Registration, Physicals, Immunizations, Start Dates, and More
It’s time to get ready for students to return for the 2018-19 School Year, which means scheduling your child’s immunizations and sports physicals. We put together some information that we hope will help Chattanooga families prepare for another great, safe year in local schools.
NiteOwl Pediatrics stands ready to help with conduct a physical, proof of which is required for your child to have on file at your child’s school before participating in a tryout to play on a sports team. Our Chattanooga pediatric urgent care is open 7 days a week on Shallowford Road next to Zaxby’s.
School physicals often reveal any issues that can interfere with your child’s ability to participate in a sport. An examination by our providers can help identify injury-prone areas and to suggest tips to avoid future problems. We look at their vitals, joints, and flexibility, as well as checking vision and assessing possible limitations on physical activity. Your child’s strength, flexibility, posture, and joints can all impact physical abilities. The heart, lungs, abdomen, ears, nose, and throat also need checked. Young bodies are under stress as they go through growth spurts and weight changes, so it's good to have them examined.
Once the student's physical is on file, it typically works for all remaining sports for the school year. Transfer students are usually expected to bring a copy of the physical from their previous school. You should consult your local school to make sure this is the case.
The first full day for students in Hamilton County TN (based on the calendar approved Feb. 15th by the school board) is Wednesday, August 8th, with a fresh start bright and early at 7 am and classes letting out at 2:33 pm. Breaks are scheduled for Labor Day (Sept. 3), Fall Break (Oct. 8-12), Thanksgiving (Nov. 21-23), and the Winter Break (Dec. 20-Jan. 2). In the second term, resuming Jan. 7, 2018, students can look forward to breaks for Martin Luther King Day (Jan. 21), President’s Day (Feb. 18), Spring Break (March 18-22), teacher professional development day (March 25), and Spring Holiday (April 19), with the school year scheduled to end after classes conclude on May 23, 2018.
Online registration for returning students began July 11th and continues online as we write this. Parents are tasked with reviewing documents consenting for their child to appear in school publications like a yearbook, honor roll, graduation program, sports activity sheets, or other materials before August 25th.
Children entering kindergarten must be age five on or before August 15th. Parents need to bring two different documents as proof of residency, such as a utility bill and a contract or lease on a house or apartment.
Students must have a current Tennessee School Immunization Certificate with both immunization and physical exam information listed. Parents/guardians must provide this Certificate or have Proof of Appointment for the physical exam. If a student is entering Hamilton County Schools for the first time, the physical exam must have been completed in the last 12 months. Immunizations must be up to date to stop the spread of disease such as Meningitis, which is a very dangerous disease for teenagers as it can be spread by close contact via kissing or coughing. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention recommends meningococcal vaccination for adolescents 11-18 years of age.
For more information on the schedule and requirements for local public schools, visit the Hamilton County Schools at 3074 Hickory Valley Road, Chattanooga, TN 37421 or call (423) 498-7020.
For information on admissions, requirements and the 2018-19 schedules at Chattanooga private schools, parents should consult the following:
Avondale SDA School 423-698-5028
A.W. Spalding Elementary School (Collegedale) 423-396-2122
Baylor School 423-267-8505
Belvoir Christian Academy 423-622-3755
Berean Academy (Hixson) 423-877-1288
Boyd-Buchanan School 423-624-9064
Brainerd Baptist School 423-622-3873
Bright School 423-267-8546
Calvary Christian School 423-622-2181
Chattanooga Christian School 423-265-6411
Collegedale Academy (Collegedale) 423-396-2124
Girls Preparatory School 423-634-7600
Grace Baptist Academy 423-892-8224
Hamilton Heights Christian Academy 423-894-0597
Hickory Valley Christian School 423-894-3200
Lester Coon Apison School of SDA (Apison) 423-236-4926
McCallie School 423-624-8300
The Montessori School 423-622-6366
Notre Dame High School 423-624-4618
Ooltewah Adventist School (Ooltewah) 423-238-4449
Our Lady of Perpetual Help School (OLPH) 423-622-1481
St. Jude School 423-877-6022
St. Nicholas School 423-899-1999
St. Peter’s Episcopal School 423-870-1794
Skyuka Hall 423-877-9711
Signal Mountain Christian School (Signal Mountain) 423-886-1115
Silverdale Baptist Academy 423-892-2319
Siskin Children’s Institute 423-648-1700
Standifer Gap SDA School 423-892-6013
We know parents are busy getting ready for school and getting enjoyment out of what’s left of summer vacation, so save time by checking in online.
The state of Tennessee's annual sales tax holiday is held every year, beginning at 12:01 a.m. on the last Friday in July and ending at 11:59 p.m. the following Sunday night. During this weekend, certain goods may be purchased tax free. The 2018 tax-free holiday weekend begins at 12:01 a.m. on Friday, July 27 and ends Sunday, July 29 at 11:59 p.m. See the list of items eligible for tax free purchase in Tennessee at https://www.tn.gov/revenue/taxes/sales-and-use-tax/sales-tax-holiday.html
Good luck to all students as you prepare for the new school year!
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