Though school is officially over and summer is just beginning, Michelle Khouri, district registrar for Whitehall-Coplay School District, is helping families prepare for an important milestone - the first day of kindergarten.

According to Khouri, she has “the best job in the district” because she enjoys meeting the families and children and being involved in the beginning of their educational journey. Khouri, a WCSD alumna herself and the mother of two Whitehall High School graduates, knows what it’s like to send your children to school for the very first time.

“I share a lot of experiences I’ve had with my kids with new moms and dads who are nervously excited about sending their little one to start school for the first time,” Khouri said. “My goal is to make sure that parents leave my office feeling welcomed, confident and excited that their child is months away from becoming a Zephyr!”

WCSD has had a centralized, online registration process since Khouri became district registrar in July 2013, and she has been enrolling children from home throughout the statewide shutdown. The only difference now is families need to upload necessary documents or email them to Khouri as a part of online registration. Children entering kindergarten must be 5 years old before Sept. 1.

To enroll a kindergarten child or summer transfer student at Gockley Elementary School, visit the district website, whitehallcoplay.org. First, click on Enrollment, followed by Centralized Enrollment.

Once on the enrollment page, click the link for the registration website. Next, complete all necessary information and upload the required documents if possible.

Required documents include the child’s birth certificate; immunizations record; a signed lease agreement if renting; a deed, settlement paper or 2020 real estate bill if a homeowner; a Whitehall/Coplay per capita tax or a Whitehall/Coplay moving permit; and a parent photo ID. Families with more than one living arrangement may need to fill out additional paperwork, and all address changes should go through Khouri as well. She will run a report each week, indicating students who were registered the week prior, and will contact families to let them know if enrollment has been approved and if there is any pertinent information missing.

Currently, the central registration office, located at the transportation building at 2640 Campus Drive, is closed. When WCSD reopens, Khouri will begin meeting with families in person again, though there will be a limit of two people allowed in the office at a time, and face masks will be required if still recommended by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Families who need to speak with Khouri personally should schedule an appointment, which has always been a requirement in the past.

Currently, kindergarten assessments are only being done via the online kindergarten registration survey during enrollment.

“This is a very comprehensive survey, which has always been used as a tool in placing the children into their classrooms, and this will be used and taken into consideration when placing the students for the incoming class,” Khouri said. “Students who were receiving services prior to entering kindergarten are currently having their placements being worked on through our transition team, which consists of staff from our special education department, Gockley school psychologist and counselor, as well as Intermediate Unit 21.”

Families should receive instructions mid-August, informing them how to view their child’s classroom placements, details on lunch and transportation and other valuable information.

WCSD has always held kindergarten and new student orientations shortly before the first day of school; however, the administration is still deciding on the best route, depending on what COVID-19 restrictions are in place at that time. Updates on orientation will likely be sent to parents using the school’s messenger system. As of now, Khouri can be contacted with questions concerning registration at khourim@whitehallcoplay.org.

WCSD’s official first day for the 2020-21 school year is Aug. 31, with Sept. 4 and 7 off in observance of Labor Day.