Countdown to Kindergarten Boston engages families, educators and community members in a city-wide effort to celebrate and support the transition into kindergarten, a significant educational and developmental milestone for children and their families.  Through this collaborative, Mayor Thomas M. Menino, the Boston School Committee, and School Superintendent Michael Contompasis are partnering with more than 26 public and private organizations.

Countdown’s goals are as follows:

• Ensure that families of five-year-olds take advantage of the academic and social benefits kindergarten provides, by raising public awareness about the importance of kindergarten, the availability of full-school-day kindergarten, and the kindergarten curriculum within the Boston Public Schools (BPS). 
• Make the process of choosing schools, registering and entering kindergarten within BPS clear and welcoming for all families.
• Lay the groundwork for primary caretakers (parents, grandparents, guardians) to be active partners in their children’s education in BPS elementary schools and beyond.
• Coordinate and expand social and learning activities that help children transition from home or pre-school into kindergarten.