The Northshore School District will provide full-day kindergarten for all families beginning in fall 2017.“We are thrilled to provide full-day kindergarten for all incoming Northshore kindergartners,” said Superintendent Michelle Reid. “Research shows that the longer school day experience benefits students academically and socially, with academic gains persisting into later grades.”

“The literature also indicates that the largest gains occur with students who enter kindergarten with the lowest skills, though even those who arrive well prepared benefit from a full-day program,” Reid said.

Kindergarten registration for 2017-18 begins on Tuesday, Jan. 17, with orientation nights planned for 7 p.m. on March 9 and 10 at the Northshore Performing Arts Center.

Families are encouraged to register their child as soon as possible. Children who will turn 5 years old by Aug. 31, 2017, are eligible. Registration is completed at the child’s neighborhood school. Families should follow these steps:

1. Identify the neighborhood school. Remember that some boundaries are changing in the fall of 2017. Northshore’s Boundary Look-Up Tool is available to help families confirm their home school by typing in their address at www.nsd.org/2017boundaries.

2. Fill out enrollment forms. These can be downloaded online under How to Register on Northshore’s Kindergarten webpages at www.nsd.org/kindergarten or picked up at the home school. Note that some schools may have custom forms they may request that families complete.

3. Return forms and required documents to the school. Families will need proof of residency, proof of birth, immunization records and emergency contacts. Details are available in How to Register on Northshore’s Kindergarten Registration webpages at www.nsd.org/kindergarten.

Half-day AM/PM kindergarten, which is being phased out in most districts statewide, will not be offered next year at Northshore. Additional state funding has allowed Northshore to make the shift to full-day kindergarten as a benefit to students.

The district continues to work on expanding before- and after-school care at elementary schools and anticipates communicating these offerings in spring 2017.

Families can learn more about how to get ready for kindergarten under Preparing Your Child on Northshore’s Kindergarten webpages at www.nsd.org/kindergarten.