Montgomery County Kindergarten orientation

[Anonymous]

We are going out of town the week before school starts. We just found out our public school does a parents orientation and a "meet your teacher" that week. It is Wednesday and thursday. How important is this. It would cut our vacation short and my inlaws would be furious. That being said, I don't want my daughter to miss something that is important.

[Anonymous]

We will be out of town that week too, and our school does something similar. I was quite worried until i spoke with the principal. It basically all depends on your child's personality. If your child has never set foot in the building before, is shy and/or has trouble with change and transition, you might want to attend. If your school is arranging kindergarten playdates, as many do, and if your child fared well at kindergarten orientation in the spring, I would not worry about cutting your trip short.

[Anonymous]

We missed it last year, and the school still hasn't announced when/if one will be held this year.

We went to the school the day before school started (it was closed of course) and looked at the list of names in my DS's class and then drove the bus route. DS never realized he had missed anything (and he is not a particularly adaptable child).

[Anonymous]

We came back from a vacation for our first for several reasons

1. She wanted to go
2. It gives you a chance to see the classroom, meet some other parents
3. It gives your kid the chance to meet the classmates and play on the playground

Looking back
It introduced her to kindergarten and it was the perfect amount of time so that on the first day she was racing to get back. We were glad we got to talk to the teacher then because once school starts, you see parents trying to talk to the teachers while they are trying to get the class going, I found out the teachers really try to get the kids in a routine ASAP and the interruptions of stuff that should have been done at orientation

We go each year and have no regrets at all for doing so. Enjoy it, the years fly by.

[Anonymous]

If you miss it, I might take your child to school the first day or drive and meet him/her after the bus ride. Things can get chaotic and s/he may need help finding the right classroom. We made a point of going for kindergarten..now only when we are otherwise available.

[Anonymous]

We decided to cut our vacation short so our son could participate. He has a hard time transitioning, he's shy and we felt having him meet his teacher, see his classroom and possibly other classmates outweight the vacation days. We would rather have him adjust easily and feel comfortable in his new environment.