School registration is under way

School registration in Columbia County started Tuesday. Parents needing to register their children are urged to do so before classes begin Aug. 10.

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"If they can register prior to Aug. 6, which is our open house, we can have them on a roster and have their names posted, so they can see who their teacher is," said Michele Sherman, director of Student Learning for pre-k through fifth grade.

Pupils new to the Columbia County school system, and those transferring to a different school within the county, will need to register, Sherman said. They can do so by visiting the office of the school they will be attending on weekdays from 8 a.m. until 4 p.m.

Several documents are required for registration -- proof of residency (utility bill); a certified copy of the pupil's birth certificate; a copy of the pupil's Social Security card; and immunization and three-point screenings records, which can be given by a pediatrician or at the Columbia County Health Department.

If a pupil is transferring from a school outside the county, a copy of the child's report card from the previous school also is needed to verify grade placement, Sherman said.

For kindergarten registration eligibility, children must be 5 years old by Sept. 1.

Sherman strongly encourages parents and pupils to attend their school's open house.

"It's really good for them to attend that open house if they can make that," she said. "They can walk the child around ... just so that everything's not completely brand new for those students new to our school system."

A list of required school supplies can be found on each school's Web page.

"There really are not any supplies that are going to be required the first day of school, so if parents have not had time to make it to the store to get those supplies, we will accept students as they are when they come in," she said.

To access school Web pages, visit the school system's Web site at www.ccboe.net.