Transcript Ready Set Go to Kindergarten - Halton District School Board

Welcome
Junior/Senior Kindergarten
New Central Public School
Purpose of our Evening..
• Meet other
Kindergarten parents
and school staff
• Learn briefly about the
school/additions,
school day, routines
and our ‘K’ program
• Looking ahead to
September
Your Staff
Principal – Mr. Merrill Mathews
Kindergarten TeachersMrs. Melisa Robertson
Mrs. Susan Cvitkovitch
School SecretaryMrs. Katherine Hogg
Additions to New Central
On the Board Website- more detailed pictures- here is
the link to get you to the plans.
The Kindergarten
Years
Our
Kindergarten
Teachers in
Action!
Let’s Take A Closer Look
A Halton Kindergarten
Years Classroom
• Classes are blended
JK/SK
• 2 year Kindergarten
Program
Program Focus
• Physical health and well
being
• Social development
• Emotional maturity
• Cognitive knowledge
• Communication skills and
general knowledge
What does
this mean?
What We Know
Young children at school
- have skills, knowledge and attitudes that they
have learned at home, daycare and community
settings
- come from different backgrounds and different
experiences
- learn best by participating in activities relevant
to their lives
- learn best by playing with materials
- learn best by using all their senses
What We Must Do
At school we provide
- a wide variety of activities and experiences
- a positive, supportive and loving environment
- set routines and expectations that are consistent
providing a framework to develop independence
- an environment that will help build self-esteem and
encourage risk taking in learning
- a balance of structured activities and free exploration of
the classroom
- activities that stress learning through all the senses
- play based activities are important for development of
literacy, numeracy and social skills
Typical Day: Full Day/ Alternate
Day
Arrival, attendance, settling in
Example
100
min
Circle time – language
Shared reading – focus lesson
Activity time – language centres
Chants, rhymes, music, movement
40
Nutrition break/ outdoor time
100
min
Circle time – math focus lesson
Activity time – math centres
50
Lunch break/ outdoor time
100
min
Circle time - various
Activity time – various
Reflection –
Dismissal
Children’s big books
Pocket chartchildren’s writing..
Graphing, sorting, patterning…
Based on focus lesson
Read aloud, Science, The Arts,
Tribes, Library, Reading Buddies,,
Health or Physical Education, Show
and Tell
What did you do today?
Parent Support
How Can I Help My Child?
Build Independence Skills
–
Putting on own coats,
clothes, shoes, socks
–
Toileting skills – from
beginning to end
–
Hand washing
–
Blowing his/her own nose
properly
–
Eating skills
Parent Support
How Can I Help My Child?
Fine Motor Skills
–
Block building, lacing
–
Colouring, painting and gluing
–
Practice using scissors –“thumb on
top”
–
Support correct pencil grasp
• Tripod grip – pincer
–
Begin name writing – First letter
capital and the rest lower case
• Tall letter go up and short
letters go down
• Round letters go counter
clockwise
Parent Support
How Can I Help My Child?
Early Literacy and Numeracy Skills
• Sing lots of songs, alphabet games
• Learn short poems and rhymes
• Count objects
• Look for numbers and letters in
everyday places
Read Read Read !
Helpful Hints: What Should I Know?
•
Nutrition Breaks:
1 Large Lunch Bag with two substantial snacks
in separate containers marked “Snack #1” &
“Snack #2” (to avoid waste, make sure the items
are nutritious but also those your child will eat)
Litterless Please!!!
•
Backpack (Large)
•
Name labels on EVERYTHING!
•
1 Ziplock bag with one FULL change of clothes, incl. socks
•
Velcro shoes to leave at school (need indoor and outdoor shoes)
School Routines
Attendance check
School safety procedures
(medication, allergies, special needs)
Volunteer police check
Allergies – Peanuts and nuts
Please do not send any food products for your child that may
contain nut products. If you send treats to be shared, either
purchased or home-made, please provide a list of ingredients to
the teacher in advance.
If your child is diagnosed with an allergy, please let the teacher
and the office know before your child starts school.
Volunteers
Volunteers are essential to the successful running of our kindergarten program.
Volunteers must have a current Criminal Background Check (form available
from the Police Station) and a Vulnerable Sector Screening (form available at the
school) on file at the school in order to volunteer in any capacity, including on
field trips.
There are many ways to volunteer in our classrooms, some of which are:
preparing crafts, making playdough, helping at learning centres, listening to
children read, and field trip/special events supervision. Our Hug-a-Book and
Mystery Reader programs are totally dependent upon volunteers. Lunch
supervision is always appreciated.
Calendars
A. School year Calendar
•
B. At a Glance Calendar
1.
2.
3.
A – Monday and Wednesday
B – Tuesday and Thursday
Alternate Fridays
What’s Next?
•Transportation
•School visits and
Gradual entry
•First Full Day
Transportation
The Halton District School Board provides transportation for students in JK-Grade 8 who
live further than 1.6 km (1 mile) from school. Transportation is not provided for students
who attend under Optional Attendance.
We ensure safety of our JK/SK students through:
-coded tags showing bus number, stop, pick-up and drop off times;
---Bus Buddies (where/when possible) to support younger students;
--Bus drivers will not allow JK/SK student to get off the bus unless there is an adult
waiting for them at the bus stop; children are returned to the school and parents are called
to come and pick them up; (however, it is the parent’s responsibility to be at the bus stop
when the bus arrives)
--Bus companies provide orientation days in August for students and parents (check your
local newspaper for notice);
September/Staggered Entry
There are 3 visits prior to the first day full day . Watch for a
letter in the mail.
1. Parent/child Teacher Interview
- during the first week of September you and your child will
have a scheduled interview with her/his kindergarten teacher
2. 1/3 of the class
- only 6 or 7 children come in for an hour to become familiar
with the teacher, learn routines and settle into the classroom
3. 1/2 of the class come in for 2 hours to continue to become
familiar with the teacher and class routines
First Full Day
All the children come and stay for their first
full day and bussing starts on the first full
day:
Track A – Monday September 20
Track B – Friday September 17
The First Day-Transitions
• Past experience does not always prepare you. It can be hard
to predict if your child will have a difficult time saying goodbye.
• Take some time to talk with your child about school and that
moms and dads don’t stay for the day.
• Come early, not in a rush, to ease your child into the
transition from home to school.
• Parents’ anxiety is easily felt by the child – watch what you
say and do.
Questions:
Think of a Time…
…you were very happy at school.
Our School Philosophy
subhead
What did you do today?
When children come home at the end of the day,
The question they’re asked as they scurry to play is,
“Tell me, what did you do today?”
And the answer they may give you makes
you sigh in dismay.
“Nothing, I did nothing today!”
Perhaps nothing means I played with blocks
Or, counted to 10 with….
Maybe I painted a picture of red and blue
Or, heard a story about a mouse that flew.
What did you do today?
Maybe I watched the gerbils eat today
Or, went outside on the swings to play.
Maybe today was the very first time
That my scissors followed a very straight line.
Maybe I led a song from beginning to end,
Or, played with a special brand new friend.
When you are only 5 and your heart has wings,
Nothing can mean so many things.
Before and After School Program
• Welcome Jan Spiers
• YMCA Survey
• Program Details
Our Thanks!