ABCs of Kindergarten
Absence - If your child is ill, please call the office 604-888-5257 and inform us of your child’s absence and the reason for it. This is for your child’s safety. If you’re your child must leave early for an appointment, please sign him/her out at the office. The secretary will call your child to the office.
Allergies – If your child has allergies please make sure that I am aware of them. I especially need to know about food allergies and insect bite reactions. We are a NUT AWARE school and ask that no nut products be brought to school.
Arrival and Dismissal - Students should arrive between 8:30 and 8:45 AM. Students should not arrive prior to 8:30 AM as supervision by the school staff is not available. No child or parent should be in the building before this time. School begins promptly at 8:51 AM and afternoon dismissal is at 2:45 PM from the outside classroom door. Please pick up your child promptly. If you are late, look for your child in our classroom or in the office.
Attendance - A successful school experience is the responsibility of the child, the parent and the school. Your child's progress, both academically and socially, is influenced to a great extent by daily participation. Regular attendance without tardiness is a key. Should you arrive after the 8:51 bell, please take your child to the office to obtain a late slip.
Backpacks - Every child needs a backpack to transport their message bag and other projects home (backpacks on wheels are not suggested since they do not fit into the cubbies easily). Backpacks should also be large enough to hold library books and lunch kits. Having children pack and unpack their backpacks is a great way to encourage independence and responsibility.
Birthdays - If you would like to send in a small snack for the class to celebrate your child's birthday, please let your child's teacher know in advance. Birthday invitations should not be brought into the classroom unless all of the students are being invited (all girls, all boys or both), and instead should be handed to individual children outside of class time.
Book Orders – We will send home Scholastic Book Orders each month for you and your child to look over. If you would like to place an order, please return the payment and forms to the school by the stamped due date…Cheques should be made payable to Scholastic Books Inc.
Clothing - Please remember that we do a variety of activities in kindergarten, including painting and playing outside, so please make sure that your child is dressed appropriately for these activities. Children must have rubber-soled runners with Velcro for inside shoes, labeled with their first and last name. We have physical education daily. Also, please make sure that there is an extra set of clothing (shirt, pants, underwear, socks) in a ziploc bag to keep in your child’s cubby. We will send reminders during the year so you can make sure the clothing still fits and is seasonally appropriate.
Contact Info - If you need to reach me, you can leave a note in message bag, call the school at 604.888.5257, or e-mail me: Ms. Baird [email protected]
Conferences - There is time set aside in the fall and spring for parent-teacher conferences. If you would like to schedule conferences at any other time to discuss your child's progress please contact your child's teacher.
Daily Message Bag - Each child will have a Message Bag which they will bring to and from school each day. Your child will be responsible for putting it in the basket each morning, and packing it into their backpack at the end of the day. I will put notes, newsletters, and information from school into the bag. Likewise, if you have any information, notes or money to send to school, please place it in the Message Bag, as the bags are checked each morning.
E-mail – Ms. Baird can be reached by e-mail at [email protected]
Emergency Closures - In the event of inclement weather, Langley School District may decide to delay or close schools for the day. Please watch the local news channels or listen to local radio stations for information. Information can also be found on the school district website at www.sd35.bc.ca
Field Trips - Kindergarten will have the opportunity for field trips during the course of the year. Children need to have a signed permission slip to attend. If chaperones are needed for a particular field trip, the teachers will put out a note to ask for parent volunteers. In some instances there is a cost for the fieldtrips. If this fee poses a financial hardship, please see myself or Mr. McArthur.
Fire Drills and Earthquake Drills– are held on a regular basis throughout the year. All students will participate and are expected to walk quickly and quietly to their designated areas. We will discuss this together and practice often to become familiar with the procedures.
Gym and Creative Movement- Children will attend daily gym classes. Children must wear rubber-soled runners to participate. Velcro is preferred.
Hands-on Learning - Many of the learning activities in kindergarten are hands-on activities or learning centers. There will not be a lot of worksheets coming home, so be sure to ask your child about their day, and if possible, stop in and see what projects are on display in the classroom.
Homework - Kindergarten students do not typically have homework. However, there may be occasional projects, activities or share bags. It is important that children are read to every day. It is hard for your child to make up work missed during class time since most work is hands on.
Independence - One of the goals for the children during kindergarten is for them to increase their independence. We encourage them to be responsible for their own belongings and spaces, make their own decisions, and work through problems with peers on their own.
Internet Usage -Kindergartners will have opportunities to use the internet, on computers in the classroom as well as the computer lab. Please be sure to sign and return the Internet Usage consent form (it is on the back of the student registration form)
Journals - During the year, we will work in our journals. This is a place where children can practice their writing skills at their own individual level and will include both drawings and words.
Joyful Learning -Children learn best when they are feeling loved and encouraged to try new things. Our classrooms build a feeling a mutual respect, being risk-takers, and supporting each other even when we make mistakes. Happy faces are so important!
