Getting Ready for Kindergarten

SMPS Getting Ready for Kindergarten

Here is a printable chart that shows you some things your child can practice doing on their own as they prepare for Kindergarten!

Things to Bring to School:

These items will stay at school:

Shoes your child can independently put on and take off (labelled with your child's name) - these will stay in their cubby
An extra set of clothes (pants, shirt, socks, underwear) in a Ziploc bag labelled with your child's name - these will stay in their cubby
The supplies we request for Kindergarten are: a package of markers, glue sticks, a small box of crayons, a small box of pencil crayons, 5 pencils, and 2 white erasers. Students do not need scissors or pencil cases. Supplies will be shared in our classroom and do not need a name label. Thank-you!

Things to send to school each day:

A backpack big enough to fit a lunch bag, extra clothes, etc. (no small/mini backpacks, please - these are very hard for children to pack independently)
A lunch bag with nourishing food that your child will eat
A non-breakable, non-spill water bottle labelled with your child's name
Outdoor clothing appropriate for the day's weather

Visit the Parenting in Ottawa School Readiness webpage:

https://www.parentinginottawa.ca/en/children/school-readiness.aspx

OCDSB Kindergarten Readiness Webinar 2026

Safe and Healthy at School

Medical Concerns

Please call the school office at 613-822-0341 to let the office know of any medical conditions and / or allergies before school starts in September.

Allergies

We are an allergy aware school. Please do not send nuts or nut products to school. More information will be sent home in September if a student in your child's class has severe allergies to a specific food.

A Good Night’s Sleep

Early bedtime is important. 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. Our days are full and students are able to manage well when they are rested.
Having a consistent bedtime that allows your child to get enough sleep helps them to be rested and ready to learn! Children age 3-5 need 10-13 hours of sleep per night.

Special Needs Considerations

To help ease the transition to school, we appreciate that all assessments and/or documentation (Speech and Language Assessments, First Words, CHEO, Psychological Assessment, Occupational Therapy, etc.) be shared with our Learning Support Team as soon as possible once they are registered. As a first step, please call the school 613-822-0341 so that we can connect with you.
For a new diagnosis of ASD or DD, the OCDSB has an intake process - more details available upon request.

Encouraging Independence

Here are some things to practice before school starts:

getting dressed and putting shoes on
opening and closing their school bag and lunch bag
taking out and putting their lunch bag in their school bag
opening and closing containers
washing hands, covering mouth with your arm when coughing/sneezing, using a tissue, etc.
putting toys away and cleaning up after playing

Bathroom Skills

Children should be able to:

Undo clothing independently
Put the toilet seat up and down if needed
Wipe themselves with toilet paper
Flush the toilet
Fasten clothing independently
Wash and dry hands

Here is one of our favourite videos to help!

Daniel Tiger Listens to His Body

Here is one of our favourite videos about school!

Daniel Tiger - Daniel Goes to School

To go back to our school website, please click here: https://stevemacleanps.ocdsb.ca/

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