January 14, 2026 North Hills School District Kindergarten Registration Opens February 1 Kindergarten registration for the 2026-27 school year will open Sunday, February 1 for students who turn 5 years of age prior to August 1 and reside in Ross Township or the borough of West View. Learn More The North Hills School District will hold a kindergarten forum at Ross Elementary School at 5:30 p.m. on Wednesday, January 21. The event is intended for parents and guardians only. Then, registration opens online on February 1. In-person appointments to complete registration will run from 8 a.m. to 3:45 p.m. on Monday, February 16 and from 4:15 p.m. to 7 p.m. on Wednesday, February 25. For more information on kindergarten registration, visit the North Hills School District’s website.
December 5, 2025 Registration Open for UnConference: Kindergarten Transition Registration is now open for Trying Together’s UnConference: Kindergarten Transition scheduled for Monday, February 16 at the Allegheny Intermediate Unit. Learn More The UnConference will highlight multiple aspects of preparing children for kindergarten, from early intervention practices and engaging parents to play-based learning and emotional regulation. Attendees will hear from a keynote speaker as well as a panel of experts on kindergarten registration and readiness. Participants will also attend sessions in the morning and afternoon that are led by local and national early childhood organizations. More Details The UnConference will run from 8 a.m. to 2:30 p.m. at the Allegheny Intermediate Unit, located at 475 E. Waterfront Drive in Homestead. The fee to attend is $25. Registration is required and now open. Free parking will be available in the AIU parking lot, and overflow parking is available across the street. A light breakfast with coffee and tea will be available and lunch will be provided as part of the registration fee. The event will begin with keynote speaker Swati Adarkar, the former deputy assistant secretary for policy and early learning at the U.S. Department of Education. Then, participants will listen to a panel of experts who will discuss how early intervention plays a critical role in supporting kindergarten transitions and how to support and improve on-time kindergarten registration and readiness. A total of 4.5 PQAS and Act 48 credit hours will be available for attendees. Trying Together will host the event in partnership with the Allegheny Intermediate Unit, United Way of SWPA, and Hi5!. Workshops Attendees will take part in two sessions – one in the morning and another in the afternoon – led by local and national early childhood organizations. During registration, participants will be asked to make selections for the two workshop time slots. Workshops include: How Community Partnerships Strengthen Kindergarten Readiness Efforts A K.I.N.D. Framework for Engaging Parents Preparing for Kindergarten with Fred Rogers Productions Strengthening My Early Learner: A Parent’s Journey The Power of Play About UnConference The UnConference is an innovative, hands-on professional development training format in which a deeper experience is provided around a particular theme. Local and national speakers are invited to present and participants are encouraged to engage hands on in the workshops. The day concludes with a roundtable discussion on how to apply these experiences and ideas in the early childhood environment and share ideas on how to partner with new colleagues.
August 18, 2025 PA Promise for Children Releases Activity Guide for Preschoolers PA Promise for Children included a new activity guide during its most recent “Kindergarten, Here I Come” newsletter that focuses on the topic of preparing for kindergarten and features a variety of activities for caregivers and preschoolers. Learn More All activities in the guide are linked to Pennsylvania Early Learning Standards that are used in pre-k programs throughout the state as a resource for developing classroom learning situations that will ensure a child’s development in the skill areas necessary for future success. Early learning standards outlined in the guide include: Approaches to learning through play Creative thinking and expression Language and literacy development Mathematical thinking and expression Social and emotional development Health, wellness, and physical development Scientific thinking and technology Social studies thinking The guide also discusses how to choose an early learning site and provides descriptions for Pennsylvania Pre-K Counts, Keystone STARS Child Care, and Head Start. It provides registration information that includes a list of things to do to prepare for a child’s transition to kindergarten. The list includes contacting a child’s school district to find out which school a child will be attending, completing registration forms on time, and gathering the necessary paperwork. The activity guide also provides a variety of activities for each month of the year. Activities in the guide help to: Develop problem-solving skills Spark children’s imagination and creativity Celebrate a child’s differences Promote healthy eating habits Promote safety Promote reading, writing, listening, and speaking Develop positive relationships The guide also provides suggestions regarding children’s health, including keeping a child’s immunizations up to date, promoting physical activity, encouraging a child to eat nutritious foods, and brushing teeth regularly. For more information, check out PA Promise for Children’s activity guide for preschoolers.
