January 9, 2012

Dear New Yorker,

Was your child born in 2007? If so, give your child the healthy start she deserves by enrolling her in kindergarten for the 2011-2012 school year. Children who attend kindergarten are more successful throughout their school careers. Not only are they more likely to graduate school and go on to college, but they are also more likely to be academically successful throughout their entire educational career.

PARENTS MUST SUBMIT AN APPLICATION FOR KINDERGARTEN ADMISSION EVEN IF THEY ARE APPLYING TO THEIR LOCAL SCHOOL.

To apply for kindergarten:

• Find out where your zoned school is by calling 311.

• Find out about your child's eligibility for other kindergarten programs, such as gifted and talented programs or schools that you are not zoned for. See the admissions priorities section on the NYC Department of Education's (DOE) website.

• To enroll in the programs that you are interested in, visit your zoned school (meaning the school that you are assigned to based on the neighborhood where you live) and any other schools you are interested in sending your child to between January 9, 2012, and March 2, 2012.

• Make sure to bring your child's birth certificate or passport, proof of immunization, AND two documents which provide proof of residence. A list of acceptable documents for this purpose and information on how to access these documents can be found on the DOE Registration Information page. Please note that your child is eligible to register for kindergarten even if he or she is not a citizen.

Important dates in the kindergarten admissions process for the 2012–2013 school year can be found on the DOE's Calendar and Events page:

• January 9 – March 2, 2012: Kindergarten admissions period.

• March 19 – March 23, 2012: Assignment notification period.

• March 26 – April 20, 2012: Pre-registration period.

All applications received by the March 2, 2012, deadline will be treated the same – it is NOT first-come, first-served.

District 1 Admissions

If a family resides in District 1, the admissions process is centralized. The District 1 Elementary School Directory, which includes information about the District 1 process, school options, and application instructions, is available online now.

Families can get more information about kindergarten admissions by visiting the DOE website, emailing the Elementary School Enrollment Team at ES_Enrollment@schools.nyc.gov, or calling (718) 935-2009.

Thank you!

Sincerely,
Christine C. Quinn
Speaker
NYC Council