By Rita Howell

OK, let’s try this again.

For parents and guardians who have not yet registered their child for kindergarten at Batesville Elementary or Pope School, both schools have set another registration day, Thursday, June 21.

“Our numbers are down,” BES secretary Diane Heafner said this week. “We really need to know how many children we’ll have for kindergarten so we can plan and assign classes.”

Earlier in the spring both schools held registration for next year’s kindergarten students, but Heafner, who’s been at BES for 22 years, knows from experience that many parents have not bothered to prepare for the August 6 school start.

Last year, BES had an extra large kindergarten class, with 368 children enrolled.
So far, the incoming kindergarten class at BES totals 148.

“We usually average about 310 kindergarten students,” Heafner said.

She has compiled data from Head Start and local daycares and estimates that there are still at least 100 more children who expect to enter kindergarten at BES but are not yet registered.

“If they haven’t registered, they can’t start to school the first day,” Heafner said.

Even if the parents come the first school day to register, the child will not be allowed to start classes.
“We won’t have time to assign them to a class,” she explained.

The same goes for children who are just sent on the bus the first day of school, without registering for kindergarten.

Children who aren’t in class on the first day will start the year at a disadvantage.
“We start on the first day,” Heafner said.

Students learn where things are and how things work at school on that first day.
“We don’t go back over that on the second, third or fourth day,” Heafner said.

By registering, parents assure their five-year-olds don’t miss out on anything.

Heafner said parents can register their kindergarten-bound youngster any day, but she’s hoping that another designated “registration day” will draw attention and get more parents in the door.

Kindergarten Registration Day on June 21 at Batesville Elementary will be held from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m. Pope School will register kindergarten students on the same day from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m.

Children must be five years old by September 1 to attend kindergarten.

Parents should bring with them the following: certified birth certificate, immunization compliance form, social security card, two proof of residence in the parents’ or legal guardian’s name (mortgate/rental agreement and current utility bill).

School starts Monday, August 6. For information call BES at 563-4596 or Pope School at 563-3732.