Kinder
Welcome to Kinder
Dear Families,
Well done to everyone for a fantastic first week of Kindergarten! Yesterday I mentioned in the ‘Communication Pouch’ notice that both Mrs. Gadd and I were feeling both proud and thrilled by the amazing levels of courage every child has shown the last two days! I would now like to add ‘Growth’ to this statement! Our Kinders are already showing increased levels of independence and resilience around the classroom and it is only week one!
Please give yourself some time to read the information below. It is quite long. You might need to put the kettle on. If you have any questions or would like some more information, please let me know. Chances are, if you are wondering something, other families will be too.
Eating Times
We have three mealtimes: Healthy Snack Break (HSB), Recess & Lunch.
We will do our best to ensure your child consumes enough food and drink during mealtimes. However, sometimes children can be distracted and/or refuse to eat items in their lunchbox. For this reason, we will leave this food in their lunchbox so that you can check and monitor what has/has not been eaten and have a conversation with your child about this at home.
Morning Routines
The Kinders have adapted very well to their new morning routine of carrying their own bags into school and placing them on the benches in the P/1 outdoor play area. We will continue to stick with this routine unless it is raining. If we are having a wet weather day, please bring your child straight to the Cottage.
After School Arrangements
After school pick up is also starting to run more smoothly. Please ensure you let both the office and your child know if your afterschool arrangements are going to be different. As we all know, children love their routines and if those routines suddenly change, it can become a very upsetting experience.
Timetable
Next week, we will send home a laminated timetable of what each day in Kindergarten might look like for Term 1. We recommend displaying this somewhere visible for your child (e.g. the fridge) so that you can have plenty of conversations about their day.
Below is a summary of our week:
- Wednesday is Music Day
- Thursday is Library Day
- Friday includes Whole School Community Inquiry, Canteen and Art sessions
- Every day we engage in Daily Fitness and Literacy/Numeracy based learning experiences.
Labelling
Please check that your child’s belongings are labelled e.g. drink bottles, clothing items, lunchboxes (including the smaller containers inside lunchboxes).
Change of Clothes
Please put a change of spare clothing in your child’s bag. If you would like your child’s spare clothing to stay in their bag, we will do this for you (please advise). Otherwise, we will keep the change of clothes at school to help free up some space and weight in your child’s bag.
Jackets
Please help your child to pack a jacket in their bag each day even if it is a warm morning. Tasmanian weather can change very quickly, and we want to ensure our children have everything they need to feel comfortable each day.
Drink bottles
We are a ‘water only school’ so please only fill your child’s drink bottle with water. If a drink bottle becomes empty, we encourage our children to refill them.
Sun Safety
Please encourage your child to begin applying their own sunscreen in the morning, so that they can develop the independence to apply their own sunscreen at school.
Bringing Toys from Home
Please do not let your child bring their special belongings from home. As much as it is wonderful to meet their special friends, they can become a distraction, hazard, damaged or even worst, disappear. Rest assured, there will be some opportunities to bring along our special friends later in the year.
Schoolzine
Hopefully by now, you will have had a chance to download the Schoolzine app. This is a great place to view upcoming events on our school calendar and our fortnightly eNewsletter. If you need any help with setting up this communication platform, please contact the school.
Welcome BBQ
Today (Friday) we sent home invitations for the Welcome BBQ. This will be held on Wednesday the 10th of February, 5:00-6:30pm. After a quick assembly with Mrs. Hay at the beginning, we will then make our way to the Kinder Cottage, where your child will have the opportunity to take you for a tour of their new learning space.
School Webpage
Next week we will upload details of our Kindergarten learning program and what learning might look like in Kinder this year. You can access the school’s webpage via the Schoolzine app.
Once again, thank you for a great first week of school. Please do not hesitate to make a time to speak with me if you would like to have a chat about anything else regarding your child’s learning journey.
Warmest regards,
Kate Pearce J