Transition to Kindergarten (TK)
Transition to Kindergarten (TK) is a half-year (January-June) federally funded program for children ages 4 or 5 who will attend kindergarten the upcoming fall. Participating students are identified through a screening process to be in need of additional preparation for a successful kindergarten experience.
Program Overview
Who
To be eligible for Transition to Kindergarten, children must:
- Be 5 years old on or before Aug. 31 of the year the program starts (meaning they will be kindergartners in the upcoming fall)
- Live within the Tahoma School District boundaries
- Not be currently enrolled in an early learning program (preschool or daycare)
- Demonstrate academic and/or social-emotional needs through a screening process
Some examples of a child needing additional support to be ready for kindergarten:
- Doesn’t attend daycare or preschool and therefore doesn’t have experiences with following directions and listening to other adults, following routines/procedures and separating from their parents
- Doesn’t have opportunities to interact with peers and practice sharing/taking turns and problem solving
- Doesn’t know how to hold a pencil/crayon or use scissors
- Doesn’t know the letters in their name or how to write it
- Doesn’t speak English at home and doesn’t participate in a program outside the home where English is spoken
When
The 2024-25 school year Transition to Kindergarten program will begin Jan. 15, 2025 and run through the end of the school year on June 18, 2025. Applications for the upcoming year's TK program will be accepted starting in October 2024. Interviews will be scheduled for November 2024.
Where
There will be two TK classrooms in 2024-25: one at Cedar River Elementary and one at Lake Wilderness Elementary. Transportation* will be offered to all participating TK students.
How to apply
Our application window is currently closed.
Transportation
Students who opt-in for district provided transportation will ride a transfer bus from their designated home school to the school where the program is located. Future Glacier Park, Lake Wilderness and Shadow Lake students will attend the Lake Wilderness class. Future Cedar River, Rock Creek and Tahoma Elementary students will attend the Cedar River class.
Learn More About Transition to Kindergarten
Contact Information
Christine Thurston
Early Learning Coordinator
(425) 413-3400
cthursto@tahomasd.us
Carole Witruk
Exec. Assistant, Teaching & Learning
(425) 413-3400
cwitruk@tahomasd.us