It’s time for kindergarten and preschool registration for the 2016-17 school year. Registration and open house for McDowell Mountain Elementary School are Thursday and Friday, Feb. 25-26. The school is located at 14825 N. Fayette Dr. in Fountain Hills, AZ.

On Thursday, Feb. 25, registration will be held in the evening from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. Then on Friday, Feb. 26, it will be held during the day from 9 to 11:30 a.m. and then from 12:30 to 2:30 p.m. Interested parents are asked to bring their child along to the registration to meet some of the school’s kindergarten teachers and take part in some fun activities. There will also be school tours with Principal Valerie Dehombreux.

McDowell Mountain offers free, full-day kindergarten. Half-day kindergarten is also available for morning instruction. Your child needs to be five years of age before Sept. 1, 2016. Dehombreux said the school’s stribg academic program includes 350 daily minutes of instructional curriculum. Language and literacy, math, social studies, and science are all taught along with related arts classes in music, art, PE, and technology.

A birth certificate, immunization records, and proof of residency will be needed upon registration for all children enrolling.

Developmental and community preschools are both offered for students 3-4 years of age and for children who turn five after Aug. 31, 2016.

Developmental preschool is a four-day program either in the morning or afternoon for children who are delayed in areas of development (such as speech/language, motor skills, social-emotional, cognitive, or adaptive skills). Tuition-paid peer model students provide positive peer interactions, demonstrate play skills and model appropriate language and behavior for children with special needs while in the classroom setting.

Community preschool is a tuition-based program and First Things First scholarships are available for families who financially qualify. You may sign up for five half days of preschool in the mornings or five full days of preschool. The children also attend two related arts classes per semester.

For more information on any of our programs, contact the McDowell Mountain office at 480-664-5212 or 480-664-5211.