MIDDLETOWN, Calif. – Middletown Unified School District is pleased to announce the establishment of an exciting new program called Transitional Kindergarten starting in the 2012-13 school year.

Transitional Kindergarten will serve as a bridge year between preschool and kindergarten for five-year-olds with birthdays between Sept. 1 and Dec. 2 at no additional cost to parents.

Beginning next school year, MUSD will be offering Transitional Kindergarten at Coyote Valley School, taught by Debby Carter.  

Carter has been teaching at Coyote Valley for 17 years; ten of those years she taught kindergarten.  

“History has been made in California education this year, with the development of a new grade. It is the bridge year between preschool and kindergarten for our young five year olds,” Carter said.  

If you have a child who will turn five between Sept. 1, 2012, and Dec. 2, 2012, you can register for transitional kindergarten by attending the screening at Coyote Valley Elementary School on April 2, 2012.

Transitional Kindergarten is the first year of two-year Kindergarten program.

This first year will provide the foundation, for mastery the following year during traditional kindergarten instruction by offering opportunities to learn important academic and social skills presented in a developmentally appropriate way.

There will be more opportunities for play-based learning where children have opportunities to experiment and develop understanding at a slower pace, without the pressure to master all of the core kindergarten standards in the first year.  

“The program will provide students with more concrete, interactive, hands-on learning opportunities in a language rich environment incorporating math, science, art, social science and physical education,” Carter said. “Transitional Kindergarten will give our students the best possible start, with curriculum that is designed just for them.”

Carter said she is passionate about the benefits this program will provide and is thrilled to offer this opportunity for success to our students.  

Her own son attended a program similar to this many years ago in Rohnert Park; experiencing first hand the positive results this gift of time can provide.  

Carter would be happy to talk about Transitional Kindergarten. She can be reached at 707-987-3357, Extension 6003 or This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .