It’s never too early to start planning for a bright future.
In Poudre School District, we foster the educational, social and emotional growth of kindergarteners in an environment that intertwines academics and enrichment activities.
Kindergarten is an exciting and important first step on your little one's educational journey. In PSD, you'll find students are supported by caring teachers and staff and welcoming, safe and collaborative school and classroom cultures that let them explore, experience and evolve.
With 33 elementary schools in Poudre School District, including options for International Baccalaureate; Core Knowledge; dual immersion; Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM); project-based learning; and much more, there’s something for every child.
Your family is part of our community. You belong in PSD.
Get started on your child's bright future today and enroll now for the 2023-24 school year and download our free guide, “How to Prepare Your Child for Kindergarten.”
Count Down to Kindergarten!
Many children spend time in preschool or daycare before entering kindergarten, while others do not. There is no right or wrong way for a child to prepare. Rest assured that our PSD kindergarten teachers are highly trained and skilled at meeting each child’s needs, no matter what step they’re on in their learning journey.
Here are some activities to help your child get ready and excited for kindergarten.
Practice new routines
According to the American Academy of Pediatrics, five- and six-year-olds need 10 to 11 hours of sleep each night. Here are some tips to help with the transition:
- Have set wake-up and sleep times each day.
- Lengthen the day without naps - there is no nap time in full-day kindergarten, and your child needs to be prepared for a longer day.
- Drive, walk or ride the new route to school.
- Discuss the new school schedule and expectations for eating, playing, learning and other classroom activities.
- Go to the library to check out children’s books that talk about kindergarten ("The Night Before Kindergarten," "Ms. Bindergarten Gets Ready for Kindergarten" and other back-to-school titles your librarian suggests).
Consider logistical changes
- Will your child need to leave earlier or later in the morning?
- Will there be a bus? Will you drive or walk to school?
- How will kindergarten change your family’s existing schedule?
Start a “countdown” calendar to build excitement for the first day of kindergarten
- Make a paper chain representing the days until school begins.
- Remove a link each day to make the passage of time real to your child.
- Or, use a calendar and mark off each day with the first day of school highlighted with fun colors, shapes and/or stickers.