Settling In

Important Dates to mark on your  Calendar:

Sept. 19th: Professional Development Day.  There is no school for the children as the teachers will be participating in various workshops.

Sept. 22nd: Corn Roast and Meet the Teacher from 5:00-6:30 pm.  Teachers will be serving up free corn on the cob to children and parents and PAC will be selling pizza from 5:00-6:00.  From 6-6:30 parents and students are welcome to come into the classroom to say hello!

Oct. 7th: Photo Day.

Welcome to our classroom blog!  This blog will give you a peek into our classroom.  It will document the children's learning and highlight some of the fun activities that the children and I are doing at school.  The children and I talk about the learning goal for each of the activities that we do . We talk about our goals using W.A.L.T. statements, which stands for: We Are Learning To. Look for these statements in the blog posts, as I will update the blog frequently to let you know the big ideas that are currently being focused on in our classroom.    My hope is that you will look at the blog with your child and use it to help spark conversation and connect home to school.  Look at the pictures together and ask them questions about what you see!

This week has been an amazing week full of excitement, friendship and community building! I feel truly lucky to be your child's Kindergarten teacher...this is a fantastic bunch of kids! The children are doing a wonderful job of settling in to the routines of Kindergarten and  I am pleased with the sharing, cooperation and kindness I have seen already. 

We are Learning To work and play well with others
An important goal area, that will remain a focus for the entire Kindergarten year, is social development. Every moment of everyday provides opportunities to learn socially appropriate ways to work and play with others. We learn to share, take turns, solve problems, negotiate, communicate, and form friendships. These skills form the foundation of all future learning.

We Are Learning To print our names using a:

• tri-pod grip
• capital letter to start
• lowercase letter to follow

We Are Learning To be active!

On Friday the children participated in our school wide Terry Fox Run.  The children ran around our playing fields for 20 minutes, walking when they became tired.  I saw a lot of rosy cheeks and huge smiles! As a team, our school raised a lot of money for Cancer research.  Next week  a member of Terry Fox's family will be coming to the school to give a presentation and we will present him with our donations. Way to go View Royal!

Thank you to all parents who have been signing and returning agendas on a daily basis. This is such an important part of making our school year run smoothly! I find it's usually easiest if you check the agenda and return it to the backpack immediately after emptying it and filling out any forms that may be in there.

Thank you for taking the time to stay connected!
Terra

Welcome!

Welcome to the wonderful world of Kindergarten!  My name is Terra Pickwick and I am excited to be your child’s teacher.  My classroom is a place where children are welcomed, respected, supported, listened to and loved.  It is a place for them to feel safe as well as to learn, wonder, have fun and explore the world around them.  Please carefully read this entire letter, as it contains important information that will help your child ease into Kindergarten, and will make the journey we are about to embark on together a smooth one!

This week: Since this is your child’s first experience in school, Kindergarten begins a little more slowly to allow your child time to become familiar with their new surroundings and the new routines of a classroom.  The children will be dismissed at 12:00 Thursday and Friday.

Monday, September 12th will be our first full day, with dismissal at 2:43.

School supplies:  The Kindergarten team purchases all of the supplies that your child will need for the school year.  We ask that you please bring in $20 to cover the cost of these supplies. 

Drop off:  Parents and children are eager to start their day, but I ask that you please wait outside until the bell rings at 8:43. Once the bell rings, parents, I encourage you to help your child settle in to the day by staying for the first 15 minutes of class time.  Each morning from 8:43 until 9:00 we begin with Books and Puzzles.  If you can, please stay to share this learning time with your child and help them do one of the activities that are out on the tables.  At 9:00 the children and I will move on to other learning activities.

Dismissal: At the end of our day, at 2:43, please wait for your child on the far side of the hall outside of our classroom.  I will then dismiss your child to you or their after

school care provider.  This routine helps to keep your child safe and helps build important independence skills.

Communication:  Strong, effective communication between home and school is very important to me.  A strong parent-teacher partnership will help your child be excited about school and will help them have a successful Kindergarten year.  It will also help me tailor my approach to your child and their unique learning style. This year I will be using several different technology tools to help keep you informed and involved. These tools will provide you with a “peek into our classroom” and will allow you to see  and discuss the process of your child’s learning.  They will also help you gain an understanding  of why the learning that we are doing is so important. I will send a letter home explaining  each of these tools shortly. 

 

Agenda:  Each day your child will bring home an agenda. This is one of the main communication links between home and school and should be returned to school each day. Please check the agenda each day for notes, forms and your child’s work.  It is important to take the time to look over your child’s work with them.  Seeing their work will help prompt them about their day.  It also lets your child know that you value them and the work that they are doing.  I check the agenda each morning, so please feel free to jot down any information that you would like me to know(e.g. – doctor’s appointments, alternative pick-up arrangements, etc.).

Website: Please be sure to add your email address(es) to the “Follow By Email” box on the right hand side of this web page to ensure that you receive a notification every time I update the website.

Indoor shoes and extra clothing:  Please ensure that your child has a pair of indoor shoes (preferably Velcro – not slippers for safety reasons) as well as a complete extra set of clothing that is labelled with your child’s name  and can be kept at school in case of spills, accidents, inviting mud puddles, etc.

Quiet Time: Each afternoon we will be having a short quiet time so that the children can refocus and recharge their bodies and brains for the rest of the school day.  Please send a small stuffy that your child can use during this time and that can be kept at school.

Family Photo: I want the children see the classroom as “their space”-  a place that reinforces  their sense of identity and belonging, as well as a place where they feel a strong connection between home and school. Please send a 4x6 photo of your family in to school so that we can help that vision come to life!

Snacks: Please send a healthy snack and lunch each day.  Try to include at least one fruit and one vegetable in their lunch and limit the sweets to just one.  I ask that you please send a re-usable water bottle to school each day.  To promote healthy living and proper tooth development, no juice boxes please. Please note that children do not have access to a microwave.

Please feel free to come talk to me any time.  Come in, call, send a note

or email me at tpickwick@sd61.bc.ca.  I look forward to working with you to create a strong and successful partnership between school and home.

Kindergarten is an extraordinary year, and I cannot wait to start this journey with you!

 

Sincerely,

Terra Pickwick