Enrollment

Age Requirements

• Transitional Kindergarten:  Children must turn 4 on or before September 1 of the enrollment school year 
• Traditional Kindergarten:  Children must turn 5 on or before September 1 of the enrollment school year
   

Early Entry

Students are enrolled based on their birthdate. The district does not offer early entry into transitional kindergarten.

Cypress School District has a State Preschool Program for income eligible students. For more information, please contact the Preschool Office at (714) 220-6752.

Acceleration for Students who Attended a Private School Kindergarten

A student who does not meet the age eligibility for first grade may be admitted to first grade upon determination that the student is ready for first grade work and meets the district accretion criteria:

• The student is at least five years of age
• The student has attended a public school kindergarten for a long enough time to enable school personnel to evaluate his/her ability
• The student is in the upper five percent of his/her age group
• The physical development and social maturity of the student are consistent with his/her advanced academic ability

Students with Special Needs (New Families)

For questions pertaining to special education assessment, eligibility, placement, and/or services, please contact your child’s home school. If your child has an IEP and is transferring to the Cypress School District, please provide a copy of the IEP to your school’s office staff to facilitate placement and services.

Students with Special Needs (Returning Families)

For students receiving services, TK/kindergarten placement and school location will be determined by your child’s IEP Team at an IEP transition meeting held in the spring. Prior to enrollment, a personalized letter with detailed directions will be provided regarding the enrollment process. If you have any questions, please contact your child’s home school office staff.

Students who speak a language other than English and who are not yet fluent in English are identified as English learners. Our English learners come from a variety of different cultural, linguistic, and socioeconomic backgrounds. The Cypress School District has a language-rich program to provide English learners with appropriate services and instruction that enable them to develop English language fluency.

Kindergarten Readiness Checklist

There is no perfect formula that determines when children are truly ready for kindergarten. You can use this checklist to see how well your child is doing in acquiring the skills to build a solid foundation entering kindergarten: 

• Pays attention for short periods of time to adult-directed tasks
• Is able to recognize authority
• Understands that actions have both cause and effect
• Manages bathroom needs
• Buttons, zips, and is able to manage clothing
• Starts to follow rules and routines
• Follows simple directions
• Uses words instead of being physical when angry
• Expresses feelings and needs
• Knows how to share
• Waits his/her turn
• Looks at pictures and then tells stories
• Listens to stories without interrupting
• Recognizes rhyming sounds
• Speaks understandably
• Speaks in complete sentences (5-6 words)
• Can identify the beginning sounds of some words
• Can identify some letters of the alphabet
• Recognizes his/her written name
• Tries to write his/her name
• Traces and recognizes basic shapes
• Recognizes basic colors
• Sorts similar objects by color, size, and shape
• Recognizes groups of one, two, three, four, and five
• Can count from one to ten
• Can identify six body parts
• Shows understanding of general times of day
• Bounces and catches a ball
• Cuts with scissors
• Separates from parents easily

Toileting

Students are expected to manage their toileting needs, which includes verbalizing the need for the bathroom and managing clothing and wiping, unless required by the student’s care plan. Teachers and staff do not change diapers or pull-ups, unless required by the student’s care plan. However, accidents will happen, and staff will assist your child as needed. 

The following documents will need to be uploaded into the Aeries Online Enrollment Portal. Scans or photos are acceptable.

• Proof of Birth - Original birth certificate, passport, or baptismal certificate
   
• Immunization Record - Official immunization record with name on both sides
   
• Residency Documentation (Submitted in conjunction with Residency or Shared Residency Affidavit form)

Resident

Two forms of proof of residency are required:

1. California Driver License or ID Card of parent/guardian showing residence address (or proof of address change from DMV)
2. One of the following, dated within the past 30 days, showing the parent/guardian name and residence address

• Utility bill – Gas, electricity, or water/trash only (online printout of bill is acceptable)
• Rental/lease agreement
• Property tax statement
• Paycheck stub
• Voter registration
• Correspondence from a government agency

Dollar amounts and account numbers may be crossed out to maintain privacy

Shared Residency

The parent/guardian must provide the following items:

1. California Driver License or ID Card of parent/guardian showing residence address (or proof of address change from DMV)
2. Proof of legal mail addressed to the parent/guardian at the residence address (e.g., recent paycheck stub, credit card statement, government assistance paperwork, state/federal tax form)

The resident must provide the following items:

1. California Driver License or ID Card of resident showing residence address (or proof of address change from DMV)
2. One of the following

• Utility bill – Gas, electricity, or water/trash only (online printout of bill is acceptable)
• Rental/lease agreement
• Property tax statement
• Paycheck stub
• Voter registration
• Correspondence from a government agency

Dollar amounts and account numbers may be crossed out to maintain privacy

The following forms will be completed through the Aeries Online Enrollment Portal

• Residency or Shared Residency Affidavit
• Administrative Transfer Acknowledgement
• Special Dietary Needs Information
• Student Health History Form
• Oral Health Assessment Form (May be uploaded to Aeries Online Enrollment Portal or delivered to school office)

1. Students living within the school’s boundary with a sibling currently enrolled in the school.
2. Students living within the school’s boundary without a sibling currently enrolled in the school.
3. District students requesting an intradistrict transfer between schools.* (Priority given to students with a sibling already enrolled)
4. Students requesting an interdistrict transfer into the district.* (Priority given to students with a sibling already enrolled)

*Once enrolled, intradistrict and interdistrict transfer students are allowed to keep their seats as long as they maintain good attendance and appropriate school behavior.

If you have questions or need assistance with the enrollment process, please contact your child's home school office. Questions regarding Arnold/Landell???