Welcome to K1 at Southwold P.S!
Your child’s educator team this year is Mrs. Osmond and Mrs. Cummings. We are very excited about the year ahead and getting to know your child and your family. It is understandable that some of the children might be feeling a bit nervous about the school, (and parents). Rest assured that we will make every effort to help the children to adjust and feel comfortable in our classroom and at school. We recognize that each child’s needs are different, and one child may need more time to adjust than others and that is O.K. We are both very patient and calm and will look after your child as if they were our own.
Some of our first learning experiences this year will focus on following classroom routines, becoming independent, confident, and developing a comfortable and happy classroom environment. We are a class family and will work towards being good citizens by treating each other with kindness, taking care of ourselves and helping others. Through collaboration, being inclusive and showing empathy towards others, your child will develop new relationships and friendships.
For those of you that might not be familiar with the Kindergarten Program, here is a bit of background information about the research about children’s development and their learning. The Kindergarten Program focuses on learning through play. What does that mean? It simply means that the learning opportunities are driven by the children’s natural curiosity and will include opportunities to explore and inquire. The activities will be hands on, intentional and flexible to meet the needs of all students. While engaging in the activities, the children will explore, ask questions and apply their experience and knowledge to help guide them through the learning process. Research shows that play and inquiry engage, challenge, and energize children, while promoting an alert and focused mindset that is conducive to learning. While your child is engaged in earning through play, the educator team will be observing, interacting and supporting your child to build on what they already know by challenging and extending their learning.
We believe that every child is a capable and competent learner and full of potential. Our classroom will support your child to feel comfortable in applying unique ways of thinking and learning. Your child will become confident as a learner while feeling safe, valued and having a sense of belonging. Through challenging and attainable learning experiences, your child will learn to take risks, try new things, develop Literacy and Mathematic skills, be innovative, problem solve and develop self-regulation skills. All this while having fun at school!
When emailing, please address both educators. There are times when one of us is away, or one might check the email before the other. This will ensure that we receive your email as early as possible. One of us will reply. If your email is about a pickup for that day, please call the school office instead. We may not get the email prior to pick up.
Thank you for all that you do to support your child’s learning and development at home and for sharing your special little one with us this year. This year will be a positive experience for your child. We value your knowledge and your experience as parents and look forward to building the connection between home and school this year. Should you have any questions throughout the year, please contact either Mrs. Osmond or Mrs. Cummings by phone or send a note in your child’s Home Communication Bag.
Sincerely,
Mrs. Osmond & Mrs. Cummings