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kindergarten question
My oldest son has a december birthday so he won't make the cut-off next year to go into kindergarten (he just turned 4). The school he's at now does have a kindergarten class which I'm think he'll be able to move into next September. I'm pretty sure he's in the class just prior to kindergarten now, but I am going to talk to the director this week about that. But does anyone know if he could then go into 1st grade in the Fairfax County public schools the following year, or is their an age requirement for 1st grade too? Do kids have to be 6 by September for 1st grade or is there another cut-off? I totally plan on calling the school that he would go to, but just thought I'd see what folks may know. Thanks!!
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Re: kindergarten question
This is such a great question - I was having this convo with my friend just this weekend. Her daughter has a November (late in the month) birthday, so she just turned five. She is currently doing Kindergarten work at the preschool she goes to (same school as my kids) and so will have been doing lots of K level work by Sept. 2012 when she enters school.
My friend wants to put her in 1rst grade in Sept. 2012.
However, I think there is a rule about this. The preschool our kids go to won't actually label her daughter as a Kindergartener. And I wonder - is it because technically they can't because the kid didn't turn five by Sept. 30?
Another friend who works for Fairfax County as a counselor says it's very very rare for Fairfax County to let kids skip a grade. She says they still hold kids back, but pushing them up is very rare.
So it does make me wonder (for my friend) what the rule is?
I will say, IMO, my friend's daughter will not be socially ready to enter first grade in Sept. 2012. That is totally my opinion. But I do agree with my friend that academically her daughter will be ready for first grade. My friend works with her at home on workbooks and stuff and her 5 year old is waaay ahead of my 5 yr old. (though it seriously doesnt' bother me - I can't imagine doing workbooks on the weekends with my kid)
Let us know what you find out!
I teach first grade in PWC, so can't tell you the exact rule in FFX, but, I have had first graders who have come to me with October bdays (the 5 by Sept. 30 is a VA state rule). They have gone to private kindergartens because of their late birthdays and parents want them in first grade. The way it works here is they are placed in first grade on probation, and at the end of 6 weeks a meeting is held to determine if they should stay in first grade or go back to kindergarten.
My DS is an October bday, and I will not be pushing the rule at all. He's only 2 now, but even if I thought he would be ready academically I wouldn't push it, I just get to see the reason behind the rule everyday, and it is much more of a social reason than anything else. I was a young bday myself (Sept) so I know there are exceptions to every rule. I've had 4 first graders over the years who actually had bdays after Sept 30 - for all 4 first grade was fine. As they got older, for 2 the age difference showed up more, especially around 3rd/4th grade.
I may end up repeating much of what people have already posted and I think it's worth checking with the school, but from what I understand it is VERY rare that they provide exceptions to the rule. And honestly, with a DD who has a late September birthday (so I have put a fair amount of thought into what is the right thing to do for her) and made the cut off for Kindergarten this past fall, I think it would probably not be ideal to try to get an exception for a December birthday. Several of my friends who are also in FFX Cty and who have boys have commented that a lot of people tend to hold their boys back even when they make the age cut, so your DS could end up in a class with kids who are 2 years older, a difference that can be a big deal.
To keep him challenged and not bored, one idea would be to find another school or program for next school year.
This is what I know, the b-day rule (cut off Sept 30) is a VA rule, not a county rule. Our DCP has full-day kindergarten, the DCP's cut-off is Dec 31st. This is an actual private kindergarten. My Oct-bday DD will go to this private kindergarten and then test into 1st grade the next year. This is how it works, according to my DCP Director. They have many kids with Oct 1-Dec 31 b-day who do the same.
(I have to pay for daycare any way since I work F/T so I might as well pay for private kindergarten and have DD test into 1st grade. I don't think they allow testing into kindergarten, only 1st grade.)
hi there! we are looking for a good pre-school for my daughter. would you mind sharing where your kids are? we live in fairfax city & dh works in arlington.