Future-Ready Kindergarten
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Is your child entering kindergarten in the fall of 2025 and not currently in preschool?
North Thurston Public Schools is offering a program to provide a free, early-entrance kindergarten called Future-Ready Kindergarten for children who are scheduled to enter kindergarten in the fall.
What: Future-Ready Kindergarten is a transitional kindergarten program that will focus on essential academic and social-emotional skills needed for school.
Where: The program will be offered to families who live within the boundaries of:
- Chambers Prairie Elementary
- Horizons Elementary
- Lacey Elementary
- Lakes Elementary
- Lydia Hawk Elementary (hosted at Seven Oaks Elementary)
- Mountain View Elementary (hosted at Lakes Elementary)
- Olympic View Elementary
- Seven Oaks Elementary
When: Classes for the 2024-25 school year will begin in November 2024.
Who: For children the year before they are eligible to attend kindergarten and live within the boundaries of a participating school. Note: children who are kindergarten-eligible should be registered for regular kindergarten. Your child must be five by August 31, 2025, to be eligible for this program. Use this age calculator for help determining age eligibility.
Frequently Asked Questions
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What is Future-Ready Kindergarten?
Future-Ready Kindergarten is a free, transitional kindergarten program that will focus on essential academic and social-emotional skills needed for school. The Future-Ready Kindergarten program helps ensure that students enter kindergarten ready and are meeting or exceeding grade-level standards by the end of the third grade.
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When are classes held?
Classes will begin in November 2024. Classes will follow the same schedule and breaks as NTPS elementary schools.
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Where are the classes located?
The program will be offered to families at:
- Chambers Prairie Elementary
- Horizons Elementary
- Lacey Elementary
- Lakes Elementary
- Lydia Hawk Elementary (hosted at Seven Oaks Elementary)
- Mountain View Elementary (hosted at Lakes Elementary)
- Olympic View Elementary
- Seven Oaks Elementary
Families must live within the boundaries of the Future-Ready Kindergarten schools.
Students must live within their school's attendance boundary and will use the same transportation as the other elementary students if parents are unable to provide transportation.
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What is the cost?
Future-Ready Kindergarten is free for families.
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Who will teach Future-Ready classes?
Future-Ready Kindergarten classes will be taught by a certificated teacher with paraeducator support.
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What happens after students finish Future-Ready Kindergarten?
Students will then start a full year of kindergarten during the following school year with the rest of their peers.
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How do I apply for my student to participate?
Complete an online application. Applications are reviewed and processed in the order they are received.
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What are the application qualifications?
NTPS will ask three pre-qualifying questions on the application.
- Is the child currently in a preschool or early learning setting?
- What elementary school will your child attend based on your home address?
- Are they age-eligible for Kindergarten in Fall 2025? (5 years of age by August 31, 2025.)
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What happens after I turn in the application?
Families will be contacted to set up a screening date for their child or notified that their child was not selected.
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What is screening like for my child?
The screening will be done by early learning staff before the child starts the program. Families will be present for the screening. The screening will focus on kindergarten readiness skills. The screening is short and will take approximately 20 minutes.
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Are Future-Ready Kindergarten Students Registered Students at NTPS?
All Future-Ready Kindergarten students will need to be registered as kindergartners. After being accepted into the program, families will complete the student registration process, including dropping off registration documents at the elementary school. Read more about how new student registration works.
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How does transportation work?
Because students live within their school's boundaries, they can ride the bus with the general elementary students if families cannot provide transportation. FRK programs hosted at another school will have shuttle service to the host school.
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My child is too old for this program, what should I do?
You must register your child for kindergarten. More information on this process is available on our kindergarten page.
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My child is too young and not eligible? What should I do?
See information on other early learning programs such as Headstart and ECEAP. More program information is available on childcareawarewa.org.
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We don't live in the district boundary. Does every school district have a similar program?
Reach out to your local school district about any transitional kindergarten programs they may have.