In our class, we welcome ECE Miss Nisker. Those of you able to attend the Open House sessions on Tuesday will have the opportunity to meet her and for those not able to attend please feel free to introduce yourselves when you have the opportunity. We currently have 31 children on our class list, 17 Juniors and 14 Seniors. Each of our 4 Kindergarten classes at LKS are currently around that number. Transitioning everyone into our classroom will be our first goal, making the first few weeks crucial to helping your child have a positive school experience. There are many good books out there you can read with your child and just talking, answering questions and keeping any adult worries and concerns under wraps often helps children in new situations. We ask that you be ready to leave your child on their start day without coming into the class, the message when you do this is "you can do this honey, you'll be great and I trust this place to keep you safe". Powerful stuff, so thank you for that! I look forward to working with you and your child, let's have a great year!
This week:
Monday - Labour Day Holiday
Tuesday - Open House in Kindergarten
10-11 a.m. For Senior Kindergartens
2-3 p.m. For Junior Kindergartens
Wednesday - All Senior Kindergartens attend
Thursday - Entry for Juniors
Friday - entry for Juniors
Coming up ...
Tues. Sept. 9 Curriculum Night - 5:30 to 6:30 Gym (stage side) for ALL kindergarten classes
6:00 to 6:30 classroom sign ups
6:30 to 7:00 Gym (stage side) school welcome/introductions
Cheers!
Ms. I.
Below is last week's post which you will also receive a copy of in your child's mailbag.
Kindergarten Newsletter
September 2014
Dear Parents,
Welcome to an exciting year for all of us as we begin Full Day Kindergarten at Lambton Kingsway!
I hope to meet as many families as possible at the classroom Open Houses - Tuesday, September 2
Senior Kindergartens from 10 - 11 a.m.
Junior Kindergartens from 1 - 2 p.m.
Throughout the school year you will have opportunities to volunteer in the classroom and see our Kindergarten class in action. School activities and program information will be shared on our classroom blog, (www.2012iafrateks.blogspot.ca) and a monthly calendar.
September
is a busy month for all of us, both at school and at home, as we meet
new friends and establish routines in the classroom, in the school and
out in the schoolyard.
This
newsletter is to give you and your child some basic information
regarding routines and expectations in Kindergarten this year. You will also be receiving a monthly calendar with your child’s leader day and special activities noted.
Your class grade parents will collect email information in the first
weeks of school and use this to create a class list from which to
communicate with all of you and generate class calendars etc. that we
all use to keep updated!
DROP OFF AND PICK UP
Children should be at school by 8:45 a.m. to be ready for morning entry. Afternoon entry is at 12:30 p.m. It is important that the children are
in line and ready to come in for entry when the bell rings. It is a
good idea to have your child at school even a few minutes earlier
(depending on the weather) so they have time to meet and talk with their
friends before school starts. Please try not
to come into the classroom as your child may take this as a sign that
you are staying. It will much easier for your child to adjust and
transition to our class routine if you say a quick goodbye to them at the door. If your child has arrived at school after entry you must take them to the office to get a late slip before they are permitted into the class. Children going home for lunch will be dismissed for lunch at 11:20 a.m. from the wall outside the classroom
Dismissal is at 3:05 p.m.
and children should be picked up promptly at this time. This is very
important to your child that they see you waiting for them along with
all the other caregivers. If someone different is picking up your child
please share this information with your child so that he/she is not
surprised when someone else picks them up. You MUST ALWAYS SEND A NOTE WITH YOUR CHILD if he/she is going home with someone else. Notifying me verbally at drop off time is not adequate.
A written notice is very important to me as it is always quite busy
both at the beginning and at the end of the day and I want to ensure the
safety of your child during this hectic period. If you, for any
reason, are unable to pick up your child on time, please contact the
office. A staff member will safely deliver children attending before and after school programs within the school. Children riding the bus home will be escorted to the bus. The LKS Before and After School Program will be using the Kindergarten Playground after school and it will not be available to children not enrolled in their program after school so please exit the yard quickly.
