Bienvenue / Welcome To Chinook Park School

We look forward to teaching your children beginning in September.

This page outlines some important information about our school and your child’s future experience with us. Further information on the kindergarten program can be found on the Alberta Education website at https://www.alberta.ca/early-childhoodeducation.aspx

Further information specific to Chinook Park School can be found on our website:

***Please note that the information, including dates, on this page are based upon pandemic guidelines currently in place in spring 2021, and is subject to change based on CBE and AHS guidelines for school entry in September 2021**

At Chinook Park, we currently have approximately 43 students registered in the Kindergarten program for the 2021-22 school year.

Hours

The Kindergarten program consists of 475 hours of instruction. The hours are as follows:

Start and end times are aligned with entry and dismissal times for Grades 1-6.

Staggered Entry

In September, the staggered entry at Chinook Park will occur over the first two days of school - half the class will come on Wednesday, September 1st and the other half will come on Thursday, September 2nd. Kindergarten AM students will come in the morning and Kindergarten PM students will come in the afternoon. Please note that there are special hours on these days.

1. Students with last name beginning A to L:

• Wednesday, September 1
• 8:00 – 10:48am (for morning class students) or 11:47 – 2:35pm (for afternoon students)

2. Students with last name beginning M to Z

• Thursday, September 2
• 8:00 – 10:48am (for morning class students) or 11:47 – 2:35pm (for afternoon students)

Students come on only ONE of these two staggered entry days.

Regular classes for all Kindergarten students will begin on Tuesday, September 7.

Fees – MyCBE / PowerSchool

Any fees for 2021-22 for Kindergarten are payable online via MyCBE / PowerSchool which can be accessed on our home page page, by selecting the My CBE Powerschool icon. First time users will need to create their MyCBE / PowerSchool account by following the prompts.

Possible fees include: transportation (bussing), field trips and any activity fees. More information on specific fees will be forthcoming in September. No fees are due prior to the fall.

School Messenger and Communication

Report Cards and Parent-Teacher Conferences

In order to keep parents fully informed on the development of their child in kindergarten, parents and teachers need to keep an open line of communication throughout the year. There are 2 formal reporting periods (January & June). We encourage student participation in conferences in order to share work and learning goals. Parents will need to set up their MyCBE / PowerSchool account in order to book parent-teacher conference times when these become available.

School Communication

Most parent information is sent through email notices and posted on our school website. Parents need to sign up for School Messenger in order to receive all school-wide messages. This requirement is in line with CASL (Canadian Anti-Spam Legislation).

To register for School Messenger click on the link below, enter your email address and follow the prompts. http://calgary.schoolmessenger.com/cbe_subscribe

Our school website (Chinook Park School) contains information including our bell times, annual and monthly school calendar, and information about upcoming events.

Informal Appointments

Our teachers are prepared and willing to answer questions, provide information, discuss concerns, or answer any questions you may have. Please feel free to touch base before or after school to see if and when they are available. You may also call, send an email, or set up an appointment outside of formal conferences if you wish. Please book an appointment so we can set aside time to meet rather than popping in immediately before or after class, as teachers often have other commitments to tend to during these times. This allows our teachers to focus on students during instructional time.

Routines

Dropping off and Picking up your Child

Kindergarten students use the entrance doors with the ramp, on the east side of the school closest to the pedestrian crosswalk. Please have your child line up in the appropriate place and the teachers will bring the children inside to their classrooms.

Goodbyes need to be said outside to encourage independence, to reduce crowding in the hallways, and to minimize disruptions during class time. Students who arrive late can be signed in at the office and goodbyes can be said there. For security reasons, we ask that you wait outside when picking up your child. Children are dismissed when the teacher and caregivers make eye contact. If your dismissal arrangements change (ex. play date, different person picking up your child) please let your child’s teacher know with a note, email or call to the office. Kindergarten students who are being picked up will be brought out of the school by their teacher.

Dogs are not permitted on school grounds.

Coming into the School

We believe that the strong relationship between parents and teachers is an important part of the culture at Chinook Park School and we want parents to feel welcome to come into the school to volunteer, to check in with a teacher, or even to see what is up on the bulletin boards. To maintain security, we do ask that you always come in via the main entrance doors, stop in at the office, and pick up a nametag if you are volunteering. *Due to the pandemic, visitors were not permitted in the school in 2020-21. Volunteer opportunities for 2021-22 will be dependent on CBE and AHS pandemic guidelines that are in place in September 2021.

Parking

Due to the limited size of our school parking lot, we request that parents do not access it to drop off or pick up students or to park in it when volunteering at the school. It creates dangerous congestion and poses a safety risk to students. There are designated areas within the community for your parking needs. Please obey the community signs to avoid a parking violation ticket.

There are City of Calgary signs on 75 Avenue reflecting our loading zone, no stopping and bus zone adjacent to the school building. This space is designated solely for bus use during the designated hours on the signs. Please adhere to the signage and refrain from parking or idling your vehicle in inappropriate zones.

Appointments

When picking up or returning children outside of bell times for dental/medical appointments or other required needs, please go to the office to sign them in or out of the school.

Busing

Busing (one way transportation only) is available to students who are eligible based on resident address. Pre-registration has begun for next year transportation through your MyCBE / PowerSchool account.

Students must be registered in order to ride the bus. Payment is not required until Fall 2021, so if you are thinking of taking the bus, please register in the spring so that your address is considered in the planning process. It can take several weeks to be added to a route in the fall if a student is not pre-registered.

