meshwill

Have been looking at schools in Fairfield, Wilton, Weston and Ridgefield.
The school grading system confuses me! I have read various threads on the subject but wonder if anyone can help me understand it better?
I have a 10 yr old daughter, feb birthday and a 6yr old son, oct birthday.
If they were to start school this coming autumn, will she be in yr 5 or 6 and is he yr1 or yr2?
many thanks

Nutmegger

There was a good thread entitled "how do the schools work" a couple of days ago if you scroll down a page or so to look for it. I think it would be helpful to you. I'm not sure how to give you a link to it, but in that thread lisag8070 gave this excellent description of how ages relate to grades:

1st grade - the child needs to be 6 yrs old
2nd grade - child is 7 yrs
3rd grade - 8 yrs old
4th grade - 9 years old
5th grade - 10 years old..
6th grade - 11 years old
7th grade - 12 yrs
etc..

junior school is middle school in the US - grades 6 through 8 (ages 11 to 13)

high school is high school - grades 9 through 12 (ages 14 to 17/18)

meshwill

Thanks again Nutmegger, you're a star and very helpful!.
I did read that thread, I presume it means your child is that age at some point during that school year not your child is that age when they start the school year?

Nutmegger

Hopefully someone with more expertise than me on schools will be along to help, but I think -- only think, mind you -- that it is at the start of the school year. There is also something in some states about if the birthday comes after September they go in a grade lower. I Googled it and am not surprised you're having a hard time getting your head around it, though there does seem to be quite a lot on the net on the topic!

lisag8070

The child has to be that age at the start of the school year...But (there's always a but) each state has their own cut off dates for when the child needs to be that age..I was in North Carolina and the child had to be 6 yrs old before 25th August to start school on 5th September.

so double check this but the rule of thumb is the child has to be the correct age before the school year.

lisag8070

meshwill

Thanks Lisa, am checking it now!!.

ChocolateBabz

We are in Houston, TX. My son was 9 when we arrived and he went into 4th grade in August 2008.

He was 10 when he entered 5th grade in August 2009.

He will be 11 when he enters 6th grade this August.

Just to confuse matters K - 4th grade was elementary, 5th & 6th are middle, 7th & 8th are junior high and then 9th onwards is high school in our area.

dinosaur

Am in Connecticut (but not in one of the Gold Coast towns )

The child has to be that age by December of the school year. So, you can start Kindergarten in September if your child will be 5 by December 31st.

Of course, being Connecticut, competitive parents keep their kids back so they're the oldest in the class - my daughter has kids 2 years older than her in her class

meshwill

Goodness me! the lengths some parents go to!!
None of that here, as long as my kids can read, write and have good manners then I'm happy!! expect that will change when they see the list of after school clubs etc!!

penguinsix

Each state will have a "cutoff" date that they use to decide what grade you are in school. Usually the cutoff date is sometime between September 1 and December 1. "Your child must be ___XX___ years old by September 1, 2010" to enter this grade, etc. Google will help you find the specifics for your "school district"--note: it may not be state wide but by the school district in the town you live in. Varies from state to state.

I would recommend the school wiki to starts:

http://britishexpats.com/wiki/What_d...kids_in_school