OT-No kindergarten this year

[akmom]

My dd is 4. She will be 5 on August 16th. Our kindergarten cut-off date is August 1. She was on the wait list for early entrance, but I was just informed that due to implementing Full Day Kindergarten this year she more than likely won't get in. And if she does she'll have to go to a different elementary school than her brother. That seems like hassle to me! DD is now telling everyone she wishes she had a birthday in July. hahaha Kids!

 

[jeepgirl30]

All kids are different of course but I wish we would have waited to send DD. Her birthday is in June and she is by far the youngest in her class. She will turn 7 in June and will be going to 2nd grade. The school keeps advising to hold her back because of her age saying she is not as mature and has a focus issue.

I keep telling them if they want the age of the students higher than they should change it or explain to parents what they feel is best before the child enters school. I had no idea I had a choice of waiting until she was older to send her, I thought if she was 5 by Aug 1st she went. When I was in school it was Sept 1st, my bday is Aug 27 and I went! I never had trouble though.

I'm happy DS has a Nov bday, no questions he will wait.

 

[ilovejack02]

All kids are different of course but I wish we would have waited to send DD. Her birthday is in June and she is by far the youngest in her class. She will turn 7 in June and will be going to 2nd grade. The school keeps advising to hold her back because of her age saying she is not as mature and has a focus issue.

I keep telling them if they want the age of the students higher than they should change it or explain to parents what they feel is best before the child enters school. I had no idea I had a choice of waiting until she was older to send her, I thought if she was 5 by Aug 1st she went. When I was in school it was Sept 1st, my bday is Aug 27 and I went! I never had trouble though.

I'm happy DS has a Nov bday, no questions he will wait.

My best friend in school was 5 in DEC and went and had no problems, BUT school is much much harder than it was when we were young.. ( lol boy we sound old) The no child left behind program by Bush admin has upped what the kids have to learn in kindergarten and beyond. My DS bday is Aug 6 and he really doesnt have to be 5 until early Sept to attend , but I am going to hold him back one more yr. My friends who are teachers are on board with me about this.

 

[dijid]

It sounds like your DD is a bit disappointed. Tell her I'd swap and let her have my July b-day if I could LOL!

I'm not sure if it will work in your area, but my in-laws live in an area where the cut-off is actually June 1. Many people get around that by enrolling their child in a private school that will take kids with summer birthdays. After paying only a month's tuition, they transfer to the public school. The Public school has to take them, as they are actually transfers.

 

[mla1977]

I think it has gotten WAY out of hand. In my BFF's school district the cut off is Sept 1 and her DS birthday is Sept 14. She doesn't even have the option of sending him to Catholic schools for a year because he needs to be 6 by Sept 1 to start first grade.

I think moving the cut off date earlier and earlier is really doing a disservice to the kids who are more advanced (I was reading before K and had to start a year later than when I was ready, but at least the cut off date was December 31 when I was younger).

Not only do they want you to start school later, then the parents who pushed for the older starting age start pushing for more "real" education in K, thereby making it harder for the less developed kids, thereby having parents push for the older starting age. It is a viscious circle. If it gets too out of hand by the time I have children in school, I may just home school them.

Stepping off my soapbox now.

 

[Keara'sMom]

My dd (now 10) missed the Dec. 1 cutoff for kdg by one month. She was reading well in preschool and was very comfortable socially, but we decided not even to attempt to enroll her early. That turned out to be a really good move for her, as she is so happy being one of the oldest in her class (she's the youngest on both sides of our family and the only child in our immediate family). Academically, I think she's been sufficiently challenged in all of her classes, and frankly, she views school as a grand social experience rather than a time for learning anyway

Good luck to you, and enjoy your time with your dd!

 

[akmom]

It sounds like your DD is a bit disappointed. Tell her I'd swap and let her have my July b-day if I could LOL!

I'm not sure if it will work in your area, but my in-laws live in an area where the cut-off is actually June 1. Many people get around that by enrolling their child in a private school that will take kids with summer birthdays. After paying only a month's tuition, they transfer to the public school. The Public school has to take them, as they are actually transfers.

You know, I never thought about that! I thought about sending her to a private school for a year, but not a month! Hmmmmmm
I know it won't kill her to wait a year. But with DD I know she'd be fine if she went too because she's had so much pre-school since it's attached to her daycare.

 

[Andyjo0930]

here in NY the cut-off is dec 1. Now they are very strict, but when I went to school, my b-day is the 15th of dec, my parents wanted to start me when I was 4, I had to go to the principal and he asked me my name, ABC's and to count to 10 and he said I could start, same as my sister whose b-day was dec 5. Nowadays, there are no exceptions!

