By LARRY LANNAN
I have many fond memories of taking my young twin daughters to the kindergarten roundup in the late 1990s. They were able to ride the school bus, walk around their school building (Harrison Parkway for our family) and familiarize my daughters with the experience of going to school for the first time.
The kindergarten roundup may no longer be a thing, but there are other ways to accomplish the same thing, and COVID simply complicates the entire situation.
The Hamilton Southeastern (HSE) student population decreased by about 400 in the current school year, and school officials have said parents have told them many families opted to delay starting school in the era of COVID.
At the HSE school board meeting on March 10, a new promotion was revealed to encourage parents to sign-up their youngsters for kindergarten. The promotion will have several ingredients, including Facebook ads and other social media.
Riddles will be a part of the promotion. There will be clues on where the school bus is parked on a particular day. There will be a backpack giveaway in partnership with the HSE Schools Foundation. One backpack will be awarded per school. You must be enrolled by April 30 to be eligible for the drawing.
Virtual building tours will be available March 30. There will be an in-person open house with timed entries for social distancing April 13. Friday tours will also be available.
In order to enroll in kindergarten, the family must reside within the HSE school district boundaries. The child must be five years old on or before Aug, 1, 2021. A child can qualify for early entrance by turning five years of age between Aug. 1 and Sept. 1 of the enrollment year.
Click here for more information on kindergarten enrollment at HSE Schools.