Welcome to Kindergarten at Steve Maclean Public School! School Year

Principal: Cheryl Sevigny VP: Rosalie Cross VP: Richard Latour Office Staff: Julie Davidson, Tania Thompson and Dawn Beech Chief Custodian: Merv Larmour Superintendent of Schools: Nadia Towaij School Council Chair and Vice Chair: Anke Adams and Dayna Robinson Our School

What will you learn about today? -Our School Community -Full-Day Kindergarten -Program Options -Extended Day Programs -Transportation -Assessment, Evaluation and Reporting -Our Community of Character -Our Partnership with you - Home/School Communications -What can you do to help your child get ready for school! Tours of the JK classrooms will be done at the end of the presentation.

A Bit About SMPS Opened in 2006, named after the Canadian astronaut Steve Maclean, School was built 9 years ago, large addition was built 2 years ago, Current school population is 1010 students K-8 school with English and Early French Immersion programs, Incredible team of dedicated and skilled teachers and support staff School Learning Plan is focused on numeracy and effective feedback

SMPS Continued Team of professionals to support students and staff: social worker, speech and language therapist, psychologist Many extra-curricular activities ranging from chess club, to intermediate band, to robotics, to sports, to musicals, to…, Many co-curricular activities: field trips, special presenters and multicultural concerts, etc, Community partnerships: Ottawa Police, Green Communities, Public Health, etc. Parental engagement: School Council, volunteering, workshops, Career Day, etc.

Kindergarten at SMPS 2015 video

Welcome to Kindergarten! Parents and Teachers play an important role in a child’s education… Together, we can help them reach their full potential!

Dates to Remember Official Kindergarten Registration Week – January 26 – January 30, 2015 But… You Can Register Anytime! Student Transfer Application Period – February , 2015 **Packages will be available at the end of the meeting**

Program Options If your child will be 4 or 5 years old by December 31, 2015, they can start kindergarten in September Program choices in the OCDSB for elementary students include: Full Day Kindergarten – English – Early French Immersion – Middle French Immersion (grade 4 entry) – Alternative The program selected is a parental decision.

What is Full-Day Kindergarten? Inquiry Play-based Learning A Team Approach Insert Photo of classroom/students/teacher

Meet the Kindergarten Team The Rockets, Supernovas, Titans, Galaxies, Bright Comets, Big Dippers, Les etoiles filantes, les soleils

English Program English instruction for all subjects other than French. At the elementary level, the following subjects are taught: Language Mathematics Science and Technology Social Studies (including Geography and History in gr7-8) Health and Physical Education The Arts Core French

English Program – Core French Instruction Kindergarten students receive 100 minutes of Core French instruction per week. Students in Grades 1 through 8 receive 200 minutes of Core French instruction per week. This provides a solid pathway to bilingualism.

Early French Immersion Program At the elementary level, the following subjects are taught: Language Mathematics, Science and Technology Social Studies (and Geography and History in gr7-8) Health and Physical Education The Arts

Early French Immersion (EFI) In the EFI program, students are currently provided with: SK – (50% French/50% English) Grade % French Grades 2 and % French /20% English Grades 4 to % French /40% English Grades 7 and % French /50% English Note: Mathematics instruction in English begins in grade 4.*

Middle French Immersion Kars on the Rideau Public School At the elementary level, the following subjects are taught: Language Mathematics Science and Technology Social Studies (including Geography and History) Health and Physical Education The Arts

MFI – How does it work? Students in the English Program have a foundation: 100 minutes per week of Core French – JK and SK 200 minutes per week of Core French – grades 1 to 3 grades 4 to % French /34% English grades 7 and % French /50% English Note: Instruction in Mathematics begins in English at grade 4

Alternative Program English instruction for all subjects other than French. While the following characteristics are found in many of the programs at the elementary level across the District, collectively they form the foundation of the alternative philosophy: – Everyone’s contributions are valued, no awards or prizes – Project-based learning, with a balance between student-directed and teacher-directed learning – Mixed-aged groupings/classrooms fostering collaboration – Integrated curriculum stressing interrelation of all learning and subjects – Family and community-centered school environment – Ongoing assessment and evaluation – Reduced emphasis on grading

An optional Extended Day Program, which runs before and after school is also available in all of our schools! The Full-Day Kindergarten Program provides an opportunity for a seamless educational experience for our early learners. The program consists of a Core Day Program, which runs during regular school hours;

Extended Day Program The OCDSB operates the Extended Day Program for ages 3.8 years to 12 years when there is sufficient interest within the school community. Extended Day Programs are run either by the OCDSB or by a third party provider, contracted with the OCDSB. Both programs are overseen by the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board. Both programs, offer safe and caring before and after school options for your child.

Extended Day Program (OCDSB) The Extended Day Program is: – Offered before and after the regular school day (core day) – Delivered by teams of Registered Early Childhood Educators and Early Learning Assistants – Led by 1 educator for 13 children of Kindergarten age, or 1 educator for 15 children of school age – Operates on: PA Days, December Break, March Break and Summer Break Note: these dates are dependent on demand

Transportation School bus transportation is available for the Core Day program only, for all kindergarten students who live more than 0.8 km from their school. The distance for school-age children (gr1-8) is 1.6km. Transportation is NOT provided to and from the Extended Day Program. Information regarding transportation is available at your school or from the Ottawa Student Transportation Authority (OSTA): by phone: by

Assessment, Evaluation and Report Cards How will I know if my child is progressing well?

Our Community of Character Insert picture of kids

Our Partnership with you… Communication: Website : Synrevoice calls and messages

What can you do to help you child get ready for school and adjust to their new environment?

Thank you for joining us tonight! We hope you will choose to become part of the Steve MacLean Public School family/community!