Registration for kindergarten or junior kindergarten for the 2009-10 school year has begun at elementary schools across the state, the state Department of Education announced this week.

Children who will be 5 years old on or before Aug. 1 may enroll in kindergarten. Children who reach 5 years of age between Aug. 2 and Dec. 31 may enroll in junior kindergarten.

Junior kindergarten will provide younger students with learning experiences that match their developmental abilities and build a foundation for future school attitudes and success, DOE officials said in a news release.

Kindergarten is not mandatory in Hawai'i.

To enroll a child for the first time in Hawai'i's public schools, parents need to present proof of their residential address, the child's birth certificate, release records from the last school attended if registering for a grade other than kindergarten, and required health and immunization records.

All parents are being encouraged to register their child for full-day classes at their neighborhood schools beginning this week. Parents can call their District Office to determine which school their child should attend: