Welcome to kindergarten at Gainsborough School! ( Home of the wildcats)

1. Welcome to kindergarten at Gainsborough School!(Home of the wildcats) Our Kindergarten Team: ELP 1 – Teacher : Stacey Hall, ECE : Laura Mannell, EA : Courtney Johnston ELP 2 – Teacher : Judy Janssens, ECE : Charlene Barry, EA : Jennifer McKnight

2. On The other side of the door On the other side of the door I can be a different me As smart and as brave And as funny or strong As a person could want to be There’s nothing too hard for me to do There’s no place I can’t explore Because everything can happen On the other side of the door.

3. Welcome to kindergarten Where the great are small and the small are great! What do we learn in kindergarten? We believe children learn best through play experiences that are... • Purposeful and intentionally planned • Co-created, active and hands-on • Follow a developmental approach that is age appropriate • Encourages working cooperatively and collaboratively with others • Allows for sufficient time to explore and inquire about their world • Provides opportunities to engage in problem solving

4. Welcome to kindergartenWhere the great are small and the small are great! What do the experts say about play? “Play expands intelligence, stimulates the imagination, encourages creative problem solving, and helps develop confidence, self-esteem, and a positive attitude toward learning.” (Dr. Fraser Mustard)

5. Welcome to kindergartenWhere the great are small and the small are great! The goals of the Full-Day Early Learning Kindergarten Program are: (Ministry of Education, 2010) • To establish a strong foundation for the early years by providing young children with an integrated day of learning. • To provide a play-based learning environment • To help children make a smoother transition to Grade 1. • To improve children’s prospects for success and in their lives beyond school.

6. Welcome to kindergartenWhere the great are small and the small are great! We also promote the statement of principles taken from the Early Learning for Every Child Today (the ELECT document): 1. Early childhood development sets the foundation for lifelong learning, behaviour and health. 2. Partnershipswith families and communities strengthen the ability of early childhood settings to meet the needs of young children. 3. Respect for diversity, equity and inclusion are prerequisites for honouring children’s rights, optimal development and learning. 4. A planned curriculum supports early learning. 5. Play is a means to early learning that capitalizes on children’s natural curiosity and exuberance. 6. Knowledgeable, responsive early childhood professionals are essential.

7. Welcome to kindergartenWhere the great are small and the small are great! What is the Reggio Emilia Approach? The Reggio Emilia Approach is an innovative and inspiring approach to early childhood education which values the child as strong,capableand resilient; rich with wonder and knowledge. Every child brings with them deep curiosity and potential and this innate curiosity drives their interest to understand their world and their place within it. http://www.aneverydaystory.com/beginners-guide-to-reggio-emilia/main-principles/

8. Welcome to kindergartenWhere the great are small and the small are great! Fundamental Principles • Children are capable of constructing their own learning They are driven by their interests to understand and know more. • Children form an understanding of themselves and their place in the world through their interactions with others There is a strong focus on social collaboration, working in groups, where each child is an equal participant, having their thoughts and questions valued. The adult is not the giver of knowledge. Children search out the knowledge through their own investigations. • http://www.aneverydaystory.com/beginners-guide-to-reggio-emilia/main-principles/

9. Welcome to kindergartenWhere the great are small and the small are great! • Children are communicators Communication is a process, a way of discovering things, asking questions, using language as play. Playing with sounds and rhythm and rhyme; delighting in the process of communicating. Children are encouraged to use language to investigate and explore, to reflect on their experiences. They are listened to with respect, believing that their questions and observations are an opportunity to learn and search together. It is a process; a continual process. A collaborative process. http://www.aneverydaystory.com/beginners-guide-to-reggio-emilia/main-principles

10. Welcome to kindergartenWhere the great are small and the small are great! • The environment is the third teacher The environment is recognised for its potential to inspire children. An environment filled with natural light, order and beauty. Open spaces free from clutter, where every material is considered for its purpose, every corner is ever-evolving to encourage children to delve deeper and deeper into their interests. The space encourages collaboration, communication and exploration. The space respects children as capable by providing them with authentic materials & tools. The space is cared for by the children and the adults. • http://www.aneverydaystory.com/beginners-guide-to-reggio-emilia/main-principles

11. Welcome to kindergartenWhere the great are small and the small are great! • The adult is a mentor and guide Our role as adults is to observe (our) children, listen to their questions and their stories, find what interests them and then provide them with opportunities to explore these interests further. The Reggio Emilia Approach takes a child-led project approach. The projects aren’t planned in advanced, they emerge based on the child’s interests. • http://www.aneverydaystory.com/beginners-guide-to-reggio-emilia/main-principles

12. Welcome to kindergarten Where the great are small and the small are great! • An emphasis on documenting children’s thoughts  You’ll notice in Reggio and Reggio-inspired settings that there is an emphasis on carefully displaying and documenting children’s thoughts and progression of thinking; making their thoughts visiblein many different ways: • photographs • transcripts of children’s thoughts and explanations • visual representations (drawings, sculptures etc.) These are all designed to show and highlight the child’s learning process. • http://www.aneverydaystory.com/beginners-guide-to-reggio-emilia/main-principles

13. Welcome to kindergartenWhere the great are small and the small are great! • The Hundred Languages of Children Probably the most well-known aspect of the Reggio Emilia Approach. The belief that children use many many different ways to show their understanding and express their thoughts and creativity. A hundred different ways of thinking, of discovering, of learning. Through drawing and sculpting, through dance and movement, through painting and pretend play, through modelling and music, and that each one of these Hundred Languages must be valued and nurtured. The Reggio Emilia Approach emphasizes hands-on discovery learning that allows the child to use all their senses and all their languages to learn. • http://www.aneverydaystory.com/beginners-guide-to-reggio-emilia/main-principles

14. Welcome to kindergartenWhere the great are small and the small are great! • Video • https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=SgnIQ7fjmdI

15. Welcome to kindergartenWhere the great are small and the small are great! • https://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_detailpage&v=5ayT-x3Htv4

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18. I am 5…http://www.explorationsearlylearning.com/shop5/posters.html

19. Welcome to kindergartenWhere the great are small and the small are great! Thank You for Joining us today! We look forward to working with you and your child this year.