Frequently Asked Questions

A pupil may enter kindergarten if her/his chronological age will be five (5) years old
on or before September 30 of the school year for which the child is enrolling.

The purpose of kindergarten screening is to assess student readiness for kindergarten. During the screening your child will meet with: the school nurse for vision and hearing tests; special education teachers, our occupational therapist, speech therapist, and kindergarten teachers to access for any unidentified needs. Kindergarten screening is not about academic needs and more about social skills and ability to work with others.

Kindergarten screening happens during the course of one day. Students are led through different stations in small groups for about 45 minutes while parents can meet and ask questions about Kindergarten and Marion Cross School. 

Every day begins with a morning meeting where students gather and greet one another. Kindergarten students have a morning and afternoon snack as well as a morning and lunchtime recess. MCS does not have a cafeteria, so students each lunch in the classroom. In the afternoon, there is a quiet time where students rest. Students are not expected to sleep during this time, but it's ok if they do. Kindergarteners have a special everyday. The specials are library, music, art, PE and French. All of the specials meet once a week, except PE which meeting twice a week and French which meets in the classroom everyday.
On Fridays, kindergarten classes spend the day at the outdoor classroom in the Milt Frye Area behind the school for Forest Fridays. More information about Forest Fridays

School starts at 8:10am, but students can be dropped off as early as 7:30am. Kindergarteners are restricted to the area near the play structure in front of school and kindergarten classes line up to go inside with their teachers in this area.

School ends at 3:10pm Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday and at 2:10pm on Wednesdays. Kindergarteners are picked up in the COOP area outside the kindergarten classrooms. The teacher must see the person picking up your child and shake hands with your child before he or she is dismissed.

MCS is a hectic place for pick up and drop off. The bus lane is close to kindergarten classrooms, but you cannot use the bus driveway when buses are present. After 7:40, you can typically use the bus lane for drop off. If you use the bus lane, pull all the way in the driveway, go up the short hill, use the bus turnaround, and drop off your children by the fence. This way your child gets out on the right-hand side of their cars. We have has some close calls with children crossing the lane of traffic. It truly is much safer not having children dart across the driveway. After school, the bus lane is not available for use.
 

St. Barnabas (the grey church) has been both generous and flexible with us, offering us their front and back lots as drop off/pick up sites for children at the beginning and end of the day. If you park here, please walk your child across the bus lane to school.

Typically the PTO or one of the kindergarten parents arranges meet-ups during the summer. At the end of the summer the PTO usually holds a Popsicles on the Playground for families to meet before the school year starts.

On average there are two kindergarten classes. For the first two weeks of school, all students are combined. Individual classroom assignments will begin with the first full week of school. The teachers are Jennifer Newberry and Ashley Morse.

Classes are typically between 15-18 children.