We would like to take this opportunity to welcome you and your child to an amazing journey in our Kindergarten class! We hope everyone had a lovely summer and is looking forward to an exciting year filled with a variety of learning activities that will challenge and enliven our bodies and minds!
During the first couple of weeks we will focus on school routines, getting-to-know-you activities, as well as creating a classroom environment that feels safe and welcoming to everyone. We are very mindful of learning with our head, hands, and heart ensuring that everything that we do is meaningful, active, and thoughtful. We will be talking in depth about “Filling our Buckets” and “Acts of Kindness” and things that we can do within our communities to achieve our goal of over 100 kind things that we can do throughout the year.
At least once a week we will keep you informed about our activities and learning on our classroom website/blog, also using Google calendar, and posting photos for your pleasure. Our website is linked to École Fred A. Hamilton’s website or you can go directly to www.mmetipler.weebly.com. Please ensure that you sign and return your child’s Internet consent form to view your child engaged in active learning.
We run an excellent outdoor kindergarten forest/learning program and will be outside at least three hours a day. Please ensure that your child is dressed appropriately for the weather and is wearing shoes and clothing suitable for active outdoor play. Dressing in layers is a great way for your child to adapt to the changes in temperature. Please also send in a change of clothes along with extra socks (and mittens in the winter).
Cooking and baking are other important components of our kindergarten program, which are rich in learning, touches all of the curriculum areas, and helps to establish a sense of community in the classroom. Please inform us if your child has any dietary restrictions/allergies.
Empowering our students to take responsible risks and try new things is very important to us. This year we will also be learning how to build various items using many different materials (e.g., recycled materials, wood, forest finds). Our students will learn the importance of safety when using tools within the classroom. We would welcome any scraps of wood, nails, screws, or nuts and bolts that you are willing to donate.
We have included École Fred A. Hamilton’s back to school information that needs to be thoroughly read, filled-out, and returned. Please have your child bring their “Sac de communication” every day, since we will use this as a form of communication to send office information to and from home. Please remember that our classroom’s primary form of communication will be through email ([email protected]) and our website. If you do not have access to the Internet, please inform us as soon as possible.
We are very excited to start the year with you and your child and welcome any questions or concerns that you may have. We are open to communicating with you at any time; however, please respect the school’s policy of reporting to the office first instead of coming directly to the classroom. We may also have other commitments before or after school and may need to reschedule a time to meet with you. Always feel free to email.
WE WOULD LOVE IF YOU LABELED EVERYTHING! Please clearly label all of your child’s belongings. With brand new school clothing, children are not always able to easily identify their belongings. Therefore, when articles are found it is much easier to find the rightful owner if they are labeled.
It may happen that school toys/supplies are brought home in your child’s backpack. Please place the items in your child’s communication bag and we will simply place it back on the shelf. This does happen, so please do not be alarmed. See it as a learning experience and just explain the importance of leaving toys at school for everyone to enjoy. We also kindly insist that home toys stay at home.
École Fred A. Hamilton is very conscious of the impact that we have on our environment and we are excited to say that we have again received the provincial EcoSchool designation! Our school is also proud to say that our families are very conscientious of the foods that they provide their children and the limited amount of waste that they create by embracing the Boomerang Lunch Program.
What is a Boomerang Lunch? Everything that your child brings for lunch (packaging, containers, and fruit peels) will go back into their lunch bags and returned home. The idea is to use reusable containers and less packaged foods, resulting in your child eating more nutritious foods, less waste, and as parents you will see exactly what your child is or is not eating. We are also trying to limit the amount of plastic straws and juice boxes that are damaging to our environment. Thank you so much for your participation and support!
Home-School Connection.
We are always looking forward to creating a strong home-school connection. If you are able to assist in any way with the various activities that occur throughout the year, please let us know. We understand that life gets very busy, but there are various ways that you may wish to assist with building a learning community.
Assistance in the Classroom:
Assist with Outdoor Experiential Learning/Forest Play
Assist during nutrition breaks.
Assist with learning centres.
Assist with cleaning toys.
Assist with class trips.
Read a story to the class.
Pre-arranged visits.
Share a talent/cultural holiday/work/hobby.
Assistance Outside of the Classroom:
Donate clean recyclable materials.
Make play dough.
The children thoroughly enjoy playing with play dough. In order to keep a clean supply on hand, we would greatly appreciate if you would sign up for at least one month to make play dough for the class. Your assistance is greatly appreciated! Merci !
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Play Dough Recipe
2 cups flour 2 tbsp oil
2 tbsp cream of tartar Food colouring
1 cup salt 2 cups of water
1. Mix dry ingredients and oil in a pot.
2. Add food colouring to water.
3. Add coloured water to dry ingredients.
4. Mix ingredients all together.
5. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly with a clean plastic or wooden spoon. Play dough is ready when it comes away from the sides of the pot and forms a ball.
6. Use rubber gloves or wait until cool and knead.
http://www.theimaginationtree.com/p/play-dough-salt-dough.html
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Extra Things to Know:
Indoor Shoes – Students need a pair of non-marking indoor shoes that they can independently put on and take off. Running shoes are best as they can be used both in the classroom and gym. Unless your child can tie laces independently, please consider shoes with Velcro closures. Funky lights and noisy shoes are will only be permitted for outdoor use. Merci !
Extra Change of Clothing – All students will need a well-labeled bag of a complete change of labeled clothing (shirt, pants, underwear, & socks).
Communication Bag – Please return the communication bag to school every day so important office messages can be sent to and from home.
Practise Getting Ready – Please practise getting ready with your child during a calm time of the day. Students love to be independent, therefore if they are able to zip zippers, button buttons, change their shoes, open and unload their backpacks, open lunch bags and containers, and pack them up again this will give them a great sense of accomplishment!
Money, Orders, Forms – Please sign up for school accounting. This is a fast and easy way to pay for things from the comfort of your home. When sending money, cheques, and forms to school, please put the items into a clearly marked envelope with your child’s first and last name, as well as the activity.
Scholastics – Scholastic Book Order forms will be sent home about once a month. Books are a great investment to the literacy needs of your child and your purchases help to fill our classroom library.
Play dough – We are in need of volunteers to make play dough for the class. If there is a month that works well for you, please let us know. A recipe can be found in the volunteer letter or online http://www.theimaginationtree.com/p/play-dough-salt-dough.html
Donations – Any donations of the following consumable items would be greatly appreciated: art supplies (recyclables, paper towel rolls, googly eyes, glitter glue, glass jars, coloured paper, stickers, pompoms, greeting cards, etc…), woodworking supplies, dry baking supplies…
Although we communicate mainly through our website, there are times when we may need to communicate with you directly. Please send me a short email ([email protected]), introducing yourselves and your child, and also indicate any special concerns and/or dietary restrictions that your child may have.
For example,
“My child ____________________________ has the following dietary restrictions/allergies: _________________________ ________________________________________________.
We use _____________________________________ as a substitute.”
From time to time we may also need to contact you via email, therefore, when you send me this introductory email, I will be able to add you to our personal contact list and share links to our classroom Friendship List, and Volunteer & Play Dough lists. If you are unable to commit to a set time, please feel free to send an email ([email protected]) whenever you are free!
Many parents like to share their contact information with other parents in the class. The Friendship List is voluntary and created so parents may contact one another for play dates, birthday parties, etc. Please note that this list will only be used between the parents/guardians/teachers in the classroom.
We look forward to working with you and your child!
Mme Tipler and Mme McMillan