 

[PrincessHeart]

My son has a march birthday and we held him back a year. He is very small for his age and had a motor coordination delay of about one year, so we thought holding him back a year would close the gap. It did! Our cut off is Aug 1. I had two friends with boys that just made the cut off. They are both struggling in school, while my son is sailing through making E & M's in all subjects (exceeds and meets). Both my friends sons dread school. I feel so badly for them. Trust me it is better for a child to be older now with all of the increased expectations.

 

[akmom]

Exactly! When I initially called the school district to inquire about the early entrance procedure the secretary just said, "it won't happen." Good to know!

 

[MiniGirl]

It sounds like your DD is a bit disappointed. Tell her I'd swap and let her have my July b-day if I could LOL!

I'm not sure if it will work in your area, but my in-laws live in an area where the cut-off is actually June 1. Many people get around that by enrolling their child in a private school that will take kids with summer birthdays. After paying only a month's tuition, they transfer to the public school. The Public school has to take them, as they are actually transfers.

It doesn't work like that in our state. We have cut off dates for K and 1st grade. Our dd missed the cut off by 1 week, and we seriously considered enrolling her in a private school. She would've had to go there for 2 full years. As long as she had not completed 1st grade, she would be enrolled in the public school according to her date of birth.

In the end, we ended up not doing it, and are very pleased. She finishes 1st grade tomorrow and is doing very well. She is a strong student and student leader as well; and I know if we had gone with our original plan, she would've done fine academically but would've struggled relating to the other students in her class.

 

[Amps]

sorry ignore

 

[akmom]

Oh, th part I meant would be a hassle would be if I let her go ahead and go this year and go to a different elementary than her brother. Not keeping her home 1 more year would be a hassle. Just to clarify.

 

[Aristomommy]

Every child is different, some are ready before the cut off date, others are not ready even at 5. DDs class has a great age range, she has a Nov. birthday and started school early. Another child is almost 2 years older than she is. Some schools in our area have preschools that are for the advanced/older kids if they are not able to start Kindergarten that year. If your child is in preschool right now, ask the teacher what the options are in your area. Some charter schools here have very different cut off dates than public and private schools make their own rules. DD went to a private Kindergarten, but they knew here since preschool and felt she was ready to start early.

 

[bzzymom]

We have a Sept 1 cut off here. DS is a June Birthday and is one of the younger ones in his class. He did have some social maturity issues during K and 1st grade, but now he is finishing 4th grade and is fine. We have a private school in town that has a 4 year old all day program that is great for kids who are just under the cut off.

 

[Stephres]

My son has an August birthday and is usually the youngest in his class. He has said on more than one occasion that he wishes I would have held him back because he is always the smallest boy in class. It's a hard decision so try not to stress out too much about it.

 

[wen774]

My DD is an August birthday (27th) and we went ahead and sent her to K. Its a private school with a pretty tough standards..kids must be tested and selected. My son is just about to turn 5 in June and we had hoped to send him to K this year, but on the day of his testing he totally refused to answer any of the question the woman asked him. He's very stubborn, so I wasnt all that suprised. He's very smart, but I think he needs to improve in his fine motor skills. He's also very small.

In some ways I almost wish we had held my daughter back a year as well. She is doing well in school and has a lot of friends, but she is very shy and I think another year might have helped her. She is the youngest in her class, but right in the middle size wise. There are a few spring birthdays, so others are close in age..but there are also a few 8 and 9 year old in her 1st grade class.

These days so many kids wait until 6 to start K, so she certainly wont be out of place.

 

[GillieRose]

My son makes the cut off date this year he turns 5 on sept 9th the cut off is sept 30. We are deciding to wait a year. He is not ready for kindergarten this year and we would rather wait one more year than have him fail a grade in the future.

 

[TinkerbEllnor]

Not one person I have ever spoken to has regretted their decision to send their child to K later rather than earlier. Throughout their school career, being the older of their class will benefit them. Generally, in the younger years, they will have a head start on the basics, and be better able to adapt socially and academically. As they get up to middle and high school, they may be able to withstand peer pressure a little better. They will be driving first in high school, which they will love. (the only downside is that in college, all their friends will be asking them to buy them alcohol as they hit 21 first )

It may not seem like it now, but your child has just been given the gift of an extra year of childhood. One more year before assuming the responsibilities of an adult.

Can someone please give me that gift now please? I'd like to take a year off

 

[DawnM]

My niece missed the cut off date by 3 hours!!!!!

Honestly, they need a different cut off for boys than for girls.

Dawn