���Howard Elementary School Kindergarten Round-Up and Enrollment 2024-2025

April 14, 2025

Welcome!

Welcome to Howard Elementary!

Meet The Kindergarten Team:

​

• Allison Fine
• Amy Smart
• Shadia Sobh
• Manal Baydoun-ECS

​

​

​

​

​

3 HOWARD HABITS

• BE RESPECTFUL
• BE RESPONSIBLE
• BE SAFE

​

Howard PBIS/SEL Matrix

​

Communication is Key

THE BEST WAY TO STAY CONNECTED AND UP TO DATE IS TO SUBSCRIBE TO OUR SCHOOL BLOG AND FOLLOW US ON INSTAGRAM!

​

Subscribe to our school blog @ https://howard.dearbornschools.org/

​

Instagram:@howard_dragons

​

​

Howard Kids Club

To

We offer the following program here at Howard:

Kids Club Before and After School Program

Please visit the link below to learn more about Kid’s Club

Kid's Club Information

You will find pages for Registration forms, Prices

and Registration Packets.

Getting Ready for Kindergarten Registration

How do I register my kindergarten student?

• Please click HERE for a step by step guide to registering your child including all of the documentation needed.
• Direct link HERE

What if I prefer the paper/pencil process?

• If you would like a paper/pencil packet instead, you may pick up a packet on your way out.

​

When does the paperwork have to be turned in for registration?

• Drop off completed packets in the main office Wednesday April 16th, 23rd, and 30th 9:30 a.m. - 11:00 a.m., and/or 2:00 - 3:00 pm

​

Who do I call if I need assistance in the registration process?

• Howard main office 313-827-6350
• Student Services office 313-827-3005

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

Registration continued…

Your child should be five-years-old on or before September 1, 2025. (please see Preschool & Elementary School Information page for more information and required forms).

Children born between September 2nd and December 1st can either:

1. Register for the Young Five program
2. Register for Kindergarten with a Waiver Request
1. Kindergarten Waiver Request: if applying for Young Five/Kindergarten, the child must be at least 5 years of age by September 1, 2025. The waiver is applicable for students with birth dates from September 2 through December 1 of the school year of enrollment. Please visit our Preschool and Elementary School Information page, cited above, for more information.
2. The State of Michigan mandates that all children must be 5 years of age or older no later than December 1st in order to be eligible for enrollment.

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

Information from Our District Nurses

​

​

​

​

• State of MI requires all Kindergarteners to have immunizations up-to-date. A copy of these immunizations needs to be provided for enrollment. The immunizations required are described here: Vaccinations required for school entry.

• Each child entering Kindergarten needs to have a physical exam. This is the form the physician should complete: Health Appraisal Form.

• NEW REQUIREMENT for 25/26 school year: All children in Michigan enrolled in their first year of school, either kindergarten or 1st

grade, are now required to receive an oral health assessment (dental screening) by November .

Dental Assessment Form.

Information from Our District Nurses

If a child requires medication at school, a Medication Authorization Form needs to be signed by the parent and physician.

​

• Please contact the school nurse with any medical conditions that may impact education or may require emergency medications. (for example: Asthma, Food Allergies, Type One Diabetes, Seizures, etc.) Health Forms can be found @ Medications at School.
• When enrolling, please make sure all contact numbers are correct and the health information section is filled out completely.
• For more information, please visit the School Nurse Website @ School Nurses or contact Student Services at (313) 827-3005.

Howard PTA

PTA- (Parent-Teacher Association) helps make the school a better place for students, teachers, and families.

The PTA hosts the following events (and many more!)

• Plan fun events like welcome back picnic, book fairs, family fun nights, field day, assemblies and seasonal celebrations.

• Raise money through fundraising to buy things the school needs like playground equipment, books, classroom supplies as well as help pay for busses and field trip admissions.

• Support teachers by helping with classroom projects or organizing teacher and staff appreciation days.

• Help families stay informed by sharing news and updates about school events and activities.

• Build a school community by bringing parents, teachers, and students together to work as a team.

