CLASS OF 2025 – The smiling pre-schoolers who are set to graduate high school in the spring of 2025 are (seated, from left) Matt Mullins, Kara Dane, Carter Cooper, Lilly Nevel, Anthony McNamara, Dalton Davis, Kaylin Pham, Caden Roberts, (standing) Brian | | | CLASS OF 2025 – The smiling pre-schoolers who are set to graduate high school in the spring of 2025 are (seated, from left) Matt Mullins, Kara Dane, Carter Cooper, Lilly Nevel, Anthony McNamara, Dalton Davis, Kaylin Pham, Caden Roberts, (standing) Brian Ferguson, Taylor Longacre, Brady Totty, Dylan Brundige, Alayna Vanmeter, Easton Adams, Maddox Bullion, Samantha Bates and Ryan Dean. Janice McDaniel (standing) owner of Fun and Frolic Nursery School is prepping the pre-schoolers for their kindergarten pre-screening by teaching them how to write their names, identifying 20 reading words and learning how to tie their shoes. Also in the pre-K class, but not pictured were Joseph Baker, Brady Lemons and Freddie Martin. Parents and students alike are counting down to kindergarten and through the help of the C.E. Weldon Public Library and WLJT, parents took their first step in prepping for that day in August when their five-year-old would attend “big-kid school.” One-hundred and fifty people ventured out despite the snowy weather Saturday morning to attend this year’s first “Countdown to Kindergarten” at the public library in Martin. On hand for the morning were representatives from WLJT, the Martin Police Department, kindergarten teachers and a bus driver to share useful information for parents who would soon be handing off their children to the Weakley County School System for several hours each day. WLJT representative Sue Lasky stressed to parents how important it is to be “your child’s first teacher” at this point in their lives. “Read to your child. It is hugely important that you read to your child. Your child will end up learning a lot more in kindergarten today than when you were in school. It is important that you encourage your child and have fun with your child while they are learning,” Lasky told the parents. While Lasky stressed the importance of early education and parental involvement, Martin Primary School Kindergarten teacher Jean Thompson gave parents a “heads up” for registration day. With kindergarten registration exactly one month away on March 10, parents are asked to bring several key documents with them as they register their student for school. They include: • A Green Card – the health/shot record from the doctor or health department; • The Child’s Certified Birth Certificate – the document from the state where the child was born that contains the state seal and the child’s birth number; • Social Security Card; • Proof of Residency – a utility bill is recommended. A driver’s license or voter’s registration card cannot be used as a proof of residency. Once parents fill out the required forms on registration day, they will be asked to set up a Brigance Screening appointment for their child. In most of the Weakley County Schools, a caregiver and the child will come back to the school for a 30-minute Kindergarten Screening Assessment. The test is expected to take approximately 15 minutes with an estimated 15-minute conference about the results to follow the screening. “This is not a test. It’s an assessment for placement so that we have high’s, middle’s and low’s in all classes,” Thompson reiterated to the parents. “If you have a question about whether your child is ready (to start school), don’t send them. Wait a year and you’ll be amazed at the difference in your child in that one year,” Thompson stressed. The Kindergarten Screening is a combination of the child’s birth date, medical readiness, social readiness, speech and language readiness, registration timelines and the Brigance Screening tool to determine school readiness for the children. Day cares such as Fun and Frolic Nursery School prep their pre-schoolers for kindergarten readiness by teaching them how to recognize their alphabet, numbers, colors as well as their abilities to tie their shoes, write their first last name and know their birth dates, address and telephone numbers. Other suggestions for preparing your child for kindergarten include allowing them to spend time at a pre-school program, providing opportunities for your child to speak up and express ideas, helping the child to develop care for himself in the bathroom and teaching him basic information about himself. Thompson also recommended visiting the school before school starts and getting permission from the school to bring your child in to eat lunch in the cafeteria of the school. Kindergarten registration is set for 8 a.m. until 5 p.m. on Thursday, March 10. For more information about registration, contact the Weakley County Board of Education office in Dresden at 364-2247. wcp 2/10/11 | 
