Kindergarten registration

From 9 a.m.-7 p.m. on Apr. 17, Chesterfield County families may register their children for kindergarten or apply for a limited number of prekindergarten spots for the 2008-09 school year. To attend Chesterfield County Public Schools, children must reside in the county with a parent or legal guardian.

To enroll in kindergarten, a child must be 5 years old on or before Sept. 30, 2008.

Prekindergarten programs, designed to provide school-readiness skills to eligible children so they are prepared for the kindergarten curriculum, are available in 12 schools. Eligible children with the greatest need have priority for the limited number of prekindergarten spots. Programs have different funding sources, which have different eligibility guidelines:

Preschool classes are offered for children who will be 4 years old by Sept. 30, 2008, who show an educational need and who live in the attendance zones of Bellwood, Bensley, Beulah, Chalkley, Davis, Ettrick, Falling Creek, Harrowgate, Providence or Reams elementary schools.

Head Start classes are offered for children who will be 3- or 4-years-old by Sept. 30, 2008, whose families meet federal income guidelines and who live in the attendance zones of Bellwood, Bensley, Chalkley, Ettrick, Falling Creek, Harrowgate, Hopkins or Marguerite Christian elementary schools.

To enroll in kindergarten or apply to prekindergarten, parents should take their children to the elementary school they are zoned to attend. To determine which school to go to, parents may call 748-1666 or go online to www.chesterfield.k12.va.us and click on "schools" and then "school look-up feature."

Children enrolling in a Virginia public school for the first time must provide a:

• Certified birth certificate

• Record of a physical examination within the past 12 months

• Updated medical records listing state-required immunizations by day, month and year of vaccination. Documentation of vaccine series is required for measles, mumps, rubella (MMR), diphtheria, tetanus, pertussis (DTP), polio and hepatitis B. Varicella (chicken pox) vaccine is required for children who have not already had the disease.

The child's Social Security number is requested, and parents must bring one of these proofs of county residency:

• Lease for at least one year or deed of a residence or property in Chesterfield County

• Contract or lease free of contingencies to occupy a Chesterfield residence within two months of the date of enrollment

• Resident manager's letter on company letterhead stating that residence is a corporate residence in Chesterfield County

• Weekly receipts for temporary residence in a hotel or motel for up to 60 days (requires renewal or evidence of more permanent residency within 60 days of enrollment)

Parents should make every effort to register their children on Apr. 17. If this is not possible, parents should call the school to set up an appointment as soon as possible. For prekindergarten, it is especially important to apply on Apr. 17 because children will be chosen for the limited number of prekindergarten spots by May 1. Families that apply late will be placed on a waiting list.

For more information, call your zoned school or go online to www.chesterfield.k12.va.us.