Monsignor J.S. Smith
School
Kindergarten Program
2016-2017
Dear Kindergarten Families,
It is our pleasure to welcome you to Monsignor J.S. Smith School. We sincerely hope
that your child’s experience in our Kindergarten program will be pleasant, exciting and
rewarding. It is also our hope that you will become involved in your child’s program,
either through classroom activities, parent nights and/or field trips.
1.
CONFERENCE MANAGER – LATE AUGUST
In late August you will receive a phone call confirming your child’s teacher as
well as information on how to register for your child/teacher/parent meeting
and staggered entry date. You will register for these two dates online through
Conference Manager.
To book go to our website located at
www.cssd.ab.ca/schools/msgrsmith . Click Parents tab at top. On left click
Parent
Teacher
Conferences
then
in
grey
you’ll
see
https://msgrsmith.schoolsoft.com/ - click that to take you to the page. If you
have difficulty registering please do not hesitate to call the school office at
(403) 500-2069.
2.
CHILD/TEACHER/PARENT CONFERENCE
This is a very important visit for your child, yourself and the teacher.
You will want to focus your attention on your Kindergarten child. Do not bring
other children with you for this visit; please make alternate arrangements.
Through the meeting, we will have an opportunity to become acquainted with you
and your child. While your child is in the classroom, we will ask you to provide
some information about your child. Please have contact numbers for home and
caregivers. Please have the bus # if your child will be taking the bus.
Kindergarten school fees of $90.00 are also due at this time. The fees may be
paid online or by cheque made payable to Monsignor J.S. Smith School. The
conferences will take place on September 1, 2, 6 and 7, 2016.
Please bring your child’s school supplies, unless you ordered them online
through Staples, and indoor shoes on this date.
3.
STAGGERED ENTRY (SMALL GROUP VISIT)-SEPTEMBER 8 and 9, 2016
Early in the school year, teachers meet with the Kindergarten children in small
groups in order to ease the transition from home to school. This small group
classroom visit will be determined on registration day through Conference
Manager. On these days we will begin our regular routines. Parents are asked to
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line up at the blue doors on the tarmac with their child and the teachers will
meet you there. The first full day of class is Monday, September 12, 2016.
RATIONALE OF THE KINDERGARTEN PROGRAM
Early childhood is a very important stage in a child’s development. Children begin to
explore independence, initiative, decision-making, creativity, the ability to learn and
feelings of self-worth. What children learn at this point in their lives will impact
successful learning experiences in school, personal development and future
participation in society. The purpose of the Kindergarten program is to provide handson learning experiences, to meet the diverse needs of children and to prepare them
for entry into grade one.
PRINCIPLES OF PROGRAMMING
Your child’s Kindergarten program will be created based on the following principles:
 Young children develop knowledge, skills and attitudes that prepare them for
subsequent learning;
 All children have access to interventions and alternate strategies to meet their
needs to prepare them for further learning;
 Young children build a shared set of experiences and participate as active
partners in learning;
 Parents have the opportunity for meaningful involvement in the education of
their young children;
 Coordinated community services are available to meet the needs of young
children.
PROGRAM ORGANIZATION
Children will participate in 7 major learning areas that are interrelated and designed
to meet their social, physical, intellectual, cultural, creative and emotional needs.
1.
Early Literacy
2.
Early Numeracy
3.
Citizenship and Identity
4.
Environment and Community Awareness
5.
Personal and Social Responsibility
6.
Physical Skills and Well-being
7.
Creative Expression
*Religious Education is integrated daily into the seven learning areas.
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CITIZENSHIP AND IDENTITY
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Learns to value unique characteristics,
interests, gifts and talents of self and
others
Examines what makes individuals unique.
Explores ways to demonstrate respect for
self and others
PERSONAL/SOCIAL
RESPONSIBILITY
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Relates positively to adults and cooperates
with peers
Shares and takes turn
Expresses feelings in an appropriate manner
Displays self-confidence and demonstrates a
positive attitude towards learning
Demonstrates independence and
responsibility
Follows directions, class rules and routines
Completes tasks independently and on time
Respects the property of others
PHYSICAL SKILLS AND WELL BEING
 Develops basic movement and coordination
skills
 Manipulates small equipment
 Ability to move to a beat and music
 Demonstrates dexterity and precision in the
use of: scissors, printing, drawing, buttons,
zippers
 Understands the importance of: safety
rules, healthy food choices, physical
activity, personal information
EARLY LITERACY
 Expresses ideas through drawings
 Appreciates literature
 Develops pre-reading skills: read pictures,
recognize letters, sounds, and words.
