NyE Communities Coalition’s Kindergarten Roundup returns today

Officials with the Nye County School District want parents of incoming kindergarten students to have all of their ducks in a row for the fall 2016 school year.

The annual Kindergarten Roundup returns today, Friday, at the NyE Communities Coalition facility at 1020 Wilson Road from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m.

The coalition’s Pam Welch said the event is a great opportunity for parents and children to prepare for the upcoming school year.

Among the documents parents should have are birth certificates, proof of residency and photo identification.

“Kindergarten Roundup is a chance for parents to come down and register their children for kindergarten,” she said. “We will have someone here who can do immunization checks, so we ask that parents bring all the necessary information, including shot records so we can register their kindergartner.”

Welsh said a recent utility bill or rental agreement will suffice as proof of where they live.

“It’s also important for parents to bring a picture ID and any legal documents that they may need regarding adoption or a legal guardian form,” she said. “There will be representatives from all four of the elementary schools in the community. Officials from the district’s bus transportation department will also be here to advise parents about all of the bus routes. The school bus will be here too because it’s designed to get the kids acclimated to riding on the school bus.”

Additionally, parents need not worry about their kids becoming fussy during the roundup.

“We make it a cowboy-themed event and as they come in, the kids will get a little cowboy hat and a goodie bag,” Welsh said. “We will have an area set aside with seating for the kids to watch the movie ‘Toy Story’ while their parents are filling out the paperwork. This is very convenient for parents and it’s been very successful over the years. It’s also something fun for the kids. We want to get them registered early so they will be able to start school on time. We’re getting out of school in May and it’s starting back up again in August.”

Representatives from the Boy Scouts and the Girl Scouts program will also be present, along with officials from Pahrump’s Pop Warner football league.

Welsh also said the district is offering services for children who may have latent emotional issues.

“We will have what’s known as the ‘Ages and Stages’ screening, which is an emotional behavioral screening for the kids,” she said. “We will have staff ready to conduct that. It just involves filling out a questionnaire. Parents can view the results to see where their children are on the scale. That’s been a great success and it’s initiated through the Safe Schools/Healthy Students program. We have been conducting that in all of the schools for the pre-K children, but it’s open to anybody from age six months to 60 months.”

Welsh noted the program has been a valuable tool for parents with young children just entering school.

“I just think it’s going to be a lot of fun for the children and a big convenience for the parents,” she said. “We hope to meet a lot of new parents and expose those who are not familiar with what NyE Communities Coalition is all about.”

Contact reporter Selwyn Harris at sharris@pvtimes.com. On Twitter: @pvtimes