Saddle up: time for Kindergarten Round-Up

During the week of Monday, Feb. 18 through Friday, Feb. 22, the Greencastle Community School Corporation will be hosting Kindergarten Round-Up from 8:30 a.m.-3:15 p.m.

Parents should enroll their children at Deer Meadow or Ridpath Primary Schools any day that week. Children do not need to attend the Round-Up, as they will have the opportunity to visit the schools during the orientation conducted on April 24 at Ridpath and April 30 at Deer Meadow.

Here are some important instructions for Round-Up:

* Children who will be 5 years old on or before Aug. 1 are eligible to enter the kindergarten class.

* Parents must bring the follow items: A certified copy of the student's birth certificate or other reliable proof of the student's full legal name and date of birth, such as a passport. A certified copy can be obtained by contacting the Bureau of Vital Records in the state where the student was born. A lot of states now have this request available on the Internet. The state site is www.in.gov/isdh.com. There is usually a minimal charge. Note that hospital copies are not certified.

Parents must also have proof of immunizations including 5 DPT/4 IPV/3 Hepatitis B/2 MMR and one varicella.

Also, the state now requires the varicella (chicken pox) vaccination for all kindergarten and first grade students. If the child has had chicken pox already, the month and year needs to be documented by the parent to the school.

If you are unable to attend Round-Up, call the respective school offices to verify your child's placement in Kindergarten 2008. A kindergarten orientation/visitation session will be conducted this spring on April 24 for Ridpath and April 30 for Deer Meadow.