Junior & Traditional Kindergarten Options | Experience the Difference
Kindergarten Round Up
March 13, 2025 | 6pm & 6:30pm
Reservations Required
How to Choose the Right Kindergarten Program
Download the FREE Guide
Choosing the right kindergarten to kick off your child's academic career is both exciting...and nerve-racking. Our free guide has 12 helpful tips you need to navigate the process, and make the best decision possible for your family!
Would Your Child Benefit from Junior Kindergarten?
Junior Kindergarten
Junior Kindergarten is a bridge between preschool and kindergarten. This free program provides children with time to develop foundational academic and social-emotional skills needed for success in school through play-based curriculum in an age and developmentally appropriate setting. Available for families who have a student who is eligible to attend kindergarten based on age, but could benefit from more time to develop emotionally, socially, and/or academically before experiencing the rigor involved in a traditional Kindergarten classroom.
Junior Kindergarten is a great option for children who:
- Have June 1st-December 1st birthdays
- Haven’t had formal school before
- Need more time to develop emotionally, socially or academically
- Could benefit from a stronger foundation to start kindergarten successfully
Traditional Kindergarten
Traditional Kindergarten is a bridge between preschool and first grade. Children dive into learning the state-provided standards building a solid foundation both academically and socially. This sets them up to start their primary educational career successfully fully-prepared to move onto first grade at the end of the school year.
Traditional kindergarten is a great option for children who:
- Turn five before September 1st
- Have attended a formal school
- Are emotionally and socially ready for the rigor of traditional kindergarten
Enrollment Resources – Whitmore Lake Kindergarten
Enrollment Opens February 17th, 2025
To get your student enrolled in kindergarten at Whitmore Lake Elementary School, please click the button below to begin your online enrollment. Once you’ve completed the enrollment forms, we use them as resources so the caring teachers at WLES can determine what level your child is at developmentally so they can best meet his or her needs in the classroom.
As you and your child prepare to start school, you can follow our seasonal process to prepare for Kindergarten. First, you’ll attend Kindergarten Round Up in the winter. In Spring, you’ll begin enrollment at WLES by using the Online Enrollment button below. Over the Summer, you can prepare your child for school by utilizing our Kindergarten Readiness Tips and Resources, available at the buttons below. Finally, your child will attend Camp Kindergarten during
Whitmore Lake Kindergarten: This Is Our Family
Camp Kindergarten
at Whitmore Lake Elementary School
For the first week of school, incoming kindergartners will attend Camp Kindergarten! During Camp Kindergarten, students will:
Have a Camp Counselor (a WLES Kindergarten teacher) to guide them during the week
Meet and interact with the entire Kindergarten team
Learn Kindergarten daily routines that are the same across all classrooms
Enjoy fun-filled learning activities allowing staff to evaluate academic and social/emotional/behavioral skill development to aid in classroom placement
Camp Kindergarten allows us to take time to get to know your child, see how they interact with other students and staff, and decide on the optimal classroom community for each student. We will send out an email at the end of Camp Kindergarten notifying you of your child's teacher assignment.
Experience the Difference– Kindergarten at Whitmore Lake Elementary School
At Whitmore Lake Elementary School (WLES), we know that some of the most important milestones in your child’s development happen at school. As parents ourselves, we understand the importance of finding a school that feels safe, supportive, and nurturing – while also challenging your child to grow. At Whitmore Lake Public Schools, helping students exceed their own expectations is what we do best.
Our highly regarded kindergarten program at WLES is designed with intention. Small class sizes ensure every student receives personalized attention, allowing our caring staff to meet each child where they are developmentally and guide their growth with compassion and expertise.
Our innovative curriculum goes beyond traditional teaching methods, fostering critical thinking and creativity. As a result, our students excel not only in foundational subjects like math and reading, but also in STEM, music, art, and physical education.
What truly sets WLES apart, however, is our inclusive, close-knit community. When you send your child to WLES, you’re choosing a school where they are known, supported, and cared for – a place where they’ll thrive academically and emotionally.
Join us at Whitmore Lake Elementary School and see how we can help your child grow, learn, and flourish.
Want a Personal Tour During the School Day or After School Hours?
Contact info@wlps.net or 734.449.2051
“[Studies] demonstrate that students who are assigned to smaller classes in grades K-3rd do better in every way that can be measured: they score higher on tests, receive better grades, and exhibit improved attendance.”
– U.S. Department of Education
WHY Kindergarten at Whitmore Lake?
Small Class Sizes
Our classes are about 20% smaller than competing schools, allowing more one-on-one attention from our teachers for our students.
