Westerville City Schools are preparing to begin the registration process for our next kindergarten class. We look forward to meeting our new families and greeting our returning families. Kindergarten is required for children before entering first grade. If your child will be five years old on or before September 30, 2013, you may register him/her for kindergarten.

Kindergarten Registration for the 2013-14 school year will begin in February. A calendar of events includes:

• Kindergarten 101. Kindergarten 101 is a presentation by principals, Kindergarten teachers, nurses, and representatives from the District Enrollment Center. The purpose of the presentation is to inform parents of the process for enrolling their child for Kindergarten, educating parents on the typical Kindergarten day and what is expected of our Kindergarteners throughout the school year, and to answer questions parents may have about the Kindergarten experience. Kindergarten 101 will be held on February 12, 2013, 7:00 p.m., at both Cherrington and Mark Twain Elementary Schools. The same presentation will be made concurrently at both sites. Free childcare for children two years old and older will be provided on-site by members of Westerville City Schools High School Service Organizations. A Somali interpreter will be present at Mark Twain and a Spanish interpreter will be available at Cherrington. Please call 797-5934 to inquire about American Sign Language needs.
• Kindergarten Packet Pick-up. Kindergarten Packet Pick-Up is a set evening during which all elementary schools open their doors to welcome the next Kindergarten families. Parents report to their assigned school to obtain a registration packet and sign up for a registration appointment. The packet contains directions and paperwork for enrolling their child in Kindergarten for the 2013-14 school year. Kindergarten Packet Pick-Up will be held on February 19 from 6:00 – 8:00 p.m.

Westerville City Schools is currently in the process of realigning the attendance boundaries for its elementary schools, including creating a new attendance area to serve Kindergarten through Grade 5 at a combined Emerson/Hanby Elementary School. For the purposes of Kindergarten Packet Pick-up, families will report to their currently assigned home schools according to the address at which each family resides. Families will be notified in April if your home school is changed based on the boundary realignment.

• Kindergarten Registration Appointments. Individual appointments are scheduled on Packet Pick-up nights. Parents are to complete the necessary paperwork and bring all required documents to their scheduled registration appointment at the District Enrollment Center. Kindergarten registration will begin February 25. Please see a list of required documents below.
• Kindergarten Gentle Start and Kindergarten First Day of School. In August, parents will receive a letter from their child’s school with an assigned date and time that their Kindergarten child is to report to school for assessment purposes. Teachers will meet with students, both individually and in small groups, to determine skill levels in reading and mathematics, as well as other skills for Kindergarten. Gentle Start will take place during August 14-16. Kindergarteners will attend school on one of those three days. All Kindergarteners, however, will report to school on August 19.
• Kindergarten First Day of School

Requirements for registration

Requirements for registration:

• Completed registration forms,
• original birth certificate,
• parent/legal guardian photo ID,
• divorce/custody documentation (if applicable),
• current IEP/MFE paperwork (if applicable),
• two (2) current proofs of residency,
• and updated/completed immunization form.

IMMUNIZATIONS ARE AVAILABLE THROUGH YOUR LOCAL HEALTH DEPARTMENTS:

If you have any questions, please call your school office or the Enrollment and Family Resource Center at 797-7700.

State law requires immunizations to be completed prior to entering school. Requirements are:

• DPT or DtaP (diphtheria, pertussis, tetanus). A minimum of four. If the fourth dose was administered before the age of four, a fifth dose is required.
• Polio – a minimum of four doses; last dose must be given on or after 4th B-day regardless of number of doses.
• MMR (measles, mumps, rubella). Two doses required.
• HBV (Hepatitis B). Three doses required.
• Varivax (chicken pox). Two doses or history of disease is required for Kindergarten entry beginning August 2010 and thereafter. First doses must be given on or after the 1st birthday.

Westerville and Gahanna residents may obtain immunization clinic locations by calling (614) 462-3635;
Columbus residents may call (614) 645-7945; and
Delaware County residents may call (740) 368-1700 or (740) 203-2040.

If you have any questions, please call your school office.