Kindergarten, pre-K registration in Philadelphia opens soon as officials urge parents to sign children up
It's time to start getting ready for kindergarten and pre-kindergarten in Philadelphia.
School District of Philadelphia Superintendent Tony B. Watlington launched the annual "Thrive at Five" program at Horatio B. Hackett Elementary School Wednesday to encourage parents to sign their kids up for pre-K and kindergarten.
If your child will be 5 years old by Sept. 1, this is the time to get registered for kindergarten.
The district said it has simplified the application process.
You can apply online on the district's website — you just need proof of address, proof of your child's age and photo ID to prove that you're the child's guardian, Diane Castelbuono, the district's deputy for early learning, said.
If your child turns 3 years old this year, you can apply for free full-day pre-K classes.
"For pre-K, you can apply at any one of the 200 sites across the city, and you can select those sites and list your preferences 1 through 5," Castelbuono said.
The goal is to make sure children are ready for first grade and set up for future success, officials said.
"Our pre-K program ensures that our students are ready to enter kindergarten, ready to learn, and our kindergarten program helps our students be successful," Horatio B. Hackett School Principal Todd Kimmel said.
Families agreed with that sentiment.
"It was extremely important for my husband and I to enroll our daughters in both the pre-K and kindergarten program, really for that readiness for grade school and not only academically, but socially as well," one parent who has a child in pre-K and one in kindergarten at the school said.
The registration window runs from Jan. 20 through May 31.
Parents are encouraged to register their children as soon as possible to ensure they have a spot.