Step-by-Step Learning
Our cohesive curriculum develops strong math, reading, and writing skills in kindergarten and builds on them each following school year.
A Well-Rounded Curriculum
In addition to our foundational learning courses, our students also experience STEM, music, art, and physical education classes.
A Safe Learning Environment
Our tight-knit community of staff and parents are committed to creating a safe learning environment through stringent security protocols.
Support Every Aspect of Learning
Parent involvement is strongly encouraged, and our active PTO provides a built-in school family and support network.
WLES Is Our Family
Your child isn’t just a number here. We know all our students on a first-name basis, and we care for them like our own at WLES.
Make the Right Choice for Your Child’s Future!
Enrollment for the 2025/2026 School Year opens February 18, 2024
Our Curriculum
Literacy- In Kindergarten we work to build a strong foundation for reading and writing, focusing on phonics. Emerging readers and writers learn how letters represent sounds, and how those sounds are put together to form words. On this foundation, young learners develop confidence and joy in exploring books and experimenting with writing, developing the skills to read and write words, sentences, and stories.
Math- Math is an important, foundational building block of education at WLES. Our cohesive K-6 math curriculum begins in kindergarten by teaching our students addition, subtraction, and other math skills through fun and engaging methods.
Art & Music- Inspiring young minds through creativity is incredibly beneficial to their overall education and growth. At Whitmore Lake, our kindergartners get daily opportunities to make arts and crafts, sing, dance, play instruments, and much more to cultivate a fun and well-rounded learning experience.
Social-Emotional Learning- Learning how to interact with the world is an important first step in early childhood education. Each day, our students work on communicating, managing emotions, interacting with their classmates and teachers, showing empathy for others, problem-solving, and following classroom rules and routines.
Physical Education- Fostering a foundation for lifelong health, our kindergarten physical education program prioritizes the development of fundamental motor skills and spatial awareness. Through a blend of structured activities and play, we instill not only the benefits of physical movement but also teamwork and a positive attitude towards an active lifestyle from an early age.
STEM- Ignite your child’s curiosity and prepare them for the future with our STEM curriculum. Through hands-on activities and interactive projects, our kindergartners embark on a journey of discovery, building a strong foundation in science, technology, engineering, and mathematics.
Questions?
“Students in smaller classes perform better in all subjects and on all assessments when compared to their peers in larger classes. In smaller classes, students tend to be as much as one to two months ahead in content knowledge, and they score higher on standardized assessments.”
– National Council of Teachers of English
Get to Know Our Caring Kindergarten Teachers
Lori Milliman
Ms. Milliman has been teaching for 11 years, five of those years at WLES. She grew up in Whitmore Lake, loves the community and loves teaching kindergarten as she see it as such an important year for kids to develop a love for learning. She loves being a part of a team that cares about all students and where everyone plays crucial roles in providing each child what they need to be successful students
Annika Helber
Ms. Helber is excited to be teaching junior kindergarten at WLES. Before working in Whitmore Lake, Ms. Helber taught outdoor education for six years and preschool in Salt Lake City for one year. She is happy to be back in Michigan and a part of the tight-knit community of Whitmore Lake. Ms. Helber hopes each one of her students finds joy in learning and leaves with a strong foundation of skills to help them be successful in future years.
Jaclyn Taylor
Before becoming a kindergarten teacher, Ms. Taylor taught at the Whitmore Lake ECC where she was able to experience the WLES kindergarten program and the caring environment first hand. She jumped at the first chance to become a part of it herself. Ms. Taylor finds that the most rewarding part of being a kindergarten teacher is helping her students develop the skills they will use for the rest of their lives.
Rochelle Chezick
Ms. Chezick is excited to be teaching kindergarten at Whitmore Lake Elementary is kindergarten teacher Rochelle Chezick! A Siena Heights University graduate, Rochelle grew up in South Lyon with her parents, twin brother, and younger sister. She currently lives in Ann Arbor with her best friend. In her free time, she enjoys reading, writing, crocheting, practicing yoga, and spending time with her friends and family. “I love the small town feel and heart Whitmore Lake has! I’ve always dreamt of teaching kindergarten and am looking forward to joining the already fabulous K team and welcoming our students!” Rochelle shared.
Meet our WLES Special Teachers by watching the video below!
WLES SPECIAL TEACHERS INTRODUCTIONJoin Our Whitmore Lake Kindergarten Family– ENROLL TODAY!
Still have questions? Fill out the form below, and we’ll be in touch to give you the answers you need!