Parent Information Evening

1. Parent Information Evening SK-JES and SK-MKO Tuesday, 26th August,2014

2. WELCOME TO Senior Kindergarten We are: • Ms Julie and Ms Anh – Dragonflies class • Ms Michelle and Ms Thuy – Beetles class The SK team at Lotus Campus collaborates and works very closely together. You can ask either of us questions specific to SK.

3. SK Curriculum • * Senior Kindergarten is an informal introduction to the language and Mathematical curriculum • It is play- based and led by the needs of the children • We acknowledge that social and emotional development is extremely important at this stage

4. Personal, Social, Physical and Emotional Development Learning social skills: Confidence Thinking of others Self-respect Sharing Relationships Feelings Concentration Behaviour New situations Right and wrong Problem solving Living things Personal independence Surroundings Independence in play

5. INDEPENDENCE AIS encourages independence. In SK . We help our students to focus on such skills as: • Carrying their own bag, unpacking it and putting it in the cubby/locker. • Putting their water bottle and Communication book in the boxes. • Putting on and taking off their shoes. • Feeding themselves. • Toileting (accidents do happen!) • Tidying up the classroom. • Caring for items within the school.

6. Helping your children to be successful • Encourage them to do these things at home. • Talk to them about doing these things; show them how to do it first. • Praise them when they make any attempt to complete one of the tasks. Just a simple comment of how happy and proud you are and a big hug will work wonders!

7. LANGUAGE • Speaking and Listening • Providing opportunities to express themselves • Teaching them social etiquette • Improving their personal and UOI specific vocabulary • Viewing and Presenting • We expose children to a variety of different ways to access information • We constantly talk and apply the elements involve in creating visual text • Reading • Never under estimate the importance of reading to your child. • Writing

8. Reading • Enjoy listening to and responding to stories • Participate in shared reading by joining in with rhymes, songs, chants and repeated texts • Readers will handle books with care, showing understanding of how a book works, i.e. front to back, turning pages carefully, knowing the difference between text and pictures and where we should start reading • Readers will choose and read picture books for pleasure including ‘role-play’ reading • Weekly visits to the library and special ‘reading corners’ will develop their love of books and reading • Develop their understanding of phonics through fun activities

9. Writing • Learn to write their names • Develop their pre-writing skills through tracing, colouring and cutting activities • Understand that writing is different from drawing and begin to experiment with this • Writing will be encouraged at our ‘writing tables’ where children can make celebration cards for birthdays, Christmas, TET • Role-play corners will encourage writing through shopping lists, making travel tickets, menu orders • Children will give the teachers information for them to ‘scribe’ either as a whole class or individually

10. Mathematics • Singing number songs and rhymes • Count reliably up to 10 everyday objects • Recognise numerals to 10 • Activities based around capacity, weight and measurement using non-standard measures • Through practical activities, begin to understand addition and subtraction • Find one more, or one less than, from 1 to 10 • Talk about, recognise and recreate simple patterns • Recognise and name 2D shapes and an introduction to 3D shapes • Mental activities to encourage problem solving skills

11. Units of Inquiry • ‘All About Me’ – we are all unique with different physical and personal attributes but alike as we use our bodies and senses to explore the world. • ‘Communication’ – people communicate their ideas and feelings in many different ways. • ‘Animals’- small creatures play an important role in our world. • ‘Safety’ – people share spaces in our environment and safe interactions require choices about our actions.

12. Our Specialist Lessons • VLC is with Ms Nguyen • PE is with Mr Cuong. • Music is with Ms Suzette and Ms Loan. • Library is on Monday for Dragonflies and Wednesday for Beetles. Children will be able to borrow a book for the week and return it on the scheduled library day of your child. Library is also open for you to borrow books. Enjoy reading the book with your child!

13. Everyday reminders • Be on time in the morning! Circle time is very important, plus Specialist classes starts at 8:10am. • Please pack a change of school clothes for your child. • Children should all wear a hat to play outside • The children will take their water bottles home every day for cleaning. • Children are welcome to bring a snack, but please remember that we have a “NO NUTS” policy at AIS. Please send in healthy snack. • Please check your child’s diary every day. We often put reminders in it and regularly write a personal note about your child’s achievements.

14. Other points to consider • Please let us know if your child is going to be away or if someone else will pick them up • If your child is sick, please keep them at home. • Communication: please come and speak to us, email us or write in your child’s communication book with any queries or concerns. Contact the teacher first!

15. Some useful websites • www.starfall.com • www.morestarfall.com • www.poissonrouge.com • www.bbc.co.uk/schools • www.uptoten.com • www.youtube.com Please let us know if you find any other great websites! Weebly to come…

16. Thank you allfor being here tonight!

17. Let’s go to our child’s classroom