Kindergarten Information

We are so excited to meet our new incoming kindergarten students during kindergarten screening!

Registration will open in the spring for 2024/25 the school year.

Kindergarten Screening

Children learn and develop — academically, socially and physically — at different paces. That's why having your child participate in kindergarten screening is so important.

Kindergarten screening is free to any child in Ozark School District who will be 5 years old on or before July 31. You can register by calling the elementary school your child will attend.

Kindergarten screening is an evaluation of various skills to see where your child is developmentally. Children have the opportunity to interact with the kindergarten staff and play games that assess their fine and gross motor skills, as well as their language and concept skills. Once the screening is complete, a staff member will review the results with the parent and answer questions.

The information obtained during the screening, which typically lasts 1-2 hours, is valuable for the parent and the school.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is kindergarten screening?

Why is kindergarten screening important?

What do I need to bring to my child’s kindergarten screening?

What are the age requirements to be eligible for kindergarten?

How long does screening last?

What if my child doesn’t pass the screening?

What if my child doesn’t have all their immunizations yet?

Is my child ready for kindergarten?

You know your child best. Children learn and develop (academically, socially and physically) at different paces. Kindergarten screening and kindergarten summer school are great resources to help parents decide if their child is ready for kindergarten. Some parents wait to start their child in kindergarten until the next academic year to ensure an easier transition. No matter when your child starts kindergarten, teachers are going to teach your child where they are and take them to the next step.

What if I cannot make it to the screening date?

Will there be a Kindergarten Preview Day this year?

What can I do to help prepare my child for kindergarten?

Getting Ready For Kindergarten

Here is a checklist of items that are beneficial for your child to know or to have worked on before coming to kindergarten, as well as ideas of how to work on these skills with your child. This checklist is simply to be used as a guide in preparing your child for kindergarten. Remember, our kindergarten teachers will teach your child where they are and move them to the next step.

Responsibility

Students are responsible to follow a morning routine chart in the classroom that will be explained at the beginning of the year. Students need opportunities to have responsibilities at home so they can be successful with school responsibilities like opening their own lunch items, following directions the first time a direction is given and working quietly at the table while others are also working.

Food For Thought

We are a school community and we want our students to strive for excellence. Things are different at school than at home. Please remember your child will be in a classroom of around 20 5- and 6-year-olds. Their behaviors may be different than they are at home because of the positive and negative influences of other children the same age. Help us encourage positive choices and being respectful to all people in the classroom.

More Information

Here is more information, tips and checklists of items that are beneficial for your child to know before coming to kindergarten:

Personal Information

I know my:

first and last name
age
gender
birthday
parents’ names
siblings’ names and if siblings are younger or older

I can take care of my own coat, as well as bathroom needs.

Allow your child to start zipping, buttoning pants, etc. on their own when they go to the bathroom.
Practice buttoning/unbuttoning, zipping/unzipping with clothing around the house.
Begin working on tying shoes.

I can cut with scissors.

Have your child cut out coupons
Have your child cut out pictures from old magazines of things they are interested in.

I can buckle and unbuckle my seatbelt.

Start allowing your child to buckle/unbuckle their seatbelt on their own. This is important if you plan to pick up or drop off your child at school.
If you will be dropping off or picking up your student from school, ensure the booster seat is on the passenger side of the car. Students enter/exit vehicles on the passenger side for safety so they do not walk between vehicles.

Academic Skills

I can sing/say the alphabet.

Read and enjoy alphabet books together.
Practice recognizing and writing both upper and lower letters.
Help your child recognize letters of the alphabet in everyday life, such as restaurants, road signs, cereal boxes, etc.

I can count to 10.

Have your child count their snacks, such as pretzels, crackers or grapes.
Count each item as you pick up 10 things to put away in the house or bedroom.
Count the number of stair steps in your house or the number of steps from your car to the store.

I know my colors (red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple, brown, black).

