If you feel like Kindergarten registration for the 2024-2025 school year is happening really early, you’re right! Based on the new Connecticut State Law children entering Kindergarten in 2024, must be 5 on or before 9/1/2024. With the change, Newtown Public School has decided to begin registering incoming Kindergarten students on Monday, January 8th, 2024. This will include all children who are Kindergarten eligible (born before 9/1/2019) and those born 9/2 – 12/31/2019 who are seeking a waiver for early entrance.
Before diving into the details specific to Newtown, I want to point out the Connecticut General Assembly moved the Kindergarten cut-off date this past June. You can read more here on what is driving the change.
At the end of last year, Newtown Public Schools and the Newtown Board of Education approved a plan to address this change. Parents of children born 9/2 – 12/31 may request their child be screened to determine if entering Kindergarten is developmentally appropriate. If they are deemed ready for Kindergarten, a special waiver will be granted for the child to enter K early.
Additionally NPS will be piloting a full day Kindergarten Readiness class focusing on building the skills necessary for K. More information on this play-based program will be provided to parents if their child is not granted early entrance.
To complete your child’s online registration:
- Visit Newtown Public School website by clicking here.
- Click on “New Student Registration” in the lower right hand corner.
- You’ll receive a prompt for the year. Select 2024/2025 School Year.
- Create your family’s account with the Newtown Public Schools if you do not have an older child in the school system (one account per family).
- If you don’t know which school your child will attend, call Sarah Connell in Central Office at (203) 426-7606.
- There are also two documents on the district’s website that are helpful:
- Registration Video: Although it is from several years ago, it has some good information on the process and Kindergarten Readiness.
- Health Forms: Information on what is required from a physical and immunization standpoint.
Once all of the paperwork is completed online, you will then be contacted by your child’s school to arrange the screener. In the past, all four elementary schools have held Parent Information Nights where you will have an opportunity to meet the Principal, Lead Teacher, K Team, and other Staff and take a tour of the building.
Finally, before the first day of school the district will do a Kindergarten Bus Run. Kindergarteners will get the chance to ride their bus route with their driver and a parent volunteer. They’ll also begin practice the morning routine when they get to school and meet their teacher for the first time. *If this is your first child, don’t worry they wear tags with their name, teacher, and bus number for the first few weeks.
For our friends in the surrounding towns, here are the links I could find:
Danbury: Registration being 2/1/2024
Brookfield: Registration date not available, but click the link for more information on the change to the cutoff date.
Bethel: Registration open 1/8/2024. Click here for more information.
New Fairfield: Registration link opening soon. Click here for more information.
Have details on any of our local towns? Please email them to [email protected].