Press release:
The 2017-2018 school year is fast approaching. Byron-Bergen families with children who will turn 4 or 5 years of age by Dec. 1, 2017 should register them for Universal PreKindergarten (UPK) or Kindergarten as soon as possible.
1. Universal PreK Registration
The Byron-Bergen School District plans to once again offer a half-day UPK program for the 2017-18 school year. The classes will be held at the Byron-Bergen Elementary School, located at 6971 West Bergen Road, Bergen, New York 14416.
Students eligible for the program must turn 4 years of age by Dec. 1, 2017. If you have an eligible child and are interested in having him/her attend our UPK program, please send a letter of interest by Friday, April 7, 2017 with your child’s name, parents’ names, address, phone number, and birth date to:
Elementary School Principal Brian Meister, 6971 West Bergen Road, Bergen, NY 14416
Parents who have already contacted the Elementary School by phone still need to send a letter to be eligible for UPK. Please note that if we receive more applications than our allowed capacity, we will select students using a lottery system.
What are the program goals of UPK at Byron-Bergen?
- To meet the NYS learning standards by using a curriculum that is thematically-based and supported using literature, songs, and exploration.
- To foster an environment that promotes happy, confident children who are willing to take risks, make independent choices, and ask questions.
- To create an inclusive community that builds upon a student’s strengths and accommodates his/her needs.
Philosophy of UPK at Byron-Bergen
The UPK program at Byron-Bergen is focused on socialization, and learning through play and self-exploration. Children learn in a hands-on learning environment, which includes activities, learning centers, concrete materials, and manipulatives. The learning environment is also nurturing, enriching, challenging, and developmentally appropriate.
2.Kindergarten Registration
Children who will be 5 years of age, on or before Dec. 1, 2017, are eligible for entrance to kindergarten in September of 2017. New families in the school district should notify the school as soon as possible if they have a child qualified to enter kindergarten this fall.
Please contact the Byron-Bergen Elementary School Office by calling Becky Kelly at 494-1220, ext. 1301. Parents can send the required registration information (see list below) to the Byron-Bergen Elementary School, 6971 W. Bergen Road, Bergen, NY 14416.
All children registering for kindergarten will be scheduled for a screening appointment this summer. The results of this screening will be used to plan for the 2017-2018 kindergarten program.
The following items are necessary to complete the registration process:
- Your child’s Birth Certificate.
- Certificate of Immunization—New York State law requires that every child entering school must have received a minimum of five doses of diphtheria-pertussis-tetanus vaccine (DPT) and four doses of polio (IPV) vaccine, two doses of MMR (measles, mumps, rubella), three doses of Hepatitis B, and two doses of varicella (chickenpox). Those children born on or after Jan. 1, 2008, must have four doses of Pneumococcal Conjugate Vaccine (PCV). Their immunizations must be completed prior to entering school.
- Proof of Residency—If this is the first time you have a child entering Byron-Bergen Central School District, please bring proof of residency to your screening appointment. This can be a copy of your mortgage statement, rental/lease agreement or a copy of your tax bill.
