Question... when you all registered your kids for kindergarten, did the school get in touch with you or were you left to your own device to "find out"?

I registered my DD in April for kindergarten (transitional kindergarten, actually). When I registered her, they asked for a second choice school, which I gave them. Now, here we are, mid-July and I just realized I never heard from the school. I have no idea when school starts or the hours or which school she's in. So, I called the Parent Information Office, where I registered her, and was told, very nonchalantly, that I wouldn't be hearing from the school at all. "Just read the local paper. The information will be in there sooner or later. School starts Sept. 10, and opens the last week of August. Call the school and find out what you have to from them!"

Is that just weird or is it me? I can understand not sending it to everyone who's been in the system before, but new registrants???

By Sandysmom on Thursday, July 12, 2007 - 10:28 am:

It seem like they should at least have a website where you could go and get that information. And yes, I think it is odd too. I don't read the newspaper so, I'd have been totally clueless.

By Debbie on Thursday, July 12, 2007 - 11:39 am:

Is it public or private school?? Here, for public school, you are assigned a school depending on where you live, so there is no questions about what school you will attend. Now, you can put in a request for a different school, and they may or may not approve it. But, you are told well in advance of school starting. I know our school district has a website with all the information about school. Each individual school also has a website with all the needed information. We also have information day a week before school starts. The kids get to find out who their teachers are, they get to met them, etc.

Also, when my dks went to private school a few years ago, they also had a website with all the information that you needed to know.

Have you tried doing a search on the school district, or school to find out what you needed to know?

By Reds9298 on Thursday, July 12, 2007 - 12:30 pm:

Here, K round-up is in April and many parents think that means their child is "registered" for school when in fact it doesn't. REgistration is at the same time for everyone here, the first week or so of August. You should have been told that at registration, or given paperwork about it. During the August registration (here), you actually get assigned to a teacher and get all the details/info you need to actually begin school. Former K teacher here, and that's how it's done where I live.

I signed my dd up for preschool in May (which is actually part of a Pre-6th grade private school) and they told me that I will need to return at the end of this month to actually "register" her for classes (pay tuition, supply fee, etc.). I just paid to keep my spot in May, and that's really what you're doing at K round-up...getting your name on the list as someone who is planning to attend in the Fall.

Have you contacted the school? (SOrry if I missed that) Chances are there is a registration period coming up and you just aren't aware of it. School registration dates/times are printed in the newspaper here also.

By Colette on Thursday, July 12, 2007 - 01:13 pm:

That's kind of weird Angela. Is it a private kindergarten? At my school they do kindergarten screening in May - to make sure the child is actually ready for kindergarten - and then they mail out class assignments in July.

By Dawnk777 on Thursday, July 12, 2007 - 01:23 pm:

We always get mail late July, when the kids have started school. When Sarah was going to be in kindergarten, I think I called to let them know, because we hadn't lived in Sheboygan, when she was born, so they had no way of knowing.

I'm sure you school system must have a website. For us it's:

http://www.sheboygan.k12.wi.us

Just replace your city and state, where appropriate.

Registration info, is in the papers, too, a week or so before it comes up.

By Bellajoe on Thursday, July 12, 2007 - 01:29 pm:

Here the public school they attend depends on what part of the city you live in. School begins in the end of August, so we will get something in the mail in the middle of August telling us bus stop information. The teachers are posted at the school about a week before school starts.

By Amecmom on Thursday, July 12, 2007 - 02:07 pm:

Awful! My son was registered and in August we received a package from the school with more info than I could ever want, including a lovely letter from his teacher hyping up the first day of school and saying how wonderful it was going to be to meet them.
We had such a great year.
When I taught K, we used to do something similar.
Can't believe they would do this!
Ame

By Angellew on Thursday, July 12, 2007 - 02:14 pm:

Well, maybe I'm just getting ahead of myself. So, I'll be more patient (not an easy thing for me) and we'll wait! What's the worst that can happen? I wait until the third week of August and call myself? Whatever! It's frustrating because she's been going to school for speech therapy all year and we've had such good communication so far, but, this wasn't the school, this was the Parent Info Desk... so, obviously the wrong title for this department!

I'll be more patient!

By Dawnk777 on Thursday, July 12, 2007 - 03:25 pm:

Where I live, we have school registration near the beginning of August. Try to find the website. They should have the information.

Our information is all posted and we can get Emily registered between 7/31 and 8/2! I'm glad I looked. That is earlier than what it's been before. Good news, is that fees are the same!

By Cocoabutter on Thursday, July 12, 2007 - 05:27 pm:

Our local public school district sends out a district newsletter. It goes out to ALL residents within the school district. So, the school calendar is in it, including info about when and where to register.

Our district is also making plans to have an outreach program where district volunteers go to new residents and "introduce" them to the district and give them some information.

With all of the different schools in our area (private, religious, and charter schools) there are so many choices that it is up to the parent to go to the school and make sure that they have all the information they need about registration and when school starts. You shouldn't sit back and wait for them to call you. It's really your responsibility.

By Kaye on Thursday, July 12, 2007 - 05:29 pm:

Our school doesn't contact you. You read about the info in the paper or on the marque. They ask current parents to pass on info about kindergarten "round up", at that time your kid is registered and then they go. To find out the start date we have a district website, it will be in the papers and the school marque. Some years (and i think kinder this was true), a week or so before school starts we got a letter letting us know what class they got into. But our class list are posted at the school a few days before school starts.

By Marcia on Thursday, July 12, 2007 - 10:19 pm:

Our school has registration in the spring. The K teacher wrote letters to each of my kids, telling them how excited she was to have them in her class. They got the letters in the summer. They all started with staggered start dates, because they don't want all of the K's coming in on day 1. Letters are sent out explaining how it works, and when each child starts.

By Crystal915 on Thursday, July 12, 2007 - 10:38 pm:

Oh, this is not settling at all!!! I'm already freaking out about registering the kids, we start school mid-August here. There is no manual on these things, and I'm all "Do I just send them in?!" Anyway, sorry it's been such a hassle for you, I hope the rest of the process goes smoothly.

By Boxzgrl on Thursday, July 12, 2007 - 11:41 pm:

I registered Kaitlyn for pre-K in early June. I received a confirmation letter a few days ago stating that she was accepted to the school of choice, when the first day of school starts, her hours and the teachers name. It also says the teacher will contact me early August for an orientation.

By Mommmie on Friday, July 13, 2007 - 03:26 pm:

Here, they post signs around the neighborhood in March saying check the school marquee for info about Kindergarten Round Up. You go to round up and fill out the registration papers. Then when the teachers go back the next school year, a week before school starts, they send a postcard to each child telling them which teacher they have and what the room number is.

If you come into the neighborhood during the summer you have to wait until the school office people come back from summer, a couple of weeks before school starts, to go into the office and register - or even call them. They do nothing over the summer.

Others just show up cold on the first day of school (sometimes to the wrong school), but the kid can't go to class until they are officially registered and the school determines they have room and they child is at the right neighborhood school. If they have filled up then the school sends them to another school. There was one year that many grades filled with the spring registration and anyone coming after that had to go to a different school.

By Conni on Monday, July 16, 2007 - 05:35 pm:

Our public schools back home register in spring. Last of July or first of August you rcv a letter in mail with the date you can pick up schedule and/or find out who your teacher will be..and a supply list.

Same for the private school that my little guy was in there, for pre K and K. Except the teacher would send HIM a letter with his class list, supply list, her home number and the teacher would call before school started to speak with us...and invite us to an open house so parents could bring in supplies and introduce their child before the first day of school. They could play in their new classroom and hang out for an hour or so...