Frances Holdbrooks, Assistant Superintendent of Curriculum and instruction at Lindsay Unified School District, has announced the dates for registering new kindergarten students for the 2004-2005 school year.
"Washington and Jefferson schools will be offering a Dual Immersion Program this year. Students will be placed in the program, and in their neighborhood schools on a first come first served basis, provided their registration is complete," Holdbrooks said.
Children born Dec. 2, 1999 or earlier are required to be enrolled in kindergarten. In order to make the registration process as smooth as possible, Holdbrooks asks parents to provide documentation when registering their children: birth certificate, immunization card, proof of residence in Lindsay (a driver's license or rent/energy bill is acceptable), child's social security number if available, proof of health check up/physical. All of the requirements must be completed in order to place a child on the list to attend his neighborhood school.
The Days and hours of registration are: Jefferson elementary, from 9 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., May 6; Washington Elementary from 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m., May 10; Lincoln Elementary from 7:30 a.m. to 5 p.m., May 11.
California law does not require parents to enroll their children in school until age 6. However, schools must admit children into kindergarten who have attained legal age. Legal age is defined as being 5 years old on or before Dec. 2 or 4 years and 9 months old on or before Sept. 1 of the school year.
Kindergarten has become increasingly academically oriented and is an important foundation for first grade. The California Department of Education Web page provides a list of academic standards for kindergarten students. Students must learn concepts about reading and print including word analysis, and fluency. Students should be able to decode words and recognize words as well as show reading comprehension like identifying basic facts and ideas in what they have read, heard or viewed. Kindergarten students will also be exposed to writing strategies and will practice writing words and brief sentences that are legible. There are also state standards for kindergarten students, written and oral English language conventions as well as standards on listening and speaking. Grade level standards have slowly increased and skills that were once basics for first grade have become core kindergarten standards.
