Suggestions for the Beginning of Junior Kindergarten

     This is going to be a wonderful year for your young learner.  I encourage you to stay positive and joyful and enjoy the journey-

it’s a great one!

Backpack:

-       Consider a backpack that will accommodate winter gear, lunch box, folders and library books.

-       Encourage your child to explore his/her backpack so he/she knows all the zippers and compartments.

-       Decide best spot for folder, water bottle, snack, lunch, library books.

-       Have your child pack his/her own backpack. Then they will know just where everything is.

Lunch:

-       Consider sending lunch for the first few weeks. Pizza is served every Monday, which is a good day to try “hot lunch”.

-       Have your child practice opening and closing his/her lunchbox, as well as, containers and ziplocks.

-       Talk about the order of the food you would like him/her to eat.  You could even write numbers on the baggies or containers in the order you would like him/her to eat.

-       Consider a separate drink for lunch, so we can have water bottle in the classroom.

Independence:

-       Include your child in preparing for the day (picking out clothes, packing backpack and lunch).

-       Provide clothes that are comfortable and easy

-       Provide shoes that allow for independence---velcro, slip-on.

-       Try saying something like: “You get to go to Junior Kindergarten today.  Have a great day!  I’ll see you when you get home.  I can’t wait to hear about what you did today.”