POMONA – Pomona Unified is opening enrollment for its Transitional Kindergarten program for the 2016-17 school year, providing young learners a social and academic jump-start that will prepare them for each level of their education, from kindergarten to high school and beyond.

The Transitional Kindergarten (TK) program is a bridge between the preschool environment and the more structured setting of kindergarten. Available at 10 elementary school sites, the program provides an enriched foundation upon which students can build necessary social and academic skills early on in their academic careers.

“Rich early learning programs like these have shown to vastly improve students’ academic performance, helping to close the achievement gap and prepare them as they continue through their education,” said Board of Education President Adrienne Konigar-Macklin. “It’s an incredible program that is designed to ensure the ongoing academic and personal success of each of our students who enroll.”

Students in Pomona Unified’s TK program receive a high-quality early childhood education with an age-appropriate curriculum designed to increase their comprehension, social, communication and motor skills. Students are exposed to words and sentences and mathematical concepts, like counting and patterns, through interactive lessons and activities.

The 2016-17 TK program is open to children whose fifth birthday falls between Sept. 2 and Dec. 31, 2016.

Parents can enroll their children directly at any of the sites offering the program. They include:

  • Armstrong Elementary School, 22750 Beaverhead Drive, Diamond Bar
  • Arroyo Elementary School, 1605 W. Arroyo Ave., Pomona
  • Decker Elementary School, 20 Village Loop Road, Pomona
  • Kingsley Elementary School, 1170 Washington Ave., Pomona
  • Lexington Elementary School, 550 W. Lexington Ave., Pomona
  • Lopez Elementary School, 701 S. White Ave., Pomona
  • Madison Elementary School, 351 W. Phillips Blvd., Pomona
  • Philadelphia Elementary School, 600 E. Philadelphia St., Pomona
  • San Jose Elementary School, 2015 Cadillac Drive, Pomona
  • Vejar Elementary School, 950 W. Grand Ave., Pomona

“Students in our TK program learn in an enriching and academically challenging environment that includes student-centered instruction and hands-on learning, which is critical to their success in our schools,” said PUSD Superintendent Richard Martinez. “Our goal is to always try to promote rigor and this program provides a strong foundation for long-term academic success.”

For more information about the program, call (909) 397-4800, ext. 23042.