With the Beaverton School District's first day of school set for Tuesday, Aug. 25, teachers Sirenia Gonzalez and Jenifer Pascual are already at work inside McKinley Elementary, running the district's Kindergarten Academy to get incoming students ready.
The program teaches young children the skills and routines they'll need when classrooms fill later this month. McKinley offers a dual language program and a Pre-K track, and the Kindergarten Academy builds on that foundation for families navigating the transition to school.
BSD highlighted the two educators in a video feature posted Aug. 13 on its communications page, calling them "outstanding teachers leading the program."
Why it matters here
Beaverton is one of 28 Oregon districts that received Jump Start Kindergarten grants from the Oregon Department of Education, a program that eases the transition to school for families disproportionately impacted by the pandemic. ODE's 2024 data shows students who participated in kindergarten transition programs attended school regularly at a rate of 60.5%, compared to 53.5% for all kindergarten students.
That gap matters here.
In a district where 110 languages are spoken across 53 schools and 36,267 students, early learning programs like the Kindergarten Academy are built to reach families who might otherwise face barriers. The district's early learning page states its priority is serving children of color, diverse language learners and children experiencing poverty, with a commitment to "culturally responsive, nurturing environments."
McKinley's Pre-K program, which feeds into the kindergarten pipeline, requires students to be 4 years old by Sept. 1, meet income eligibility between 100% and 200% of the poverty level and live within school boundaries.
How families can connect
BSD family resource coordinators Katherine Salazar (503-277-3329) and Elena Pineda (503-277-0484) help connect families to early learning programs, parenting resources and basic needs support. The district calendar is available in 10 languages including Spanish, Arabic, Chinese, Korean and Vietnamese.
Staff development days run Aug. 18–24, with students starting Aug. 25.
Coming up
- Aug. 25 — First day of school, Beaverton School District
- Kindergarten Orientation — McKinley Elementary lists a separate orientation event on its website; families should check mckinley.beaverton.k12.or.us for details
