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Moving to Houston- Age cutoffs-for starting Kindergarten
MovingDad August 17, 2012
Does anyone know if the age cutoff (age 5) for entering K by sept. 1st of that yr is written in stone. Or is there a way to appeal ? my daughter is born sep 3 and will have to spend 28 months in pre-K as punishment for being born 2 days late. any suggestion will be greatly appreciated
DorisHaynes August 19, 2012
Yes, cut off date is Sept 1 and I don't know whether you can appeal though.
80156
MagnetMom August 27, 2012
Hi MovingDad,
One option is to attend private kindergarten and usually private first grade before transferring to public schools. Private schools can test her in rather than have a concrete deadline.
However, rather than considering it punishment, many parents believe it's a gift of time. She will always be the oldest in the class--the most mature. Taller than other kids. And later, you will be relieved in high school when she's the first one driving rather than the one riding with other kids--and dating older boys and young men.
Good luck.80269
mommateach September 20, 2012
The cut-off is Sept. 1, but please don't consider that a punishment. In this area many parents choose to wait even for their "summer babies" (born June-August) even though they *are* 5 by Sept. 1. This is generally considered good practice, and I can tell you that fair or not fair, teachers do talk, and they do not like having students who are "too young" in their classes such as those who turned 5 on August 31 (yeah, it happens) and parents started them in K... reasons often cited that teachers secretly gripe about are "but he was just too bright to 'hold back'," and "but he really *wanted* to go!". We've recommended certain kids repeat a grade in middle school after parents realize starting them so soon was a mistake, but of course by that age no kid wants to be labeled as held back. Just my two cents...if you did manage to find a loophole it would likely put your child on future teachers' radar, and not in a postiive way.80671
