Getting Ready for Kindergarten 2021


Encouraging Independence

Practice!

  • Teach and encourage your child to dress themselves, including learning to button and zip their own clothing and jackets

  • Teach your child how to put on and take off their own shoes (velcro will make this easier for them!)

  • Have your child practice packing his/her backpack and lunch bag, and practice opening and closing containers

  • Model and encourage the practice of good hygiene - washing hands, covering mouth with your arm and not your hand when coughing/sneezing, brushing teeth, combing hair

  • Have your child get into the habit of always putting toys away and cleaning up after playing

  • Help your child learn to print his/her name, using a capital letter at the beginning followed by lowercase letters


Bathroom Skills

Before school starts, children should be able to:

  • Undo clothing independently

  • Put the toilet seat up and down

  • Wipe themselves with toilet paper

  • Flush the toilet

  • Fasten clothing independently

  • Wash and dry hands


Arrival and Dismissal

School begins at 9:00 am and ends at 3:30 pm.

At SMPS, we have two fenced-in yards exclusively for kindergarten students. One at the front of the school and one at the rear.

Front bus kinder yard: (8:45-9:00 am / 3:15-3:30 pm)

  • Bus students will be escorted by staff to and from the bus

  • Students in the Extended Day Program will play in the front yard before the bell

Rear walker kinder yard: (8:45-9:00 am / 3:10-3:30 pm)

  • Parents / Caregivers may drop off and pick up their kindergarten student at the back kindergarten gate

Lunch and Snacks

  • Nutritious food will give your child the energy they need for a day at school

  • Families are required to supply a lunch for their child

  • Children will have a small morning snack, followed by two longer nutrition breaks at different times throughout the day.

  • SMPS is an allergy-aware school. We ask that you not send any food containing nuts or nut products. If there are any other restrictions in your child's class, you will receive communication in the first few weeks of school.

What to Bring

Please label everything that comes to school with your child's name

  • Backpack large enough to hold a lunch bag (not a mini-sized backpack)

  • Lunch bag

  • Non-breakable water bottle labelled with your child's name

  • Indoor shoes

  • A complete change of clothes to keep at school - labelled and placed in a Ziploc Bag

  • Face masks labelled with your child's name

  • Supplies: A pack of markers and glue sticks

Getting Ready for Outdoor Play

Throughout all seasons, Kindergarten students will have outdoor play time during the school day. Our two beautiful kindergarten yards provide lots of opportunity for gross motor play, exploring in nature, and playing with friends. Students are most comfortable outdoors when they are warm and dry. Families are asked to consider dressing in rain gear (e.g., waterproof splash pants, jacket, and boots) on days that are wet or have potential for rain. Keep independence in mind when choosing outdoor clothing. Neck warmers are easier than scarves, and mittens are easier than gloves. Mitten clips are suggested to help avoid the inevitable lost mitten! In every season, please label each piece of outdoor clothing.

Taking the Bus

Bus Information

  • Here is a link to the OSTA (Ottawa Student Transportation Authority) website: http://www.ottawaschoolbus.ca/

  • The "Bus Zone" tab will help you determine if your child is eligible for busing.

  • The "Bus Stop Finder" tab will give you the time and location of your bus stop (if your child is eligible for busing).

  • The OSTA site will typically indicate if there are any delays for bus times throughout the year

  • If your child will be taking the bus, it is important that all current information be updated with the transportation authority directly www.ottawaschoolbus.ca or 613-224-8800

Staying Safe & Healthy at School

Intake Forms: Allergies/Medical Conditions/Information

Before your child's first day of Kindergarten, we will invite you to complete a Kindergarten Intake Form. This form will help us get to know your child in preparation for kindergarten. Form submission can be done by emailing the completed form to the school, or it can be printed and then dropped off at the school’s main office when the office reopens on August 30th, 2021. To submit this form by email, please fill it out, save it, and email it to the school at stevemacleanps@ocdsb.ca. You may submit it now or wait until August.

Medical Conditions

If your child has a medical condition that school staff need to be made aware of and/or will need medication administered at school, you will be asked to complete some forms. Please see the form: OCDSB 963-Plan of Care for Students with Life-Threatening Medical Conditions.

If you have any questions in regards to what forms need to be completed, please contact the school office.


Hand Washing & Cover Your Cough

Please continue to practice hand-washing at home as your child prepares to start school.

Here are two songs by one of our Kindergarten teachers you can watch with your child:

Hand Washing Song

Cover Your Cough Song


A Good Night’s Sleep

  • Be sure to get your child used to an early bedtime as summer ends. During the first weeks of school, you can expect your child to be tired by the end of the school day as their body adjusts to a new routine.

  • We will provide our students with a quiet area in the classroom should they need a rest during the day. We also have a quiet activities time set in our schedule.

Communication of Learning

The Kindergarten team uses many strategies and tools to assess, evaluate, and communicate in regards to a child's learning throughout the year. Observation data is used to plan for meaningful play-based learning and inquiry. The strategies used to gather and communicate information may include:

  • Observation

  • Conferencing

  • Documentation panels

  • Newsletters

  • Email

  • Google Classroom

  • Google Keep

You will receive 3 formal updates as to how your child is doing at school:

  • Initial Observation Report Term 1 (November)

  • Communication of Learning Term 2 (February)

  • Communication of Learning Term 3 (June)

There will be ongoing communication with your child's educator team throughout the year.