OUR DAYS SPENT IN KINDERGARTEN

Welcome to our Kindergarten Class! I would like to provide you with an overview of some of our daily routines and the rational behind the Kindergarten program at Fairhaven School. **PLEASE NOTE: WE CARE ABOUT YOUR CHILD AND WE NEED TO KNOW IF THEY ARE SAFE AND WILL NOT BE ATTENDING SCHOOL FOR ANY REASON OR IF THEY ARE GOING TO BE LATE (EVEN IF ONLY A COUPLE OF MINS.). PLEASE ENSURE YOU CALL IN TO LET SOMEONE AT THE SCHOOL KNOW ABOUT ABSENCES/LATES. THANK YOU FOR YOUR HELP AND CONSIDERATION.**

BEFORE THE BELL: If you (or an older sibling) come to school with your child, you
may choose to take them to the Creative Playground to play until the bell rings. If the weather is not agreeable, children can wait in the Junior Boot Room until the bell rings. There is no teacher on supervision at the front of the school so both of these locations will provide a safe, supervised place to play and visit before classes begin. Dont hesitate to page me or knock on the classroom door if there is anything you would like to discuss or if you would simply like to visit. Thank you

WELCOME:
The day begins with students leaving their outdoor footwear in the hallway on the carpet and then entering the classroom to hang up their coats and backpacks, and put on their indoor (gym) shoes. Please ensure your child has a pair of indoor running shoes at school. It is also a great idea to label their name somewhere on the inside (many children often come with similar shoes and we often have mix-ups). The children should then check their backpacks for library/classroom books, notes, homework, reading logs, etc. that they may have brought to school. I will provide a homework bag (large ziplock) for notes that are traveling to and from school. This bag shouldnt leave your childs backpack. If the bag is lost at home I would ask that you replace it as soon as you can or let me know so I can purchase another one. I encourage the students to become very independent when they prepare for the day. At approximately 9:10am OCanada is played over the intercom. All children are expected to stop what they are doing and face the flag, stand appropriately and eventually sing once they know the words. After this the children are expected to sign-in by moving their names to show that they are at school and continue by printing their names on a laminated sheet. This gives them an opportunity to learn to recognize their names as well as practice printing them on a daily basis. The children will then check to see what activity has been assigned for them to do before our formal

Welcome or Circle Time begins. The formal part of our Welcome often includes picking the daily leader and counting the days we have been at school (WE WILL HAVE A SPECIAL MATHEMATICS CELEBRATION WHEN WE REACH 100 DAYS!). All of these activities emphasize language and math skills. We look at concepts such as number recognition, counting, patterning, letter recognition, sounds, words, seasons and temperature to name a few things. As the year progresses we will begin to practice reading sight words and continue working on other math/alphabetic concepts.

SHOW & TELL: Children will have opportunities to share items of interest to them
that relate to a specific theme/project we will be engaged in. Please ensure you check your childs backpack for the monthly calendar note (or view the blog) that explains what we are studying as these topics will be designed and guided by the children. Every child is assigned a particular day each month for show and tell. If your child does not have an item to share on their day we can skip over them or they may choose a favorite item from the classroom to share. I will send home a monthly calendar that will outline the day of the month your child can share. I will also post the calendar on the blog. At Fairhaven School we strongly believe in literacy. I encourage your child to bring a book that you have read together or one they have read on their own to share with the class for Show&Tell. We may also have months in which books will be our only focus during Show & Tell. I use Show&Tell to help children come to an understanding of what a sentence and a paragraph are and how to ask appropriate questions and develop inquiry skills.

PWIM/ Language Arts: This stands for the Picture Word Inductive Model, which is
a literacy strategy that we will be using in Kindergarten. It is used to teach reading and thinking skills and to promote independent, life long learning. Students are immersed in words as they study and shake out words together from a large picture (that will usually coincide with a topic of inquiry the students are exploring). Once the words are shaken out from their own vocabulary the following activities occur throughout the next few weeks: We learn to read and spell the words on a daily basis. This reinforces the picture/word association as well as works as a tool for learning and studying our alphabet letters. We classify the words by common characteristics and learn about phonetic (sound) concepts that are represented in the words. We then generate sentences about the picture using our words as well as possible titles for the picture. We practice reading the sentences and titles on a daily basis. Eventually I model writing a paragraph. We also read this frequently. During this whole process, we periodically do writing in our PWIM books. The writing pertains to our words, sentences and own ideas. We will go through several of these cycles throughout the year.

