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
It's Time for Countdown to DK/Kindergarten 2026 February 19, 2026
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
Harper's Unsung Hero - Lesa Kenney February 18, 2026
Lesa’s passion for music as a child led her to pursue a teaching degree. She was inspired by middle school music teachers and knew that she also wanted to be a music teacher. Although she couldn’t become a music teacher, she still completed her degree at WMU to become a teacher.
Harper's Unsung Hero - Dennis McKeen February 11, 2026
Dennis developed a passion for theater as a student at Battle Creek Central High School. He was fortunate enough to enjoy a long career, writing, acting, and directing shows in various venues. A few years after retiring from the theatre industry, he signed on to be a district sub for Harper Creek. He and our other district subs are of great value to our day-to-day operations, helping out wherever they are needed.
Harper's Unsung Heroes - Stefanie Howard December 17, 2025
Stefanie attended Harper Creek Schools starting in 1st Grade, all the way through high school graduation. She developed a love for school as a young student at Beadle Lake Elementary. Upon graduation, she started at MSU with hopes of earning a marketing degree, but this didn’t last long. She quickly switched her focus to education. Her teaching career began in Houston, but she would eventually return home.
Harper's Unsung Hero - Matt Bilger December 3, 2025
Matt grew up in the Bilger family, the second of four children. He was different than his siblings, the first in his family to participate in athletics. Through these differences, Matt has been able to find his own niche as a teacher and a coach. He has developed a passion for his career, making an impact on current and former Harper Creek students.
