Ç Å Ç Å Ä É Ç ÁÄ É Ç Á àà ÆÄ Ã ÆÄ È Imparting the Spirit È A HANDBOOK FOR PARENTS OF É É Ã Through Education É É ÆÇ Ç Ç The mission of the Peterborough Victoria Northumberland and Clarington Ä KindergartenSTUDENTS Catholic District School Board Ä is to provide all students with a Catholic education that includes the knowledge, Ç Ä skills and values required to live a meaningful and faith filled life. Ä È ÁÆ Å É È PETERBOROUGH VICTORIA NORTHUMBERLAND AND CLARINGTON CATHOLIC DISTRICT SCHOOL BOARD 1355 Lansdowne Street West Peterborough, Ontario ÉÅ K9J 7M3 Tel.: (705) 748-4861 • 1-800-461-8009 • Fax: (705) 748-9734 È Á Ä É Ä È È ÇÆ Ç É DESIGNED AND PRODUCED BY THE COMMUNICATIONS DEPARTMENT 2005 Å Ã Ç È Á É Å Á Ä ÉÆ I go to school now! Welcome to Kindergarten Ä Table of Contents Motto, Vision Statement, and Mission Statement . 1 Guiding Principles . 2 Ontario Graduate Expectations . 3 Welcome from the Director of Education . 4 Entrance Requirements & Registration Information . 5-6 Safety & Transportation . .È . 6 Good Health Habits . 7 Parents Can Help . 7 The Kindergarten Years . 8-10 The Home & School Partnership . 11-13 Learning Through Play . 14 Religious & Family Life Education . 15 Communication & Reporting . 16-19 Transportation Services . 20 French Immersion . .Æ. 21-23 I’m Glad You Asked . 24 How to Find Out More . 25 A Word of Thanks . 26 Directory of Schools . 27 A Poem to Parents . 28 È Our mission statement, vision statement, and guiding principles govern our plans and our decisions as an organization. Motto Imparting the Spirit Through Education Vision Statement Our entire educational community will take Ä responsibility for Catholic education. Mission Statement To provide all students with a Catholic education that includes the knowledge, skills, and values required to live a meaningful and faith filled life. 1 Guiding Principles 1. We will live the Christian message and promote the cause of Catholic education. We are responsible for sharing the Gospel message and promoting Catholic education. This principle emphasizes the service role that we have in our school communities as well as the responsibility we have of developing and maintaining a hospitable, compassionate, and understanding environment. 2. We will ensure that students come first. All individuals and departments supporting the mission of the Separate School Board must identify objectives and strategies that enhance the quality of education and services. Board Policies and Board Plans can serve as a starting point to help individuals and departments identify specific objectives and strategies. Consider, for example, the Safe Schools Policy, the Special Education Plan, the Medication Policy, Health and Safety Policies, etc. 3. We will operate effectively. We are responsible for examining the organizational structure, and initiating and supporting changes to improve effectiveness. We are equally responsible and accountable for the financial and material resources at our disposal. 4. We will develop and maintain alliances. We have individual and group responsibilities to develop partnerships. We need to identify potential partners and work with them for the greater good of the community. 5. We will communicate effectively. We have a responsibility to invite participation and feedback, and to keep people informed. 6. We will be responsible for personal renewal. Personal renewal refers to taking control of our physical, social, spiritual, and mental well-being. We have an individual responsibility for staying abreast of developments in our field of work. (Activities include reading, applying the concepts that we read about, taking courses, attending conferences, becoming mentors, trying something new, initiating/participating on work/discussion groups.) 2 Ontario Catholic Ç Graduate Expectations The Ontario Catholic Graduate is expected to be: 1. A discerning believer formed in the Catholic Faith community who celebrates the signs and sacred mystery of God’s presence through word, sacrament, prayer, forgiveness, reflection and moral living. 2. An effective communicator who speaks, writes, and listens honestly and sensitively, responding critically in light of gospel values. 3. A reflective, creative and holistic thinker who solves problems and makes responsible decisions with an informed moral conscience for the common good. 4. A self-directed, responsible, lifelong learner who develops and demonstrates their God-given potential. 5. A collaborative contributor who finds meaning, dignity and vocation in work which respects the rights of all and contributes to the common good. 6. A caring family member who attends to family, school, parish, and the wider community. 