Next year the number of Transitional Kindergarten students will more than double! This is exciting for all of us involved in our district’s new program. With this increase in students we are already experiencing “growing pains.” In order to allow for the space needed to expand our program the Transitional Kindergarten classes will be moving to McKinley Elementary School for the 2013-14 school year. This change will allow our TK teachers and students the opportunity to develop a learning environment that promotes social and academic skills, not only in the classroom, but also within the TK community.

We are looking forward to meeting with all of our incoming Transitional Kindergarten parents at the Transitional Kindergarten Orientation meeting on Thursday, May 16th. The meeting will be held at McKinley Elementary School at 701 Paloma Avenue from 7:00 to 8:00 pm.

For more information regarding our Transitional Kindergarten program, please see the Transitional Kindergarten Update on the website.

For the 2013-2014 school year, the District’s Transitional Kindergarten program is housed at McKinley Elementary School.

Registration for the 2013-2014 school year begins on February 1st and takes place at your home school. Only students whose fifth birthday is from October 2 to December 1 will be eligible for the TK program.

After completing a year of TK, students will return to their home school for Kindergarten.

If you have any questions, please call Jud Kempson, Assistant Superintendent of Educational Services, at 259-3828 or e-mail him at jkempson@bsd.k12.ca.us.

Senate Bill (SB) 1381 (Chapter 705, Statues of 2010) amended California Education Code (Section 46300, 48000, and 48010) to change the required birthday for admission to kindergarten and first grade and established a transitional kindergarten program beginning in the 2012–2013 school year.  Transitional Kindergarten is the first year of a two-year kindergarten program that uses a modified kindergarten curriculum that is age and developmentally appropriate. A school district must offer transitional kindergarten classes for all children eligible to attend. A child who completes one year in a transitional kindergarten program shall continue in a kindergarten program for one additional year.  A child is eligible for transitional kindergarten if they have their fifth birthday between (EC 48000[c]):

• October 2 and December 1 for the 2013–14 school year.

Kindergarten and Transitional Kindergarten (TK) Enrollment will take place at your neighborhood school site.  Further information will be posted on the BSD Website, school newsletters, and in local newspapers.