Transitioning to Kindergarten

11.13.2014 | Children born in 2010 are eligible to enter kindergarten in September 2015, and there are steps that families can start taking now to prepare for this important milestone!

From November 14th through December 3rd, the DOE is holding Kindergarten Orientation Meetings to provide information about the transition to kindergarten to families of students with disabilities born in 2010. Please encourage families to attend these meetings! 

Advocates for Children of New York has updated two resources to help families with the transition to kindergarten.

Updated Kindergarten Admissions Guide:
All families with children born in 2010 are encouraged to participate in the DOE’s kindergarten admissions process. Families can apply to up to 12 schools using one application form. They can complete this application form online, over the phone, or in person at a borough enrollment office between January 7th and February 13th. This year, the online application will be available in ten languages. For more information, please review and share AFC’s Kindergarten Admissions Guide, available in English [PDF] and Spanish [PDF].

Updated Turning 5 Guide:
In addition to applying to kindergarten, families with children born in 2010 who have IEPs will be participating in a second process—development of kindergarten IEPs. For comprehensive information about the transition to kindergarten for students with disabilities, please review and share AFC’s Turning 5 Guide, available in English [PDF] and Spanish [PDF].

We also encourage you to review and share the DOE’s kindergarten materials: 

• Kindergarten Admissions for All Students: www.nyc.gov/schools/kindergarten 
• Transition to Kindergarten for Students with Disabilities: http://schools.nyc.gov/kindergartenspecialeducation

Both websites have very helpful information for families of children born in 2010.

We hope these resources will help you navigate the transition to kindergarten!