Welcome to Kindergarten 2023-24

September is always an exciting time. Curiosity and opportunity open the door to a year full of exploring, discovering, connecting and creating.  We are thrilled to have you and learn alongside you.  At Somerset School, we are strong and we all belong.

The Somerset Kindergarten is a safe and welcoming environment where students will engage in various activities which will draw the children into answering questions around our inquiry topics and areas of interest.  With such vibrant learning opportunities outside, we will be investigating the wonder of the natural world around the school.  The students will learn to explore ideas about themselves, their role in the community, and in the world around them.  

Online registration 

Online registration opened on January 2023 for the 2023-24 school year.  For more information on how to register please go to the link above.

Our school offers alternating am or pm Kindergarten. This means some students come either in the am or pm Monday through Thursday and alternating Fridays.  Requests for either am or pm kindergarten can be made at the time of registration but can not be guaranteed. 

Kindergarten Pick Up & Drop Off

Door R (west side of school)

The kindergarten teacher will come outside, invite students in, where they will have designated spots for their shoes/boots, coats, and backpacks. Somerset School has a strict policy that no adult is to enter the school without checking and signing in with the office first.  Only individuals with clearly visible identification (staff or approved volunteers) can walk through the halls of the school.

Parents will wait outside the Kindergarten doors at dismissal.  The teacher will dismiss the children one at a time to a recognized adult.  Please be patient and wait for your child to come to you as this routine takes some time to be established!  Children who have not been picked up on time will be taken to wait in the office and will need to be picked up from there.

What to Bring to Kindergarten

• Backpack: Your child will be bringing home notices, library books, and completed work on a regular basis. They need to bring their backpack to school each day.  Please ensure that it is large enough for bigger library books!
• Snack: We will be having snack time daily.  Please bring a small, nutritious snack, along with a water bottle in a bag or container with your child’s name on it.  Students will have approximately 10 minutes to eat.  Due to allergies, children will not be allowed to share their snack with others.  Please do not send peanuts or products containing peanuts.
• Inside shoes: Please send a pair of labeled Velcro runners for your child to leave at school.
• Toys: Please do not send toys or other treasures to school with your child as it is upsetting if they go missing and can be a distraction.
• Labeling: All of your child’s belongings (backpack, snack containers, water bottles, shoes, boots, coats, etc.) should be clearly labeled with your child’s name.  This will assist us to return belongings that get left behind.
• Wear comfortable, washable clothes which are suitable for playing in, sitting on the floor in, running and moving around in, and getting dirty.  It is not necessary to send any school supplies.  All materials that your child requires will be available at school.

Volunteers

Volunteers are a very important part of the program and we greatly appreciate your help! Kindergarten classroom volunteers will likely begin after Thanksgiving.  All volunteers must complete a registration form and security check.  Forms can be obtained from the school office.  Security checks must be successfully completed prior to volunteers coming into the school.

MyCBE/PowerSchool App

Please set up and become familiar with the MyCBE/PowerSchool app.  Through the app you will book Parent-Teacher Conferences, pay school fees, access Report Cards, sign up for SchoolMessenger emails (commercial and general), and much more.

School Council

Attending and participating in School Council meetings is a valuable way of connecting and supporting our school community.  A SchoolMessenger email is sent out with information for our monthly meetings. 

A Final Note

You may wonder if it is normal for your child to say they do not want to come to school.  Yes, this is normal as it is most comfortable for a child to be at home with familiar people in a familiar setting.  A new environment, new expectations, new routines, and new people are a lot for a young child to adapt too.  To support your child in this situation, acknowledge their feelings, share a personal experience, remind them of the importance of their job of going to school, and explain the daily expectation of coming to school to explore and learn. 

We sincerely look forward to getting to know you and your child over the course of the year, working together to support your child’s learning and development.

Sincerely,

Somerset School Team