Anonymous wrote:I’m so confused. My DD will be starting kindergarten this fall. Is there no orientation?

Call the school to find out. There is always an open house just before school starts, so your DC can go in and meet the teacher. But sometimes there is also an orientation in the spring where you drop off f paperwork and your DC can meet all the kindergarten teachers.

Each achool does it differently. Some schools take a whole day and the K students have off while rising K come in. Our school does a 1 hr open house for all grades the Thursday before school starts to meet the teacher and see classroom. Mcps leaves this to the school so it can be disorganized and a mess or very sorted depending thats schools plans and leadership.

I’m so confused. My DD will be starting kindergarten this fall. Is there no orientation?

My will-be kindergartener is at full day daycare, I don't think I will pull her out from daycare to attend this orientation. You don't know who will be the assigned homeroom teacher, so they are all general information. My older kid did not have K orientation due to covid, and I don't think it was that big deal.

I work in the pre-K office and have been collaborating with several elementary schools to find out their intent for this new process so we can share information with our families in pre-K. Essentially each individual school will determine whether they hold any sort of open house, orientation or meeting for new kindergarten families. Some schools are planning an event and some schools are choosing not to do anything at all

Our school says they will have open houses for parents in April and May but it is only for parents, not kids

Rosemary Hill has info on the kindergarten orientation on the home page: https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/schools/rosemaryhillses/

I had read that kindegarten orientation was off, but our school said they are hosting it over two days in April, and that current kindergarteners will have school (with subs/staff covering those classes). I know our school is concerned that without it, they will not have kindergarten families register early enough to be able to have adequate staffing.

This is what the MCPS page says: "For the 2024-2025 school year, registration sessions will be held in person beginning March 18, 2024. Schools will share further information about Kindergarten Orientation with families who have registered their children for kindergarten." https://www.montgomeryschoolsmd.org/info/enroll/kindergarten/?LangType=1033

So, MCPS is definitely not saying that K orientation is off. It sounds like it may be optional for schools and that perhaps they have told schools if they have it, they need to have sub coverage for current K families.