1. Journey Into Learning: An introduction to Kindergarten at St
Journey Into Learning: An introduction to Kindergarten at St. Alphonsa School May 2nd, 2018
“May the Spark of Faith Ignite in our Hearts”

2. Opening Prayer
God, our Father,
Creator of all good things
in the world and within our school community:
We thank you for the gift of this day,
for our families and friends
and for this safe place to learn and grow.


We ask You to bless all who teach and learn.
Through Your Holy Spirit,
guide us as we grow in faith and love
and give us the courage
to be more like Your Son.

We ask this, in Jesus' name.

Amen.

3. St. Alphonsa School Staff
Principal - Mr. Cassar
Teachers  Mrs. Malungkit & Mrs. Mateus (DECE)
 Ms. Trauzzi & Miss Marotta (DECE)
Mention: support from sert, speech and language, erw as needed, child and youth worker, planning time subjects taught by a different teacher, librarian

4. Getting Ready for School
Our goal is that children become life long learners at home and school
Our belief is children are competent learners who learn through active, engaging and meaningful experiences
The best way parents can support learning is through talking, exploring, experimenting and wondering about things in everyday life

5. Skills to Develop Before Kindergarten
Through everyday experiences and meaningful play, parents can help to develop important foundational skills such as:
Independently dressing & undressing for outdoor play (zippers, buttons & Velcro/slip on shoes)
Saying his/her first and last name
Recognizing his/her first name in print
Recognizing some basic colours
Recognizing the letters in their name
Counting to 10 and beginning to count objects in everyday life
Independent toileting i.e. – wiping & redressing independently
Pincer pencil grip
Scissor skills
Following simple directions
Arrange play dates to develop social and play skills
Mention scissors in the bag & practice cutting – simple line cutting works

6. Getting Ready for the First Day
Your child will need:
Regular backpack
Running shoes for indoor and gym use to be kept at school in their cubby (*Velcro)
Two or more healthy and nutritious
snacks
A healthy and nutritious lunch
Rest time blanket
2 boxes of Kleenex
Change of labelled clothes
(underwear, socks, pants, top)
Emphasize LABELING clothing & shoes
Size backpack: they will see samples in class; no wheelies
They will get a copy of this in the loot bag

7. On the FIRST day of school
Information & tips for parents:
Year 2 students (SK only) will start school on Tuesday, September 4th,
Year 1 (JK) students will begin in a staggered entry format. You will be notified of your child’s starting date in the summer.
Trust your child is in good hands. After your kiss goodbye at the gate, we ask parents to please leave your child with us in the kindergarten yard. This will help foster your child’s independence from day 1
Emphasize LABELING clothing & shoes – speak to the difficulty of leaving children at the gate but they MUST

8. The Full Day Kindergarten Program
The program document lists the knowledge and skills children should develop by the end of Kindergarten in four frames:
Belonging and Contributing
Self-Regulation and Well Being
Demonstrating Literacy and Math Behaviours
Problem Solving and Innovating
In classroom, parents will see more detailed information about the frames

9. The Full Day Kindergarten Program Continued…
The Full-Day Kindergarten Program involves:
Teachers and Early Childhood Educators working together to help children learn and grow
A balance of learning through inquiry-based play and academic skill preparation
A combination of whole group, small group and individual instruction

10. Learning Areas Throughout the day children will engage in learning at
Inquiry-based play Areas:
Prayer Centre/Sacred Space
Dramatic play
Blocks and Building
Reading and Writing
Sensory Play (e.g. water table, sand table)
Creative Art
Inquiry/Wonder
Technology (SmartBoard)
Science
Math

11. Daily Outdoor Play Opportunities
The benefits of outdoor play include developing gross motor skills, coordination, physical fitness, releasing built-up energy to improve focus and self-regulation.
Outdoor play allows opportunities for a change in learning environment and investigation of our natural world.
Be sure to dress your child appropriately for the weather conditions to allow them to engage fully in daily outdoor play.
2 x 30 minute blocks

12. Rest and Quiet Time
A full day of learning is exciting and tiring. Children can become over-stimulated and in need of rest or time away from stimulation
Rest/Quiet Time will be part of the day. Children can bring a small blanket.
Self –Regulation
This is where knowing each child’s needs is important and home-school communication is necessary to know the needs of your child
We will need to know if they are use to napping, if you want naps to continue, if your child had a late night, some trouble sleeping so that they may need more rest the next day ….if is important to communicate that

13. Parents as Partners
Parents are a child’s first educators. We encourage
and welcome parent involvement in their child’s
education and the school community.
Opportunities for Parent Involvement Include:
Voluntary participation for school trips
Participation in the School Council
Communicate often with the Kindergarten team
Attend Parent-Student-Teacher conferences Your participation does make a difference.

14. Thank you for coming! We hope you enjoy your time in the classroom
Your name tag will indicate which room you will be going to
If you have any questions, the educator team will be circulating among the rooms