Welcome to Prekindergarten

Teacher Nicole Hofer

My name is Nicole Hofer and this is my fourth year of teaching. I taught PreKindergarten last year at St. Joan of Arc, and prior to that taught grade 9, and 7 in Weyburn. I am very excited for the opportunity to work with your child this year!

Teacher Associate Cheryl Paul

We are really lucky to have a terrific assistant in our class, Mrs. Paul. Her enthusiasm and love for the children makes her such a huge asset! She has been at St. Theresa for 12 years and is excited to be working with the Pre-Kindergartens once again.

School Phone Number 791-7390 School Time

Morning Group: 9:00 11:30 a.m. Afternoon Group: 12:45 3:15 p.m.

Program
1. School Days Children attend 4 days a week (Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday

and Thursday)

2. Family Involvement Families attend one family event per month; the family

event may be held in the evening or on a Friday during the month. Families are also welcome to attend whole school activities such as Reading Nights and Open Houses. I will keep you informed of all of these opportunities!

School Supplies for September 2010

1. 1 regular sized backpack that your child will bring to school everyday.

2. 1 pair of indoor running shoes that can be kept at the school. Velcro is

preferred so that your child can put his/her shoes on independently.

3. 1 Hilroy Coiled Scrapbooks (35.6 x 27.9). No smaller please. 4. 1 box of Kleenex 5. 1 box of markers. Any specific brand will do.

*There are a few other supplies that are needed; however, I have divided these items up evenly among the students on a separate sheet. It is not necessary to have 30 boxes of zip lock bags for example*

One Component of the PreK Program: Family Involvement

Family Events
Family events are one of the components of the Prekindergarten program. They have been established to help your child succeed in the program. Some of the activities that we have done in the past included:

Lunch & Brunch with Munsch families enjoy reading Robert Munsch stories together, watch a Munsch video and enjoy brunch or lunch prepared with help from the students

Literacy Events - Stone Soup share several versions of the popular Stone Soup story emphasizing friendship and sharing. Families then share soup prepared with ingredients supplied by each member of the class MMM Cookies share the popular Robert Munsch story MMM Cookies then families bake cookies together Backpack Adventures explore the many activities included in our family backpack collection Creating a Family Poster Family Fun Activity Day Olympics theme In-Motion workshops Field trips to places like Gymnastics Adventure, the Museum of Natural History Attend a school liturgy together

It is important to attend family events because:

1. It allows your child to get to know the other children in the class better and

helps them form new friendships.

2. It gives you and your child the opportunity to spend time together in the

classroom setting.
3. It gives the teacher the opportunity to spend time with you and your child in

an informal and small group setting.

Attendance at Family Events

1. Attendance at family events is one of the keys to helping your child succeed in the program. We would like all families to attend 1 family event per month. If you can attend more than that, that would be wonderful!

2. If you cannot attend, please try to send another family member such as a grandparent, uncle/aunt or older brother or sister.

3. Please be sure to let me know in advance how many people will be attending the event as this helps us manage our costs more efficiently.

Spending time with your child in the classroom

Parents are welcome in the classroom at any time and dont need to call before you come. However, we would ask that in the first three weeks you let your child get accustomed to the classroom and the routines before you come and spend time with them.

A few commonly asked questions . . .

When should I call the school?

Please call if your child is sick and will NOT be coming to school. If you have a question about your childs day or a question about the program, regardless of how small it may seem; this way we can both work towards a happier child and a successful school experience. If you cannot attend a family event that you signed up to attend.

Do I need to provide my child with a snack?

Yes, you do need to send a nutritious snack each day with your child. Please remember that St. Theresa is a nut-free school.

My Child does not seem to be bringing home any artwork or crafts and Im wondering why....

Most of the artwork that your child does at school will remain at the school and will put it into your childs scrapbook. Whenever you come to a family event you are more than welcome to ask to see your childs scrapbook so that you know what they have been working on. Also check out the classroom and hallway walls they are full of classroom activities, projects, and artwork. The pictures that I take during family events will be displayed on the wall for a short period of time then they will be placed in your childs scrapbook.

How often will I receive a note about things that are going on in the classroom and at the school?

