This Thursday, March 24, enrollment will open for kindergarten with the Muscatine Community School District. Full disclosure, that’s where I work, so naturally I’m excited to share the news in this space.
In my house, two of my three children have gone through kindergarten as Muskies and both had wonderful experiences. Mary Spratt taught Henry, and Theodore had Callie Pangburn. Our boys grew so much during kindergarten and were prepared for first grade. Both teachers did fantastic jobs, and I’m grateful for their efforts for all of their students.
I’d be remiss if I didn’t acknowledge all kindergartner teachers and paraeducators who work in the district. I spent time in a couple of kindergarten classrooms capturing footage for a promo video, and I was so impressed by our staff and students. I also stick out like a sore thumb at 6 foot 5 inches tall. That said, students were so engaged in their learning that they hardly noticed me! That’s a complement to the leadership in their respective classrooms.
Back to the shameless plug; you can register your student for kindergarten in-person during our Kindergarten Round-Up event or online. The round-up will take place inside the MCSD Admin Center (2900 Mulberry Avenue) from 7:30 a.m. until 5:00 p.m. Staff will be available to answer any questions and meet with your family. Online registration is available (starting March 24) at www.MuscatineSchools.org; you could do it from your phone or tablet!
The district has several options for families, including kindergarten at your neighborhood school; Kinder-Academy (located at Grant Elementary), targeted for young five-year-olds; and new for the 2022-2023 school year is our Dual-Language Immersion Program. That’s an option for families interested in having their students be bilingual. The Dual-Language Program will be held at Franklin Elementary School.
It’s important to note that for families who currently have students enrolled in four-year-old preschool (at the Muskie Early Learning Center) do not have to register for kindergarten. We will internally advance your students and will then have you update information later in July.
Things will only get busier in my world with this registration event, prom, the Roy J. Carver Excellence in Education ceremony, and of course, the graduation of the class of 2022. I probably left off several events, and for that, I apologize. So, help me out by sharing the news with your family and friends with kindergarten aged students. We are really excited to serve our Muskie students and to set them on the path to success! Oh, and because I’m a nostalgic person, I did the math and I was in kindergarten in 1989!
