MeadowlandsP.S.

KindergartenHandbook

Frenchteam:Mme.Chelsea/Mme.Joanne/
Mme.Katherine

Englishteam:Mrs.Gilbert/MissMandy/MissMonika

20162017

Pleasekeepforfuture
reference


WelcometoMeadowlandsP.S.

WelcometoMeadowlandsFullDayKindergarten.Wehaveexcitingnewactivitiesand
eventsplannedeachweek.Itwonttakelongforustosettleintoourroutines.Askyour
childwhatisnewintheroom.Thereisalwayssomethingaddedtokeeptheteachers
andchildrenexcited!

SchoolHours

TheKindergartenProgramisfullday.Studentswillalternatedaysbetweenthe
EnglishandFrenchlanguages.OurschoolfollowsaBalancedDayschedule.

7:00am:ExtendedDayProgramopens(Preregistrationrequired)
8:15am:AteacherwillbeondutyintheKindergartenyard.Pleasedonotleaveyour
childunattendeduntilstaffarepresentandondutyintheyard.
8:30am:Schoolentry.
10:0010:30am:Firstnutritionbreak(inFrenchclassroom)
10:4511:15am:Firstnutritionbreak(inEnglishclassroom)
1:30pm(approx.):Secondnutritionbreak(inthebothclassrooms)
3:00pm:Hometime/ExtendedDayProgrambegins
6:00pm:ExtendedDayProgramcloses

Attendance

Whenyourchildisgoingtobeabsentorlate,pleasecalltheschoolat6132241733
andleaveamessagestatingyourchildsname,gradeandteachersname.Youcan
alsoemailyourchildsabsenceto:meadowlandsabsent@ocdsb.ca
Youmustreporttotheofficeifyouaredroppingofflate/orpickingupearly.

Schoolcommunications

MailBag/Lesacdecommunication:YourchildwillbegivenaMailBag(largeplastic
folderwithanamelabelonit)onhis/herfirstdayofschool.Thiswillbetheprimary
meansofcommunication.Ifyouhaveanyquestionsorifyouwillbepickingupyour
childearlypleasewriteanoteandplaceitinsidetheMailBag.PleasechecktheMail
Bageverynightincasethereareimportantnotesormessages.Allnotesfrom
school,artandothertreasureswillbesenthomeinthisbag.

Afterschoolroutine:Ifyouarepickingupordroppingoffyourchildbeforetheregular
dismissaltime(3:00pm),youmustcheckinorsigninattheoffice.Ifyouarepicking
yourchildupat3:00pm,thepickuplocationisthewestgateatthesideofthe
kindergartenyard.
Pleaseberespectfulofourbuslanes,theyareNEVERtobeusedbetween8:15am
3:30pm.NOEXCEPTIONS.
Ifthereisanychangetoyourchildsregularroutine(pickupinsteadofbus,different
adultmeetingthebus,etc.),PLEASELETUSKNOWBYCALLINGTHEOFFICEOR
WRITINGANOTE.
Ifthereisnonotetoindicateotherwisebusriderswillbeputonthebus.Fortheir
ownsafety,wecannottakeverbalinstructionsfromkindergartenchildren.

Newsletters:Wewillkeepyouinformedwithnewslettersthroughouttheyear.Please
checkyourchildsMailBagregularly.

Twitter:MostofourdaytodayclassroomactivitiesarecommunicatedviaTwitter.This
isthebestwaytofindoutwhattypesofthingsarehappeninginourclasses.OurTwitter
accountis@Le_jardin_Mead
ItisaprivateTwitteraccountsoyouwillneedtorequesttofollowus.

Website:Wehaveaclasswebsitefortheclassesinrooms122and123.Thewebsite
hasalinktoourtwitteraccount,ourgooglecalendar,andacopyofthishandbook.The
urlis:www.lejardinmeadowlands.weebly.com

Email:Evenifyouhaveprovidedtheofficeorlastyearsteacherwithyouremail
address,wedonothaveeasyaccesstoit.Ifyouwouldliketoreceiveemailinformation
andnotices,pleasesendanemailtojoanne.burbidge@ocdsb.cainordertobeadded
toourclassemailinglists.Mme.Joannewillforwardyourmessagetotherestofthe
teamifothermembersneedtobeincluded.

KindergartenTeam

Withthefulldayprogram,eachclasshasateamconsistingofanOntarioCertified
Teacher(OCT)andtwoRegisteredEarlyChildhoodEducators(RECE).

