Something I didn't think about

TheBub

DS turned 3 last October.  His preschool has a 3yo class and a 4yo class and then you go to K at the public school.  The techincal cutoff to be three years old for his class was September 1...or something close to that.   It is a small church program (that comes very highly recommended), so we asked if DS could start the 3yo class a year early and then do the 4yo class twice.  They asked me some developmental questions and then okayed it.  There are two other kids in his class that are in the same situation.

Here is my problem.  DS is doing wonderfully!  He is more then ready to move on to the 4yo class.  The other two "young" kids are being held back in the 3yo class for one more year.  I just realized that the 4yo class will probably have a graduation with all of the in-class preparation that comes with that.  How are we going to explain to DS that he won't participate in the graduation with his friends? 

I am going to talk to his teacher tomorrow, but I just wanted to see if anyone else has been through this.  Any thoughts?  I wouldn't hold him back or anything just because of this, but I want him to be prepared.

Yes...I am worrying about a problem that is over a year away!

smilejenn

Why wouldn't he be able to participate in the graduation ceremony? My son is in VPK this year and will be repeating it next year before K. We have no issues with him participating in his preschool's "graduation" ceremony this spring with all of his friends.

TheBub

I don't know.  I just assumed you only graduate once.

jlw2505

Part way through last year, we made the decision to hold my DD back and have her repeat her PreK program vs going onto Kindergarten.  There was one other boy in class that was also held back.  Both kids still took part in the end of year celebration (they don't call it graduation) and it was really not an issue.  The program is year round with the summer part being optional and some kids (only 1-2 each year) only do the summer part.  We just explained that the celebration was about the end of the year, that most of the kids were going to start kindergarten in the fall but that she was going to stay where she was for another year.  It really was not an issue at all.