7. A responsible citizen who gives witness to Catholic social teaching by promoting peace, justice and the sacredness of human life. Á È 3 Welcome The lunch has been made, and the backpack has been packed for weeks! It's only 8:00 a.m., but your child is itching to head for the bus stop. You can't help feeling a little excited, too, as your child prepares for her first day of Kindergarten. Young, active minds take delight in exploration and discovery as the world unfolds before them. The first day of Kindergarten is an exciting time for you and your child. It's also an exciting time for all of us who work at the Peterborough Victoria Northumberland and Clarington Catholic District School Board. Jesus once said, "Let the little children come to me; do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the Kingdom of God belongs." (MARK 10:14) We consider it a privilege to be able to nurture the children who pass through our system, and to help them to grow physically, socially, emotionally, spiritually, and intellectually. We look forward to getting to know you and your child during the upcoming weeks, and to working with you to ensure that your child's first years of school provide the foundation for a life-long love of learning. John Mackle DIRECTOR OF EDUCATION Peterborough Victoria Northumberland and Clarington Catholic District School Board 4 Entrance Requirements & Registration Information This information will assist parents of Kindergarten children who are starting school. If you are not sure which school your child should attend, call the Purchasing, Planning, and Facility Administration Department at (705) 748-4861. KINDERGARTEN ENTRANCE REQUIREMENTS Junior Kindergarten Æ Children must be four years of age on or before December 31 of the current school year. Senior Kindergarten Children must be five years of age on or before December 31 of the current school year. Registration Registration usually takes place during the first week of February, although it can occur anytime during the school year. Å 5 When you come to register for Kindergarten please bring: 1. Proof of your child’s age; any one of the following – Birth Certificate, Passport, Immigration papers.  2. Baptismal Certificate. 3. Immunization Record. 4. Your name, address (lot and concession number for rural students), and telephone number – and the telephone number where you can be contacted in case of an emergency. 5. Name and address of your babysitter or day care if your child will spend part of the day at day care. 6. Other documentation regarding your child’s needs if applicable, i.e. special education reports. 7. Be ready to inform school personnel about any medical conditions that your child may have and/or any medication requirements, i.e. allergic reactions. Safety & Transportation Help your child by planning the safest route to and from school. Help familiarize your child with the route. Help your child to learn to: Á Walk on the sidewalk; Á Cross the street only at corners, crosswalks, traffic lights or where there is a guard or safety patrol; Á Stop, look both ways and listen before crossing the road; Á Listen to the guard, police officer, or safety patroller; Æ Á Recognize Block Parent signs. If possible, walk your child to school or arrange for them to walk with other children. 6 Good Health Habits  Encourage your child to eat a nourishing meal before coming to school and at every mealtime.  Ensure that your child gets enough rest. Most children need from ten to twelve hours of sleep a night.  Ensure that your child wears clothing that is appropriate for the time of year and can be easily managed.  Teach your child to be responsible for using the bathroom, washing hands and face, cleaning teeth, and dressing.  Encourage your child to play outside every day. Á È Parents Can Help Æ Choose books from the local Public Library so that your child becomes familiar with books. Æ Read stories and nursery rhymes, and sing songs with your child as often as possible. Æ Take your child to the store, the park, the zoo and other activities outside the home. Talk about these activities with your child. Æ Respond to your child’s questions honestly and with comments and explanations. Æ Choose carefully a few television programs for your child to watch. Æ Encourage responsibility and sharing in and around the home. 7 The Kindergarten Years The Kindergarten years are a time of tremendous growth for young children – a time in which they grow physically, socially, emotionally, spiritually, and intellectually. During the Kindergarten years, your child will learn how to ... Ç celebrate the many gifts that God has given to us in creation, in ourselves, and in each other; Ç work alone and with others; Ç explore and expand his/her abilities and interests; Ç listen to and share with others; Ç begin simple problem-solving; Ç develop responsibility for selecting and caring for materials; Ç express his/her thoughts and ideas. He or she will participate in activities designed to ... build self-confidence; show differences in sound, shape, and colour; improve co-ordination, stability, locomotion, and manipulation; develop vocabulary; increase interest in books, numbers, and people; Æ introduce new ideas.