Frequently Asked Questions

Kindergarten Frequently Asked Questions:

What are the school hours?  The school doors are open from 8:15 - 8:25 am for student arrival and dismissal is at 2:40 pm. Students are not permitted in the building before 8:15 am as there is no supervision.

How old does the child need to be to enter kindergarten?  Students must turn 5 on or before August 31 of their Kindergarten enrollment year.

How do I register?  The Parent/Guardian of any child not currently enrolled at NES must visit the Kindergarten Registration Determination page found at this link. Once the online registration is complete, the parent/guardian will receive an invitation from the NES Office staff to meet. At that meeting, the parent/guardian will need to bring; the child's original birth certificate with raised seal or watermark, a current copy of immunization records, legal/custodial documentation, education-related paperwork (IEP, 504, etc.) and proof of residency. Please contact the Administrative Assistants at nesoffice@nps.org with any questions.

When do I register?  Northbridge Elementary School hosts a Registration Day, typically in February. The event will be publicized on the NPS Website and social media platforms.  Please email the NES Main office at nesoffice@nps.org with any questions. 

Does my child need screening? Yes. All new kindergarten students get screened. Students enrolled in the NES Preschool Program will be screened during the school day. Screening for new enrollments consists of a 30 minute appointment during which they will meet with a kindergarten teacher, someone from speech, and someone from Occupational Therapy. They are assessing your child’s academic abilities, that their speech is age appropriate, and assessing fine motor skills. 

Screening will be held by appointment only, typically mid/late June. The appointments are spread out over several days. These are the only days screening is conducted. If you cannot make it or miss your screening appointment, students will be screened within the first week of school. Please understand that if your child is screened during the first week of school, their class assignment may be changed to best suit the educational needs.

Invitations for screening appointments are emailed to families once ALL registration documents are received. Screening takes place at NES on 21 Crescent Street, Whitinsville.

I received an email from Infinite Campus telling me that I need to set up an account. Should I do this? Yes! NES uses Infinite Campus for a number of tools, including all student report cards. It is important that you set your account up when you receive that link, as the invitation will expire.

Is every child eligible for bus transportation?  Per School Committee Policy EEAA, kindergarten students living more than 2 miles from NES are eligible for free bus transportation. The bus company works with the school to ensure appropriate routes and stops for all eligible NES students. Bus registration typically opens in April each year.  

My child will attend before/after care at the Community Center or Precious Ones. Can he/she utilize the bus back and forth to school from there? Yes. The bus can pick up and drop off students at both of these locations. Please note that you need to indicate this on your bus registration. Additionally, please be aware that drop-off and pick-up location must be the same every day. You can visit this link for more information.

Does Northbridge Elementary School have before and after school care?  NPS contracts annually with Alphabest to offer families before- and after-school program options. All Alphabest questions/concerns should be directed to 1-866-300-7750, as NES staff is unable to assist with Alphabest issues.

How does the school communicate information to parents/guardians? The district uses an online messaging system to send a phone call and/or email. We also use Class Dojo and Facebook pages: Northbridge Elementary, Notably Northbridge, and Northbridge PTA. 

I was receiving calls/emails, but they have stopped coming to me.

It is vitally important that any address, phone number, and email changes be updated by the parent/guardian in Infinite Campus, as soon as changes occur. This ensures you will not miss out on any important information. 

Please Note: New Kindergarten registration parents/guardians will not receive any of the messages until mid July. Until then, please check out the Facebook pages listed and nps.org for the most current updates. 

Will my child be able to get breakfast or lunch at school? Yes. NES offers a variety of daily breakfast and lunch choices. Each student is currently eligible for one free breakfast and one free lunch each day. Any student wishing to purchase a la carte items or additional meals can utilize myschoolbucks.com to store funds for purchases. Eligible parents/guardians who need free/reduced meals simply need to complete the Free/Reduced Meal Enrollment Form that will be included in the Beginning of Year packet. 

Do parents/guardians have a say in who their child’s teacher is? While we wish we could honor parent/guardian requests for a specific teacher, this is where kindergarten screening is a vital part of your student’s placement - it gives us a glimpse into your child and their needs. 

Where can I get more information? The Family Liaisons have created this website for parents/guardians, which contains links to helpful and important information for parents/guardians to access. If parents/guardians still have questions, please email Mrs. Tritone, NES Family Liaison, at stritone@nps.org.