Kindergarten & Young Fives

Kindergarten and Young Fives enrollment for the 2024-2025 school year will open on March 1st. Click here for more information and to enroll online.

Children need to be 5 on or before September 1, 2024 to enroll in  Kindergarten.

WUS will screen incoming students for recommendations for either Young Five or Kindergarten. Parents who sign up online and complete their OLR (online enrollment) will be sent an invite to schedule a screening in the spring.

WUS Kindergarten Programs from Wayland Union Schools on Vimeo.

Kindergarten and Young Fives is offered all day every day at the following schools:
Kindergarten Curriculum Information

Dorr Elementary
4159 18th Street, Dorr, MI 49323
616-681-9637 

Baker Elementary
507 W. Sycamore Street, Wayland, MI 49348
269-792-9208

Children must be five by September 1 of the current school year to enroll in Kindergarten or Young Fives.  

Kindergarten Readiness Checklist

Enrollment Process

  • Registration for Kindergarten begins online on March 1st
  • Visit the WUS website at www.waylandunion.org on the enrollment page to complete online registration (OLR).
  • If you upload the birth certificate, proofs of residency and immunization record to the enrollment application, you will NOT need to make an enrollment meeting at the Administration Building.  If however, these documents were not uploaded you will need to contact the Admin Building at 269-792-2181 to set up a time to submit these documents.
  • The school (Baker or Dorr) will contact you to schedule a kindergarten screening in the spring
  • Hearing/Vision/Dental assessments will need to be completed before your child can start school in the fall. Free clinics are offered through the Health Department each spring/summer. Click HERE for more info.

Q: “I want to place my child in Young Fives next year”

A:  The district doesn’t make placements until after screenings in the spring at which point they will give you their recommendations for Kindergarten or Young Fives.

Q:  “Do I have the final say whether my child can go to Young Fives vs. Kindergarten”?

A:  We will screen your child in the spring and then make recommendations on the best placement.

Q:  “My child has a September birthday, will they automatically go to Young Fives?”

A:  The district does prefer to have students with a July - November birthday to attend Young Fives, however, if the child is ready and screening indicates they are ready for Kindergarten, then we will present that option.

Q: How do I enroll my child for Kindergarten or Young Fives?

A: The first step is to complete an online application through Infinite Campus from our district website. This will open up in early March. You will receive an email from the WUS Administration office at which time you will need to call to schedule an appointment to submit paperwork. After this step, the school, either Dorr or Baker Elementary, will contact you to set up an appointment for screening in the spring.

Q:  My child has already attended two years of preschool. Do they have to go to Young Fives first then to Kindergarten?

A:  No, Young Fives is an option for students who are not yet ready for the rigors of kindergarten.  After your child attends screening, you will be presented with recommendations.

Q: My child has a February birthday and is already five, but I want them in Young Fives. Will I be able to make that decision?

A:  The school will place your child in the best possible grade in order for him/her to be successful.  After your child is screened, you will receive a recommendation from the school on whether they recommend Y5’s or Kindergarten.