Early Entrance to Kindergarten

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EARLY ENTRANCE TO KINDERGARTEN 

The staff of the Olympia School District is pleased to work with you as you consider the very important decision of whether or not to have your child enter kindergarten early.  By early, we mean that your child’s birthday falls after the state-established guideline of turning five years old by August 31. As a district, we believe for some children whose birthdays fall between September 1st and October 31, early entrance to kindergarten may be appropriate.

For most children, however, waiting until they are age-eligible to enter kindergarten enables them to grow and learn at a comfortable rate – not only in kindergarten but throughout their school years.  We know that being the youngest in a peer group is often a disadvantage for that child, unless the child has other areas of maturity (i.e. social-emotional development) that can help compensate for being the youngest.  We encourage parents to think carefully about their child’s entire school career when considering early entrance to kindergarten.  This careful consideration will increase the likelihood of success for the child who is selected for early entrance.  Another safe-guard is for the assessment team to collect as much information as possible and identify the factors that will determine a child’s chance for overall success.

The first step in our process is for parents to contact the Elementary Education office at (360) 596-6113. The district is currently accepting referrals for next school year. The deadline for referrals is the last day of the school year, in accordance with OSD Policy 3110, no exceptions shall be granted. Please note, it is the parent/legal guardian's responsibility to submit the required application.

 

We look forward to working with you.  If you have additional questions regarding this process, please contact the Elementary Education office at (360) 596-6113.