February Kindergarten Readiness Newsletter

Dear Pre-K Families,

MNPS 2026-27 Kindergarten Registration opened on January 26, 2026. Please check the MNPS website for information. This is a great time to start preparing by gathering your documents to enroll your child.

If you have family and friends interested in the MNPS Pre-K program the 2026-27 MNPS Pre-K Application will open on March 2, 2026.

Warm Wishes, MNPS Early Learning Team

Learning at Home

Each month this section will feature a recommended book and activity for families. Your child might be heading to kindergarten and now is a great time to talk about transitions. We recommend reading Snow Rabbit, Spring Rabbit by Il Sung Na.

After reading the book, talk about what the animals from the book did in winter and spring and their differences. Then, talk about what adults and children do during the Winter and Spring season.

ACTIVITY: "Where Is It?"

Place an object in different areas/positions around your home and ask your child to tell you where the object is. It's a great opportunity for your child to use their words to describe where the object is located.

Important Dates

• March 2: 2026-27 MNPS Pre-K Application Opens. Families can apply online: https://earlylearning.mnps.org/pre-kindergarten
• Save the Date: 2026 MNPS Countdown to Kindergarten Fair on Saturday, May 2, 2026 (9am - 1pm) at Lentz Public Health Center. Free event!

Family Connect

It’s a great time to start getting ready to register your child for MNPS’ kindergarten program. Here are some kindergarten registration tips:

• Find out which is your zoned school on MNPS.org or call the Family Information Center at (615) 259-4636.
• Current MNPS Pre-K families can register for kindergarten through the Campus Parent Portal. To learn more about Campus Parent Portal visit: https://www.mnps.org/students-families/familyportal
• New MNPS families can register through the Online Registration Portal.
• Families that prefer to register in-person can schedule an appointment with an MNPS Enrollment Center.
• Gather all the documents you need:
  • Birth Certificate or record of birth
  • Tennessee Immunization Certificate
  • Proof of your Child’s Physical Exam
  • Proof of Davidson County residency
  • Parent/Legal Guardian photo ID
• If you go through the MNPS’ Optional Schools process, you will still need to register your child for kindergarten

Family Support Corner

Winter is here and with the season comes cold weather, which sometimes causes families to stay indoors more often than usual.

Below are a few ideas and tips to support your family this winter season:

Concepts for Pre-K students to understand about “Winter”

• December, January, February, and March are Winter months.
• Winter is the coldest of the 4 seasons.
• We wear certain clothes that will help keep us warm.

@ Home Learning Activities

• Next time you do laundry, sort socks, pants, or mittens by size, shape, and color with your child. (Supports cognitive & language skills)
• Take a cup full of cotton balls & place them in a bowl. Have your child use a spoon to move the cotton balls to another bowl and count each one as they move. Option: Use tweezers or tongs rather than a spoon during the activity. This activity supports fine motor, early literacy, and math skills.

Healthy Habits

• Here’s some fun activities that you can do inside your home (great for those rainy days) to support gross motor. Gross motor skills refer to the coordination of the large muscle groups in the body, which is important to the development of a young child.
  • Go Noodle: https://www.youtube.com/user/GoNoodleGames
  • Cosmic Yoga: https://www.youtube.com/user/CosmicKidsYoga

Supporting Health Routines

Getting plenty of rest supports good health for your child.  Here are a few tips to help your child have a well-rested day:

• Try to provide a consistent bedtime and naptime for your child.
• Create a bedtime routine (i.e., choose pajamas, brush their teeth, read a story) to prepare your child for bedtime.
• Use a few drops of lavender oil in your child’s bath or rub it on their feet before bedtime. Lavender oil is a natural method to gain restful sleep.

Proper rest will provide support for your child to be ready to learn throughout the day.

Kindergarten Readiness Tip

The 2026-27 MNPS kindergarten registration opened on January 26th. If a language other than English is spoken in your home, families can register online and if you need registration assistance, families can contact the MNPS English Learners (EL) Office.  MNPS EL Office Contact Information: (615) 259-8608 or ELReg@mnps.org.
 

Activities for Children Ages 0-3

Sign up for FREE texts with activities & tips to support families with children 0-3 years of old.  Text “MNPS” to 70138.
Learn more earlylearning.mnps.org/birth-to-three