 Develops pre-writing skills:
labels work,
copies words, uses inventive spelling
 Sequences stories/ideas
 Understand story structure, characters
 Build a meaningful vocabulary
 Solve simple problems
EARLY NUMERACY
CREATIVE EXPRESSION
 Uses materials in a variety of ways
 Uses imagination in creative play, drama,
written work and paintings
 Develops the skills of asking questions and to
give diverse answers to questions
 Participate in songs, poems, and chants
RELIGIOUS EDUCATION
Note: Religious Education is integrated daily into
the seven learning areas.
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Awareness of God and the gifts He has
given us
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Prayer, celebrations, Bible stories
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Learning about love, friendship, caring…
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Create, extend, and recognize patterns
Develop sorting skills
Number recognition, order, and counting
Identifies basic shapes
Adds/subtracts using manipulative
Measures length, capacity and weight
Develops a sense of temperature, time,
shape and space
ENVIRONMENT/COMMUNITY
AWARENESS
 Curious and willing to learn about the
environment and community
 Demonstrates awareness of similarities and
differences between self and others
 Explores and interprets familiar places and
things in the environment and community
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PARENT INVOLVEMENT
Parent involvement in the program is an important aspect of the Kindergarten
philosophy. Parents, whether working outside the home or in the home, have many
opportunities to become involved with their children’s program. Listed below are some
suggestions for parental involvement.
WAYS IN WHICH PARENTS CAN BE INVOLVED:
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Attending meetings at school, e.g. parent orientation meetings;
Becoming an active member on the School Council;
Volunteering in the classroom and/or on field trips;
Attending and/or assisting at special events;
Preparing instructional materials for the teacher at
home;
Attending parent teacher interviews;
Enriching the program by sharing special skills, knowledge and interests.
WHY HAVE KINDERGARTEN VOLUNTEERS?
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To enlist and strengthen the cooperation of parents in the education of their
children;
To provide help to the teacher and children;
To develop an environment that encourages friendly two-way communication
between home and school;
To assist parents in becoming more aware of child development, the learning
process and the program.
WHEN DO VOLUNTEERS BEGIN ASSISTING IN THE CLASSROOM?
During the month of September, the children require time to become
acquainted with their teacher and adjust to their new environment.
Volunteering in the classroom will begin in October. It is necessary for
parents or relatives to first attend an annual volunteer orientation prior to
volunteering in the classroom or attending field trips. Dates regarding new volunteer
orientation sessions were first published in June and will be announced again in
September.
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SCHOOL HOURS
Regular Kindergarten hours are: 8:15 – 11:00 am and 12:06 - 2:48 pm
Changes may occur for:
Parent Teacher Conferences
Professional Days
Special programs and field trips
DROP-OFF AND PICK-UP
A.M. & P.M. busses will drop off the children at the bus stop opposite the playing field,
from there they will walk to the playground. The children will be accompanied from the
bus to class by school personnel. When entering the building, all Kindergarten children
will line up along the brick wall next to the blue doors on the tarmac area at the back
of the school. Students will be dismissed from the Kindergarten side doors (Douglas
Woods Drive). Please note the school hours and ensure your child arrives at school on
time. The children will enter the school independently with the teachers. We ask
parents to remain outside and say all good-byes before the children enter the school.
The Kindergarten teachers will supervise all children until a parent or caregiver
arrives. Your child will not be given permission to go home on his/her own unless we
have been notified. Please notify your child’s teacher with a phone call or note if
someone different will be picking up your child.
SCHOOL FEES
From past experiences, we have found that collecting a fee up front has eliminated the
inconvenience of collecting money for each field trip and special projects that occur
numerous times throughout the year. Each family is asked to pay their $90.00 school
fee online. Alternatively, on the Conference Day you may bring a cheque. This fee will
cover the cost of all general supplies, bussing for field trips, field trip admission fees,
craft supplies, baking supplies, memory book, etc. Cheques can be made payable to
Monsignor J.S. Smith School.
