DEARBORN — Parents living in the Dearborn School District with students planning on starting kindergarten in the fall are being invited to participate in kindergarten roundups.

Parents and guardians can participate at their local elementary schools and also start enrolling now through the district’s website at www.dearbornschools.org/enroll.

Each of the district’s 21 schools with elementary students enrolled are planning to hold roundups in March or April.

Due to the pandemic, most of the schools are planning virtual events that will either be live via Zoom or recorded and posted on their websites.

The roundups are intended to provide parents of future kindergartners with important information about starting school, including the special kindergarten schedule, required student assessments and how to help prepare the child for class.

Enrolling in the spring also allows the district to have accurate information to make staffing decisions for the fall.

Dearborn Public Schools offers one of the lowest teacher to student ratios of any district in Wayne County, with an average classroom size of 22 students in kindergarten through second grade and 23 students in third through fifth grades.

To enroll in kindergarten, students must be 5-years-old by Sept. 1 and live within the district, but waivers are available for students who will turn 5 after Sept. 1 and before Dec. 1 that must be submitted before June 1. 

Dearborn Public Schools also offers a free Young Fives program for students who will turn 5 between June 15 and December 1.

The Young Fives Program is an all-day program offered at select schools that follows the kindergarten curriculum and allows children to better develop the academic and emotional skills they need to succeed in school.

Young Fives does have a space limit and is only offered at DuVall, Henry Ford, William Ford, Geer Park, Haigh, Lindbergh, Maples, McCollough, River Oaks, Salina, Snow, and Whitmore-Bolles Elementary Schools.

For more information on the Young Fives Program, parents are asked to contact student services at 313-827-3005.

Dearborn Schools will also be using a special schedule for kindergartners by offering a soft start of half days of school for the first week of class from Aug. 30 until Sept. 2.

Parents also have the option of completing student enrollment entirely online at www.dearbornschools.org/enroll, but some required paperwork must also be submitted.

Unless parents opt into Howe School’s Montessori program, kindergarten students are expected to attend the school in their neighborhood, which can be found on the district’s elementary school enrollment map.

Parents are encouraged to check their school’s website closer to the building’s event for information on how to participate and they may also contact the school to request information.

For schools that opt for in-person events, parents will be required to properly wear face masks while at the school and also complete a COVID screening before entering the building.

March 18:

Oakman Elementary – 313-827-6500 — 1:45 p.m., in the cafeteria following social distancing protocols. Face masks required.  Parents who are not feeling well or who may have been exposed to COVID should not attend. See the screening tools.

DuVall Elementary, 313-827-2750 — 6 p.m. video posted on school website.

March 24:

River Oaks Elementary, 313-827-6750 — 2-3 p.m., live virtual meeting.

Henry Ford Elementary, 313-827-4700 — 2:30-3:30 p.m., live virtual meeting.

Haigh Elementary, 313-827-6205 — 6 p.m., video posted to website.

Howard Elementary, 313-827-6350 — 6 p.m., presentation posted to website.

Lindbergh Elementary, 313-827-6300 — 6 p.m. video posted.

March 25:

McDonald Elementary, 313-827-6700 — 10-11 a.m., virtual meeting.

Becker Elementary, 313-827-6950 —  2-3 p.m., live event via Zoom.  

William Ford Elementary, 313-827-6400 — 2-3 p.m., live virtual meeting.

April 7:

Miller Elementary, 313-827-6850 — 9 a.m., video presentation will be posted to the website.

Salina Elementary, 313-827-6550 — 4 p.m., live Zoom meeting.  Meeting will be recorded and later posted to the website.

April 9:

Lowrey School, 313-827-1800 — 9:30-10:30 a.m., packet pickup.  Virtual presentation will be posted April 8.

April 13:

Geer Park Elementary, 313-827-2300 — 2:45-3:45 p.m., live virtual meeting.

April 14:

Maples Elementary, 313-827-6450 — 1-2 p.m., live virtual meeting will be recorded and posted to the website.

McCollough Elementary, 313-827-1700 — 8:30 a.m., virtual meeting.

Snow Elementary, 313-827-6250 — 4 p.m., video will be posted.

April 15:

Whitmore Bolles, 313-827-6800 — 6 p.m., presentation will be posted.

April 22: 

Long Elementary, 313-827-6100 — 4 p.m., virtual meeting.

Nowlin Elementary, 313-827-6900 — 6-7 p.m., presentation posted to website.

April 26:

Howe Elementary, 313-827-7000 —  5:30-6:30 p.m., possibly in-person event.