Transitional kindergarten (TK) is a unique program specifically designed for children who turn 5 between January 1st-December 31st. This program is for children who need extra time to develop the skills necessary to be successful in kindergarten, or that do not meet the age requirements to attend kindergarten (5 by 9/1).

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As students progress in our TK program, they are challenged with kindergarten-level instruction in order to develop skills and knowledge in the following areas: physical, social, emotional, and intellectual development. Our curriculum focuses on the following domain areas: Language Arts, Mathematics, Personal and Social Development, Social Studies, Science, Physical Development and Health, and The Arts.

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Benefits of Our Transitional Kindergarten:

• Small Ratio* - our class has smaller ratios (2:16) in order to provide your child with the necessary small group and one-on-one instruction they need. 

• Academic Readiness - upon entering kindergarten, students have a greater foundation in language arts and mathematics that help them transition more easily into the expectations of the kindergarten classroom. 

• Executive Functioning Skills -

  • Independence - ​The kindergarten classroom requires students to be able to work independently throughout different parts of the day. It is important that children have opportunities to try new things and do tasks on their own. Examples of activities to build independence are: packing and unpacking themselves, carrying their own belongings, dressing and undressing, and completing activities at independent workstations. Children also need to spend short amounts of time away from home and parents to help gain independence and work on building their stamina for the separation that full-day kindergarten requires. 

  • Self-Control - Although we do not expect children to be able to control themselves all the time, children at this age are developing self-control. They will need to be able to complete tasks such as sitting and listening for short periods of time during the school day, refrain from the impulse to hit or push when upset, and working to get along with peers. 

• Taught by a highly qualified and state certified teacher -

  • Miss Cheyenne is a licensed teacher in the state of Maryland (prek-3rd grade and ESOL prek-12th grade). She also has a Bachelor's and Master's Degree in Education. 

• TK students participate in Specials on Fridays. The specials for the 2023-2024 are: Art, Zumbini, Science, and Karate. 

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Requirements:

• Must have successfully completed a pre-kindergarten (4yr old) program.

• All TK students must be fully potty-trained.**

• Please note that if your child is eligible to attend kindergarten, a kindergarten waiver must be submitted to HCPSS (or your local school system) prior to the start of the school year. It is the responsibility of the parent/guardian to submit this information to the school system. However, for your convenience, some county waiver information can be found below. 

  • Howard County Public Schools System

  • Baltimore County Public Schools

  • Montgomery County Public Schools

  • Baltimore City Public Schools

  • Carroll County Public Schools

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*Our class may include a mix of pre-kindergarten (4s), transitional kindergarten (5s), and alternative kindergarten students. Babies and toddlers are never accepted. As always, having different ages and ability levels does not affect the level of instruction that your child receives. Each child receives personalized and differentiated instruction daily to meet their individual goals and needs. 

**Fully potty-trained is defined by as children being able to go through the entire day without wetting or soiling themselves and not needing a diaper or pull-up at anytime during the day. The fully potty trained child is also completely independent for knowing when to go to the bathroom, and does not need assistance inside the bathroom such as getting on or off the potty, pulling pants up or down, redressing and wiping. If your child is determined by MCPKA to not be full potty-trained, then the MCPKA has the right to change enrollment status.