District News

Welcome to Harper Creek Community Schools! Our Developmental Kindergarten and Kindergarten programs offer a safe, caring, and engaging start to your child’s education. We look forward to partnering with you to Educate, Empower, and Equip students for life.

Countdown to Kindergarten is for children who will be attending DK or Kindergarten in the 2026 - 2027 school year. Two sessions will be held at each of the Harper Creek Community Schools' elementary schools. Join us:

Tuesday, March 3, 6:00 - 7:00 PM

and

 Tuesday, April 7, 6:00 - 7:00 PM

at Beadle Lake Elementary School, Sonoma Elementary School, or Wattles Park Elementary School

What is Kindergarten?

The Kindergarten program at Harper Creek Community Schools is for children who show readiness for more rigorous academic work, often with prior school experience. Students are eager to learn, can listen attentively, work independently, take responsibility, express themselves verbally, and cooperate with others. During the year, students are expected to master letter recognition and sounds, develop early phonics and reading skills, and learn foundational math skills, including counting to 100, representing numbers to 20, and solving basic addition and subtraction within 10. Students must be 5 years old before September 1 of the current academic school year.

What is Developmental Kindergarten?
The Developmental Kindergarten program at Harper Creek Community Schools provides an extra year for children to build academic, social, emotional, and physical skills in a structured, supportive environment. Learning is self-directed, hands-on, and open-ended, and placement is determined by educators based on a child’s needs. Students follow a full-day schedule, participate in all specials, school events, and engage in the same core academic program as other kindergarten students. Students must be 5 years old by December 1, 2026.

School of Choice for DK/Kindergarten Students

DK/Kindergarten School of Choice will open on Tuesday, March 3, and close on Friday, July 31, at 4:00 PM. 

Children must be 5 on or before September 1, 2026, to enroll for the 2026 - 2027 school year. 

For more information, call one of our schools or the administration office at 269-441-6550

Beadle Lake Elementary, 8175 C Drive North, Battle Creek, MI 49014, 269-441-3250

Sonoma Elementary, 4640 B Drive South, Battle Creek, MI 49015, 269-441-7800

Wattles Park Elementary, 132 South Wattles Road, Battle Creek, MI 49014, 269-441-5850