When your child is coloring, ask what colors were used.
Have your child draw objects on paper and ask them to color the objects a certain color.
Have your child sort objects by color (such as clothes, blocks, Skittles, M&M’s or Fruit Loops) then have them name the colors.
Discuss colors of things in the world around you, such as the sky, grass, cars and clothing items.

I can write my name using only one capital letter.

Have your child practice writing their name using a variety of tools such as a Magna Doodle, crayons, pencils and markers. Check that your child is gripping the writing utensil correctly.
Write your child’s name in large letters. Say each letter aloud as you write it so your child can associate the name of the letter with the shape of the letter.
Cut apart the letters of your child’s name (or use magnetic letters) and have them put them back in the correct order, saying the name of each letter while doing so.
Label your child’s door or other objects so they can see their name in print.

I can write numbers 0-5 and count and touch objects.

Read and enjoy counting books together.
Use magnetic numbers to have your child practice naming them. Have your child put in the numbers for your phone number in order, saying each number while doing so.
Practice writing numbers with a variety of materials such as pencils, crayons, markers, sidewalk chalk, etc.

Literacy Skills

I can identify the letters in my name.
I can recognize the difference between a letter and a number.
I know proper book handling skills.
I can talk about books read to me.

Discuss how to open a book from the front. Point out the front of the book versus the back. Discuss the front of the book is where the story begins and the back is where the story ends.
Discuss how to hold a book right-side-up, how to read left-to-right and top-to-bottom.
Discuss how to turn pages one at a time.
Read to your child daily.
After finishing a book, ask your child what happened at the beginning, middle or end of the story.
While reading a story, ask what your child thinks will happen next.
Encourage your child to finish predictable phrases or rhymes.
Ask your child what they think will happen based on the pictures.

Register Your Kindergartner

Incoming Kindergarten Student Registration

Welcome to Ozark School District. We are excited to have your student(s) as an Ozark Tiger! Registration begins either online or with paper forms and finishes at the building your student(s) will be attending. Elementary school boundary information can be found here. If you need some assistance determining your elementary school, please contact us at 417-582-5900 extension 0.

Assistance and laptop access is available at each of our school buildings.

If you have questions, please contact the building your child will attend or 417-582-5900 extension 0.

North Elementary — 417-582-5904
South Elementary — 417-582-5905
East Elementary — 417-582-5906
West Elementary — 417-582-5907

Student Registration

Step 1: Fill out online forms - Online forms are not available on mobile devices. Computer access is available at each school. Please use legal first, middle and last name when entering name of the child.

New Family Online Forms:

This option is intended for families who are new to Ozark School District. This means none of the students in the family are current or former students of Ozark School District
An email address will be required and access to the email
This is not available on mobile devices
New family online registration instructions
Required documents can be uploaded during online registration

Current Family Online Forms:

This option is intended for families who are already in the school district. This means the family has current or former students of Ozark School District
Username is your email address that is on file
Forgot Password link is on the login page
Access to Parent Portal is required
This is not available on mobile devices
Current family online registration instructions

Returning Family Online Forms:

This option is intended for families who attended Ozark School District in the past (including former Tiger Paw and Parents As Teachers students), changed school districts, and are now returning to Ozark
Contact your student's building to reactive or add your student
Username is your email address that is on file
Forgot Password link is on the login page
This is not available on mobile devices
Returning family online registration instructions

Step 2: Parents will need to bring all of the following documents to the building either before or during screening:

Proof of residency (acceptable documents include: property tax statement, legal property description, utility bill/agreement, rental agreement/receipt, or real estate contract). If you do not have access to any of these documents, please fill out this form
Proof of legal name/age (example: Birth Certificate, Legal Document, Passport, Visa)
Current Immunizations or exemption form
Proof of guardianship court documents (if needed)

For questions or additional information, please contact the building your child will attend or the student services department at 417-582-5900 extension 0.

Logo Image

Logo Title

In This Section