May 12, 2025 Hi5! Celebrates On-Time Kindergarten Registration Rates During AIU Event Hi5! celebrated another successful year of supporting on-time kindergarten registration and readiness in southwestern Pennsylvania during a May 7 gathering at the Allegheny Intermediate Unit (AIU) in Homestead. Learn More The event’s keynote speakers included Dr. Joe Maluchnik, superintendent of Woodland Hills School District, and Summer Pendro, M.Ed., director of curriculum, instruction, and assessment at Wilkinsburg School District. During the event, attendees discussed the importance of a connected early childhood continuum for birth through age 9 and how strong partnerships lead to effective kindergarten transition. Attendees included personnel from school districts across Allegheny County and the southwestern Pennsylvania region, early childhood education partners, community partners, and Trying Together Early Childhood Advocacy Fellows. Participants shared personal stories, triumphs, and resources and discussed ideas for educational initiatives for the summer and beyond. Attendees were recognized for increasing on-time enrollment, commitments to policy and advocacy, building a culture of belonging, and supporting the network through shared learning and professional development. Clairton, Duquesne, Cornell, Northgate, and Sto-Rox school districts were recognized for on-time registration rates of more than 10 percent. Sto-Rox reached 100 percent on-time enrollment for the 2023-24 school year. Other recognition awards were given to Hi5! partners for community engagement and policy and advocacy achievements – including Avonworth School District for its national recognition by the U.S. Department of Education for positive parent engagement programming. Trying Together will host an UnConference on kindergarten transition in February 2026. About Hi5! Hi5! is a partnership between the Allegheny Intermediate Unit, United Way of Southwestern Pennsylvania, and Trying Together that is aimed at supporting on-time kindergarten registration and readiness for students in Southwestern Pennsylvania In the 2023-2024 school year, the average on-time kindergarten enrollment for Allegheny County was 94.4 percent.
March 10, 2025 Parents Should Gather These Documents Before Registering Their Child for Kindergarten While each school district has its own process for kindergarten registration, there are specific documents that are required of most families to supply. Learn More Kindergarten registration kicks off in the spring for school districts in Allegheny County and the region. To find out when registration opens in your district, visit the state Department of Economic Development’s municipality website. On that website, parents can enter their street address, city, and ZIP code to find their municipality. More resources on the transition to kindergarten can be found on PA Promise for Children’s website. Required Documents Parents should check with their school district regarding processes and requirements specific to the district. However, most families will need to supply the following documents when they register their child: Their child’s birth certificate Proof of residency (such as a utility bill or copy of a lease) Vaccination records (the state’s Department of Health has a list of vaccines that your child needs) Any forms required by the school district, such as an application or emergency contact list For more information on kindergarten registration, visit PA Promise for Children’s website.
January 13, 2025 Kindergarten Registration Information Available on PA Promise for Children Site Kindergarten registration for schools in Pennsylvania begins in early spring. Pennsylvania’s Promise for Children is providing some resources to find information on registering in Allegheny County. Learn More Information provided by PA Promise for Children includes the age a child needs to be to enter kindergarten as well as cut-off dates identified by each school district. To find which school district you’re located in, visit the Department of Economic Development’s municipality website. Enter your street address, city, and Zip code, and click “find municipality.” The name of the municipality, county, and school district will appear on the screen. For further kindergarten registration information, email PA Promise for Children at marhal@pakeys.org. Information is available for all 33 of Allegheny County’s school districts.
March 29, 2024 Kindergarten Readiness Events Planned for Northside Families in April Hi5! and Pittsburgh Public Schools will host kindergarten readiness events for northside families in April. Attendees will learn about kindergarten readiness, transition, and enrollment. Session Details The first event will take place from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. on April 4 at the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, located at 1230 Federal Street in Pittsburgh. Those interested in attending can register now. A second event will be held from 10 a.m. to 12 p.m. on April 20 at the Carnegie Library of Pittsburgh, located at 1201 Woods Run Avenue in Pittsburgh. Those interested in attending can register now. Both events are free. The first 20 families to register for each event will receive a free kindergarten giveaway bag. When a child reaches five years of age, it is time to enroll them in kindergarten. Details about kindergarten registration information for the 2024-25 school year in Allegheny County are now available. Hi5! Kindergarten transition efforts are led in partnership with the Allegheny Intermediate Unit 3 (AIU3), Trying Together, and United Way of Southwestern Pennsylvania. For more information visit Trying Together’s Kindergarten Transition page.
February 1, 2022 2022-23 Kindergarten Registration Open Kindergarten registration has opened in Allegheny, Armstrong, Butler, Fayette, Greene, and Westmoreland counties for the 2022-2023 school year. Registering Your Child If your child is five, it’s time to register them for kindergarten. View details about Kindergarten registration in the Pittsburgh Region and find your district’s information in the following documents: Kindergarten Registration Information for the 2022-23 School Year: Allegheny County Kindergarten Registration Information for the 2022-23 School Year: Westmoreland, Fayette, Armstrong, Greene, and Butler Counties Hi5! is a kindergarten readiness and registration campaign coordinated by The United Way of Southwestern Pennsylvania, the Allegheny Intermediate Unit, and Trying Together. Early and on-time registration allows schools and districts to plan for classroom materials, resources, and staff as they prepare to welcome a new group of students. It also enables families to establish relationships with teachers and administrators that are so important for easing the stress and anxiety of children (and their families) as they begin elementary school. More Information For more information about the Hi5! project, transition teams, and activities, please email hi5@tryingtogether.org, or view the Hi5! overview (PDF) and the Kindergarten Transition Whitepaper (PDF). To receive the the Hi5! Kindergarten Transition newsletter, visit our sign up page! For more information about helping your child make the move to Kindergarten, visit the Kindergarten Transition: A Guide for Families resource.