GYM: The Kindergarten children will have an opportunity to play in the gym everyday
they are at school. They will be involved in creative movement, cooperative games and gymnastics. All children will need clean indoor running shoes in order to participate in gym activities. These shoes should be kept at school, in your childs locker area (in the indoor shoe bin). Please ensure your childs shoes are labeled with their name.

PROJECT TIME: This is my favorite time of the day! During project time we will be
working on a specific project that is usually related to something the students have expressed interest in or concern about. The projects are co-created with the help of the students. The students ask questions about an invitation to learning that I have set out for them to inquire about, hypothesize about answers to their questions, negotiate with each other, research using books and technology and create projects to represent their understandings. Some projects will be designed as a large group and others will be created on an individual basis. Every project will look different and as time permits, each child will have an opportunity to share with the class or an adult about what knowledge their project depicts. Please look for documentation of the process of our learning as well as the products on our bulletin board and on our classroom blog. This is a great time for us to access the wealth of knowledge you (the parents/families) have. You are always welcome to come and share knowledge/information/family experiences with us!

SHARED READING: We will use books that contain favorite songs poems and stories.
By reading it together using our special pointers, we practice left to right tracking and top to bottom tracking skills, as well as that the words we say can be written down. For many children, this is an important first step in seeing themselves as readers and children may actually begin reading from this early exposure!

STORIES: Children need to listen to a variety of literature selections as they get

ready to read. I plan to read to the children everyday and I would request that you read to your children every evening to model how important literacy is in the home. I understand that many families have busy schedules, however if you just take a few minutes everyday your child will truly benefit. In class we will talk about words such as author (the person who wrote the story) and illustrator (the person who drew the pictures). We will also talk about the title of a story as being a promise the author has made as to what the story will be about. While reading, we stop and talk about the pictures, how characters are feeling and we make guesses (predict) about what might happen next. I encourage you to do this with your child if you feel comfortable. This can be accomplished by simply looking at the pictures and asking your child what will happen next or what they notice.

DISCOVERY TIME: This is another favorite part of our Kindergarten Day!! The
children may choose freely from the various centers in the classroom. The centers are changed periodically to encourage the children to play at all centers. During this free play time, the children are constantly making choices, discovering, and learning about the world around them. This is a time for children to really explore and learn about what is of interest to them as an individual. Before center time the children will be occasionally asked to explain what center they may be choosing, what their plan is, what project they will work on at that time and how it is connected to the curriculum. The children are expected to clean up after themselves (unless the project will continue at another time), share all of the materials in kindergarten and always DISCOVER, LEARN AND EXPLORE! We will work together to accomplish these goals!

LIBRARY: Starting in the next few weeks, the children will be able to start taking
library books home. Please ensure that the books are kept in a safe place and that they are brought back to school within 2 or 3 days (if not every day your child attends) so that your child can get a new book. Your child will not be able to take a new book out of our library until they bring back the book they have at home. If you notice that your child is not exchanging their book, please let me know by phone or email so I can help remind them or check what book they may have out on their account.

STRAWBERRY THE BEAR: By mid-year we will begin sending Strawberry Bear home
with a different student every day. A student will be randomly selected from our class list will take home our friend Strawberry Bear. At the end of each day the child who had him the day before will share their picture and writing with the class and the next student will take home Strawberry the Bear (This special Teddy Bear comes in its own backpack). That evening you and your child will write a short story about an event that happened that day/evening with Strawberry. A sentence or two is sufficient (ie: I had spaghetti for supper. It was good! Strawberry loves it.). Please allow your child to draw a picture of what they wrote about so that they can present the story the next day. Later on in the year your child may be able to write their own sentences, paragraphs or write some words. When your child begins to write words please encourage them to label their pictures. What a fun way to engage in writing!

CARE PARTNERS: Kindergarten children will be paired with a special buddy or Care
Partner from a senior grade. We will meet as often as possible for art, reading, or other project-related activities.

MUSIC: This a very important part of our kindergarten day. The children will learn
many new songs and finger rhymes this year. This time will allow us to explore stories through songs as well as explore First Nations drumming and possibly create our own drums.

