Kindergarten Program

Welcome to Kindergarten at Cedar Elementary School! Below, you will find important information and documentation about our Kindergarten program. If you have any questions, please call Cedar School. 

Academics

Our curriculum is carefully aligned with the Massachusetts Curriculum Frameworks and is designed to support the social, emotional, physical, and intellectual development of our students. Our kindergarten students participate in activities that build foundational skills, including recognizing letters, numbers, colors, and shapes, handling books, and using writing and drawing tools. They engage in rich language experiences and have opportunities for play and social interaction to develop essential social skills, setting them up for success as they begin their educational journey. Additionally, students participate in daily specials, including art, music, and physical education.

Full-Day and Half-Day Kindergarten Information

Although the school budget for next year is still being finalized, we are moving ahead with our current format that offers both a full-day and a half-day kindergarten option.

Full-day kindergarten runs from 8:15 am to 3:00 pm, Monday through Friday. Half-day kindergarten runs from 8:15 am to 11:30 am on Monday, Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday, with an extended schedule on Tuesday from 8:15 pm to 1:00 pm. Students eat lunch at school.

Tuition for full-day kindergarten is $3,750 for the year. There is no tuition for half-day kindergarten. A $500 deposit is due to secure a spot in full-day kindergarten. Please contact the Cedar School main office for additional information.

Payment Options

You may submit your payments online by using the Halix Payment solution. You may also pay by check (payable to the Town of Hanover) via mail or in person at Cedar School.

Kindergarten Registration

Parents/guardians of new students who will be five years old prior to September 1, 2025, are encouraged to register their child(ren) using our online tool, Registration Express. For current PK students, please look for the quick-registration button. 

You will be required to upload the following documents for administrative review:

• Original birth certificate.
• 2 forms of verification of residency/address in Hanover (i.e., license, tax bill, water bill, utility bill).
• Report of the most recent physical examination and immunizations.

Uploading Forms and Documents

Learn how to scan, sign, and upload the required documents from an iPhone using the Notes app. Go to How to scan documents on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch.

Kindergarten Medical Policy

The medical requirements for Kindergarten admission are identified as:

1. A full physical exam, including a vision screening, by your family doctor/pediatrician within twelve (12) months before the start of school.
2. All students must be completely immunized according to the Massachusetts School Immunization Law as follows, including the influenza vaccine:
   1. Blood Lead Level, including level amount and date.
   2. A physician's certification is the only acceptable evidence of immunization. The certification provided should contain the month, day, year, and type of immunization.
   3. There are two exceptions to these laws:
      1. For medical reasons.
      2. For religious reasons.

However, these will not be accepted as valid unless accompanied by:

• Official medical statement with reasons for medical exception with a doctor's signature.
• Parental/guardian statement that immunization conflicts with sincere religious beliefs.

Students will not be allowed to attend school without immunization documentation.

• All students must have a vision screening. This vision testing must include stereopsis with details listed such as MassVat and Random Dot E. Your pediatrician should be testing your child's vision at their five (5) year check-up and recording it on that form. A form from a vision specialist is also acceptable. 
• If your child has asthma or a severe life-threatening allergy requiring an EpiPen, please see the school nurse for additional forms.
• If your child will require any medications to be given and/or kept at school, please see the school nurse for additional forms.

Screening

Additional information will be provided at a later date and sent to the email address provided at registration.

Letter of Placement

On or about August 15th, you will receive a letter of placement, which will also detail information regarding the first day of Kindergarten. The letter will also offer an orientation day for your child to visit their classroom in September before the first day of Kindergarten.

Bus Information

Bus routes will be sent by email to families in late August. Buses and routes are designated by letters.

Each student will be assigned to a bus for transportation to and from school. We cannot efficiently and safely accommodate requests for multiple bus assignments or requests to ride other buses. The bus company and the Hanover Police Safety Officer establish routes and neighborhood bus stops. The buses are scheduled to leave school in the afternoon at the end of the school day. Kindergarten students wait at the front of the bus dismissal lines and sit at the front of the bus.

Change in Transportation

If your child will be attending one of the daycare facilities on the bus routes, you will need to fill out a Bus Transportation Request Change Stop Form. Students will be transported to and from the SAME place EVERY day of the week. If your child is transported to a daycare facility on their bus route, it will be necessary to have them transported to daycare Monday through Friday or for you to transport your child on the days they do not go to daycare. This request replaces the assigned bus. Requests must be made by completing a Bus Transportation Request Change Stop Form.

Lunch Program

View more information about the lunch program and menu choices.