Welcome to

Kindergarten
Information Package
 Meet the Kindergarten Team

Mr. Dempsey Mrs. D’Addario

Principal Vice Principal

Ms. Chiu Ms. Mallia Mrs. Fox Mrs. Aguayo

Teacher DECE Teacher DECE

Mme. Bubienczyk Mme. Pazio Mr. Villa Mme. Da Silva

Teacher DECE Teacher DECE

Mme. Oliviera Mme. Valerio

Teacher DECE
 Table of Content
Introduction Pg. 1

First Day of School Procedure Pg. 2

Arrival / Dismissal Routine Pg. 3

Absent or Late Pg. 4

Dress Code Pg. 5-6

School Bag Pg. 7

Meals Pg. 8 - 9

Washrooms and Self-Care Pg. 10

Are you Ready for Kindergarten Checklist Pg. 11

 Introduction

Dear Parents & Guardians,

Welcome to St. Cecilia Catholic School! This year will prove to be a thrilling
one as your child begins their kindergarten experience. We will have many
wonderful experiences and opportunities to learn and grow in the months
ahead. Through a play based and inquiry lens, we will be able to witness the
growth and development of your child’s skill and learning.

While it is still uncertain what school will look like in September, we are
excited to meet you and your little one on their first day of school.  Since
we are not able to host a Welcome to Kindergarten event before the end of
June, we have put together this package to help you prepare for
September.  The information assumes that we will be back to school on
September 8th.  Should that not be the case, additional information will be
provided.

We ask that you please read through this package carefully as it contains
very important information regarding students’ preparedness for
Kindergarten. The package will also explain what to expect on the first day
of school and break down what students will need on a daily basis during
their learning experience at St. Cecilia.

Sincerely,
The Kindergarten Team

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First Day of School Procedure

The first day of school is an exciting day for parents and children. We
recognize that some children (and parents too) may feel nervous about the
first day of school. However, please rest assured that we will do our best to
comfort your child and make them feel welcomed. Teachers and DECE will be
in the Kindergarten Yard by 8:15 am so you may start to arrive by then on
the first day of school.

Parents are permitted to enter through the Kindergarten gate to hand off
their child to their teacher only on the first day of school (please see pg. 3
arrival and dismissal for usual routine). Once students are with the teachers
or DECEs, it may make them more anxious if they see you. That said, it is
advise that you hand your child off quickly as they will calm down much
faster when you are out of sight. We know this is difficult but please rest
assured that we will comfort your child until they are relaxed and ready to
begin their day

Lastly, asides from the first day of school, the Kindergarten Playground is
gated and parents are not permitted to enter the kindergarten yard, or
cubby/classroom with their child. Your child’s safety is our main concern
and we cannot allow adults who are not staff members in the school/yard as
per TCDSB Safe School Policy.

!2
 Arrival and Dismissal
Routine
_____________________________________________________

ARRIVAL

Children appreciate outdoor play before the class begins and find it more
comfortable entering the classroom together. This also enables them to
feel included in the social dynamics and bonding that occurs. School Staff
are on duty from 8:15-8:30am. We kindly ask that you “Kiss & Ride” at the
gate to the kindergarten yard facing Evelyn Avenue.

As a safety measure, we are limiting access only to students and staff– from
8:15am-3:00pm. Please encourage your child to join their friends in the
Kindergarten play area just outside the JK/SK classrooms. When the bell
rings, the children will line up at the kindergarten door and wait for the
teacher to admit them.
_____________________________________________________

DISMISSAL

The students will be dismissed from the Kindergarten Yard. No child will be
handed over to any person other than those specified by the parents.

Change of Person for Pick up

For Safety reasons, if there is a change of person to pick up your child,
the school MUST always be notified by the parent. Please notify the
office by 2:30 pm, if for some reason you will be late picking up your
child. The school telephone number is 416-393-5218.
You should also ensure that your child is aware of who is to pick him/her
up.
For the students taking the school bus, a staff member will be assigned
to pick up the students from class and escort them on the bus
_________________________________________________________

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 Absent and Late

WHAT DO I DO IF MY CHILD WILL BE ABSENT?

To report your child as late or absent, please use one of the following options:
CALL – 1 (833) 251-3286
ONLINE – go.schoolmessenger.ca
Mobile App – SchoolMessenger Mobile App

It would be most useful to ensure that your home, childcare and work
numbers are up to date with the office’s files.
_________________________________________________________

WHAT DO I DO IF MY CHILD COMES TO SCHOOL LATE?

Punctuality is a stepping stone to developing time management skills. For

little children, going to school on time is an essential form of this practice.
School activities begin promptly when the entry bell rings and therefore it is
imperative that students arrive on time to avoid loss of participation and
program time. School commences at 8:30 am. All students should be present
and ready for O’Canada, prayers and announcements.

We have 5 kindergarten classes and each pair of teacher/DECE are

responsible for their own students. In the event where students are late,
they should not follow another class inside as it can be difficult for them to
locate their class, especially at the beginning of the year when they are
getting use to the school and routine.

