in toilet training or become less independent, for example. With nurturing support, these behavior changes are only temporary.

• Shift your schedule. Before the first day of school, gradually make any necessary changes in your routines, such as an earlier dinner or bedtime. Limit media. Offer a healthy breakfast and spend time outdoors. Developing consistent, predictable routines a few weeks before school starts will make the transition much smoother.