On March 5th and 6th, the Dell Rapids School District will host its annual Kindergarten Round-Up at the elementary school. We look forward to this event as we get to meet the new students and families who will officially become Quarrier students for the upcoming school year. With this annual event at our elementary school, we think it is important to share with you a snapshot of the kindergarten round-up. Families with children who will be 5 on or before September 1, 2026, need to register their child for a screening session. The registration form is located on the Dell Rapids School District webpage, dr-k12.org, or you can call the elementary school office, 605-428-5473 option 4.
The screening will last about an hour. After being welcomed into the school, future kindergarten children will be able to participate in a variety of activities held in classrooms. Throughout the activities, teachers will be observing and evaluating a wide variety of readiness skills: social readiness, language readiness, large and small motor skills, and academic concepts. Parents/guardians will have an opportunity to tour the school, visit with other parents/guardians, look over school readiness materials, join the DRES Parent Teacher Organization, etc. Following the screening activities, a kindergarten teacher will conference with the parent/guardian to discuss kindergarten readiness and placement.
DRES provides two programs for kindergarten eligible children. Kindergarten Prep is an all-day everyday program for students who meet the age cut-off for kindergarten but may not quite be ready to go to kindergarten. Kindergarten at Dell Rapids Elementary is also an all-day everyday program. With the increase in academic rigor of kindergarten, we see a greater focus on content standards in kindergarten than what we may have remembered from our kindergarten experience.
It is always our hope at kindergarten round-up that our teachers and parents can have focused discussions on the child’s readiness for kindergarten. We want these conversations to focus on how to best prepare each child for success throughout their school experience. Afterall, we know that a solid foundation in a child’s early learning helps to support success as they progress through elementary school.
Sign up today! We look forward to meeting you and your kindergarten-eligible child on March 5th or 6th at Kindergarten Round Up.
Kindergarten Round-up Registration Link
Mrs. Merkwan, DRES Principal