LABEL CLOTHING AND PERSONAL BELONGINGS
To avoid misplaced and lost articles of clothing, please mark your child’s name on coats,
runners, boots, backpacks, etc.
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INDOOR SHOES
Please send a pair of non-marking indoor runners (no laces please) for your
child to wear in the school, which will remain in the classroom. Boots or
outdoor shoes are not allowed in the classroom. Children must wear their indoor
shoes at all times for safety and fire drill reasons. Please ensure that your child
knows how to fasten and unfasten their shoes independently.
SCHOOL BAGS
We ask that each child have a large backpack (no roller/suitcase styles please) to
bring to school every day. This ensures that notes, snack, artwork etc. will not be lost
on the journey home. Please ensure your child’s backpack is an appropriate size (must
be able to fit a large library book) for carrying school related items.
SNACK
Each child will bring his/her own nutritious snack to school each
day.
Please send 1 small snack item. Please do not send a juice box as
we
have a water fountain right outside our door. Students are welcome to bring their own
water bottle.
Learning and practicing good nutrition is an important aspect of the program.
Snacks should follow the Canada Food Guide and have good nutritional content.
Please do not send in any snacks that may contain peanuts or nut products.
COMMUNICATION BETWEEN HOME AND SCHOOL
The most efficient means of communication with parents is through our
updated notes, letters, phone calls, monthly newsletters and eBoard.
Please make note of the information sent home to you.
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READINESS FOR SCHOOL
Many parents approach the teacher and ask if their child is ready to enter school.
Here is a list of characteristics that contributes to the success of Kindergarten
students entering school.
1.
HYGIENE HABITS: Please ensure that your child is able to use washroom
facilities independently.
2.
PUTTING ON CLOTHES: Your child should be able to put on their coat, outer
clothing and shoes. It is helpful if they can independently button, use zippers
or other fasteners.
3.
SPEECH AND LANGUAGE: He or she is able to talk in short, easy sentences.
Age appropriate speech is necessary for proper communication. Parents should
encourage their child to express his/her needs and wants verbally.
4.
FOCUSING SKILLS: Your child should be able to focus on independent tasks,
to listen, and sit quietly for durations of ten minutes.
5. USING CRAYON AND SCISSORS: He or she should have had experiences
using fine motor materials, for example: pencils, crayons and scissors. He or
she should be able to draw with some purpose and express what he/she has
drawn. (Please ensure your child has had practice printing their name using
lower case letters appropriately)
6.
COLOURS AND SHAPES:
shapes.
Your child should be familiar with colours and
7. INTERACTIONS: Your child should be able to cooperate with their peers, and
play in large and small group settings.
8.
PARENT SEPARATION: Your child can be separated from parent/caregiver
for a duration of time without crying easily.
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A strong partnership between home and school will reinforce your child’s learning.
Our objective is making school a fun, exciting and enjoyable experience. Please
give some thought and consideration to additional ways of assuring a positive entry
to Kindergarten by engaging in some of the following activities during the summer.
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Join and use the library--make reading a part of every day.
Have reading and writing materials available in your home for your child to
explore with. Paper, scissors, glue, crayons markers…
Talk and discuss experiences with your child ex. special trips, road signs,
holidays, etc.
Praise your child on things he/she can do. Be patient when your child is
learning new tasks.
Keep your child healthy--get adequate rest and eat nutritiously.
Limit television viewing to educational programs.
Practice good manners with your child.
Discuss letters, numbers, and words in their everyday environment for
example: signs, phone numbers, names, etc.
Give your child chores or certain responsibilities at home.
Discuss what your child will do in school-meet new friends, have play time,
have work time, colour, draw, cut, make crafts, count, etc.
COOKED PLAY-DOUGH RECIPE
For you to try!
2 cups of flour
1 cup of salt
2 tbsp. cream of tartar
2 tbsp. oil
2 cups of water
food coloring
Mix dry ingredients together. Add oil, water and food coloring and stir until
smooth. Cook over medium heat until mixture thickens and sticks to the spoon.
Mixture won’t stick to your hands when ready. Cool. Store in an airtight
container. Enjoy!
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