Kindergarten - In kindergarten, the children will be learning colors, shapes, letters, numbers, counting, reading, writing... the list goes on and on. We will be covering themes, such as bears, insects, fairy tales, and dinosaurs, and we will tie the skills listed into these themes. Not only will your child be working on these 'academic' skills, but they will also be working on their social skills, and becoming responsible, self-confident individuals who can recognize and solve problems.
Kindness -Students in our class are expected to treat all members of our school, with kindness and respect. Bothering others, bullying, and interrupting learning is not permitted.
Library - Children will be able to check out two books each week, and they must be returned before new ones can be checked out.
Litterless Lunch - We have very limited garbage space as we have moved to a more "recycling-based" system. We would prefer that you send your child with "litterless-lunches"...this means reusable containers and snack bags. Should the children bring snacks or lunch in plastic/garbage packaging, the packaging WILL be sent home with your child :)
Lunch - Kindergartners will have a 30 minute recess prior to their 15 minutes of eating. As students only have 15 minutes to eat their lunches, please pack accordingly and make their lunches as easy to eat as possible i.e. peeled and sliced fruit, cut sandwiches, small portions. We ask that you try and keep lunches as healthy as possible but recognize the need for an occasional treat. Please refrain from sending pop and candy J
Music - Children attend music classes two times each week with Mr. Hicks our music specialist.
No Naps - We do not have a nap time in kindergarten, however we do have a quiet time after lunch when the children can relax as they listen to a story or music.
Newsletters - A regular newsletter will be sent home explaining our thematic units, classroom activities, announcements, and upcoming school events. Also included will be the monthly calendar.
Nightly Reading – Nightly reading is essential for future success. All students are expected to read or be read to nightly
Open Lines of Communication - Please let us know if you have ANY concerns or questions regarding your child throughout the year. We feel that it is our job to work together as partners to help your child have a successful first year. My email address is [email protected]. You can also leave a message during school hours with our secretary Mrs. Sollows at 604.888.5257.
Parties - We will have various parties throughout the year. The room parent will contact you to help with celebrations. I may also post sign-up sheets in the window.
Playground - We will have a 15 minute recess time on the playground in the morning as well as for 30 minutes at lunch. We will try to go outside every day, unless there is inclement or extremely cold weather. Please send appropriate outerwear with your child each day. Children will be fully supervised during these times.
Questions - Please call, e-mail, or leave a note in the Message Bag if you have any questions!
Q is also for Quick Goodbyes leave dry eyes
Report Cards - There will be three formal report cards sent home; one in December, one in March and one on the last day of school in June.
Room Parent - The room parent will handle organizing our classroom parties, and may be in contact with class parents for other occasions. If you are interested in being my room parent, please send a note in the message bag
Separating - If your child has trouble separating from you in the morning, reassure them that they're going to have a great day, tell them you have to go, give them a hug and leave. While it is always difficult to leave the classroom with your child crying, most children will become involved with activities and their friends pretty quickly once you've gone and we will help them to find an activity. For those children who continually have difficulty separating in the morning, we can discuss other ideas that may help in your individual situation.
Special Helper / Show and Tell – Each day we will have a new Special Helper. This child will get to help with special activities and duties in the class as well as to do Show and Tell. They will receive the Sharing Bag the night before it is their sharing day. Please help them find a suitable item to share the next day. Students will make attempts to guess at what is in the bag before it is shared each day.
Snack - We have a morning snack each day. This should be separate from their lunch.
Toys - Please do not allow your child to bring toys to school. Thank-you!
Units and Themes - The units and themes in kindergarten give us focus and allow children to explore topics in a hands-on way, helping them to discover new concepts.
Visitors - If you would like to visit our classroom, please let me know ahead of time when you would like to come in. Different faces in the classroom break the routine we've established, so we like to prepare the children ahead of time by letting them know someone is stopping by to visit.
Writing - Our writing program builds on what each child already knows. Writing begins with scribbles and proceeds to random strings of letters, words and spaces, and eventually sentences. Children are encouraged and praised for all attempts and accomplishments in writing, including invented spellings. Students will learn about writing during Writer's Workshop mini-lessons. Each student will have their own journal, and opportunities to write as well as writing pages for class books. Writing is also encouraged during other projects and is built into a variety of dramatic play areas.
eXtra Clothing - Please make sure that your child always has an extra set of clothes in his or her cubby. It is important to send in a new set as each season approaches. It is no fun to pull out a pair of shorts in the middle of winter, or find that the extra shirt is a few sizes too small!
Year of Growth - As the year goes on, you will notice many changes in your child. From social skills to writing, reading readiness to fine motor skills, Kindergarten is an amazing year of growth
Zzzzzz's - Make sure that your child gets plenty of rest. Setting and keeping a bedtime is a wonderful gift you can give to your child. It will help them to be alert and ready to learn each day!