Games, food and fun marks the start of registration for York County kindergartners
Local schools are getting ready for a new wave of students — it’s the time of year again to register students for kindergarten in York County. Classes for the 2017-18 school year start in August.
On or by Sept. 1, 2017, students must be five years old to register for kindergarten and four years old to attend pre-kindergarten. Parents/legal guardians must provide proof of residency, a legal birth certificate and an immunization record to register their child.
Rock Hill students
Rock Hill children and their families are invited to enjoy photos with local mascots, practice boarding a school bus and sit in a Rock Hill Fire Department fire truck, all while preparing to enter the school system, a release states.
The school district is hosting a drop-in event on March 11 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. for parents to register their children for four-year-old and five-year-old kindergarten, according to the release.
“While the first day of school is six months away, the early enrollment event can help reduce the first day jitters for both students and parents,” according to the release.
During the event, families can complete registration and meet school representatives. Each registered five-year-old kindergartner will receive a class of 2030 T-shirt and a free shaved ice treat, according to the release.
Space is limited for Rock Hill’s four-year-old pre-kindergarten program, the release states. Options are based on where the child lives. A half-day program is available at Central Child Development Center, while a full-day program is available for students who live in an attendance zone of a Title 1 school.
The Children’s School at Sylvia Circle and Old Pointe Elementary School also offer a tuition-based full-day program. Contact the schools for more information.
York students
With food, games, inflatables, free books and more, the York school district is celebrating new students. A Registration Carnival will be held March 23 at York Comprehensive High School for four-year-old and five-year-old kindergarten.
The district hopes to encourage parents to register their children early, said Tim Cooper, spokesperson for the district.
“It helps us plan better for the number of teachers we need,” he said.
District officials hope to see at least 90 percent of five-year-old kindergarten students registered early, said Lisa Spangler, director of special projects for the district. Last year, the district had 28 percent of students who did not register for kindergarten before the end of the school year.
The carnival invites parents to sign up for programs through local organizations such as First Steps of York County, which helps students prepare for school. A free hot dog dinner will be available for the first 500 people.
“We are a relationship-based district,” said Superintendent Vernon Prosser. “This is another piece of building relationships with our parents prior to them ever meeting their teacher and starting that formal school process.”
Registration will also be available during the school day March 24 and March 31 at the child’s elementary school. Parents may also complete annual registration for children currently in five-year-old kindergarten through fifth grade during the carnival.
Space is limited for four-year-old kindergarten and is filled on a first come, first served basis for qualified applicants, according to the school district.
Fort Mill students
An online portal will open during the week of April 3 for parents to register children for five-year-old kindergarten in the Fort Mill school district, said Kelly McKinney, spokesperson for the district.
Parents should start the registration process online and then attend an academic screening to provide the necessary documentation and complete the process, McKinney said.
Academic screenings will be held April 20 for students with last names starting with A-L and April 21 for students with last names starting with M-Z. Both events will be from 8:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m. at the child’s assigned elementary school.
To register children for Fort Mill’s half-day four-year-old kindergarten program, parents must sign up for a screening appointment, which will be held March 9-10 at Riverview Elementary School, according to the district.
The program runs five days a week with classes at Riverview and Fort Mill Elementary Schools. Each class is open to 20 students.
Clover students
Registration for Clover kindergarten students can be completed on the school district’s website. Rising kindergarten students who attended a Clover pre-kindergarten program should register using the Returning Student Registration link. A New Student Registration link is available for kindergarten students attending Clover schools for the first time.
Students will need to provide documentation to their elementary school to complete the process, according to the district’s website. Registration for pre-kindergarten students must be done in person at the school.
Kindergarten Registration Events
Rock Hill - A drop-in event on March 11 from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Rock Hill school district office (660 N Anderson Rd) invites parents to register their children for four-year-old and five-year-old kindergarten. Pre-kindergarten options are based on the child’s attendance zone.
York - Parents can register children for four-year-old and five-year-old kindergarten during a registration carnival March 23 from 5 to 7 p.m. at York Comprehensive High School - 275 Alexander Love Highway in York. Registration is also available at elementary schools on March 24 and March 31 during the school day.
Fort Mill - Parents should start the registration process online during the week of April 3 and attend an academic screening to provide necessary documentation and finish the process for five-year-old kindergarten. Screenings will be held April 20 for last names starting with A-L and April 21 for last names starting with M-Z.
To make a screening appointment for four-year-old kindergarten, contact Jane Culp at 803-548-1754 or culpj@fortmillschools.org. Appointments will be held March 9 and March 10 at Riverview Elementary School - 1300 Spratt Street in Fort Mill.
Clover - Kindergarten registration is available on the school district’s website.
This story was originally published March 5, 2017 at 4:18 PM with the headline "Games, food and fun marks the start of registration for York County kindergartners."