Federal Way
Public Schools
Kindergarten
Kindergarten Registration Is Open for the 2026-27 School Year
Enroll Today!
Enrollment for the 2026-27 school year is now open. Families with a child who is five years old by August 31 can enroll their scholar now for kindergarten.
Online Kindergarten enrollment can be found here: Enrolling in Kindergarten. Contact your child’s school for assistance.
Families can also register in person at the child’s school during regular hours. The following documents are required at the time of registration:
- Your child’s birth certificate
- Proof of your address (rental agreement, purchase agreement, or utility bill)
- Your child’s immunization records for measles, mumps, rubella, polio, diphtheria, whooping cough, tetanus, hepatitis B, and varicella (chickenpox)
If your child has life-threatening conditions such as allergies, asthma, diabetes, and seizure disorders, a meeting will be scheduled with the school nurse to confirm that all medications, medical supplies, and health care provider orders are in place before the first day of school.
It is also suggested that parents provide:
- Two emergency contacts, including addresses and phone numbers
- Physician, dentist, and child care addresses and phone numbers
It’s NOT too late to enroll your child. Kindergarten registration is open all year.
The First Six Days of Kindergarten
FWPS has 6-day “slow start” for kindergarten to allow scholars a successful and solid transition to school. With this shift, scholars will have an opportunity to get to know their school building, learn routines and expectations, and build relationships.
Here's what you need to know about The First Six Days of Kindergarten:
- Kindergarten scholars will attend school on a half-day schedule. From Wednesday, September 2 through Thursday, September 10, the kindergarten school day will end 3.5 hours early. To view more information on start and end times for your kindergarten scholar, CLICK HERE.
- For buildings that choose to run K Camp in August, students will begin the year with their assigned teacher on Wednesday, September 2.
- For buildings that choose to run K Camp the first two days of school, students will be assigned a temporary classroom and meet all kindergarten teachers over the course of the two days. Kindergarten scholars meet with their assigned class and regular teacher on the third day of school on Friday, September 4.
- All families will have a WaKIDS Family Connection Meeting with your child's assigned teacher in the afternoon of these first six days.
- Full-time kindergarten will begin on Friday, September 11.
- If your child rides the bus, this means your child’s bus will arrive at their normal stop approximately 3.5 hours earlier than normal. As an important reminder, parents or guardians must be present to pick up their child from the bus stop when the bus arrives.
K Camp
K Camp is an opportunity for incoming kindergarten scholars to familiarize themselves with their new school, kindergarten teachers, and classroom routines. Kindergarteners will experience all parts of the kindergarten day, including recess, lunch routines, classroom exploration, and meeting their new classmates and teachers. All elementary schools will hold K Camp for incoming kindergarten scholars. Some schools will hold K Camp in August, and others will hold K Camp during the first two days of school.
If you have not registered with your elementary school for K Camp, please contact your building's front office directly for more information.
*Please note that front offices will be closed for the summer from June 30 to August 16.
Kindergarten Jump Start
All elementary schools hold Kindergarten Jump Start in the spring. Jump Start is an evening event that allows families to meet their kindergarten teachers, building administrators and staff, while getting an overview of the full-day kindergarten program and becoming familiar with the school building. It is a wonderful time to welcome new and returning families.
Jump Start dates for all elementary schools below!
Kindergarten Choice
Parents who wish to enroll their kindergarten-aged student at a school outside of their neighborhood, but within Federal Way, should fill out a Choice Enrollment form during the choice lottery window.
These forms are available at all elementary schools or at the Educational Service Center, Business Services Office, 33330 8th Ave South, Federal Way.
Learn more about Kindergarten Choice enrollment
All-day Kindergarten Programs at All Schools
All elementary schools offer all-day kindergarten programs.
Research shows that students who attend kindergarten for a full day consistently make greater academic progress, especially in key areas such as literacy and math, as well as social and emotional growth.
All-day kindergarten students are better prepared to meet the academic demands of future grade levels, and are less likely to eventually need intervention or future additional assistance.
Contact Us
FWPS Early Learning Department
253.945.5875
Kim Erickson
Director of Early Learning
Family Educational Rights and Privacy Act (FERPA)
Release of directory information should be filled out and returned to school ONLY if you wish to prohibit or restrict the sharing of some or all of your students’ information as described by the Federal law known as FERPA.