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Early Childhood Education

Early Childhood Education - Four-Year-Old Kindergarten

KCSD offers an all-day 4K program to eligible children in Kershaw County.  Below are some Frequently Asked Questions - if you need further information, please contact Director of Elementary Education Virginia Catoe for more information.  Her email address is virginia.catoe@kcsdschools.net.

 

Parent Resources for 4K

  • CERDEP Parent Handbook for 2024-25 School Year
    Kershaw County School District's resource guide for parents on our four-year-old kindergarten.
     
  • Important Milestones: Your Child By Four Years
    Information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) - How your child plays, learns, speaks, acts, and moves offers important clues about your child’s development. Developmental milestones are things most children can do by a certain age.  Check the milestones your child has reached by the end of 4 years by completing a checklist with CDC’s free Milestone Tracker mobile app or by printing the checklist. Take the checklist with you and talk with your child’s doctor at every visit about the milestones your child has reached and what to expect next.
     
  • CDC’s Milestone Tracker App
    Information from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) - Milestones matter! Track your child’s milestones from age 2 months to 5 years with CDC’s easy-to-use illustrated checklists; get tips from CDC for encouraging your child’s development; and find out what to do if you are ever concerned about how your child is developing.
     
  • Supporting Early Literacy at Home: A Parent's Guide (SC Department of Education)
    This is a series of online lessons designed to provide information for parents and caregivers to support their children’s early literacy development. Research shows that parent/caregiver involvement is the number one predictor of early literacy success as well as future academic success.
     
  • CERDEP Program Information
    More information about the CERDEP program from the SC Department of Education.
     
  • First 5 South Carolina
    We connect families with South Carolina's public services for young children.
     
  • Additional Parent Resource Flyers
    Flyers with tips on transitioning to 4K, sleeping, toilet training and other resources.

 

Frequently Asked Questions on Four-Year-Old Kindergarten

Is it too late to register for 4K?

How long does the screening take?

  • Up to an hour

Where do you go for screening?

  • Your child's screening will take place at the district office or at a school in your area.

When will I hear the results from the screening?

  • Results letters will be sent out in late May.

How does my child qualify to get in the 4K program?

  • There are three ways to get in: You may qualify through financial, medicaid or academic need.

Will all students get in?

  • Students who show need/screen not ready for Kindergarten will be given first choice. Currently, KCSD has at least one 4K class in each elementary school. Additional classes may be opened as need is shown and as space in the school allows, given SCDE approval.

Is there anything else I need to do when I get my results letter?

  • ALL residency requirements MUST be turned into the school to secure your space in the 4K class for the upcoming year.

Will bus transportation be provided?

  • Transportation will be provided to the zoned school following state guidelines. Parents requesting out of zone placement will have to provide transportation.

What if I want my child to attend a school I am not zoned for?

  • Zoned students will be placed before out of zone requests are honored. Please address out of zone requests to Mr. Rhea Faris, Director of Pupil Services.  His email address is rhea.faris@kcsdschools.net.

Who will teach my child?

  • All 4K classes will be taught by certified Early Childhood Educators. An assistant will also work with each 4K teacher.

What curriculum will the district use for 4K?

  • The district uses Big Day for Pre-K, which is one of the state-approved curriculum choices. Following are the eight themes that will be covered each year in Pre-K: Getting Ready for School, Family, Our Community, Awesome Animals, Imagine, Growing up Healthy, Nature all Around, Moving on to 5K.

Will my child take a nap each day?

  • Quiet time is built into each day’s schedule. Quiet rest time will be scheduled daily for 30-45 minutes, but not more than 1 hour for a sleeping child. Rest does not always mean nap. Students may read, listen to music, or be read to during this time to quiet their minds and bodies from the activities of the day.

What does the schedule for the day look like?

  • Morning
    • Meet and Greet-10 min.
    • Morning Circle/Storytime-25 min.
    • Learning Centers- 60 min.
    • Snack- 10 min.
    • Circle/Storytime-25 min.
    • Outdoor time-25 min.
    • Lunch-30 min.
       
  • Afternoon
    • Read-aloud-15 min.
    • Quiet time- up to 1 hr.
    • Song-10 min.
    • Circle/Storytime-25 min.
    • Center time-30 min.
    • Outdoor time-25 min.
    • Closing/Wrap up-10 min.