Registering for Kindergarten

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It’s time to register your pre-K kids for Kindergarten here in the Burlington area. 

“But it’s only March?”, you might be thinking.

I know, but around here the signs have been hanging off the elementary school walls since early January.  And if you haven’t already you’re gonna need to get on it because the registration deadline is creeping up on you and fast!

For those of you navigating the process this year with your young one it can be a little overwhelming.  I went through it last year and thought I’d take you on a guided tour of the process…more or less.  So let’s get started.

Kindergarten

Deadlines:

The deadline for Kindergarten registration is Friday, March 21st.  The week of April 28th parents will be notified by mail which school their child got into.

NOTE:  You will not be notified about who your child’s teacher will be until August before school starts.

Forms:

You should be able to procure forms in one of two ways.

  1.  If your child is already enrolled in an accredited preschool here in the area your teacher should have given you a packet of forms from the Burlington School District to register for Kindergarten.  My son went to 2 different preschools last year and we received 2 of the same packets around the same time…roughly late January.
  2. If your child is not in a preschool program then you’re going to want to go to the Burlington School District Website to download all the forms there.  Here is the navigation for finding those forms.
    1. Bsdvt.org
    2. Go to the right hand side of the page and hover over “Parents”
    3. Drop down and hover over “registration”, then click on “Kindergarten Registration”
    4. This page will give you the link to ALL the Kindergarten registration forms you will need

Which School:

Burlington area residents do have the option of sending their children to any school of their choice.  When filling out your forms you will be asked to rank your preferences in the New Student Registration Form.  The district will ultimately determine the enrollment in each school based on it’s capacity.  Following that they have created a priority list based on these 3 criteria:  siblings already at the school, socio-economic integration (magnet schools), and proximity.  These are things to keep in mind when you are making your 3 choices.

If you live in the Burlington School District area here are your Kindergarten choices:  Champlain Elementary, CP Smith Elementary, Edmunds Elementary, Flynn Elementary, Integrated Arts Academy, and the Sustainability Academy.  You can check their websites for already pre-scheduled times to visit or contact them to set up a time for you to visit.

Forms:

I’m not gonna lie…there are a lot of forms that you’re going to need to fill out.  While you’ll be able to download all of them here is a list of what you’ve got to look forward to:

  1. Student registration form
  2. Magnet application form (if you’re applying to one)
  3. Kindergarten Survey
  4. Permanent student record transfer request (if transferring from another district or state)
  5. Application for free or reduced meal prices
  6. Primary home language survey
  7. Proof of residency (to be proved by documents such as tax bills, mortgage papers, lease, drivers license, utility bills, etc)
  8. Birth Certificate
  9. Immunization records

Just be prepared to sit down and take some serious time to fill these out.  In fact you may need some wine and chocolate to help you out.

Submit?

Guess what?  There’s no submit button you can click once you’re done filling out all those forms.  Yep, it’s old school for the new schoolers. But once again you’ve got 2 options:

  1. Mail them in…as in fill out an envelope, lick, stick a stamp on it and put it in the mailbox.  You’ll mail them to the BSDVT central office in Burlington
  2. Hand deliver them to any local elementary school office

So there you have it!  It’s my hope that this has helped you navigate the system a little better.  It’s scary, and add to that the mommy emotions of sending your child off to school (maybe your first one for the first time) can make this task extremely daunting.  But push on Mommas…and remember that wine and chocolate!

Who’s got a little entering Kindergarten next year?  Where are they off to?  Have you filled out your paperwork yet?

NOTE:  Please keep in mind that this is for the Burlington school district and while I suspect that the process is similar in other local districts, I can’t vouch for them. 

 

2 COMMENTS

  1. […] Kindergarten registration is a time that is both exciting and full of anxiety for many families. Every mother experiences joy and excitement as well nervousness and angst when preparing to send their child to kindergarten. We feel that our child is growing up, will be more independent, will have a whole new bigger circle of friends, and worst of all, she will need us less and less. […]

  2. I can’t speak for other PTO’s, but JJ Flynn has a Kindergarten orientation where the kids get to eat a lunch in the cafeteria with their parents, the parents get to talk with the principal while the kiddos meet with the K teachers. A member of the PTO is there to let you know about all the fabulous things we do and how you can be involved with your school. Its a scary and very exciting time for kids and parents alike!

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