If you have a child who is turning five years old in 2011, now's the time to start thinking about kindergarten. Requests for testing for gifted and talented programs are due Nov. 17, while orientations for parents of children with special needs are being held in November and December.

Children are not required to attend school until they are six, but every child is guaranteed a spot in kindergarten. Last year there was serious over-crowding in some popular neighborhood schools resulting in some children being waitlisted for kindergarten and sent to schools outside of their zone. Many new schools have opened to alleviate overcrowding.

Our advice? Explore your options, whether or not you live in a crowded zone. Families may apply to multiple schools, although they will be given preference at their zoned school.  Applications (which vary  from school to school) are available from Jan. 10 to March 4, according to the Department of Education's timeline. Families will find out where they have been assigned late in March.<!--more-->

The best way to know if a school is right for your child is to visit.Check school websites to see if tours and open houses are listed. In some cases, you'll need to call the parent coordinator to schedule a visit. Read our school profiles and use the Advanced Search in the Find a School section to see which schools accept students from outside of their catchment area.

Gifted & Talented forms due Nov. 17!

If you would like your child to be tested for a Gifted & Talented program, you must submit a Request for Testing form by Wednesday, Nov. 17. Testing begins in January. See the DOE's website for more information. New programs may open next fall, and some schools may close their G&T programs because of space constraints or lack of students, but this list is a good indication as to where the programs will be.

Orientation meetings for students with special needs

Families of children who have been receiving special education services in preschool are encouraged to attend "Turning Five orientation meetings" [PDF file] in November and December in every district. All children, including those with disabilities, may apply during the general application period beginning in January. However, students with disabilities will also need to have a new Individualized Education Program set up for kindergarten and that usually happens later in the spring. For detailed information about the process, and what parents need to know, check out Advocates for Children's "Turning Five: A Guide for the Transition from Preschool Special Education to Kindergarten" [PDF file]. This 32 page booklet answers many questions about IEP meetings, transportation, types of special education classes, and more.

Stay tuned - we'll be updating information as we get it!