Kindergarten at Patricia Heights

Open House - March 2021

Patricia Heights School

Address: 16216-78 Avenue

Phone: 780-487-0550

Email: patriciaheights@epsb.ca

Introduction

Our Philosophyat Patricia Heights

“At Patricia Heights, we believe that success is achieved when we work together. Students, parents, and teachers collaborate to support student learning and wellness for all. Our goal is to provide a positive learning environment where we prepare responsible, respectful and successful learners.”

Program overview

Kindergarten at Patricia Heights is a half day program. We have an AM and PM class.

Children who turn 5 before December 31, 2021 are eligible

Parents of new kindergarten students will need to register online. The following students are guaranteed admission:

● Resident students who live within the attendance area. ● Siblings of current students who are returning to the school the following year.

If random selection is required, we will notify parents by April 22

Learning Through Play

Children of Kindergarten age learn best in a relaxed, non-threatening environment. They learn best when they are self-motivated and interested in the activity. They learn best in a natural way through play, discovery and experimentation.

A glimpse into a kindergarten day

Literacy activities Music

Numeracy activities Art

Recess outside “Centre” time

Snack time Field Trips

Gym time Theme based activities

Library

Centre TimeCentre time is when the children are doing their best learning through play. The classroom is set up with a variety of engaging activities for the children to explore in small groups and individually. They have fun, develop important social skills, learn critical concepts and problem solving skills. Through play, they have the opportunity to discover, explore and be creative.

Gym and Music

Patricia Heights has a large gym for the use of all grade levels.

We are also lucky to have a music room, with a dedicated music teacher.

Recess and Snack

The kindergarten students join the rest of the children at Patricia Heights for some playtime outside. The teachers take turns supervising recess activities.

Snack time is a social time where children have the opportunity to sit down and chat with one another. A lot of language development, social learning skills, and health and wellness skills are developed at this time.

**Parents are responsible for sending a small, healthy snack, and a water bottle for their child each day.

Areas of Programming

Early Literacy EarlyNumeracy

Personal and Social

Responsibility

Creative Expression

Areas of Programming

Citizenship and Identity

Physical Skills and Well-being

Environment and Community

Awareness

Early Literacy Early literacy processes and goals for students in Kindergarten include:

● Emergent reading and writing

● Language- Rich Conversations

● Phonological Awareness (Learning letter sounds)

● Storybook Reading/Shared Book Experiences

● Learning Through Inquiry

Early numeracy processes and goals for students in Kindergarten include:

● Developing number sense (1-10)

● Patterns and Relations ● Shape and Space (mass,

volume)● 3-D Objects and 2-D

shapes

EarlyNumeracy

Personal and social responsibility processes and goals for students in Kindergarten include:

● Sharing● Problem solving● Work in groups● Taking turns● Building interpersonal skills● Communicating effectively

Personal and Social

Responsibility

Kindergarten is a time for children to be creative through:

● Drawing● Art projects● Thinking about the

world● Problem solving● Exploring objects

Creative Expression

Citizenship and Identity

Citizen and identity processes and goals for students in Kindergarten include:

● Exploring how we belong to a group

● Learning about the rules in our home, school and community

● Discuss ideas and strategies that contribute to decision making and problem solving

● Examine what makes others unique

We build physical skills through:

● Games● Outdoor play● Gym activities● Dance and movement● Playing with balls and

other equipment

Physical Skills and Well-being

We constantly explore our environment and our place in the community by:

● Nature walks● Outdoor time● Discussion of “community”● Talking about our world and

the people in it● We are curious about so

many things and we take the time to examine and ask questions.

Community and Environment

Assessment and Evaluation

● Kindergarten students undergo an “Early Years Assessment (EYE-TA)” to look at their overall development and to assess areas for growth

● In March, progress reports are issued as well as student led conferences

● A final progress report is issued at the end of the school year

Schoolzone

We use SchoolZone as a portal for parents to access their child’s:

● Newsletters/ class news● News of school events● Progress reports● Timetables● Online selected resources

SeeSaw

We use SeeSaw as an online platform to connect parents and educators in meaningful ways such as:

● Frequent pictures taken as a fun insight into your child’s day

● A bridge for communication between parents and the teacher

How to help your child get ready for kindergarten

○ Read with them daily ○ Give them time to play ○ Cut, color and draw to develop fine motor skills ○ Look for letters, numbers and shapes in their environment. ○ Teach your child to dress independently (shoes, jackets,

mittens and zippers)○ Encourage responsibility and problem solving ○ Bedtime routines

Questions

We will try to answer any questions you have this evening.

If you think of something else later, please feel free to email, or call the school to address your query.