Welcome to LOSD!  All of us look forward to being a part of your family’s K12 educational journey. The following is a general overview of important action items for when you are expecting an incoming kindergartner.

1. Prepare for registration. LOSD opens new student registration -- including kindergartners -- in mid-January.  Review the registration page to determine if your child is eligible for kindergarten at this time and to complete the registration process.

2. Plan to attend Kindergarten Counts. Each neighborhood elementary school hosts an open house on the evening of registration opening. It’s an opportunity for adults to meet the principal, teachers, and school leaders, and get to know more about your school and our kindergarten program.

3. Consider language immersion. Students throughout our district get their start in bilingual and bi-literate education at Palisades World Language School, home to our K-5 elementary immersion program. All incoming kindergartners are eligible for either our Spanish or Mandarin Chinese immersion program. Learn more and consider applying for our immersion education track before the lottery deadline in March. 

4. Set up childcare. Before- and after-school care for families is offered by a third-party provider at your neighborhood school. Fall enrollment for new families typically opens in March, and enrollment is on a first-come, first-serve basis. Find more information on your school website under Community Programs, Extended Day.

5. Sign up for Kindergarten Transition. Each of our elementary schools offers a Kindergarten Transition Program over the summer. This one-week, eight-hour experience is designed to help incoming kindergartners acclimate to school in a calm, inclusive, and engaging learning environment. Find more information and register on your school website under Community Programs, Kindergarten Transition Program. 

6. Mark your calendar. Find the district calendars on the district and school websites under Find It Fast / Calendar. Please note that kindergartners in Lake Oswego begin with a Kindergarten Orientation and a staggered start during the first week of school. At the end of the summer, your school’s main office will send information about your child’s orientation appointment time during the first three days of the school year. The first day for all kindergartners will be on the fourth day of the school year. 

7. Meet your teacher. Following the orientation and before the first day of school for all kindergartners, you will be notified of your child’s class placement. The first day with all kindergartners is when you will have the opportunity to meet your teacher and your child’s classmates.

8. Prepare to ride the bus. School routes with neighborhood access points are updated in August.  There is no need to register to ride the bus. Select the stop(s) that works best for your family. Kindergartners need an adult to greet them off the bus. Please be sure to be at your child’s stop ahead of time to help keep the bus moving for all onboard.

9. Be in the know. You will automatically receive school and district newsletters and communications starting mid-July when our system rolls over for the new school year. In the meantime, feel free to sign up as a community member under Departments, Communications. It's a good way to get to know the learning community. 

10. Do a little light reading. More information about district policies and practices and student and family expectations can be found in the "Welcome to Kindergarten" handbook, which is updated each August before the start of the school year.