Kindergarten enrollment opens soon

by Heidi L. Everett
editor@thenewsleaders.com

Kindergarten enrollment for the St. Cloud School District begins Jan. 25 for students who will be five years old by Sept. 1, 2021.

Continued safety measures during the COVID-19 pandemic are shifting how enrollment is processed for the 2021-22 academic year.

Families and caregivers will have three ways to enroll.

The first enrollment option is online at the district’s website: isd742.org/enrollment.

The second enrollment option is through packet drive-up at each school. In St. Joseph, Kennedy Community School has packet drive-up scheduled Feb. 4 from 5 to 6:30 p.m.

The third enrollment option is through packet pick up at the district Welcome Center in Waite Park, 1201 2nd St S. Appointments must be scheduled for packet pick up. Phone numbers are available on the district website.

The district also has produced virtual video tours of its eight elementary schools, so future kindergartners can become familiar with their schools.

In the Kennedy Community School video, Principal Anna Wilhite welcomes kindergarten viewers to Kennedy and then walks them through the office, nurse’s office, locker area, classrooms, cafeteria and food line, gymnasium, media center, art and music rooms, bus chute and playground.

Thinking of having a child start mastering another language early? The district website includes information regarding the language immersion programs offered starting in kindergarten. Students can learn Spanish at Clearview Elementary School and Mandarin Chinese at Madison Elementary School. In these programs, teachers communicate only in Spanish or Chinese while teaching students mathematics, science, reading, writing and other curriculum.

Families and caregivers are encouraged to check out the district website for additional information on immunizations, early childhood screening and more.