Friday, March 12, 2004
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Friday, March 12, 2004 |
| Pre-K, kindergarten registration underway With new elementary school districts adopted and in place in the southern part of the county, Coweta’s 17 elementary schools are ready to begin kindergarten and pre-kindergarten registration this coming week. Registration will be held March 11-19 at all Coweta elementary schools. Parents who were affected by the redistricting for the new Grantville Elementary school have been contacted by letter from their current schools. Any parent who wishes to check their home’s school district can do so at the Coweta County transportation office by calling 770-254-2820 and giving the receptionist an address. A parent committee drew the new elementary school lines for Moreland, Eastside and Poplar Road Elementary Schools, in order to create a district for the new Grantville Elementary School, which will open for the 2004-05 school year. The board adopted the parent's recommendation in March, to prepare for the new school year and March registration for new students. To prepare parents for the new school’s opening, Moreland Elementary School’s PTO will hold a “Grantville Information Night” at 7 p.m. March 16 at Moreland. The meeting will be for all parents whose children will begin at the new Grantville school next year. Grantville Principal Carole Criswell will attend the meeting, and she and Moreland Principal Beverly Yeager will answer questions, initiate PTO and school council plans, discuss potential business partners, and will hear an update on the Grantville school construction from operations Director Coy Mills. Parents whose children will be four years old by Sept. 1 can register for pre-kindergarten classes in Coweta schools March 11-19. The classes are limited at each school, and any schools taking more than 20 names per class for registration will hold a lottery drawing to decide enrollment March 19. Coweta County schools currently have 660 pre-K students in all 17 elementary schools. Each elementary school has one pre-kindergarten class with the exception of Arbor Springs, Canongate, Eastside, Newnan Crossing, and Ruth Hill, which have two classes. Maggie Brown has five classes that serve children in the Atkinson, Elm Street and Jefferson Parkway districts. The number of Coweta’s pre-K classes is not expected to increase next year. Students who will be five years old by Sept. 1 can be enrolled in Coweta County Schools’ kindergarten classes. There are currently 1,530 students enrolled in the county’s kindergarten classes, and the number is expected to grow next year. There is no limit on kindergarten enrollment, but it is important for new parents to register their children during the March 11-19 period if possible in order to best plan for the coming year. Pre-K and kindergarten registration will be held at the following times and places: • Friday, March 12, 8 a.m.-4 p.m. • Monday, March 15, 8 a.m.-4 p.m. • Tuesday, March 16, 8 a.m.-4 p.m. • Wednesday, March 17, 8 a.m.-4 p.m. • Thursday, March 18, 8 a.m.-7 p.m. • Friday, March 19, 8 a.m.-noon. Pre-K children who reside in the Atkinson, Elm Street, and Jefferson Parkway districts will register and attend pre-K at Maggie Brown. Children districted for the new Grantville school will register at Moreland Elementary School. On March 11 and 18, parents can also register their children at satellite sites at Grantville RESA (the old Grantville Brown school), Winston Dowdell Academy and the Central Educational Center. To register a child in a Coweta County School for the first time, parents must provide proof of residency (including an electric bill and a current lease or purchase agreement) and a certified birth certificate to register any student for the first time in the Coweta County School System. Additional instructions will be given at the school regarding the submission of the Immunization Certificate and the EED Certificate. These certificates can be obtained at the Coweta County Health Department or from the child’s pediatrician. Registration requirements and tips can also be found at www.cowetaschools.org. Coweta Schools Elementary Curriculum Director Wanda Creel and Pre-K Director Susan Wareham encourage parents to register their 4- and 5-year-olds as early in the period as possible, though, to make sure they have time to comply with the expanded proof of residency and certified birth certificate requirements. Students who register for Coweta County Schools also must meet state age requirements. A child must be 4 years old by Sept. 1 for pre-K, 5 years old by Sept. 1 for kindergarten, or 6 years old by Sept. 1 for first grade. For children whose names are entered into a lottery for pre-kindergarten slots, the principal in each school will draw the names in an open area and the assistant principal or other school personnel will record the names and number the registration forms in the order in which they are drawn. It is not necessary for parents to be present when the names are drawn. The pre-kindergarten teacher will notify each parent by mail and/or by telephone. Children who are on the waiting list the day of the lottery drawing or who register after the drawing March 19 will be notified of an opening in the order in which they were added to the waiting list. If a child is enrolled in another Georgia pre-K Program, either public or private, his/her name will be removed from the waiting list. Only those children not enrolled in a pre-K program will remain on the list. This ensures that all 4 year-olds have the opportunity to attend a Georgia pre-K program. It also allows program providers in Coweta County to accurately determine and apply for additional pre-K classes if they are needed. Twenty names will be drawn for each class. Twins or triplets will be registered and drawn together unless it is for the 20th opening. In this case, if no other opening becomes available before school begins, the parent or guardian must make a decision whether to accept the available opening. The hours for pre-kindergarten classes are from 8 a.m.-2:30 p.m. and the children follow the regular school calendar. They also have access to transportation, breakfast, lunch, and the After School Program. If further information is needed, you may call the Office of Curriculum and Instruction at 770-254-2810.
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