PTA Contact info-

Instagram: howarddragonspta email: howardpta17@gmail.com

membership: https://howard.memberhub.com/

​

​

​

​

​

​

​

Instructional Content

​

Specials/lunch/transitions throughout the day

*** It is very important to have students come to school on time and allow them to stay for the entire school day, so they do not miss out on content. This also allows them to get used to routines and procedures much faster***

​

Please work with your child on the following:

• Orally say their first and last name
• Recognize their first and last name
• Use the bathroom independently
• Write their first name/hold a pencil
• Know if they are a packer or buyer for lunch
• Be able to dress themselves including zipping or buttoning coats and pants and put on their own shoes
• Practice tying shoes
• Coloring, cutting and gluing
• Count, recognize, and write numbers to 10
• Practice recognition of ALL letters of the alphabet by sight out of order (uppercase and lowercase)
• Listen and Follow one-to-two step directions

​

​

What is Young 5s Kindergarten?

• A bridge between preschool and kindergarten.
• FREE, full-day program that gives young learners a head start and provides them with an opportunity to learn and grow in an environment that is tailored to meet their academic and social needs.

Young 5s is encouraged for…

Children with birthdays that fall between June 15th & December 1st

​

Children who would benefit from an additional year of growth between preschool and kindergarten.

​

What Happens in a Young 5s Kindergarten Classroom?

✴ Classroom: 19 or fewer students

✴ Length of school day: Full day of school, five days a week

✴ Shared activities: They participate in all kindergarten activities

✴ Curriculum and learning: Academic and social skills that build on previous learning

✴ Learning environment: Children will build a strong language base

​

​

Students that attended Dearborn Public Schools’ Young 5s program showed higher student achievement in

kindergarten and first grade compared to similarly-aged students that did not attend Young 5s.

Did you know?

Pandas don’t hibernate.

There are more kangaroos than humans in Australia.

Koalas are even more lazy than cats.

It is estimated that more than 50 million kangaroos live there. They are Australia’s national symbol and appear on postage stamps, coins, and airplanes.

​

​

When winter approaches, they head lower down their mountain homes to warmer temperatures, where they continue to chomp away on bamboo!

The analysis showed that Young 5s students scored higher on the DRA and iReady assessments across domains.

​

​

​

Enrollment Procedure

• Attend kindergarten roundup & enrollment paperwork at your home school.
• If there are no Young 5s classrooms at your home school, administrators will refer families to buildings with the Young 5s program.
• Parents will be notified of slot availability by the final day of this school year.

F.A.Q.’s About Young 5’s

Does Young 5’s have Special Area Classes?

• Yes, they participate in all kindergarten activities, such as music, art, gym and enrichment throughout the year.

​

Is my child losing a year?

• No, your child is gaining a year and will be more equipped to handle the demand of school years to come. Young 5 students end up being the leaders in our buildings and many are soaring in academics. Research shows that students who attend kindergarten readiness programs like Young 5’s are more likely to do well in school and attend college.

​

My child went to preschool, isn’t this the same thing?

• Preschool has a completely different curriculum from Young 5’s. Young 5’s classrooms are introduced to the Kindergarten Curriculum using a hands on approach which introduces key concepts and academic vocabulary.

*Young 5’s students do not take the IREADY or other standardized tests

*Young 5’s class sizes are smaller than Kindergarten; usually 16-17 kids

Kindergarten Screening

​

​

• Students will need to come in for a brief screener of some academic and social skills on
• Please sign up for a timeslot using the QR code or the link below.





​

​

​

Soft Start

Kindergarteners attend half day sessions the first week of school. This half day schedule allows for:

• A gradual transition to school and will include lunch.
• Student assessments will be scheduled and administered in the afternoon.
• This will guide your child’s differentiated instruction.
• Half days - Monday, August 25 to Thursday, August 28, 2025 � Soft Start Info

Lunch and Snack

• Kindergarteners will have a full day of school beginning at 8:55-3:55 with the exception of Tuesdays. Every Tuesday is an early release day, students are dismissed at 2:25pm (except for the first and last Tuesday of the school year 8/26/25 and 6/2/26).
• Breakfast is available from 8:30-8:55 (free for all students) for those that choose to attend.
• Lunch will be served daily on full days (free for all students). Lunch time will be for 40 min and will include recess.
• Snack will be 10 min. Please provide a healthy snack.

​

Next Steps

What are the things that you need right now to register your child?

• Make a doctor’s appointment for physical and bring physical form
• Make a dentist appointment for your child’s oral screening
• Locate your child’s birth certificate
• Locate proof of residency
• Refer to teacher’s supply lists at the beginning of the year

​

Hip Hip Hurray for K!

We are so very excited to welcome your child to the wonderful world of Kindergarten!

Thank you for joining us!