Kindergarten/FrenchlanguageRoom123:
JoanneBurbidge(OCT)
KatherineHaley(RECE)
ChelseaSargent(RECE)

Kindergarten/EnglishlanguageRoom122:
GailGilbert(OCT)
MandyRead(RECE)
MonikaAhluwalia(RECE)

LunchandSnacks

Inordertobettermeettheneedsofourstudents,ourschoolisscheduledona
'BalancedDay'timetable.Thismeansthatourstudentshavetwohealthymealsduring
theschoolday.Studentsneedtobringtheequivalentoftwolunches,ratherthanone
biglunchandsmallsnacks.Itoftenhelpsifyoulabelthefoodforthemorningbreak
witha#1andthefoodfortheafternoonbreakwitha#2.Wehavechildrenwithnut
andpeanutallergies.Weaskthatyoudonotsendfoodcontainingnuts.

PersonalandCaregivingInformation

Theschoolmustbekeptinformedofanychangesmadetothepersonalinformation
providedtouswhenyouregisteredyourchildforkindergarten.Thisinformation
includes:

homeandworktelephonenumbersforbothparents,
streetandmailingaddresses,
emergencycontactnameandnumber,
anycustodyarrangementsand
caregivingarrangementsandtelephonenumbers.

Ifthereisanychangeinyourpersonalinformation,pleaseinformtheofficeassoonas
possible.Thankyouforyourcooperation.

Ifyourchildsdailyroutineischangedinanyway(e.g.anewpersonpickingthemup,a
playdateafterschool,adriveinsteadofthebus)pleasesendanoteonthatdayinyour
childsmailbag.

SchoolSupplies

InplaceoftheMinistrysuggestedlistofsupplies,weareaskingforavoluntary
Kindergartenlevyof$15$20(cashorchequemadepayabletoMeadowlandsPS).
Thiswillbeusedtopurchaseconsumablesuppliessuchasgluesticks,markers,etc.
Pleasepurchase/providethefollowingandbringittoschool:
Velcrorunningshoesthatremainatschool
Largebackpack(smalleronesarenotconvenientforholdingthecommunication
bag,largelibrarybooksorclasscreatedbooks)
Ziplocbagwithtwoextrachangesofclothing(labeled)

Clothing

Childrenwillspendtimeeverydayplayingoutdoorsrainorshine,includingthewinter
months.Pleasebesuretosendyourchildtoschooldressedappropriatelywithrain
boots,waterproofjacketsandrainpants,foroutdoorplayonrainyorwetdays.

Pleasedonotallowyourchildtobringanumbrellatoschool.Ahoodedraincoatis
muchmoreappropriateatthisage,aschildrentendtousetheumbrellaasatoyor
weapon,andoftendonotknowhowtoopenandclosethemindependently.

Duringthewarmmonths,sunscreenshouldbeappliedathomeandsunhatsshouldbe
wornforoutdoorplay,aswell.

PleasesendalabeledZiplocbagtoschoolcontainingtwoextrasetsofclothingforyour
childincaseofanaccident.Thisbagshouldcontainclothingthatstillfits,including
pants,ashirt,underwear,andsocks.Thisbagwillbeleftatschool,andneedstobe
replenishedifanarticleofclothingiswornhome.Ifyourchildsoilstheirclothingand
theydonothaveasparesetatschool,youwillhavetocometotheschooltopickup
yourchildorbringfreshclothing.Theprocessismuchlessdisruptiveiftheyareableto
accesstheirownspareclothingatschool.

Pleaselabelallclothingandshoes.Manyofourstudentshavesimilar/identicalitems
ofclothingandbackpacks.Itisdifficultforstafftokeeptrackoflostitemsandbythe
endoftheyear,wehaveusuallyhavealargeamountofunclaimedsweaters,hoodies,
hats,andmittensamongotheritems.

Cleanindoorshoesarerequiredforthegym,libraryandclassroom.Theywillbekeptat
schoolinyourchildscubby.Pleasechooserunningshoeswithvelcrostraps.

QuietTime

Wewillhaveaquietperiodeachafternoon.Wewillproviderestingmatsandquiet
books/activitiesforthistime.

