What are FCPS redshirting polices for a September Birthday?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This whole redshirting thing is nuts. It used to be that the cut off date was December 31st so every kid born in the same calendar year was in the same grade. Yes, there were obviously kids who were nearly a year older than others but if was far less common to have kids who were 15-18 months older in the same class. That age gap creates a lot of issues for both teachers and kids, especially in elementary school.
There are rumors that the county is looking into ending the practice but who knows if that's really true.

It’s a state policy and it’s been in place for decades. Every state has a different cut off. California had December 31 and kids would be held back if their birthday was in December. So it doesn’t really solve the problem. I’ve know military kids who started K in California and came to Virginia with kids who got held back in August so the age gap is there no matter what you do. As a kindergarten teacher I like the idea of moving it to August 31 so that everyone is 5 or almost 5 because I I always have kids not turning 5 until cut off and now we start school so early.

[Anonymous]

Gift of time. Don’t send a 4 almost 5 year old to kinder. Nothing wrong with be one of the older fall babies in the class (October, November, December).

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Gift of time. Don’t send a 4 almost 5 year old to kinder. Nothing wrong with be one of the older fall babies in the class (October, November, December).

+1

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:This whole redshirting thing is nuts. It used to be that the cut off date was December 31st so every kid born in the same calendar year was in the same grade. Yes, there were obviously kids who were nearly a year older than others but if was far less common to have kids who were 15-18 months older in the same class. That age gap creates a lot of issues for both teachers and kids, especially in elementary school.
There are rumors that the county is looking into ending the practice but who knows if that's really true.

1. County can’t end a state law.
2. FCPS kindergarten teachers and ES principals encourage redshirting.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Don’t do anything. The school doesn’t know your child is there. Just register next year.

You're technically breaking the law by not notifying, but it's a law that nobody really cares about or enforces AFAIK, kinda like jaywalking on an empty street.

Ffx Co police dont even track stolen cars. What makes you think they ate going to enforce something like Kinderg registration.

[Anonymous]

I've no problem with redshirting. It depends on the kid.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Gift of time. Don’t send a 4 almost 5 year old to kinder. Nothing wrong with be one of the older fall babies in the class (October, November, December).

You're confused. Those months don't have a choice, they are automatically the oldest eligible. It's the summer birthdays who turn 5 the first month of school that OP is asking about.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:You don’t have to do anything. Kindergarten is not mandatory in VA so you are not breaking a law by not sending your kid to school this year. If you decide to do this, next year, just go enroll in K a year late.

I thought that, too. However, I just googled the Virginia law and you are supposed to notify the school of your decision to delay entry.

They can barely track the kids who are actually enrolled. Believe me, they are not cross checking some registry to see if your child is enrolled.

[Anonymous]

FWIW, I've definitely seen this more with boys than girls.

If girls had birthdays past April or May, they were sent at the age of 5. If boys had birthdays in April or May, they were held and put into K the following school year. Just my observations.

I've definitely seen kids start school at 6+ and then they are turning 7 in K, 8 in 1st grade, etc etc. You can also add in maturity to your decision - some kids just aren't ready and some are.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:FWIW, I've definitely seen this more with boys than girls.

If girls had birthdays past April or May, they were sent at the age of 5. If boys had birthdays in April or May, they were held and put into K the following school year. Just my observations.

I've definitely seen kids start school at 6+ and then they are turning 7 in K, 8 in 1st grade, etc etc. You can also add in maturity to your decision - some kids just aren't ready and some are.

What about August/ September? That seems like the most likely to redshirt since they would otherwise be 4 when starting.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:FWIW, I've definitely seen this more with boys than girls.

If girls had birthdays past April or May, they were sent at the age of 5. If boys had birthdays in April or May, they were held and put into K the following school year. Just my observations.

I've definitely seen kids start school at 6+ and then they are turning 7 in K, 8 in 1st grade, etc etc. You can also add in maturity to your decision - some kids just aren't ready and some are.

What about August/ September? That seems like the most likely to redshirt since they would otherwise be 4 when starting.

For girls (mine included) who turned 5 in August and September, they went. There was a girl in her class that turned 5 September 30.

For boys, they seemed to be Jan/Feb/Mar/April (at the latest) birthdays. Not many boy birthdays in her classes that turned 6 that K year. Definitely 7 though.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:FWIW, I've definitely seen this more with boys than girls.

If girls had birthdays past April or May, they were sent at the age of 5. If boys had birthdays in April or May, they were held and put into K the following school year. Just my observations.

I've definitely seen kids start school at 6+ and then they are turning 7 in K, 8 in 1st grade, etc etc. You can also add in maturity to your decision - some kids just aren't ready and some are.

What about August/ September? That seems like the most likely to redshirt since they would otherwise be 4 when starting.

For girls (mine included) who turned 5 in August and September, they went. There was a girl in her class that turned 5 September 30.

For boys, they seemed to be Jan/Feb/Mar/April (at the latest) birthdays. Not many boy birthdays in her classes that turned 6 that K year. Definitely 7 though.

Are you a teacher? If not, why do you have all this birthday data?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:FWIW, I've definitely seen this more with boys than girls.

If girls had birthdays past April or May, they were sent at the age of 5. If boys had birthdays in April or May, they were held and put into K the following school year. Just my observations.

I've definitely seen kids start school at 6+ and then they are turning 7 in K, 8 in 1st grade, etc etc. You can also add in maturity to your decision - some kids just aren't ready and some are.

What about August/ September? That seems like the most likely to redshirt since they would otherwise be 4 when starting.

For girls (mine included) who turned 5 in August and September, they went. There was a girl in her class that turned 5 September 30.

For boys, they seemed to be Jan/Feb/Mar/April (at the latest) birthdays. Not many boy birthdays in her classes that turned 6 that K year. Definitely 7 though.

Are you a teacher? If not, why do you have all this birthday data?

Dp. Birthday parties?

[Anonymous]

Policy right now is it's allowed and when the child starts school, they begin at Kindergarten. That being said, DC has also allowed redshirting until now but they reversed course over the summer and are now forcing kids who were redshirted to skip K entirely and start in 1st grade. There was no warning prior to the announcement of such this summer. Obviously FCPS and DCPS are different jurisdictions but its something that's good to be aware of.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:FWIW, I've definitely seen this more with boys than girls.

If girls had birthdays past April or May, they were sent at the age of 5. If boys had birthdays in April or May, they were held and put into K the following school year. Just my observations.

I've definitely seen kids start school at 6+ and then they are turning 7 in K, 8 in 1st grade, etc etc. You can also add in maturity to your decision - some kids just aren't ready and some are.

What about August/ September? That seems like the most likely to redshirt since they would otherwise be 4 when starting.

For girls (mine included) who turned 5 in August and September, they went. There was a girl in her class that turned 5 September 30.

For boys, they seemed to be Jan/Feb/Mar/April (at the latest) birthdays. Not many boy birthdays in her classes that turned 6 that K year. Definitely 7 though.

Are you a teacher? If not, why do you have all this birthday data?

Dp. Birthday parties?

Yep, been to plenty, they all pretty much fade together. Aside from my kids closest friends, I still have no idea when the other 20+ class bdays are. Can’t say I even remember what time of year most of the kids bday party were, much less the date, specific month or if they were turning the slightly older or average age compared to others in the class.