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I may have missed this, but is kindergarten in your NY school district still a half day? Here it is a full day, made even longer by bus rides if your daughter will use that transportation. It is a very long day, filled with academics and frequent assessments (way too many but that's another story).
Also, keep in mind that school here starts the week before Labor Day unlike NY so it sounds like you will be moving in exactly when school is starting.
Hope everything works out for the best for your family and welcome to NC!
Hi Everyone,
I'm looking for some advice as it relates to enrolling my daughter in kindergarten in Wake County. We have decided to build a home in Bella Casa, which is scheduled to be built by August 25th. We have two young daughters, 2 and 4. Our expectation was we would be registering our older daughter in kindergarten once we took ownership of the house (cutting it close to school start, we know). But we just came to realize that the Wake County system requires children to be 5 by August 31 of the school year. My daughter's birthday is September 17th, so should would miss the cutoff by just over 2 weeks.
I quit reading here. She's missing the cutoff. And my experience is that "it is what it is". I saw that you made many more points, and I'm sure it's something that you're passionate about. But you're moving here, and our deadline is Aug 31.
It's ironic that there was a thread a few months ago that reached about 14 pages on redshirting.
OP there are transitional kindergarten programs. Greenwood Forest Children's Center offers it in addition to the other programs mentioned by other posters.
I may have missed this, but is kindergarten in your NY school district still a half day? Here it is a full day, made even longer by bus rides if your daughter will use that transportation. It is a very long day, filled with academics and frequent assessments (way too many but that's another story).
Also, keep in mind that school here starts the week before Labor Day unlike NY so it sounds like you will be moving in exactly when school is starting.
Hope everything works out for the best for your family and welcome to NC!
Currently she is in a full day (6 hour day) program, but it's 3 days a week. I chose to only send her 3 days to help her transition this year into the full day aspect.
And yes, I was aware of the school year starting before Labor Day. That was my original headache to try and figure out but now it's the least of my problems! We actually were trying to get everything done in time so we can start kindergarten for her, and were going to rent early if we had to. Truth be told, we were trying to do everything right for her, so she didn't have to move to yet another school (nursery to pre-k to kindergarten etc.); I think that's hard for little ones!
Thanks for the well wishes, the stress will hopefully pass
It's ironic that there was a thread a few months ago that reached about 14 pages on redshirting.
OP there are transitional kindergarten programs. Greenwood Forest Children's Center offers it in addition to the other programs mentioned by other posters.
Thanks Sal - I am going to try and dig up that post on redshirting to get even more perspective!
Your other option is that some private schools have later cut off dates, so you could send her to private school next year and transfer into Wake the following year as a first grader. At that point, her age won't matter.
Careful - I would call WCPSS and ask about this before assuming. They reserve the right to place the child age-appropriately for both K and 1st grade, so I have been told, and it is not till 2nd grade when age doesn't matter. I think they are very well aware that some parents try to get around the K grade entry rules by sending their child to private school for Kindergarten before trying to move them to public school.
I used to be part of a parenting forum until last year when I cut back my screen time... I remember threads posted regarding this topic. Seems like it's exceptionally hard to get any child into K early, from what I read. So, unhappy parents. I got the strong impression that WCPSS didn't let that get to them much, though.
Thanks for the advice. Only unique thing with us is we are moving from a place where the cutoff date of Nov 30 - so she was scheduled and prepared to start kindergarten. It's a much different scenario when you are expecting your child to not go into kindergarten next year, mine has been expecting it, and I think prepared for it, but now cant.
I fully respect the necessity of the cutoff dates, I get why they are there and in no way am debating that date. I'm just in a tough situation where my child was ready to start kindergarten (based on where she lives now), but now cant. It's no one's fault but our own, we decided to make this move. I'm just trying to figure out how to best handle this. All advice is appreciated
I am saying this in the nicest tone possible (hard to convey over the internet) - I know this seems HUGE right now, but you're probably lumping it in with all the other moving stuff and so maybe it seems magnified.
Your child four. Four years old. She isn't going to remember this, at least not as a big deal. That is, unless you make it one. And I can assure you, putting her thru testing, that may or may not pan out, and wringing your hands over the situation, WILL be what affects her. She thinks she's going to kindergarten? "Sweetie, guess what? In NC instead of being one of the youngest in Kindergarten, you're going to start NEXT year and be one of the oldest! We have a fabulous place for you to spend the in-between year and the best part is I get to spend a whole extra year with you in our new home, getting to know the parks, the library and meeting kids in our new neighborhood!"
In 10 years you'll be glad you had an extra year with her. And if she does test into kindy, I guarantee there will at least one point next year where you wish you hadn't.
Your children being a year apart and not academically similar is neither here nor there. They are in different grades - period. I have twins, one was gangbusters till 3rd grade and it's been downhill every since. The other one, who hated school in kindy and could not be cajoled into attempting to read, is turning into our academic superstar.
By the way you should be able to pre-register her with a contract for sale, so that you can hit the ground running when you get here. Also, kids move in and out all the time here - it will not be an issue no matter where you end up.
Careful - I would call WCPSS and ask about this before assuming. They reserve the right to place the child age-appropriately for both K and 1st grade, so I have been told, and it is not till 2nd grade when age doesn't matter.
This is true. DD had a kid in her class who moved here and was put in her class in first grade. He had a lot of issues, and the school used his acceptable in California but not in Wake County birthdate to move him back into kindergarten (he really didn't belong in first grade).
When we moved here I met another family at the hotel we were staying at and the younger child had finished first grade in California. She had a very late b'day - maybe November 30??? Anyway, Wake County insisted she go back to first grade (personally I think this is BS - especially since WCPSS asks for report cards for transfer students). Anyway - after a month in first grade the school decided to move her into second grade, but they ALSO wanted to change her track in school, and her older sibling, who had settled in, had to change tracks too. Mom was not happy to say the least.
When you're dealing with WCPSS, be very careful. They don't mean to do harm, but sometimes it works out that way.
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but now it's the least of my problems! We actually were trying to get everything done in time so we can start kindergarten for her, and were going to rent early if we had to. Truth be told, we were trying to do everything right for her, so she didn't have to move to yet another school (nursery to pre-k to kindergarten etc.); I think that's hard for little ones! 
