Last week was Durham’s 2nd Annual Kindergarten Registration Week and first ever Kindergarten Registration Celebration. Thanks to the hard work and collaboration of Durham’s Partnership for Children, Durham Public Schools, volunteers, community agencies, and local businesses, this Transition to Kindergarten effort was hugely successful in reaching rising kindergartners in Durham!
Throughout the week, more than 2,600 registration packets were distributed to children and families throughout the community. Families received packets at a variety of local businesses and community agencies, including: Compare Foods, Durham County Department of Public Health, Durham County Library, Durham Housing Authority, Durham Parks and Recreation, Duke Pediatrics, East Durham Children’s Initiative, Families Moving Forward, Kroger, La Superior, Lincoln Community Health Center, Northgate Mall, Notasium, Walmart, and the YMCA. Kindergarten registration packets and resources were also distributed to a large number of child care centers and DPS classrooms. Thanks to our friends at First Pages, children who received packets at local businesses also received a free book!
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At the Kindergarten Registration Celebration on March 24th, more than 600 people joined us for an informative and fun evening! Families received registration packet and information and had a chance to get their questions answered by DPS staff. They then were able to schedule their Kindergarten Health Assessment appointments, and received a ton of resources, including Blast Off to Kindergarten Kits and other school readiness materials.
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And then came the fun part: free snow cones, food trucks, crafts with Scrap Exchange, face painting, bubbles, balloon animals, the library Bookmobile, firefighters and their truck, and mascots Wool E. Bull and Ready Eddy! Everyone had a blast, and more importantly, children and families left feeling excited about starting school knowing that their community supports them.
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School readiness is everybody’s business. Kindergarten Registration Week and the Celebration was a wonderful example of what happens when all sectors of the community come together to support Durham’s young learners. Thank you to everyone who participated and helped us prepare Durham’s children to succeed!
Please click here to view more pictures from the Kindergarten Registration Celebration on Facebook.
