Kindergarten registration early this year

Preregistration for kindergarten and new first-grade students attending Spokane Public Schools will be held on weekdays, Tuesday through March 11, a month earlier than usual.

With three elementary schools under construction next year, district officials believe it is more important than ever for them to have an accurate count of new students.

Parents and guardians may register children from 9:30 to 11:30 a.m. and from 1 to 3:30 p.m. at neighborhood schools.

Kindergartners who normally would attend Lidgerwood, Ridgeview or Lincoln Heights elementaries should register at those schools even though for their kindergarten year they will be transported to a host school while their new school is being built.

Lincoln Heights kindergartners will attend Mullan Road Elementary; Lidgerwood kindergartens will attend Whitman, and Ridgeview kindergarteners will attend Westview. In the fall of 2006, they’ll be attending their regular neighborhood school.

For more information about the host school plan, call 354-5771 or visit www.spokaneschools.org/ ConstructionUpdate/.

A birth certificate or other verification of age is required for students who have not previously been enrolled in school. Kindergarten students must be 5 on or before Aug. 31, and first-graders must be 6 by that date.

For more information call 354-7393.

A Washington state certificate of immunization must be completed with the month, day and year of inoculation.

Information about a medical, religious, philosophical or personal exemption from immunizations is available by phoning the district’s health services department at 354-7298.

Information about life-threatening diseases should be communicated at registration.

Art show winners named

Educational Service District 101 has announced the winners of the Regional High School Art Show.

The artwork will be on display at Auntie’s Bookstore, 402 W. Main Ave., through March 9.

The art show reception will be from 3:30 to 4:30 p.m. Wednesday at Auntie’s.

First-place winning pieces go to Olympia in March for the state competition. Categories include drawing, printmaking, mixed media and photography.

Area winners are:

First place: Sara Butler, Ferris; Yelena Syvaya, Rogers; Katherine Kerschen, Kirsten Fix, Jessee Rouse and Matt Starr, St. George’s; and Levi Guthmiller and Kim Scher, Shadle Park.

Second place: Krista Godderz, Ferris; Taylor Baek, Kirsten Fix and Jenna Hatem, St. George’s; and Krista Schilling, Shadle Park.

Third place: Jessica Gonzalez, Cheney; Arielle Reed, Ferris; Shawn Hoffman, Rogers; Allison Bjerkestrand, Allynn Carpenter, Hanna Dagg and Whitney Mason, Shadle Park; and Sarah Cappello and Meghan Setzer, St. George’s.

Honorable mention: Arielle Reed, Ferris; Chantilly Higbee, Rogers; and Matt Gehr, Ed Klopfer, Allison Lawrence, Caitie Mauk, Matt Starr and Michelle Vinje, St. George’s.

Express registration planned

Families that wish to take advantage of the Express school-age child-care program for their kindergarten student with Spokane Public Schools are advised to register in early March and have immunization records available as well as information about health-care needs.

Express registration is on the third floor of the Administration Building, 200 N. Bernard St.

For more information call 354-7312.

APPLE orientation scheduled

An orientation for the APPLE program will be at 7 p.m. Monday and Wednesday in the boardroom of the Spokane Public Schools Administration Building, 200 N. Bernard St.

The APPLE program is open at no extra charge to children of all abilities, grades 1 through 6, who reside within Spokane Public Schools’ boundaries. The program is child-, teacher- and parent-directed.

The basic academic assessments and curriculum requirements are the same as in all district classes.

APPLE is nongraded. Evaluation of individual student progress is ongoing.

Classrooms are multiage; grades one and two, three and four, and five and six are paired in three classrooms.

Families are chosen by lottery when numbers of children exceed space in classes.

The two sites available are Franklin Elementary School, 2627 E. 17th Ave., and Garfield Elementary School, 222 W. Knox Ave.

Parents, either individually or by car pooling, provide transportation, and parent participation in the program is expected. Parents can volunteer in classrooms and serve on numerous committees.

Teachers are hired by the school district with parent input.

For more information call 354-5972.

Montessori open house planned

The Montessori approach for the elementary-age child has a unique set of procedures, materials and curriculum goals designed to enhance a child’s entire life experience beyond the immediate rigors of the classroom.

Spokane Public Schools will hold an open house explaining the approach at 7 p.m., Tuesday at Jefferson Elementary School, 3612 S. Grand Blvd.

For more information call 354-5972 or visit www.spokaneschools.org/ TeachingLearning/ Montessori.stm.