Language

Kindergarten Screening

Is your child ready for Kindergarten?

Do you have a child who will be five years old prior to December 1, 2025? Find out at Kindergarten Screening, where we help you and your child determine if Kindergarten or Transitional Kindergarten (TK) is right for them. Kindergarten Screening is required for all students entering any JPS kindergarten program.

Transitional Kindergarten

Smaller adult to child ration
Focused time on task 5-10 minutes
Consistent choice/play time throughout the school year
Focus on building pre-kindergarten skills such as letter recognition, fine motor development, and foundational social-emotional skills

Kindergarten

Typical elementary class size
Focused time on task 10-25 minutes
Expectations for independence and self care skills
Less frequent choice/play time
Emphasizes reading, writing, and problem-solving in math and science

What is Kindergarten Screening?

Kindergarten Screening measures:

Early development
Academic skills
Asses Kindergarten readiness

Our team uses the results of the screening to provide you with a recommendation and parter with you as you determine what program is best for your child.

The Kindergarten Screening Process

Part 1 - Register and Book Appointment

Step 1: Create an account for registration (or sign in if you have an existing account for an older student)

Step 2: Complete registration

Step 3: Once registration is submitted, book a Kindergarten Screening appointment

Book Now Button

Appointments are currently available on February 5 and 6.

Please note that appointments are available on a first-come, first-served basis. If all time slots for the current screening days are filled, we will contact you to arrange the next available opportunity.

Part 2 - During Appointment

Step 4: Check in at your Kindergarten Screening appointment with your child.

Step 5: The following steps happen simultaneously

Step 5a: The student

Participates and completes the screening
Selects a book to take home

Step 5b: The parent

Enjoys a snack or coffee
Has the opportunity to ask questions while they wait for their child to finish screening

Step 6: Right after the screening

A staff member will review the results with the parent
Parents can indicate their preference of placement for:
- Transitional Kindergarten
- Kindergarten
- Spanish Immersion Kindergarten (SI K)
- Wilderness Academy Kindergarten (WA K)
- Jenison Innovation Academy Kindergarten (JIA K)
Complete the program specific application if necessary
- Spanish Immersion Kindergarten (SI K)
- Wilderness Academy Kindergarten (WA K)
- Jenison Innovation Academy Kindergarten (JIA K)
The student and family have the opportunity to take a selfie or family photo in front of the JPS backdrop to celebrate this milestone.

Part 3 - Post Appointment

Step 7: After approximately 2-3 weeks you will receive an email with your child's placement recommendation

Step 7a: (Optional) You can submit the response form if you would like further discussion regarding your child's placement recommendation

Step 7b: If you applied for a specific Kindergarten program please see the section below.

Step 8: Elementary Building placements are emailed by the end of March

Step 9: Teacher placements are emailed in the beginning of August

Specific Kindergarten Programs

Spanish Immersion Kindergarten Process

Step 1: If we received your application for Spanish Immersion Kindergarten by the application deadline (Feb. 11) and your child was recommended for Kindergarten not TK then you will be automatically entered into the lottery system.

The lottery is on Feb. 17th at 4pm.

Step 2: After the lottery takes place you will receive an email letting you know if you've been accepted (parents need to confirm acceptance within a week) or if you have been placed on the waitlist.

Wilderness Academy Process

Step 1: If we received your application for Wilderness Academy Kindergarten by the application deadline (March 3) and your child was recommended for Kindergarten not TK then you will be automatically entered into the lottery system.

The lottery is on March 5 at 4pm.

Step 2: After the lottery takes place you will receive an email letting you know if you've been accepted (parents need to confirm acceptance within a week) or if you have been placed on the waitlist.

JIA

Process

If your child wants to do JIA, ask Cam