Kindergarten Registration: Don’t Delay and Register Your Child Today!

Many parents are excited and feeling anxious about their child beginning kindergarten in the fall. Some parents feel this way simply because they may have unanswered questions about registration processes, transportation to and from school, and school expectations. This feeling is normal for parents; however there are several steps parents can do now to get their son or daughter ready for this exciting day.
• Don’t put off registering your child for kindergarten. Many schools across the nation begin registration for kindergarten in the spring of the year. There is no need to fret if you may have missed the special day set aside by many schools for registrations because schools will continue to register children throughout the summer.
• Check your school district’s website to determine the location of your child’s school. These sites have quick and easy navigation tools to locate your child’s school. The district website is the best website to use because it provides you with specific boundary information based on your home address. Other websites available to find schools in your area include www.greatschools.com.
• Check with your school district or school to determine the specific documents you will need to register your child. These documents usually include a birth certificate, proof of residency (e.g., utility bill, lease or mortgage agreement), and current immunization record.
If you don’t have a copy of these documents for registration, order these documents as soon as possible, so you won’t delay the registration process. Many states have online access to order birth certificates. Contact your child’s pediatrician to obtain their immunization records.
• Visit the school with your child to help ease the transition for your child and yourself. Many schools will allow you to schedule a tour.
Take the summer months to read books with your child that correlate with the beginning of school. Look for books that will help lessen apprehensions, and most importantly, can open a channel of communication about school between you and your child… the start of a lifelong habit; parent involvement.

Comments

  1. Sherri Wilson says:

    Great article! So many parents feel anxiety about sending their kids to school, I am sure they will find this article useful!

  2. Very informative, it is amazing how many parents feel ill at ease and uncomfortable with this situation, most likely due to the unknown. Good tips on how to transition successfully.

  3. Sonya Samuels says:

    Great information Renee! My daughter starts Kindergarten this August and we are registered and excited!!

  4. Sue says:

    Reading a handful of stories with your child before bedtime each night is a great way to expose them to reading!

  5. Debi Ivy says:

    My daughter and grandson just moved to Warren County the end of April. She and I went to register my grandson today for kindergarten. My daughter called the Board of Education weeks ago to find out what she needed to get my grandson registered and in school and was told by the person who answered the phone that there were lists at Wal-Mart and for everything else she needed to refer to the Board of Education website. We went to Bobby Ray Elementary at 7:45 this morning and were then told that my grandson’s shot records from Georgia would not do that we had to go to the Health Department to get the records transferred to a Tennessee Form. We spent almost 2 hours at the Health Department getting the shot records transferred from a Georgia form to a Tennessee form then went back to Bobby Ray. Once there, someone actually looked at the paperwork we filled out and we were told that we were at the wrong school. He needed to register at West Elementary. By then, it was too late to go to West Elementary because it was past 9:45.

    What a fiasco! A shot record should be a shot record. Why is it necessary to get one from Tennessee. Additionally, if it had been on the website that it HAD to be on a Tennessee form we could have already had that done. Second, if the people at Bobby Ray Elementary had just been willing to look at our information they could have told us that we needed to be at West Elementary and we might have been able to have gotten my grandson registered today but none of that happened.

    Please, if you are going to refer new student parents to a website instead of having a simple conversation with them, have the information there for them on the website. This morning was a waste of 3 hours of our time and efforts. I hope my grandson is treated better in school than we were this morning.

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