RECESS: The children will go out for morning recess everyday with the rest of the
students at Fairhaven school. They are to play on the Creative Playground, which is supervised by one/two of the teachers. ALL CHILDREN SHOULD COME DRESSED EACH DAY TO BE OUTDOORS. Be sure to send your child with appropriate clothing (remember that Saskatchewan weather changes without warning!) and please LABEL EVERYTHING!! If your child is too ill to be outdoors, then please consider whether or not he or she should be at school that day. Thank you

LUNCH: The kindergarten program now runs full day, every other day. This means that
your child may stay at school for lunch. Kindergarten students will eat lunch with the other students in the primary grades and they will have a designated supervisor. After eating lunch the kindergarten students will be sent outside with the rest of the students. Supervisors will be present outside as well. Please remind your child that if they stay for lunch they are never to leave the school area by themselves or with friends!

SNACKS: Our school has received some outside funding to provide nutritious snacks
this year. I will use this daily snack time to talk about different elements of nutrition and how to keep our bodies and minds healthy. If you would like to send a nutritious snack with your child to eat you may still choose to do so. We will take some time before or after our morning recess to snack together. I prefer that children do not share their snacks or lunch, as there may be food allergies in our class. Please discuss this with your child. Thank you for your cooperation.

BIRTHDAYS: We would like to celebrate your childs birthday at school! We will

celebrate as close to the actual date as possible. Summer birthdays will be celebrated in June. If you would like to send a birthday treat with your child to share with the class, that would be wonderful, but please understand that this is not expected! If your child has any special dietary needs, please send a container filled with acceptable treats that your child can enjoy while others are sharing a class treat. We do not want anyone to feel left out!

HOMEWORK: This is one area that I would like to hear what you, the parents, need and
want. I know every family is unique and has unique circumstances. I hope through our many visits and get-togethers, we can discuss topics such as this.

FIELD TRIPS: We enjoy taking field trips to accompany our various child directed
projects. We will travel by bus or walk for these outings. Please respond to notes regarding to field trips as soon as possible, to let me know if you would like to help out, lead or if your child will not be attending. Parents are most welcome and are needed to accompany us on our trips. I also want to invite you into curriculum planning. If you have an idea for a field trip, please let me know. You have a wealth of knowledge that we would love to access.

BOOK ORDERS: Once a month I will be sending a book order home with the children
from the Elf and Seesaw Scholastic book clubs. Please have a look at the book order, and if you decide to order something from either book club, please send the order form(s) along with one cheque back to school on or before the due date that I have provided. There are some really excellent books for reasonable prices!

EXTRA CLOTHING: It is always a good idea to have an extra pair of underwear,

socks, pants and a t-shirt in your childs back pack that they can take to and from school. Accidents happen and you never know when your child might need an extra pair of something. The children always feel better if they are able to put on their own clothes after they have had an accident, rather than borrow something from me. In the winter, also remember to send an extra pair of mittens in their backpack.

HOME TIME: When the children are dismissed, they are asked to take their mailbags,
check their mailboxes for any mail they may have, and put it into their backpacks. I also ask the children to get dressed in the classroom rather than in the hallway (it is sometimes very crowded and hectic out there). We want the children to become independent so I ask that you please refrain from putting your childs clothes on for them in the classroom. This enables them to practice, practice, practice. Please note YOU ARE ALWAYS WELCOME TO COME IN! No matter what we are doing I want the students to become comfortable with parents/family coming into the classroom and taking part in our exciting learning journey.

PARENT-TEACHER COMMUNICATION: Please feel free to contact me with any

questions, concerns or comments you may have. You can do this by calling me at school (683-7210) or at home (291-3677), sending a text, stopping by the classroom, sending me an email, commenting on the blog or writing me a note. You may need to remind your child to give me the note if you do not bring him/her to school. Please let me know about any changes in your childs life that may affect his/her school life (trips, appointments, sickness, late night, changing home life, etc.). This helps me understand what I can do to assist and support your childs learning and your family. As well, please let me know if someone new is going to be picking up your child or how they will be getting home so there is no confusion at the end of the day. Please look for a note coming home on the first day of school about our classroom blog. I would like to get your input on some different options we have for the blog. The blog will explain of few of the things we have done that day. The blog will provide you with a chance to reinforce concepts or ideas we have discussed and to ensure your child has a concrete grasp of concepts we are covering in class. It can also lead to some great conversations! Together we can act as a team to support your child so they can succeed in anything they wish to do! Every kindergarten day is a busy one! I hope this outline gives you a little better idea about what we do in kindergarten! Please remember that I want to work collaboratively with you in your childs learning. You will always have a voice in our equal partnership and Im always open to suggestions and ideas you, the parents, the first teachers of your children have to offer! Sincerely, Ryan Dignean