Yes. Many private schools enroll children partway through the year when a seat is open in the right class, and Candil Hall Academy accepts transfers throughout the year. The harder questions are whether the timing suits your child and what the first weeks will look like.
Candil Hall Academy is a private school in Las Vegas for children from 18 months through 5th grade. This guide covers when a mid-year move makes sense, what a school will ask for, and how to prepare a child of each age.
Why families move during the year
- A job change or a move across the valley
- A class too large for the child to get much attention
- A child who is ahead of, or behind, the pace of the current classroom
- A problem with safety or friendships that has not been resolved
- A toddler or preschooler who becomes old enough to start partway through the year
None of these situations improves by waiting for August. If the current setting is not working, a planned move in the middle of the year can be easier on a child than several more months of a poor fit.
What is different about a mid-year start
A child who starts in August learns the routines along with everyone else. A child who starts in January joins a class that already has them. Three things need attention.
The pace of the curriculum
Schools do not teach the same material in the same order. Our classes follow a set sequence. Saxon Phonics and Saxon Math build one lesson on the last, and Shurley English introduces grammar in a fixed order. A child who comes from a different program may be ahead in one subject and missing a step in another. Ask how the teacher will find those gaps during the first weeks.
Classroom routines
By the middle of the year, a class knows where things go and what happens next. A new student picks this up quickly when the day is predictable, which is one reason a routine is important for young children.
Friendships
Friend groups have formed by winter, though at these ages they are still loose. Small classes work in a new child’s favor, because the teacher notices on the first day who has someone to sit with and who does not.
Good points in the year to switch
Some dates are easier than others. The first day after winter break, the start of a new quarter, and the Monday after spring break are good choices. Every child is settling back in at those points, so a new face stands out less. Our post on how preschoolers adjust after holiday breaks applies to new students too.
If the move cannot wait for one of those dates, choose a Monday. A full first week gives a child five days in a row to learn the rhythm.
What the school will ask for
Requirements differ from school to school, so ask the admissions office for its list when you begin enrollment. Expect most of the following:
- Proof of age, such as a birth certificate
- Immunization records
- Report cards or progress reports from the current school
- Any learning plans or evaluations
- Emergency contacts and pickup authorizations
Immunization records are a legal requirement in Nevada. Under NRS 394.192, a private school cannot enroll a child without an immunization certificate signed by a licensed physician or registered nurse, unless a religious or medical exemption applies. A child who is still completing the schedule can be admitted conditionally and has 90 school days to submit the full certificate.
School records usually move without much effort from you. Under the federal privacy law known as FERPA, a school may send a student’s education records to the school where the child is enrolling without separate parental consent. Ask the current school’s office how long it takes.
Questions to ask on the tour
- Is there a seat in my child’s class right now?
- How will the teacher find out where my child is in reading and math?
- Who will my child be paired with during the first week?
- How does the weekly schedule work for my child’s age?
- How is tuition handled for a partial year?
Visit while classes are in session, and bring your child if you can. You will see how the teacher runs the room and how the children respond.
How to prepare your child, by age
Toddlers and preschoolers
For young children, the daily rhythm matters more than the calendar. Visit together before the first day, keep the drop-off short, and start with the schedule you plan to keep. Our preschool program in Las Vegas takes children two to five days a week, so a child can begin with fewer days and add more later.
Kindergarten
Kindergarten is where reading instruction becomes systematic. Ask which phonics lessons the class has covered, so you can practice those letter sounds at home in the first weeks. Our private kindergarten in Las Vegas uses Saxon Phonics and Saxon Math K.
Grades 1 to 5
Older children want to know what will be different. Share the daily schedule, the teacher’s name, and the specials they will have, which at our school include art, music, Spanish, and physical education. In our private elementary school in Las Vegas, each grade builds on the one before, so tell the teacher which math and grammar topics your child has already covered.
The first two weeks
Expect a tired child. A new building, new names, and new rules take effort, even when the day goes well. Keep evenings quiet and bedtime early.
Ask the teacher for a short check-in at the end of the first week and again at the end of the second. Hold off on judging the move until about a month has passed, because the first days are rarely typical.
Frequently asked questions
1) Will my child have to repeat a grade after a mid-year transfer?
Not because of the transfer itself. Placement depends on age and on what the child can already do. If there are gaps, ask how they will be handled in class.
2) Is January or spring a better time to switch?
January leaves more of the school year to settle in and catch up. A move after spring break leaves only a couple of months, though it can still make sense if the current school is not working.
3) Can a toddler or preschooler start at any point in the year?
Often, yes. Our programs begin at 18 months, and we accept new students throughout the year when a place is open in the age group.
4) What records does Nevada require for private school enrollment?
State law requires an immunization certificate or a valid religious or medical exemption. A child who is still completing the schedule can enroll conditionally and has 90 school days to provide the full certificate.
5) How long does it take a child to settle in?
It differs from child to child. Good signs are normal eating and sleeping, a named friend, and talk about what happened at school. Tell the teacher if those have not appeared after a few weeks.
Conclusion
A mid-year start is an ordinary way to enter a private school. Pick a sensible date, bring the records, and tell the teacher what your child already knows.
To see classrooms in session and ask about openings, schedule a tour of Candil Hall Academy or call 702.656.3370.