ToysFromHome

Pleasedonotsendanytoysfromhometoschool.Thereareplentyoftoysinthe
classroomandthisrulehelpstopreventachildfromhavinghis/hertoylost,brokenor
misplaced.Thisalsoavoidsargumentsoversharingapersonaltoy.Yourcooperationis
verymuchappreciated.Mme.Joannehasasharingtime(enfranais),toysarenot
appropriatesharingitems.

Birthdays

Ifyouwishtosendaspecialsnackforyourchildsbirthdaypleaseensureitis
somethingsmall,peanutfreeandeasytoserve.Ifyourchildhasinvitationstodeliver,
pleasesendthemintheMailBagfortheteachertodistribute.Forthosewhohavetheir
birthdaysinJulyandAugust,wewillbesettingasideaspecialdayinJunetocelebrate
theirday.

Playdough

Welovetocreatewithplaydough.Thehomemadedoughlastsmuchlongeranddoes
notcrumblelikethecommercialtype.Forthosewhowouldliketovolunteertomake
playdoughforourclassroom,pleaseletusknow.Wewillprovideyouwiththerecipe.

ScholasticsBookOrders

WewillbesendinghomeScholasticBookOrderseachmonth.Pleasedonotfeelany
obligationtopurchasethesebooks.Ifyouwishtoorder,justreturntheorderformanda
chequepayabletoScholasticCanadaLtd.bythedatemarkedontheformpackage.
FrenchandEnglishordersareseparatepleaseprovideseparatechequesforSeeSaw
andClubdeLecture.

Library

EachclasswillgotothelibraryeitheronWednesdayeachweek.Studentsareallowed
totakeoutoneFrenchbook.Thebooksarethestudentschoiceandtheyoftentake
outpicturebooksthatmaybeabovetheircomprehensionlevelinFrench.Inthiscase,
youcanlookatthepicturesandpointoutfamiliarwordsifyouareunabletoreador
translatethebookforyourchild.

Lepartage(sharingtimeinFrenchclass)

OnthedayswhenstudentsareintheFrenchroom,theywillhavetheopportunityto
signupforoursharingtime,whichwewecallLepartage.Thistimeismeanttoshare
news,specialdrawingsorcrafts,specialmementosandphotographs,orinteresting
itemsfromnaturethattheymayhavepickedupoutsideoronanaturewalk.Sharing
timeisdoneinFrenchtohelpdevelopbeginningvocabularyandthusthereisnoshow
andtellinEnglish.Westronglydiscouragestuffies,dolls,collectingcardsandfigures,
andothertoys,especiallyiftheyarenotrelatedtoourinquiriesortheKindergarten
curriculum.Wehavenoticedthatstudentsoftenshareworkorcreationsthattheyhave
completedduringclasstime(thisistheideal),sodontfeellikeyouhavetosendin
itemsforLepartagetime.

SuggestionstoHelpTransitionyourChildtoKindergarten

Encourageyourchildtolookforthingsindailylifethatarerelatedtoschool.Thiswill
helptoreducefearsoranxietyabouttheunknown.Forexamplepointoutbuses,
backpacksinthestores,schoolsonTVetc.
Encourageyourchildtopracticeusinghis/hernewbackpack,snackcontainers,kid
scissorswithpropergrip,shoes,jacket,andraincoat.
Encouragethemtodressindependentlyforoutdoorplaybeforethecoldweather.
Theyshouldbeabletomanageboththeirindoorandoutdoorshoesontheirown.
Practicebathroomskills,asteachersdonotenterbathrooms.Childrenneedtoknow
howtousethetoiletandhowtoflush,howtoproperlywashtheirhandswithsoap,
andhowtofastentheirclothing.TheEarlyChildhoodEducatorsinourclassrooms
willhelpyourchildintheeventofanaccident.
EstablishyourchildsschoolbedtimeroutineinearlySeptemberastheywillfind
thefirstfewdaysofschoolexciting,yettiring!
Considerhavingyourchildsvisionandhearingtestedbyaspecialist.
Encourageyourchildtotidyupafterplay,tolistentoandfollowinstructions,to
share,colour,andtousescissorsandglueappropriately.
Encouragethemtodevelopfinemotorskills.Thiscanbedonethrough
cutting/pastingactivities,colouring,playdough,buildingwithsmallblocks,
fingerpainting,etc.Itdoesnothavetobeformalprintingpractice!Pickanactivity
thatyourchildenjoys.

Wearelookingforwardtoaterrificyearin
Kindergartenwithyourchild!