1st October 2017

Dear Parents,

Assalamualaikum!

Welcome to Al Waha International School! We hope you and your child enjoyed the summer and are ready to embark on an important milestone in your child’s life. KG 1 is a very special class as for many children this will be their first separation from family. It is a year of growing socially, emotionally, physically and intellectually. We understand that you and your child may be excited and anxious at the same time!

We are here to share with you and your child this special moment of entering school for the very first time and to let you know that our main priority always is to make your child feel safe, secure, and of course loved each day he/she enters the school. We are sure you may have many questions about your child’s kindergarten year, so we hope this newsletter will answer many of them.

Helping your child settle and feel independent:

Our primary goal is to help your child become a responsible and independent learner. Children will encounter many new experiences…. all of the apprehensions about the “newness” will soon disappear as they start settling down, learning our routines, and making friends throughout the year. While it may be an emotional time for some of you, to make the transition more smoothly for your child, it is important that you say your good-byes in a timely manner as your children will begin to grow and explore things on their own as we begin our learning experiences.

What to Bring to School:

Your child will need to bring a bag or backpack to school every day to carry homework diary/papers/projects from school. Please check the contents of this backpack daily. We will give each child a folder to keep any papers that we may have completed in school, as well as any important notes that come from the office or teacher. This folder needs to be sent back to school every day. Please write your child’s name (first and last) on jackets, backpacks, etc. as they do go missing occasionally.

Classwork/Homework:

Homework diaries are meant for communication. So please use them to communicate with the teacher and also check to see if the teacher has left a note for you in it.

Folders must be checked every day. The classwork worksheet must be removed from the folder and kept at home. Only the homework sheets must be sent back after the child has finished working with them.

Homework will be given on Tuesdays and Thursdays. Review and reinforce all work that is

brought home. Your constant interest will play an important part in your child’s learning success. If you have any questions, please do not hesitate to call and fix an appointment with us. We will endeavour to solve your problems if any.

Food/Snack/Meal: While teachers ensure that children eat their lunch every day, we would like to share with you the following:

Children have their likes and dislikes where food is concerned. Please do not pack for their lunch something that they do not fancy, and expect the teacher to force them to eat. Children react negatively to force and if they are made to eat when they do not want it then they usually throw up.

The school works towards promoting healthy eating. We do not want children to grow on a diet of potato chips or chocolates. Giving these to your child as a treat is fine but not on a daily basis. Provide your child with a wholesome meal.

Some parents are known to pack a lot of food for their child. Children have small appetites and

cannot eat everything during the course of the morning. Please pack only a reasonable amount. We encourage children to lay out their own lunch and clear up after they have eaten. Please do

not spoon feed your child at home either. Children are quite capable of doing their own work and must be afforded the dignity to do so.

Money:

When your child brings money to school for any reason, please send it in an envelope with the following information written on the front of the envelope and place it in their folder:

Your child’s first and last name Your child’s class and section The amount of money The purpose for the money (lunch, field trip, etc.) Teacher’s name.

Communication between home and school:

We all have the same goal – for your child to be happy, challenged, comfortable, and secure at school. We need to work together in order for your child to reach maximum success. Throughout the year we will communicate with you through website, notes, telephone calls, monthly newsletters, report cards, text messages and Parent Teacher Conferences. You can call us at school 0541635805, 6199182, 6199181 ext. 100/101) or send a note in your child’s Homework diary. Please read the newsletters that will be sent monthly with your child. They will tell you everything that we are working on in school. Also, our website will be updated frequently with not only information and happenings, but also pictures of students. Please check the website at least once a week (www.alwahaschool.com /www.alwahaschool.net). The goal is to be paperless!

Arrival- The school gate is open in the morning, till 7:45am. Please bring your child on time. We encourage the children to walk alone to their rooms as soon as possible to help them practice responsibility and independence. (This is often harder for the parents than students!) Those students dropped off after 7:45am, must take permission in order to be admitted to class.

Dismissal- For your child’s safety and well-being please let the school know of any change in his/her schedule to go home to eliminate any confusion and to keep every child safe.

Extra Clothes:

Often times, for small children we have a situation where they need a change of clothing because they have either thrown up, wet themselves, or soiled themselves. It is important that you send us a second set of clothes for your child to change him/her into if required. Just put the extra clothes in a bag labeled with your child’s name, and we will keep them in the class.

If your child has gone home in the second set of clothes then please make sure that you equip your child with another set when he/she returns the next day.

If your child has been sent home in another child’s clothes (this happens when parents do not equip their children with an extra set of clothes or when the extra set of clothes has already been used), then please make sure you wash them and send them back to us.

Discipline: Students in our classroom are encouraged and expected to treat all members with KINDNESS! Students will be expected to follow the rules. Hitting, fighting, name-calling, making fun of, or any other type bullying will not be permitted.

Attendance: Your child’s school attendance is very important; however; if your child needs to stay at home because of illness or temperature, please do keep him/her home, so the other children will not be affected. Diapers and feeding bottles: Please know that the school does not allow the use of diapers or feeding bottles for children.

Children should be toilet trained and not wearing diapers at any time. They may not carry milk or juice in feeding bottles and must drink either of these beverages

from a glass.

Uniform: Please refer to the Homework diary for details.

Please make sure that any leggings you get children to wear must be plain white. We find children coming in a variety of colours.

No coloured shoes are allowed either.

Art and Craft A variety in art and craft is an ideal way for a child to communicate ideas and express feelings. It isn’t just about creating, making a mess or just having fun there are some important educational benefits too. It develops their co-ordination and concentration skills, as well as helping with Math and developing and exploring their imagination. Even the simplest crafts can help to develop some or all of these skills. Painting, Pasting bits of paper and Paper crumpling activities were the art projects of the month.

An update of the routine at school…..

Show & Tell This is a weekly event that is designed to engage children, and gradually invite them to shed their self-consciousness, and begin sharing their views with their teachers and classmates. It helps them to build their confidence and self-esteem. Parents are informed in advance so that they can send pictures, books, and objects relevant to the theme, with their child on the stipulated day.

Quran Classes are conducted twice a week.

KG1 A – Monday and Thursday KG1 B – Monday and Thursday KG1 C – Wednesday and Tuesday KG1 D – Monday and Thursday

KG1 E – Tuesday and Thursday

Language The language program begins with an enriched oral component including enrichment of vocabulary through story-telling, songs, poems and ongoing opportunities for conversations with both teachers and peers. As is the norm, teachers start out on their very basics in the first couple of weeks. Developing vocabulary and an introduction to basic manners is an important exercise at the beginning of the session. Establishing the class rules right at the onset; helps ensure that the children begin to develop a sense of order. This helps them settle down faster. Red and yellow are the colours learnt so far.

Mathematics Children learn the basic concepts of Mathematics using specially designed concrete materials during the years when they enjoy manipulating equipment. Using hands-on learning materials makes abstract concepts clear and concrete. They come to a solid understanding of such concepts as the quantitative value of numbers by counting out beads, counting spindles into boxes etc. The teachers introduce and emphasize the concept of basic geometric shapes like circle, square, rectangle, oval and triangle.

From the teacher’s desk:

Children will become very tired during their first few weeks at school so it is a good idea to establish a clear and enjoyable bedtime routine that enables your child to have a good night’s rest before the early start in the morning, including time for breakfast.

We will do our best to make this school year an enjoyable time for your child, but also a time filled with real learning. This year your child will learn to share, cooperate with others, become independent in his/her actions and thinking, and learn responsibility. In order for us to accomplish these goals we need your support and encouragement at home too.

We wish you a very happy year with us!

Sincerely,

Junior School Management