Student Entry Age Information
On July 7, 2023, the Connecticut State Department of Education (CSDE) and the Office of Early Childhood (OEC) issued a joint memo on the recently enacted change by the Connecticut General Assembly to raise the minimum age for automatic entry into public school in Connecticut.
Effective in the Fall of 2024, children will need to turn five (5) on or before September 1 of the school year in order to be automatically eligible to enroll in Kindergarten. This is not only at Griswold Elementary School, but every public school in the State.
Learn more about this change in the video below or on the GPS YouTube channel:
This video outlines:
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Overall guidance for all families and caregivers who have students turning five (5) between September 1, 2024 and December 31, 2024
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The waiver application and submission process for families intending to register their child for Kindergarten at Griswold Elementary School for the 2024-2025 school year (only for students that turn 5 between September 1, 2024 and December 31, 2024)
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Screening/Assessment information for students that will turn 5 between September 1, 2024 and December 31, 2024. The Kindergarten screening will be held on May 24; sign up here.
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What it means to elect for your child to participate in another year of pre-kindergarten, and information about enrolling in the Griswold Early Education Program
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Monitoring your child's development via the Sparkler App
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How to contact the GES Main Office for more information
Resources
2024-2025 Kindergarten Eligibility Quick Guide PDF (image preview above)
GES New Entry Age Requirement Flyer PDF
Griswold Early Education Program webpage (application information for preschool)
GES Registration webpage
Kindergarten Early Entrance Waiver Application Google Form
See slides below from the Kindergarten Age Requirement presentation delivered at the Board of Education meeting on Thursday, January 25, 2024:
Learn More
Visit the OEC's webpage about the change in Kindergarten entry age and view the New Entry Age for Kindergarten information sheets for families (English PDF | Español PDF).
Resources:
- CT Office of Early Education & State Department of Education Primer PDF
- CT Office of Early Education Website
- EASTCONN Slide Deck from recent workshop
- Education Commission of the States Data Primer
- US News & World Reports Article
For more information pertaining the change at Griswold Elementary School, please contact the GES Main Office at 860-376-7610.