It is kindergarten roundup season in our house! I will have two identical twin boys entering kindergarten this fall, and as a first-time mom of school-aged children, I am filled with anxiety and lots of questions. Generally speaking, kindergarten roundup is an opportunity to allow kids to become familiar with the school, but what else? Surely there is more to it than a few hours of mock school…or is that really all it is? I reached out to moms of school-aged kids and rounded up (pun intended) a few more details.
How or what are the schools assessing during kindergarten roundup?
The overachiever in me wanted to make sure my children were ready for the day, not only academically but socially. Are the teachers assessing my kid’s academic aptitude or their behavior? Are they looking for personality traits to determine classroom placement? I needed wanted to know!
It is essential to know that yes, there is some basic assessment that is happening to determine the readiness of your child. Still, the school won’t give you any feedback negatively or positively, and they will stay clear of providing advisement or suggestions. In addition to kindergarten readiness assessments, they are also watching for classroom placement. Their hope is to create a well-rounded class full of diverse personalities and academic capacities.
// RELATED CONTENT: Guide to Private Schools in Omaha //
Are we going to be separated from our children?
Kindergarten roundup is a child-only morning. Most likely, your child will be given a name tag, checked into their designated group or mock classroom, and then it is time for you to give your hugs and kisses a few minutes after entering the front door.
Who will your child come in contact with? Will they get to meet possible teachers and administration and possibly other classmates or other kids?
Current kindergarten teachers will be with your child during the day; however, it does not mean that your child will be in that teacher’s room or with any of the children in their group this fall.
It is probably also helpful to know that although the current kindergarteners have the day off, the 1st-5th graders are all still in the building. This might be helpful to explain to your child as they may or may not encounter some big kids while they are hanging out that morning.
So if your child will not be okay with hugs and kisses at the front door, you should start talking to them now about what to expect at drop-off.
Do all schools have a pre roundup parent meeting?
Most schools have a spring kindergarten parent meeting before the roundup. At that meeting, you will get a bit more information regarding the actual day of kindergarten roundup, high-level expectations of the day, and administrative tasks that need to be accomplished before the fall (registering for before and after school care, bus pass, lunch money, immunization, etc.)
Many have told me that my children will go into roundup nervous and come out ready to go to kindergarten—tomorrow! I am hoping this is the case and that I’ll have to tell my excited child every day for the next 6 months that, no, they can’t go to kindergarten…yet!
*This post was originally written in 2020
