Getting ready for the brand new world of kindergarten

Back-to-school commercials are flooding our television, and the back corner of Target is stocked with notebooks, glue sticks, and lunch boxes. It’s sad to say, but we’re already somehow on the fast track to fall — and a new school year.

And soon, our Stella will be starting kindergarten. Excuse me while I spend the next few weeks trying to fathom how quickly this day snuck up on us. It feels like I’ve been mentally preparing for this day for the last couple of years, ever since the term “kindergarten roundup” first entered my parental orbit.

Earlier this year, we registered Stella for kindergarten, and signed up our family to attend kindergarten roundup in the spring.

Along with filling out a questionnaire about her skill levels and personality, we also needed to make sure we brought some very important pieces of documentation:

  • Proof of residency (in the form of a utility bill, for example)
  • Proof of birth (an original birth certificate)
  • Proof of vaccinations

Fortunately for us, Stella’s early spring birthday meant that we were already scheduled for her annual wellness checkup prior to roundup. We were able to make sure Stella was up-to-date on her vaccinations and request the paperwork her school would need from us. I Vaccinate provides several helpful resources for immunization schedules and Michigan school requirements, based on information from the CDC and Michigan Department of Health and Human Services.

Making sure our daughters are up-to-date on their vaccinations is something that my husband and I agree is one of the most important things we can do as parents. Not just for their health, but also for the health of others.  Continue reading “Getting ready for the brand new world of kindergarten”