Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

I know this will vary by region, so I'm primarily interested in North Arlington. Right now we live in the McKinley zone, but we may move to a other North Arlington neighborhood at some point.

Thanks so much!

By region of Arlington? It's 26 square miles--the smallest county in the US. Why are people so obsessed with N. Arlington being some special, separate place from S. Arlington?

Sorry, maybe you're not aware but the demographics tend to be quite different in north vs south Arlington. Redshirting by definition is something that people can only do if they can afford to pay for another year of preschool/childcare, so it is much more common in affluent areas. I would expect the trend on redshirting to be quite different in north vs south Arlington.

Anonymous wrote:We sent our DS to school on time. He has a May birthday so it wasn't even on our radar not too. We recently found out that he is the youngest child in his classroom. I was shocked since he has attended many birthday parties between May and September. So Red Shirting does happen in North Arlington.

I agree with this as I just found out that a boy on my son's baseball team (all K students) is 7. But there are also several boys in my son's class who are now just turning 6. My own son will turn 6 in early June. So, yes red shirting does happen, but it is definitely not something everyone does.

We sent our DS to school on time. He has a May birthday so it wasn't even on our radar not too. We recently found out that he is the youngest child in his classroom. I was shocked since he has attended many birthday parties between May and September. So Red Shirting does happen in North Arlington.

Anonymous wrote:

I know this will vary by region, so I'm primarily interested in North Arlington. Right now we live in the McKinley zone, but we may move to a other North Arlington neighborhood at some point.

Thanks so much!

By region of Arlington? It's 26 square miles--the smallest county in the US. Why are people so obsessed with N. Arlington being some special, separate place from S. Arlington?

Haven't read the other replies yet but we decided to hold my son (9/19 b-day) and he started kindergarten this year (so he turned six two weeks into the school year). He has some significant attentional issues and it was obvious (to us, his preschool teachers, and eventually the developmental pediatrician who said "ADHD") that he wasn't ready for K on time.

As to other young kids in class, I know we have a girl who turned five the last week of July, and I know there is a boy with an August birthday (but I don't know what year he was born so don't know if he was held back or not). Our class didn't have very many other fall birthdays, only 2-3, with most birthdays seemingly falling in the April-June area.

Will send end-of-August birthday boy on time to K.

From what I've seen or heard from friends, red-shirting has not become the norm at Nottingham, Jamestown or McKinley.

DS has an August birthday. We started him on time and he is just finishing up his Kindergarten year at ASFS. We haven't had any problems at all and DS is doing great. There are at least 10 kids in his class who are just now turning six or will be turning six this later this summer like DS, so in DS's class, we didn't see a lot of redshirting (I believe there were just two kids who were already six before the school year started, and they were both girls).

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:In fcps I think alot of boys start on time. Have a DS in 5th grade and its surprising how many times the fact that this or that child was held back a year comes up with parents. And not in a nice way. Just saying that I think it can stick with the kids - either way.

Hmm, seems like it is the parents that makes sure it "sticks" with the kids. What do they do to these kids? Do they make sure to bring it up at the right times to make them uncomfortable and ashamed?

I have never seen anyone talk about it with kids. I wouldn't know what the kids talk about. Like I said I'm surprised that other parents remember it at all. But I've seen that they do. 'Of course he's the tallest, his parents red shirted him". Kind of thing. The implication is always that the parents have tried to gain some advantage for their child. Which I think I've heard as an argument from some parents. Well my kindergarten er entered school reading... Of course he did he's 6. Or he's the best on that team... Well it's because he's older than the other boys. Everyone makes there own choices.. Just telling you the things I've heard.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: In Arlington (relevant to this post), all it takes to redshirt is just a letter to the principal/school board.

No, all it takes is not sending your kid until the following year. You don't have to notify anyone.

After observing a FCPS kindergarten with school administrators, I said I didn't think my son was ready. Their reply: "No problem. Look forward to seeing you next year!" No letter required. No pressure. If anything, my decision was supported.

Anonymous wrote:I didn't think FCPS allowed any "red-shirting" at all. Last I knew, parents didn't have an option because that would open a can of worms. That's why we went private for pre-school and K-6 so our August baby would get "the gift of time".

This is totally incorrect. I visited my FCPS and raised the concern. The school counselor told me many parents do this and said she knows of no parent that has expressed regret. The schools advise parents to do what is best for their children. The school counselor did not hold back her son and ended up doing so in second grade at his request. She regretted that she hadn't done it in kindergarten when it would have been a non-issue. Although red-shirting is quite controversial on DCUM, the actual educators I have spoken with do not view it as controversial. In private schools, it is the norm. The anger and controversy here comes from parents who think their children who are being sent on time are at a competitive disadvantage.

Anonymous wrote:In fcps I think alot of boys start on time. Have a DS in 5th grade and its surprising how many times the fact that this or that child was held back a year comes up with parents. And not in a nice way. Just saying that I think it can stick with the kids - either way.

Hmm, seems like it is the parents that makes sure it "sticks" with the kids. What do they do to these kids? Do they make sure to bring it up at the right times to make them uncomfortable and ashamed?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: In Arlington (relevant to this post), all it takes to redshirt is just a letter to the principal/school board.

No, all it takes is not sending your kid until the following year. You don't have to notify anyone.

Maybe it's not something that can be enforced at all, but:

"Kindergarten is recommended, but not required by law. However, you must inform the school system in writing if you decide not to register your child. If your child will be six years old by Sept. 30, Virginia Law requires you to enroll your child in school."

I think there is more detail about it somewhere that also mentions informing the school board.

http://www.apsva.us/page/2992

Here's the VA Code section - http://leg1.state.va.us/cgi-bin/legp504.exe?000+cod+22.1-254. The second to last paragraph is the one that allows redshirting. There are notification requirements if you go with that option.

Sent my mid-September DS to Arlington school on time. He is best friends with 3 boys who are August birthdays - all sent on time!

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote: In Arlington (relevant to this post), all it takes to redshirt is just a letter to the principal/school board.

No, all it takes is not sending your kid until the following year. You don't have to notify anyone.

Maybe it's not something that can be enforced at all, but:

"Kindergarten is recommended, but not required by law. However, you must inform the school system in writing if you decide not to register your child. If your child will be six years old by Sept. 30, Virginia Law requires you to enroll your child in school."

I think there is more detail about it somewhere that also mentions informing the school board.

http://www.apsva.us/page/2992