A school newsletter will be sent home once a month. A Prekindergarten newsletter will be sent home once a month. Reminders or updates will also be sent home on a regular basis.

What type of clothing should my child wear to school?

Just plain ordinary clothing is needed, as we paint a lot and do quite a few messy activities. You may want to have a change of clothing left at the school in case of accidents.

When does my child start school?

The Prekindergartens do not start school on the same day as the other children as we need time at the beginning of the year to confirm enrolments and do intake meetings. In Prekindergarten we find that the children experience more success when we have only a few children start at a time; rather than having all of the children come at once. We stagger start the first few days.

Final Notes
In the pre-k newsletter you will find a schedule for Show and Tell. On the day with your childs name on it they are invited to bring a Show and Tell to share with the class and will be the Star Student that day. Also each month we will have a colour day. On that day students are encouraged to wear and bring a snack that colour. There will be a Meet the Teacher Night in conjunction with the family BBQ on Sept. 20th. We Looking forward to seeing you all there. Being a parent I understand how scary it must be to see your baby going to school. I hope by working together we will make this the best experience possible for your child. Feel free to contact me with any questions of concerns. My door is always open. I look forward to a very fun year. I will be sending out a newsletter each month. Our first Family Friday will be in October. More details to come.

Thanks for your cooperation and support, Ms. Hofer and Mrs. Paul

~ Goals of the Prekindergarten Program ~

Our children will:
1. develop confidence in themselves and their ability to learn 2. use language to ask questions and communicate their needs 3. acquire social skills which allow them to relate to others (children

and adults)

4. develop curiosity through hands on science activities 5. develop number awareness through math games, finger plays and

center activities

6. develop a positive relationship between home and school as this

facilitates the learning process for your child

These goals are accomplished through:

Circle Time Activities

A. Stories multicultural, books with repetition, flannel board stories,

apron stories, big books, rhyming books, song books, theme books
B. Action Songs or Movement Activity Head and Shoulders, Hockey

Pokey, If Youre Happy.

C. Routines classroom routines and procedures D. Introduce or Review classroom expectations, new centers, math

concepts, talking time, rebus charts, puppetry, science experiments (observations, predicting, language)

Small Group Time

A. Arts and Crafts theme activities, creative expressions B. Gross Motor movement activities in the hallway, bean bags, bouncing

balls
C. Home Corner role playing, sharing, discussions D. Construction working together, problem solving E. Sand Table/Water Table imagining, problem solving, what are you trying

to find out

Center Time
While the children are playing, the teacher interacts with the children by asking them questions, modeling language, encouraging positive interactions and helping the children extend the play. Language express own ideas listen to others increase vocabulary build confidence Art Work encourages creativity encourage the children to use language to describe their work we encourage the four year olds to start writing their name on their work please encourage your child to write his/her name using lower case letters Dramatic Play role play make experiences more meaningful share plan help develop social skills and self esteem

Science ask questions discover appreciate nature count number recognition Number Experiences

understand simple concepts such as big, little, short, long, heavy, light The purpose of discussion time is to help the child develop enough confidence to Block Center talk in front of their peers and use language to share their experiences. ask questions test ideas (balance) Social/Emotional prayer manners manners children are given the opportunity to visit with friends and teachers taking risks Games responsibility Cooperative: musical hoops, kid connection decision making Concepts: come with me to the candy store, down around the corner friendship Gross Motor: going on a bear hunt, outdoor play life skills Gross Motor throwing/catching Heres how you can help your child succeed having fun Please bring your child to school on time encourage playing with your Spend time an active lifestylechild at home confidence

Discussion Time

Snack Time

team work Encourage independence (i.e.: putting on own jacket, doing up zipper) Clean Encourage responsibility (i.e.: have your child clean up their toys) Up Time

encourage responsibility Help your child learn to print his/her name using lower case letters (children who write their name using all upper case letters have difficulty cooperation Songsswitching to lower case when they enter kindergarten). To participate in classroom events familiar songs Participate in backpack adventures, attend Family Days theme songs Give your child the best start possible by providing them with lots of love, cd songs reading to them, listening to them, singing with them and providing them with a wide songs of experiences in your home, at school and in the movement variety community!