Photo by Erin Nelson.
Jupie Lindley, a longtime kindergarten teacher at Cahaba Heights Elementary School, reads the book “Mercy Watson to the Rescue” to her class.
Those wishing to enroll their child in Vestavia Hills City Schools for kindergarten can do so this month.
Enrollment opens up for new kindergarten students Feb. 1 and will operate the same as it has in past years. The process can be done entirely at home, though many parents bring certain documentation into their child’s school, said Whit McGhee, director of public relations for Vestavia Hills City Schools.
Students must be 5 years old on or before Sept. 2 to enroll in kindergarten, McGhee said.
Enrollment is a separate process from registration, which is what parents of returning students complete. McGhee said parents enrolling their children should set aside about an hour to complete the process. Parents will enter in contact information and student information, review policies and procedures and more.
Parents must provide the Alabama Certificate of Immunization and proof of their child’s age, as well as multiple documents proving they live in city limits. More information on documents that are sufficient can be found at vhcs.us/enrollment.
The school system sees about 500 new kindergarten students each year, McGhee said, and he advised parents to complete that process early.
At the same enrollment website, there is a school locator map, provided by the city of Vestavia Hills. Parents can type in their address and the map will show them which elementary school they are zoned for, McGhee said.
After enrollment, schools will hold orientation events, meet the teacher events and more, McGhee said.
The frequently asked questions portion of the website should address most concerns, McGhee said, but parents can also reach out to their child’s school and talk to leaders there.
