How are public Kindergarten classes normally divided?

[becoming]

DS (5.5) has been attending full-day Pre-K this year at our community's public school. They have only one Pre-K class. Next year he will move up to Kindergarten, and the Kindergarten kids are divided into two classes. Does anyone know how it is normally decided which kids go to which class? Randomly? Alphabetically? By whether or not they attended Pre-K? Just curious. DS really wants to be in the same Kindergarten class as his one little friend.

[talk de jour]

When I was in K, whether you were in morning or afternoon K was determined by your neighborhood (because of the bus) and the actual classes were chosen at random.

[Starr]

In my school it was completely at random. We attended full day every other day. I know where your son is coming from wanting to be with his friend but really the school isn't going to switch or go above and beyond for this to happen.

[becoming]

Originally Posted by Starr

I know where your son is coming from wanting to be with his friend but really the school isn't going to switch or go above and beyond for this to happen.

Oh I know, and I wouldn't expect them to. Just wondering what the likelihood is of them being placed in the same class. Her last name is a D, and his is a T, so I was hoping it's not done alphabetically!

[LauraLoo]

DS's school was geographically divided for am and pm. Beyond this, there was an assessment day when the teachers lightly tested for abilities so that neither teacher had all the advanced kids and vice versa.

Some schools allow you to request teachers. Ours didn't, but you could put in for an environment preference based on teaching style that you felt would work best for your child, e.g. structure, discipline style, personality (loud and friendly or quiet and motherly), etc. You might be able to make a request to have your ds be in the same class with his friend -- be prepared to make a case for it.

[Flor]

It's probably different at different schools. When I worked elementary, at the end of the year the teachers met and placed the kids in classes for the next year. We tried to divide up evenly the kids who'd need special attention-- kids with IEPs or 504s, English learners, and behavior challenges-- so that no one teacher got the difficult class. We also took into account personalities and other needs. If a parent wrote a letter requesting a certain teacher, we took that into account as well. If you want to request something, do it soon! They might already have the placements for next year.

I don't think it asking for too much to simply put in a request, but no guarentees. We certainly had kids that we were NOT supposed to place together.

[Pheline4]

Our DS starts kindergarten in the fall, and we went to the parent orientation in March. All the kids get a visiting day (1/2 hour). DS had his last Thursday. He met all 5 teachers (they have 5 classes!) and the principal. He will go back in early June for a "screening." Once those visits have happened they all get together and sort out who goes where, based on what Flor described. We have two long days and three short ones and he's been going to full-day daycare so we'll see how it goes. You could probably just call the school principal or district office and they could give you the lowdown. Good luck.

[s_kristina]

At our district here in FL there is pre-registration in the spring then they do more registering in August. Then after that they get an appointment for a meeting with at least 1 kindergarten teacher who does an evaluation. At that point they decide which class they will go in to. Then they start later that week or the next I can't remember which. I do remember it is after all the rest of the students are already back in classes.

[talk de jour]

Originally Posted by Pheline4

He met all 5 teachers (they have 5 classes!)

Do you mean that there are 5 separate classes of kindergarteners or that each kindergartener has 5 classes with 5 different teachers per day??

Because if it's the latter... that seems like it might be really, really intimidating to a 5yo! I know that when I started K, I was worried about even having to relate to this one new adult... I don't think I could have handled 5 well at all!

[CarrieMF]

Here for K it is mostly random, though they will place kids who attended the same playschool(even if not on the same days) in the same K class. It helps them adjust if they know another kid in the class.

[mnnice]

Originally Posted by Flor

It's probably different at different schools. When I worked elementary, at the end of the year the teachers met and placed the kids in classes for the next year. We tried to divide up evenly the kids who'd need special attention-- kids with IEPs or 504s, English learners, and behavior challenges-- so that no one teacher got the difficult class. We also took into account personalities and other needs. If a parent wrote a letter requesting a certain teacher, we took that into account as well. If you want to request something, do it soon! They might already have the placements for next year.

I don't think it asking for too much to simply put in a request, but no guarentees. We certainly had kids that we were NOT supposed to place together.

Where I work you can request teacher or that your child is or is not with another student, most requests are accomodated, but not all are possible.

Just ask.