Each year as Moorhead grows, our staff excitedly welcomes a new set of kindergarteners to our elementary schools. With an anticipated 670 new students starting kindergarten this fall, our elementary schools are hosting an event for families to get that personalized introduction to our buildings and staff.
To help our families prepare:
- Attend our Keys to Kindergarten program.
- This is an informative session. During the event, you will meet staff, explore the school and ask questions.
- The event is at each Moorhead elementary school (Robert Asp, Ellen Hopkins, S.G. Reinertsen, Probstfield, and Dorothy Dodds).
- Mark your calendar for Thursday, March 30 from 6-7:30 p.m.
- Registration is required.
“This is an exciting time for families and students,” says Joelle Hofer, Director of the Early Learning Center. “There is the anticipation of starting a new stage in their child’s growth as well as lots to plan and do to prepare them for the first day of school.”
Our staff know there are many questions families have before their child's first day of school. What does a school day look like? What supports are available at school? How can I prepare my child for the transition to a full day of school? “Sometimes just seeing the building and where your child will attend school helps ease the anticipation for the next steps,” Hofer explains.
During the event, our staff cover multiple topics, including:
- Welcome from your school principal
- Food Services (lunch, snack and milk break, free and reduced programs and more)
- Transportation (riding the bus, areas of services and more)
- Health Services (required vaccinations, medication forms and more)
- How to prepare your child for kindergarten
“We are so excited to greet families and talk about all the great opportunities and awesome people we have at our schools,” says Carla Smith, Probstfield Elementary Principal. Probstfield Elementary opened its doors in the Fall of 2022 to help lower class sizes across elementary buildings in the district. “We love welcoming our students as they arrive on the bus each morning. Transportation is a key component discussed at Keys to Kindergarten,” adds Principal Smith.
For nearly 25 years, Moorhead Area Public Schools has also offered a Spanish Immersion program. This program offers children in grades K-6 an opportunity to read, write and speak Spanish. The Spanish Immersion program is located at Ellen Hopkins Elementary for grades K-4 and then carries over to Horizon Middle West Campus for grades 5 and 6.
There is a special Keys to Kindergarten event focusing on just Spanish Immersion, to introduce the program to new kindergarten families. This is on Thursday, Feb. 9, 6-7:30 p.m. at Ellen Hopkins. Families interested in learning more about the Spanish Immersion program are encouraged to attend.