Junior/Senior Kindergarten

New Central Public School

Welcome

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 Teachers-

Mrs. Melisa Robertson

Mrs. Susan Cvitkovitch

School Secretary-

Mrs. 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

Children’s big books

Pocket chartchildren’s writing..

40 Nutrition break/ outdoor time

100

min

Circle time – math focus lesson

Activity time – math centres

Graphing, sorting, patterning…

Based on focus lesson

50 Lunch break/ outdoor time

100 min

Circle time - various

Activity time – various

Reflection –

Read aloud, Science, The Arts, Tribes, Library, Reading Buddies,, Health or Physical Education, Show and Tell

What did you do today?

Dismissal

Parent SupportHow 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 SupportHow 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 SupportHow 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 checkSchool safety procedures(medication, allergies, special needs)Volunteer police check

Allergies – Peanuts and nutsPlease 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.

VolunteersVolunteers 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. A – Monday and Wednesday2. B – Tuesday and Thursday3. Alternate Fridays

What’s Next?

•Transportation•School visits and Gradual entry•First Full Day

TransportationThe 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 20Track 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 good-bye.

• 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.

subhead

Our School Philosophy

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 blocksOr, 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 todayOr, went outside on the swings to play.

Maybe today was the very first timeThat 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!