I have many fond memories of taking my young twin daughters to the kindergarten roundup in the late 1990s.  They were able to ride the school bus, walk around their school building (Harrison Parkway for our family) and familiarize my daughters with the experience of going to school for the first time.

The kindergarten roundup may no longer be a thing, but there are other ways to accomplish the same thing, and COVID simply complicates the entire situation.

The HSE student population decreased by about 400 in the current school year, and school officials have said parents have told them many families opted to delay starting school in the era of COVID.

At the March 10th Hamilton Southeastern (HSE) School Board meeting, a new promotion was revealed to encourage parents to sign-up their youngsters for kindergarten.  The promotion will have several ingredients, including Facebook ads and other social media.

Riddles will be a part of the promotion.  There will be clues on where the school bus is parked on a particular day (see photo above).  There will be a backpack giveaway in partnership with the HSE Schools Foundation.  One backpack will be awarded per school.  You must be enrolled by April 30th to be eligible for the drawing.

Virtual building tours will be available March 30th.  There will be an in-person open house with timed entries for social distancing April 13th.  Friday tours will also be available.

In order to enroll in kindergarten, the family must reside within the HSE School District boundaries.  The child must be 5 years old on or before August 1, 2021.  A child can qualify for early entrance by turning 5 years of age between August 1 and September 1 of the enrollment year.

For more information on HSE Schools kindergarten enrollment, use this link.