Hello, Class of 2037!
Greenfield-Central schools are welcoming the next class of Cougars this month with Kindergarten Round Up events.
With bright colors and warm smiles to ease any youngster or parent, GC teachers and principals are eager to greet new faces and prepare for the 2025-2026 school year.
Still, Cougar Cubs preschool also continues to accept applications for preschool students not quite old enough for kindergarten. An open house was earlier this year, but there is still time to enroll. An event all about On My Way Pre-K will be hosted by GC schools this April as well.
Here’s a look at what to expect when enrolling in GC kindergarten and preschool programs.
Kinder-ready kids welcome April 21-24
Have a child that will be 5 by Aug. 1? Welcome to Greenfield-Central schools.
“Kindergarten Round Up is a chance for parents and students to get introduced to their school, meet school staff, and to help set them up for a successful beginning of the school year next fall,” said Devon Marine, GC director of elementary education.
Eden and JB Stephens elementary schools will host events from 3-6 p.m. April 21 and 23, while Harris and Weston elementary schools will host events 3-6 p.m. April 22 and 24.
Round Ups are a time for teachers to meet new students, and Michelle Takach can’t wait.
A kindergarten teacher at Eden Elementary, Takach’s face lights up when asked what makes the kindergarten age so special.
“I’m like them– I like to be fun, do arts and crafts. I like to be silly; we just laugh,” Takach said. “For some of them, it’s their first exposure to school. I like to keep it colorful, keep it fun.”
That includes showing off a large, strawberry-shaped toy box in the middle of her classroom. It was her toy box from when she was their age. She was a kid once too, she reminds them, and it’s ok to make mistakes and have fun while learning.
Her classroom abuzz with reading and letter recognition activities, Takach says kindergarten is a year of growth and discovery for students. Some come in with no school background at all. Just months later, they end the school year reading and are eager for more.
“We really try to celebrate how much academically they’ve learned, and how much they’ve grown,” she said, adding that it’s fun to see new faces, and also siblings and families return to Eden every year. “Here at Eden, we have a really tight-knit family community. Sometimes, we have grandparents that went to school here.”
Eden Principal Joe Bowman said new this year, the school will roll out the red carpet for incoming kindergarteners. In the past, Kindergarten Round Up decor had a western theme. Now, they’re featuring a movie star marquee and photo booth to celebrate the stars they will become.
GC schools has a good balance of letting kids be kids, Bowman said, while also making sure they’re meeting academic benchmarks.
“I can’t speak more highly of my teachers. They’re rockstars,” he added. “They are awesome at what they do. It takes a special person to teach kindergarten.”
GC Superintendent Dr. Harold Olin said Kindergarten Round Up has been a tradition for decades at GC schools, with a longstanding commitment to get 5-year-old students into the elementary buildings a few months before the school year begins.
“I know it helps our students and parents feel more comfortable with the new routine of school,” Olin said. “Many of our students have had some type of formal educational experience prior to kindergarten through preschool. That being said, the hours of preschool are generally shorter, and many pre-k programs meet only a few days per week. Therefore, the transition to kindergarten (five days a week, for seven hours per day) is challenging for many students and overwhelming for some parents. Our staff members do a fantastic job of working with families to prepare students for success in August.”
More information about Kindergarten Round Up is online. Visit gcsc.k12.in.us/kindergarten-information/ to view a map of the city that will determine which elementary building your child will attend based on where you live. The site also includes a link to get started with applying, and all of the documents that are needed to register such as birth certificate, immunization record and proofs of residency.
Once an online enrollment form is completed, monitor your email to sign up for a time slot for a Round Up event.
At the event, children will take an initial skills assessment with a teacher, which helps teachers understand how to best assist students at the beginning of school. Students that have unique needs will be provided with support early.
Families can also expect to learn more about how to get involved in school and community groups, including booths about parent/teacher organizations, Kindergarten 101, and oftentimes boy and girl scout groups.
Preschoolers also welcome
GC’s Cougar Cubs Preschool still has openings for early childhood education for children 3-5.
Committed to building a foundation for future learning, the preschool program– hosted in two locations in Greenfield – often fills up quickly.
There are eight classrooms available in the upcoming school year.
“We have a traditional preschool that has both 3- and 4-year-olds and allows modeling,” said Robin LeClaire, director of student services for GC schools. “We have a two-day, three-day and five-day program available, while many schools only offer part-time schedules. We have three full-time licensed special education teachers who can meet the needs of students with all kinds of disabilities in a general education setting, so that all kids are included and learn from one another. Inclusiveness is one of the most special things about our preschool and district.”
Several preschool students delighted the GC school board in March, sitting in a circle in front of them to show how they do circle time each morning. Cougar Cubs– like all GC schools– has implemented Trust-Based Relational Interventions (TBRI) to build community.
LeClaire said that also makes Cougar Cubs shine. They also have a full-time social worker at the preschool that helps families who may need assistance or community services.
Visit cougarcubs.gcsc.k12.in.us/ and click “Apply Now” to start the application process.
Coming up April 28-29, Cougar Cubs will host events about On My Way Pre-K.
A project manager with the statewide tuition assistance program will be at Cougar Cubs East from 4-6 p.m. April 28, and at Cougar Cubs West from 4-6 p.m. April 29.
“We do not want finances to be a reason that children do not attend preschool,” Olin shared. “Therefore, we go out of our way to make sure parents are aware that there are options to support them with tuition, if they want their children to have that experience.”
By Maribeth Vaughn
“We do not want finances to be a reason that children do not attend preschool,” Olin shared. “Therefore, we go out of our way to make sure parents are aware that there are options to support them with tuition, if they want their children to have that experience.”
