Mackenzie Glen’s Kindergarten Orientation

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Mackenzie Glens Kindergarten Orientation
All I Ever Wanted to Know, I learned in
Kindergarten
Presented by The Kindergarten Team
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Purpose for This Evening

• To support you in preparing your child for a
  successful first year of school
• To share ideas and activities to better prepare
  your child for the Kindergarten Program
• To introduce the program expectations

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Agenda

• Principals Introduction
• Slide Show Presentation
• Literacy and Learning Centres
• Visit Information Booths and Display Table
• Receive Welcome to Kindergarten Package
• Goodbye! We look forward to a successful JK year!

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Preparing For SchoolSocial Readiness

• Over the next few months
• Expose your child to peers (Playgroups, Library
  Programs, camps, etc.).
• Leave your child with other caregivers
  (Babysitters, Friends).
• If your child is not toilet trained yet, please
  begin to do so.
• Practise basic life skills
• - Communication of needs
• - Follow simple directions
• - Eat and tidy up independently

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Preparing for SchoolEmotional Readiness

• Over the summer
• Walk to school and play in the school yard.
• Find the outside entrance to the Kindergarten
  area.
• Establish bedtime routines and morning routines.
• Make up a fun goodbye routine and practise it in
  other situations before school starts.

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Continued

• Read and discuss books that talk about starting
  school
• The Kissing Hand
• By Audrey Penn
• Tom Goes to Kindergarten
• By Margaret Wild
• Look Out Kindergarten
• By Nancy Carlson
• Ill Always Come Back
• By Steve Metzger

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Preparing For SchoolAcademic Readiness

• Kindergarten Program
• The Ministrys Kindergarten program is a two-
  year continuum and addresses learning in
• Language (Literacy)
• Mathematics (Mathematical Literacy)
• Science and Technology
• Personal and Social Development
• The Arts
• If you would like a copy of the Kindergarten
  Program, please visit www.edu.gov.on.ca

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Preparing For SchoolAcademic Readiness

• As Literacy is our school focus,
• we strongly encourage you to
• work on the following skills with
• your child over the next few months
• recognizing name and identifying letters in it
• printing name
• identifying capital and lower case letters
• listening to and discussing books with your child
  (e.g., My favourite part of the story was )

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Preparing For SchoolAcademic Readiness

• In order for your child to succeed in
• Literacy, he/she should have the following
• skills in place
• Oral Communciation
• communicates basic needs (e.g., I need to go to
  the bathroom/I feel sick., etc.)
• talks to peers and teacher
• listens to and follows instructions
• listens quietly during story time
• follows simple routines (e.g., cleans up toys
  after playing)

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Preparing For SchoolAcademic Readiness

• Mathematical Literacy
• oral counting
• recognizing numbers through puzzles and number
  books
• sorting (e.g. colour, shape, size, etc.)
• Basic Concepts
• identifying colours and shapes

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Preparing For SchoolAcademic Readiness

• Gross Motor Skills
• jumping, running, climbing, hopping, etc.
• Fine Motor Skills
• playing with lego and puzzles, beading,
  playdough, holding/using paintbrushes, pencils,
  crayons and scissors

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Materials to Have at Home

• Magnetic letters and numbers
• Thick crayons, pencils
• Construction paper
• Scribble and/or notebook
• Glue stick, childrens scissors
• Concept and story books
• Extra measuring cups, spoons to play with in the
  sand or water

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English Language Learners

• Although it is important to maintain your first
  language, it is necessary for your child to
  develop English comprehension and speaking skills
  in order to
• Communicate basic needs (e.g., washroom, feeling
  sick, etc.)
• Interact with peers
• Understand simple instructions

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Is your child ready for school?

• Has your child had a
• Pre-school health examination
• Vision check
• Hearing check
• Updated immunizations
• Dental check

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Operational Items

• School starts promptly at 815 a.m. If you arrive
  after this time, you need to sign in at the
  office.
• Teacher supervision begins at 800 a.m. You may
  drop off your child at that time.
• Recess is from 1015 a.m. to
• 1035 a.m.
• Lunch is from 1155 a.m. to
• 1255 p.m. There is supervision during the
  lunch hour.
• School is over at 235 p.m.
• Bussing Information can be found at
  www.schoolbuscity.com

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Snacks and Lunches

• Children will be eating snack and lunch in their
  classrooms
• They will require a healthy snack, a lunch, and a
  reusable water container to be packed in a
  reusable lunch bag.
• Food allergies No Nuts Please!
• Nutritious
• Easy to open independently
• Child is able to eat independently
• Food that does not require heating
• Identify snacks and lunch for child

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Backpack and Clothing

• Backpack - Provide a large backpack that is top
  loading with a zipper.
• Dress for activity
• We encourage pants with elastics (belts, buckles
  and overalls hinder independent bathroom use)
• Change of clothing
• Extra top, pants, socks and underwear
• Kept in a labelled bag in your childs backpack
• Indoor and outdoor shoes
• Due to safety reasons, students require Velcro
  shoes for indoor and outdoor use
• Please label both sets of shoes with your childs
  name

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Washroom and Self-Help Routines

• At school, children
• Use washroom independently
• Wash hands with soap
• Dress and undress
• coat, boots, hats, mittens, shoes
• zippers
• buttons

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Communication

• If your child is going to be absent, you NEED to
  notify the school
• (905-417-9771) by leaving a detailed voice
  message
• We communicate with parents through
• Monthly Calendars
• Newsletters
• Phone calls
• Notes from your childs teacher

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Literacy and Learning Centres

• Purpose To give you ideas and strategies to help
  your child prepare for Kindergarten (emotionally,
  socially, academically)
• We have 5 centres for you to visit and engage in
  with your child
• You will be at each centre for 10 minutes and you
  will move to the next centre when you hear the
  music
• Teacher(s) will explain and guide you through
  each activity
• Please look for your Tribe colour signs which
  will guide you through the learning centre
  activities

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Continued

• At each centre you will receive a sticker for
  your passport
• Once you have visited each centre your passport
  will be complete
• At this time you are encouraged to visit the
  display table and booths
• Proceed to the Welcome to Kindergarten table to
  pick up your package after you have shown your
  completed passport

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Good-bye

• Thank you for attending Mackenzie Glens Welcome
  to Kindergarten Orientation.
• You have already taken the first step towards
  your childs road to success.
• We look forward to developing a positive parent
  teacher partnership!

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