Kindergarten registration is April 14th for all area public schools

Find out what you need in order to get it done and why it’s so important to get it done on time.

March 7, 2016; 7:29 AM • by Valerie Catrow

Thursday, April 14th marks the sixth annual Regional Kindergarten Registration Campaign, an effort coordinated by Smart Beginnings of Greater Richmond.¹ The Regional Kindergarten Registration Campaign establishes one common, “on time” registration day–again, this year it’s April 14th— for 15 districts in the Richmond region: Colonial Heights, Hopewell, Petersburg, and Richmond, Charles City, Chesterfield, Dinwiddie, Goochland, Hanover, Henrico, King William, New Kent, Powhatan, Prince George and Sussex.

Children who will be five years old by September 30th of this year are eligible to start kindergarten in the fall, but they must be registered. Registration requires quite a bit of documentation, so take some time over the next few weeks to get everything sorted out. Here’s what you’ll need to bring with you…²

Child’s official, certified birth certificate³
Two proofs of address (utility bill, mortgage statement, lease agreement, etc.)
Photo ID for parent or guardian
School Entrance Healthy Form⁴ (you can bring this any time before the first day of school)

(And I can speak from experience that you’ll probably be asked to fill out approximately one zillion emergency contact forms, so be sure you’ve got phone numbers on hand for for your pediatrician and whatever adults are authorized to pick your child up from school.)

If you don’t have all of the required documentation ready to go by April 14th, you should still attend registration. It’s best for everyone to get the ball rolling–even if that means just getting your kid’s name into the school’s records.

According to a press release from Smart Beginnings, “…more than 4,000 children were not registered on time in the spring last year–enough to fill about eight elementary schools.” But when kids are registered on time:

Parents have access to important information that will help better prepare their children family for the coming year
Schools can adequately prepare for space, staff, and materials
Teachers can prepare for each and every child coming into their classrooms

If you are unable to make it to on-time registration on Thursday, April 14th, call your child’s school-to-be and set up an appointment as soon as possible.

For more information on kindergarten registration, the required documents, and general school preparedness questions, visit smartbeginningsrva.org.

According to its website, “Smart Beginnings Greater Richmond is a partnership among public and private agencies, businesses, and individuals serving the cities of Richmond, Colonial Heights and Petersburg as well as Chesterfield, Charles City, Goochland, Hanover, Henrico, New Kent and Powhatan counties. The partnership works to enhance the quality of early childhood care and learning for young children.” ↩
Yes, actual pieces of paper that you’ll need to have on your person when you physically go into the school building to register. ↩
Copies of birth certificates can be obtained at the Virginia Department of Health’s Office of Vital Records for $12. ↩
You can download a copy at the Virginia Department of Education website, but your pediatrician/medical provider should have it on hand as well. ↩