Welcome to Kindergarten
at John English!

• Kindergarten Hours
• A Typical day in Kindergarten - Routines
• Preparing for your first day
• What to Bring to School
• Snack Program
• Parent/Teacher Communication
• Volunteers
• Birthdays

Kindergarten Hours

8:45am - 11:20am Morning classes
12:40pm - 3:15pm Afternoon classes

DROP OFF PROCEDURE: Kindergarten students meet their teachers at the West side doors, to the left of the Main School doors. Please park your car and walk to the kindergarten doors. Parents & caregivers should supervise their children until the teacher arrives. Once all the students have lined up inside with the teacher, the class will proceed to the classroom.

Click here for a map of the school drop off and parking areas. Please also visit the "PSP" (Parent Safety Program) page for more information about keeping our kids safe at drop off and pick up.

If you are late (after 8:55am or 12:45pm): You must go to the attendance office to get a late slip before taking your child to the classroom.

PICK UP PROCEDURE: Teachers will bring the Students to the same doors to be picked up by parents and caregivers. Please pick up your child promptly at the appropriate time.

If you are unavoidably late to pick up your child, please call the school office at 416-394-7660. Your child will wait for you in the School Office.

A Typical day in Kindergarten - Routines
(from Mrs. Connor)

A typical day in kindergarten is anything but typical, but on most days:

• the children come in, attendance is taken, we listen to the announcements and then head out for outdoor play.
• We do go out everyday unless it is pouring rain or too icy or cold. Some may go out later in the morning or p.m.
• When we come in we wash our hands, have drinks and then sit down to look at books
• When everyone is finished we begin circle - I usually begin with a few songs or finger play, do the calendar and weather - circle may consist of literacy, mathematics, science or social studies
• The children then have snack (we have a group snack so that we can practise out social skills e.g., please thank you, asking to be excused, cleaning up our garbage)
• The children may have some seat work to do - e.g., printing or math etc., then centre time playing or working with manipulatives, puzzles, building blocks, water or sand station.
• The children might also be required to work in a small group with the teacher for literacy or math etc.
• At about 10:45/2:45 it is tidy up time - we will meet again on the carpet for show & tell, songs and/or stories
• 11:20/3:15 dismissal time where we will meet parents at the doors- in the winter months we allow more time to get dressed (about 20 minutes at the beginning of winter)
• Of course we are always flexible - things may happen where the best laid plans will have to be changed

Preparing for Kindergarten
(from Mrs. Kemerer)

This is the first time your child will attend school. If they have already been in daycare or with a babysitter, they will find the routine of school a little easier, but we have different expectations for them in the school system.

Over the summer, there are many things you can do to prepare your child for kindergarten. One of these is practicing routines.

1. When they have their knapsack, practice opening the zippers and putting books and paper inside. This is something they will do frequently, and need to do it quickly.
2. Walk to the school and go to the entrance door. This will aid them in understanding where they are going each day and how long it takes.
3. Practice tidy up time. In class, they need to put toys away, including ones used by others, in a few minutes. They need to practice putting the toys or other items back where they belong in an appropriate manner (not throwing them etc), and not continue to play with them or pick up other toys and start playing. Behaviour issues are particularly trying at this time.
4. Practice eating snack. Before eating, they need to wash their hands and then sit down quietly at a table and chair and wait patiently. If they would like more servings, they need to ask politely. When they are finished chewing and swallowing, they clean up after themselves whether this is putting a plate on the counter, or in our case, throwing the napkin away.
5. Practice going to a relative or close friends house and leaving your child there for a little while before picking them up. They need to understand that when you leave them, you always come back for them so they feel secure.
6. Towards the end of the summer ensure that bedtime is consistent and try to be consistent with meal times as well so they get in that habit.
7. Encourage language to express needs such as, “Can I get a drink. Please?”
8. Provide new situations for your child and talk beforehand about what will happen.
9. Talk with your child about what they hear and see around them inside and outside the home.
10. Provide time with other children to practice skills such as taking turns and sharing.

Discuss with your child what will happen at school, ie that you will drop them off, they are expected to behave well, and that you will or someone they know will pick them up. You can tell them about making new friends and doing new things. We want them to become more independent as time goes by. They need to do things like tie their shoelaces and zip up their jackets, ask for help or resolve situations on their own.

There are skills to practice for school. Cutting with scissors (preferably small children's) along a dotted line or around a picture is an important skill. Other small motor skills such as playing with play-doh (you can find easy recipes on the internet), holding a pencil or crayon, and colouring a picture are also very important. 

Most important though, is READING AT HOME. The local library has programs during the summer, and lots of books available for taking home. Your child can get a library card of their own. Practice number and letter recognition. Point to letters and numbers to see if they know them individually. One of the easiest things is to have them see you read. Kids will always want to do what their parents are doing and love to do things together with them. This is an excellent way to do that.

What to Bring to School

Kindergarten students should bring a change of clothes and underwear (just in case!) in their backpack. In the winter or wet weather, your child will need a separate pair of indoor shoes. Runners are preferable as they are better for gym time. The children go outside every day for recess (unless the weather is severe), so they ALWAYS need appropriate outdoor clothing (hats, mitts, etc. for cold weather, sunhat for hot weather).

Everything your child brings or wears to school should be clearly labelled with his/her name.

Please do not bring food, valuables, toys or games to school. School supplies (pencils, paper, workbooks etc) will be provided in the classroom.

Snack Program

A healthy snack is provided for the children every day. Cost for snack is $30 for the year or $10 x 3 for each term. Please give your payment to your kindergarten teacher by cheque payable to John English Junior Middle School, or in cash, in an envelope clearly marked "Snack Program" with your child's name and teacher.

Parent/Teacher Communication

Your teacher is usually available to speak briefly with you before or after class, during drop off or pick up. If you need to meet with the teacher, please make arrangements directly with your teacher, or call the school office 416-394-7660 and leave a message for him/her to call you back.

Volunteers

Parent volunteers are invaluable for teacher support in the classroom. If you are visiting or volunteering in the classroom, you must sign in at the office and wear a green Visitor's badge. Classroom Volunteers must have a police check before volunteering in the class. Police check forms are available at the office. A Money Order or Certified Cheque payable to Toronto Police Services for $15.75 must be submitted with your police check application.

Birthdays

Teachers have different policies about bringing birthday treats into the classroom to share. Please consult your teacher before bringing any food into the classroom. Peanuts are not allowed in the school due to severe allergies, and there may be other class- specific allergies to be aware of.

> More about Kindergarten & Curriculum info from the TDSB