It is important that you let us know at the beginning of the year which bus your child will be taking to and from school and to send a note when plans change. It is a parental responsibility to ensure that your child gets to the bus stop safely five minutes before their scheduled pick up time. We will ensure that your child’s bus is met by school staff and that staff will also supervise students boarding the bus at the end of the school day. Kindergarten students will not be let off at a bus stop unless someone is there to meet them. Please remember that buses often run late during inclement weather. On cold weather days, please refer to My School Bus Monitor for bussing delays or issues.

Maps of bus routes for the 2021-22 school year will become available in late August on the Calgary Board of Education website.

Attendance

Attendance is taken as soon after the bell rings as possible. The administrative assistant contacts parents whose children are absent without previous notice.

Please call the 24-hour absence line if your child is going to be late or absent for any reason. (403-777-8480. Ext. 1). If your child arrives after the other students have entered the classroom, they must check in at the office before going to class.

Backpack/Tote Bag

Your child will be taking home notices and library books regularly. Please ensure that they have a backpack large enough to accommodate these items and that it is clearly labeled with their full name on the inside.

Snacks

Please send your child with a water bottle each day, labeled with their name. Our Monday-Thursdays are short, and we have found that children do not need a snack during the time they are at school because they have just eaten breakfast or lunch prior to their arrival. Fridays are longer, so please do send a small nut-free snack, consisting of one or two nutritious items that can be eaten in five to ten minutes. Veggies and cut fruit, meat, cheese, and crackers are some suggested items. Please be mindful to use reusable containers, whenever possible, in order to reduce waste.

Toys

Children’s personal toys or other treasures should be left at home except for special “Sharing Days”, or as otherwise indicated during the year. One thing that we often say is, “If it is too valuable or special to lose, please do not bring it.”

Footwear/Clothing

For safety reasons, we ask that the students wear shoes in school at all times and are asked to have an inside pair of running shoes that remain at school. Wearing these indoor shoes helps keep our busy hallways clean. These inside shoes also are used during physical education activities.

Shoes with Velcro fasteners or slip-ons are preferred until your child is able to independently and quickly tie laces.

Our kindergarten activities are often very active and can be quite messy. Please send your child in play clothes that are comfortable and easily washed.

Kindergarten Volunteers

Volunteers are always welcome! All volunteer parents must obtain an ePIC (security clearance) from the Calgary Police Service before volunteering in the classroom or on field trips. This process can take several weeks to complete, and must be initiated at a CBE school. Please visit the office with current government-issued photo identification to start the process and get information on how to continue the process on-line with the Calgary Police Service. Even if you are not sure that you will be volunteering, it is a good idea to have the check done in case an unexpected opportunity arises. Clearance is valid for 5 years, once processed. Classroom volunteering will be on a sign-up basis. The classroom volunteer schedule begins after October.

We ask that younger siblings do not come along with parent volunteers.

*Again, volunteering will be dependent on current pandemic protocols and may or may not be possible.

Off-Site Activities

Off campus excursions are organized throughout the year. Their purpose is to enrich the curriculum in Kindergarten. Parent permission slips are sent home before each fieldtrip.

Students cannot participate without this written consent.

School Council Meetings

School Council Meetings are held one evening per month and dates are posted our school website. These meetings provide an opportunity for parents to learn more about what is happening at the school and to be able to provide input to the school administration. Come and join us at a School Council meeting and get the inside track on the happenings at Chinook Park School. All parents with a child currently enrolled are automatically members of the School Council.

How to Help Your Children in School

• Keep them healthy. Seeing, hearing, and feeling well are essential to learning. It is a good idea to have your child’s vision checked before school starts and annually after that.
• Talk to them. Don’t use baby talk, no matter how young.
• Listen to them. Encourage them to talk about their activities.
• Praise them when they succeed. Recognition and approval reinforce learning.
• Read, read, read to and with your child. This develops basic book knowledge and supports value in reading.
• Check your child’s backpack every day. There may be a new book or an important notice in it!
• Set a bedtime routine and stick to it. Learning is hard. Your children will be ready for it only if they are well rested.
• Be sure that your child attends regularly and punctually.
• Know exactly what your children are doing. If you find they are having problems, don’t wait to be contacted by their school, make an appointment with the teacher, or send a note to the teacher. Find out how you can help.
• Make use of meal time. It can be the ideal setting for sharing events, and discussing problems and goals.
• Provide opportunities for your child to draw and cut. This helps your child to develop a proper pencil and scissor grip.

Getting Beginners Ready for School!

Can your child:

• Follow simple directions
• Finish tasks (putting away toys, books, clothes, etc.)
• Speak clearly using simple sentences
• Say “please”, “thank you”, and “excuse me”
• Use a Kleenex properly
• Wash and dry hands and face
• Attend to toilet quietly and unassisted
• Put on and remove coat, hat, mitts, boots, etc. without difficulty
• Respect own property as well as others
• Say full name, address and telephone number
• Use modeling materials (clay or plasticine) building blocks and puzzles
• Recognize letters and numbers
• Recognize own printed name in lowercase letters
• Hold a book and turn its pages
• Listen quietly to stories
• Recite some nursery rhymes
• Look at a picture and some items in it
• Listen to a very short story and tell what happened in it
• Let others speak without interrupting
• Accept responsibility willingly
• Take turns and allow others their turn when playing games
• Recognize the basic colours: red, yellow, blue, green, orange, purple, white, black and grey
• Hold a pencil in a good 2 or 3 finger grasp
• Print their first name
• Tell the right from the left hand
• Catch and throw a medium sized ball
• Tell their age, and month of birthday
• Stand on one foot while you count to eight
• Tie their own shoe laces
• Share and wait their turn
• Get through most of the day without requiring a rest period
• Sit still for short periods (10 minutes) while watching TV, hearing a story, or colouring
• Carry out simple cutting and pasting projects
• Follow a request the first time it is given

We look forward to working collaboratively with families to ensure their child’s success.