**Please
note** Our class will be used every day both before and after school
for the daycare program so access to the room will not be possible, other than for those enrolled in the B and A program, prior to 8:45 and immediately following dismissal at 3:05.
OUTDOOR PLAY
The children will be playing outdoors every day, unless it is raining or extremely cold. Please ensure your child is dressed appropriately for the weather (including sunscreen) every day. A reminder that flip-flops are not safe on climbing equipment; running shoes or closed toe shoes are much safer and more suited to physical activity in general. You can make
this a learning experience for you child by checking the weather report
and temperature together. This routine will also help them when we do
the calendar and weather at circle time. Often children at this age are
very independent and like to have control over what they wear. It may
be helpful to give your child an option between two outfits so that they
can still chose the one they want to wear but also be dressed appropriately- please don’t let your child make an adult decision when it comes to dressing for the weather.
SNACK AND LUNCH
The children will be responsible for bringing their own 2 snacks (morning and afternoon)
and lunch to school. We encourage the children to go home for lunch if
possible as it can be a nice break during the busy day. Children
should bring healthy snacks that are easy to eat independently in the classroom. A reminder that we are a nut free school and nut products are not allowed.
Please discuss with your child which part of his/her lunch is snack and
which is for lunch. You may wish to pack them separately. If sending a drink for lunches (we do have fountains in the classrooms) please send ONLY water as we are eating in the classrooms and juice is messy and sticky when spilled. The children are not allowed to share foods due to food allergies. Also remember to send napkins and any necessary utensils. There is no refrigerator or microwave available for lunches. LKS participates in the “litterless lunch “program
and all food not eaten will be returned home. PLEASE NOTIFY ME OF
ANY ALLERGIES OR FOOD RESTRICTIONS AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. Individual
birthday treats may be sent in on your child’s birthday, such as
cookies, small cupcakes etc.
BOOK BAGS/BACKPACKS
Each child will be given a plastic mailbag with his/her name on it. This mailbag will be used for a small reader/book that will be coming home on Tuesdays and Thursdays beginning in October. It will also be used to send home notices or work they have done at school. Please have the mailbag at school each Tuesday and Thursday
so that your child may bring home another book and any other important
information from school. Each child should have a backpack large enough
to accommodate this bag without having to force it in. Your child's backpack needs to be big enough to easily accommodate library books and indoor shoes when the weather is inclement. Please do not allow your child to carry toys to school as they can be broken or lost and WILL NOT be allowed to come out during school hours.
AS CLOTHING AND PERSONAL BELONGINGS
Please
ensure that your child is able to manage his/her clothing. By this, I
mean being able to dress themselves. Velcro, buckle or slip-on shoes
are much easier for a child who has not mastered tying his/her shoes.
Easy zippers and buttons that are not too small also encourage independent
dressing and lessen frustration. Please note that your child will also
need to take care of his/her toileting needs. Please ensure that your
child wears clothing that is easy for them to remove and put back on.
You want your child to have a feeling of accomplishment and
satisfaction.
Each
child is given his/her own cubbyhole above the coat hooks in our
classroom. This will be labeled with your child’s name. In the winter,
your child will need to leave an extra pair of shoes at school. PLEASE LABEL ALL OF YOUR CHILD’S OUTDOOR CLOTHING
including shoes, boots, hats and mittens. Names on items will help to
prevent loss or mix-up of clothing items, as many hats, mittens and
shoes are similar.
AS THE YEAR GOES BY….
I will be sending monthly calendars to keep you up to date on what’s happening in our class and our blog at www.2012iafrateks.blogspot.ca is updated weekly, usually on Sunday for the following week. I am looking forward to working together as partners in your child’s education. Please note we will have a Curriculum Night on September 9 which will explain the Kindergarten program in greater detail and provide you with the chance to sign up for volunteer opportunities in the classroom. More details to follow. I look forward to a wonderful year working with you and your child. Thanking you in advance for your consideration and support,
Sincerely,
Frances Iafrate
(Ms.I.)