That said, if you arrive late with your child, you must report to the office
with your child. Under no circumstances are parents allowed to come to
the classrooms and drop students off once the bell has rung OR once
their child’s class has already entered the school. Someone will come up
and meet your child and bring them to their classroom.

!4
 Dress Code
UNIFORM

TCDSB has a school dress

code. The students are to
wear navy blue & white
attire. Solid colours, no
logos or jeans.Students are
expected to wear uniform.
White/Navy top and Navy
pants.

When choosing uniform

clothing, please bear in mind
that in Kindergarten, many
of our activities can be “messy”, so please dress your child accordingly. Your
child should be dressed comfortably, as they participate in physical
education, painting and craft activities throughout the day. Clothing with
few fasteners (buttons, laces, zippers) will help them become more
independent.

We will be spending an average of an hour outside every day – rain or shine,

snow or sleet! All kindergarten students will also be spending 30 minutes of
outdoor play at the lunch hour. Please pay close attention to the weather
and dress your child accordingly.

Please label your child’s clothing including jackets, hats, scarves, mittens,
snowsuits, boots. If possible labelling their shirts and pants could be helpful
too.

!5
___________________________________________________________________

EXTRA CLOTHES

Please provide students with one full set of extra clothing. Put the set in a
ziplock bag or shoebox with their names labeled on the front. It should
include:

• Uniform Top
• Uniform Bottoms (pants/skirt)
• Underwear
• Socks

The set of extra clothes will be kept at school in their cubby. In the event
that they need to get changed, the whole set will go home and you are
expected to replenish it and return the extra set of clothes to school the
next day.

_________________________________________________________

INDOOR SHOES

In order to keep the classroom clean and participate in gym classes, your
child will be required to keep a pair of “indoor” running shoes at school. It is
recommended that they wear slip-on running shoes or shoes with Velcro, so
that your child will be independent in putting them on and taking them off.
Please write your child’s name on, or inside, the shoes.

Here’s a little tip on how to help your child

practice putting on their shoes on the right
feet:
Cut a sticker in half and stick on half in one
shoe and the other half in the other.

!6
 SCHOOL BAG
Your child will need a regular size school bag. Please label all of your child’s
belongings. There have been many cases when multiple children have the
same lunch bag or water bottle.

The small backpack will be ideal for children.

What SHOULD BE included in the school bag on a daily basis:

- Lunch bag
- water bottle
- Classroom articles
- Communication Folder (some classes use it, some do not)
and/or
- Work that will be sent home throughout the year

What SHOULD NOT be included in students’ back pack:

TOYS: toys coming from home can be lost, mistreated and often cause
problems in the classroom. Therefore, we ask that personal toys should
remain at home.

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 Meals

Please be aware that there are students with varying

degrees of allergies to nuts. We ask for your
cooperation in not sending any nut products such as
peanut butter, Nutella or any other spreads or food
that contains nuts.

If your child has any allergies, it is important that you

inform the school of any allergies, or any other health
concerns that your child may have.

______________________________________________

SNACKS

The students will have two fifteen-minute snack times

daily. Each child is asked to bring his/her own snack and
lunch to school. In their lunch-bags, please pack an
assortment of healthy snacks. Here
are some suggestions on what sorts
of healthy snacks to include
as they are strongly
encouraged: cheese,
crackers, yogurt, fruits
and vegetables.

!8
________________________________________________________

LUNCH

During the lunch hour, students will remain in the classroom to eat their
lunch. Thermoses are acceptable, however please note that the students do
not have access to a microwave. Please include all necessary utensils for
their meal.

Students will have 30 minutes to finish their meal and spend the other half
of their lunch hour outside playing with another kindergarten class.

To help students develop independence skills, practice opening the lunch

containers you are planning on sending them to school with.

You can also label the containers with 1, 2, 3 so students know which
container of food to eat first for morning snack, second for lunch and third
for afternoon snack.

!9
 Washrooms & Self-Care

Each Kindergarten classroom is equipped with a single washroom for student

use. However, the students will frequent the larger, multi-stall washrooms
meant for school age students, as well.

It is expected that the children be completely independent and familiar

with toilet routines. If you think that your child may have the occasional
“accident”, please provide an extra set of clothes in addition to the one you
will be packing already.

Within a school based environment, teachers and DECE are not permitted to
change students. That said, students must be able to dress and undress
themselves during toilet routine.

!10
 ARE YOU READY FOR
KINDERGARTEN CHECKLIST?

The right size school bag that can fit:

Lunch Bag
Water bottle
Communication Folder
Indoor shoes
Ziplock Bag of Extra Clothes

Lunch Bag includes

Morning Snack
Lunch
Necessary Utensils
Afternoon Snack

TCDSB Uniform

Extra Clothing Ziplock Bag

Uniform top
Uniform pants / skirt / dress
Socks
Underwear / Undershirt
!11