Walnut Valley Unified School District will offer a new Transitional
Kindergarten program at selected schools beginning next fall.The program that will launch in the 2012-13 school year has been made
possible through recently passed legislation.

A new state law SB1381, called the Kindergarten Readiness Act of 2010, gradually
changes the entry date for kindergarten students from December 2 to September 1.

Across the state of California, the kindergarten entry date will change
over the next three years. To enroll in kindergarten, a child must be five by:

2012-13:
November 1

2013-14:
October 1

2014-15:
September 1

Transitional Kindergarten is designed to meet the needs of students who
will turn five between September 1 and December 2.  For those students who have fall birthdays,
districts will be offering one year of Transitional Kindergarten followed by
one year of standard kindergarten.

California’s children begin kindergarten at a younger age than students
in almost any other state, often before they have the maturity, social, early
literacy and pre-math skills needed to meet the challenges of their
kindergarten year and beyond.

“Transitional Kindergarten will provide our young learners with ‘the
gift of time’ by giving them the opportunity to learn and grow in an environment
that is tailored to meet their developmental, emotional, academic and social
needs,” said Jackie Brown, Director of Educational Services.

“As educators we are pleased that we now can now give our youngest
students a bridging year to grow developmentally as well as academically to be
ready to meet the standards of kindergarten,” she said.

Parent Information
Nights for Walnut Valley’s Transitional Kindergarten program will be held on
the following dates and locations:

      Walnut Valley
Unified District Office – Board Room on January 17 at 6:30 p.m.

      Castle Rock
Elementary on January 18 at 9:00 a.m. and 6:30 p.m.

      Vejar Elementary on
January 19 at 9:00 a.m. and 6:30 p.m.

For further
information about the program please visit our website at www.wvusd.k12.ca.us. For additional questions, please contact Jackie Brown,
Director of Educational Programs at 909 595 1261, extension 31215.