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Sassarini hosts kindergarten info night

There will be a kindergarten information night at 5 p.m. in English and 6:30 p.m. in Spanish Wednesday, Feb. 1,  in the multi-purpose room at Sassarini Elementary School.

The school is located at 652 Fifth St. W., in Sonoma.

Information regarding “Transitional Kindergarten” and an overview of kindergarten in the Sonoma Valley Unified School District will be presented at that time. Information/registration packets will also be available for parents to take with them.

“Transitional Kindergarten” is the result of the California state legislature passing a law called, “The Kindergarten Readiness Act of 2010,” which moves the date by which a child must reach 5 years of age to enroll in kindergarten. Under the old rules, a child had to be 5 years of age on or before Dec. 2 in order to enroll in kindergarten. Under the new rules, schools will be given three years to “phase in” the new age requirement.

In Sonoma Valley the new kindergarten age requirement will look like this:

• For 2012-13: birth date on or before Nov. 1.

• For 2013-14: birth date on or before Oct. 1.

• For 2014-15 (and after that): birth date on or before Sept. 1.

The “Kindergarten Readiness Act” calls for a “Transitional Kindergarten” program for students whose birth date falls between the old and the new cut-off dates. Given the current educational budget crisis in California, the governor’s office may suspend the requirement to provide a Transitional indergarten program.

School district officials are waiting to hear updated budget information before deciding on a program for the district. The school district wants all parents to know a program will be in place for the fall if funded by the state.

Parents are encouraged to attend “Kindergarten Registration Night” at the school where their child is to enroll as well as “Information Night” at Sassarini. This includes parents whose child’s birth date falls between Nov. 1 and Dec. 2. “Kindergarten Registration Nights” will be held at each of the five public elementary schools in the district from 4 to 6 p.m. on Wednesday, Feb. 8, and again Wednesday, Feb. 15. Site staff will be available to enroll kindergarteners and answer questions about the new age requirements or other questions families may have.

Charter schools will also be holding their own information and registration nights.

Contact the individual school if you are interested in attending one of these meetings. Families may call their neighborhood school, or the district office with questions about this new law, the new school board policy regarding “Transition Kindergarten,” or any kindergarten registration question.