Kindergarten
Registration
In Belmont, Kindergarten registration packets are sent to homes
based on the town census. Packets are sent out near the end of
February each year. If you did not receive a packet and your child
will be 5 years old before September 1st, please call the elementary
school in your district to request an information packet.
This packet will include the date on which you may register your
child. You must call the school to schedule a time to meet on
that date. At this meeting, you will speak to the school secretary,
the school nurse, and a guidance counselor.
The registration packet also requests that you bring the following
items with you to registration on the set date:
- Your child’s birth certificate
- Proof or residency (a light or telephone bill)
- A current physical exam form from your child’s health
care provider
- Your child’s immunization record
- The enclosed Student Health History
- The green parent interview form
- The enclosed registration packet
Belmont
Public Schools Student Health History (PDF document)
At registration, you will sign up for a time for you and your
child to attend a Kindergarten visitation day in May.
Kindergarten Screening
What is Kindergarten Screening?
Kindergarten Screening is a brief check of all Kindergarten
children in the areas of:
- personal and social development
- speech and language skills
- eye/hand coordination
- small and large muscle control
- hearing and vision
Most children develop in these areas at a rate which is within
the usual range for their age.
Why screen Kindergarten children?
Public Schools are required by Chapter 766 (Special Education
Law) to conduct an annual screening of all Kindergarten youngsters.
The screening is free to all town residents. Screening helps identify
young children who may require further evaluation to determine
the need for specialized services.
Who is involved in Kindergarten Screening?
Kindergarten children are screened by certified school
personnel who are trained in the screening process. The personnel
include:
- Kindergarten teachers
- Resource teachers
- Speech and language pathologists
- School nurses
Guidance Counselors, School Psychologists and School Nurses conduct
parent interviews.
How are Parents involved?
Parental understanding and awareness of their child is
important. Parents will complete a questionnaire about their child’s
developmental and medical history and review it with a Guidance
Counselor or School Psychologist and a School Nurse. Any questions
or concerns they may have about their child should be reviewed
at the interviews.
When does Kindergarten Screening take place?
Children are screened during the fall of their Kindergarten
year during the regular school day. Parent interviews are conducted
in the spring prior to their child’s Kindergarten entry.
Interviews are by appointment at the same time as Kindergarten
registration is conducted at the local elementary schools.
What happens after the Screening?
All parents are notified in writing of the results of
the screening. In the vast majority of cases, they will receive
the reassurance that their child is developing normally.
When the results indicate a reasonable likelihood that a child
has a need for further evaluation, the school staff will contact
the parents to discuss the results of the screening. Should the
parents and school staff agree that more in-depth evaluation take
place, then a referral for a special needs evaluation under Chapter
766 will be made. If a special need is determined by the evaluation,
school staff will work with parents to develop an appropriate
educational plan for the child.
Please contact
the school with any further questions. |
