Get Ready for Kindergarten!
If you have a child who will be age 5 on or before August 31, 2026, it’s time to register them for kindergarten in Henderson County Public Schools!
Registration for the 2026-2027 school year opens online February 2, 2026!
If you need assistance with the online registration or have questions, contact the school in your home district.
Once your child is registered, check out the kindergarten readiness activities and resources below to help prepare your new student for their first day and year of school.
Attend Your School’s Readiness Rally
Get to know your new school family! Save the date for your school’s scheduled kindergarten readiness rally, and plan to attend the entire event – it’s where you and your child will see the school, meet teachers and administrators, ask questions, and learn about kindergarten readiness skills families can practice at home.
New kindergarteners should attend the rally of their home school district, even if families plan to make a request for transfer/reassignment to another school. To determine your home school district, call the HCPS Transportation Department at 828-697-4739.
Pick up a READY! Kit at your readiness rally!
A project of the READY! Initiative* in Henderson County, these kits are designed to support kindergarten readiness at home and filled with items like books, crayons, clay, safety scissors, Unifix cubes and activity sheets for using the materials. A READY! Kit will be given to every kindergartener attending their school rally.
* a cooperation of HCPS, Smart Start Partnership for Children, and community partners
Check the schedule below for the date and time of your school’s rally.
Kindergarten Readiness Rallies
| Atkinson Elementary | “Cougar Countdown” | March 10, 2026 (5:00 – 6:15 p.m.) |
| Bruce Drysdale Elementary | “Bearcat Basics” | March 5, 2026 (5:00 – 6:30 p.m.) |
| Clear Creek Elementary | “KinderCub Kickoff” | March 12, 2026 (5:00-6:15 p.m.) |
| Dana Elementary | “Wildcat Welcome Rally” | March 12, 2026 (5:00 – 6:30 p.m.) |
| Edneyville Elementary | “Huddle at the Hive” | March 26, 2026 (5:00– 6:15 p.m.) |
| Etowah Elementary | “Rising Stars Rally” | March 26, 2026 (5:00 – 6:15 p.m.) |
| Fletcher Elementary | “Fox Cub Corral” | March ____, 2026 (5:30 – 6:30 p.m.) |
| Glenn C. Marlow Elementary | “Mustang Readiness Round-Up” | March 10, 2026 (5:30 – 6:45 p.m.) |
| *Hendersonville Elementary | “Cubcat Readiness Rally” | February 26, 2026 (5:30 – 7:00 p.m.) |
| Hillandale Elementary | “Husky Pup Academy” | March 24, 2026 (5:30 – 6:30 p.m.) |
| Mills River Elementary | “First Flight” | February 23, 2026 (5:00 – 6:30 p.m.) |
| Sugarloaf Elementary | “ROAR Academy” | March 24, 2026 (5:00 – 6:30 p.m.) |
| Upward Elementary | “Eagles Flight Training” | March 5, 2026 (5:00 – 6:30 p.m.) |
Kindergarten Q&A Sessions
Parents will have two opportunities to learn more and feel confident about the kindergarten journey during dedicated Q&A sessions this year. These informative events will feature elementary school principals, kindergarten teachers, school counselors, a school resource officer, and more—ready to answer questions about the registration process and what to expect in kindergarten.
Both sessions will take place at the Main Hendersonville Library, with the first on February 9th at 5:30 p.m. and the second on February 10th at 5:30 p.m.
These interactive sessions are a valuable resource for families as they prepare their children for a successful start to kindergarten.
Kindergarteners Can!
These Henderson County Public Schools kindergarteners are showing incoming students what they can expect when they start school! We invite newly enrolled families to watch the “HCPS Kindergarteners Can” video for a fun introduction to what kindergarten will look like at HCPS!
Check Out These Resources
Developed by the N.C. Department of Public Instruction’s Office of Early Learning, this guide provides information on age-appropriate developmental skills and support activities, including checklists of “I Can” statements for the five areas of development. Using this guide, families can note how frequently they observe their child demonstrating specific skills in “I Can” statements, to understand which skills are strengths and which can benefit from support as they transition to kindergarten.
Developed by the N.C. Department of Public Instruction’s Office of Early Learning, “Literacy at Home” is a digital library of literacy activities and access to digital books, grouped by grade level. Designed to support families in building children’s literacy skills at home – including before they even enter a kindergarten classroom – target the literacy skills of phonemic awareness, phonics, fluency, vocabulary, reading comprehension, and oral language.
Henderson County Public Schools utilizes Letterland© phonics curriculum in all elementary schools to establish a strong start in reading and writing. Families can use this guide to preview the Letterland© story-based approach their children will begin learning in kindergarten.