Region 15 Details Kindergarten Registration Process

Principals at all four Region 15 elementary schools are asking parents of incoming Kindergarten students for the 2007 – 2008 school year to call their neighborhood school to start the registration process.

To begin, parents of incoming Kindergartners should call their school now so the staff can mail out a registration packet in the coming weeks.

Gainfield Elementary School:             264-5312

Pomperaug Elementary School:         264-8283

Long Meadow Elementary School:      758-1144

Middlebury Elementary School:          758-2401

Upon contacting their child’s elementary school, parents will be sent a Kindergarten information packet, which will include the date of their school’s parent information meeting, as well as registration and permission forms.

At the parent informational meeting, the principal acquaints the parents with the registration process, introduces them to the Kindergarten teachers, and shares information with them about school operations, the curriculum and the typical school day.  At this time, parents will be able to schedule their appointment with school personnel. Parents who are unable to attend that evening can call the school office to schedule their appointment for the comprehensive registration process. Please note that the children do not come to this meeting. Once school has started in the fall, building professionals such as Kindergarten teachers, speech, guidance, or resource teachers, and/or reading consultants, will do classroom observations to help assess the new students’ learning needs.

During the one-hour registration, parents rotate among three different stations. Office personnel will review the school registration form for completeness. The school nurse will review the child’s developmental history with the parent and check medical forms. Vision and auditory screenings will not be done by the school at this time; these screenings should be performed as part of the child’s physical exam. A certified staff member will then conduct a pre-Kindergarten experience interview and request parent permission to contact the child’s pre-school for additional information.

Elementary school principals reported the process, revised in 2005, worked very well. Parents were able to talk openly and at length about their child. 

 “Since we were no longer doing the screening with the children we were able to refocus the informational meeting to spend more time talking about the school, school procedures, and the Kindergarten curriculum. Parents have found the meeting very valuable,” said Long Meadow Elementary School principal Richard Gusenburg.

Parents will also be asked to give permission for elementary school staff to contact the child’s preschool teachers about a questionnaire that covers social skills, language and cognition, and physical development.

For general information about school registration, please go to www.region15.org/regdirections.shtml.