Starting kindergarten

[Cami]

My oldest child is starting kindergarten this fall. I'd love to hear how others are preparing for this! Have you done anything to get your child and yourself ready for school?

And I'm just curious~ What are the school hours? How will they get to school? Do they eat lunch at school? Does your child know any of his/her classmates? Do they have a uniform? Have you bought anything for school yet? Have you met the teacher or visited the school? How are you feeling about the start of school? And anything else I missed. :)

[Cami]

The school day here is M-F 9:00-3:30. They go half days for the first week and whole days after that. They can eat school lunch or pack... I think I'll pack her lunches to start. They wear a uniform, which I haven't bought yet. White shirt, blue jumper, skirt, or pants... pretty basic. There's a blazer with the school emblem too, plus a gingham dress for warm weather, which I bought when this year's supply went on clearance. Otherwise, I haven't bought anything. I'm not sure what she needs.

Her school had the incoming kindy kids visit the classroom one afternoon a week for the past month so they could meet the teacher and get comfortable with the school. Unfortunately we were on vacation for all those sessions. We visited the school before vacation so she could meet the teacher and see the school and classroom.

I am bummed about her starting school. :( It's earlier than she'd be starting in the US, plus it's full days. I feel like I'm getting cheated. But she is going to love it. I would like to be able to have her meet some of her classmates before September so I'm going to call the school to see if they'll allow that.

I'm really looking forward to getting involved with the school though... committees and helping and all that stuff!

[JustJen]

My oldest child is starting kindergarten this fall. I'd love to hear how others are preparing for this! Have you done anything to get your child and yourself ready for school?

And I'm just curious~ What are the school hours? How will they get to school? Do they eat lunch at school? Does your child know any of his/her classmates? Do they have a uniform? Have you bought anything for school yet? Have you met the teacher or visited the school? How are you feeling about the start of school? And anything else I missed. :)

Lily, my 2nd youngest, starts kindergarten this fall. She will be riding the school bus with her brothers in the morning to school and then home on the bus alone. It's from 8am until 11am. Lily knows a few of her classmates from preschool and the neighborhood, also lots of her brother's friends sybllings. We've bought all her back to school clothes and just got started on the school supplies. It's the same kindergarten teacher Liam had last year, so we already have a great rapport with her.
I'm really excited for school to start. The kids are getting antsy and with Jim's next upcoming training away from home, it's going to be a much needed break for me.
I'll be left with just Isabella at home.

[Karri]

Aidan, my oldest who is 4, starts kindergarten in fall. He'll be going half-days, from 8:30-11:10. We live 2.5 blocks from school, so I'll be walking him there most days, unless we're on our way somewhere.
He's only met one of his schoolmates, a neighborhood girl.
He is super excited to start school. We talk about it all the time and he knows he's going to be going to the same school as some of his older neighborhood friends.
We haven't purchased any school supplies yet. I am waiting till mid-August when there are better sales. I do have a list of what he needs, though (backpack, 3 glue sticks, 1 pocket folder, set of 8 wide tip markers, box of 24 crayons, and then a container of clorox wipes and roll of papertowel to be donated to the classroom). No uniforms are necessary, so we'll have to do some fun school shopping. I am waiting on that, since he hasn't grown much over the past 36 months.

We have a 'meet the teacher' night the week before school starts, so we're looking forward to that. I think that will help ease him into school. He gets to come with us, play in the classroom, create a project, and meet classmates. We did that with his preschool class last year and it really helped.

I am VERY excited that we have public kindergarten for 4 year olds. The sheer aspect of not having to pay for preschool again is wonderful!

[Mary DK]

Wow Cami, Alison is a whole year younger than Eliot and Eliot is just starting kindergarten this year (he couldn't have gone last year because he was not 5yrs old), I didn't know there were places where they could start kg at 4, over here there is a pre-k program but you have to qualify for it (certain yearly earnings, spanish speaking child, disabilities, etc).

Eliot is more than ready for it! :nod: He went twice a week to preschool last year from 8:00 - 3:00 which it will be the same for kindergarten except 5 days a week.
No uniforms, I which they did wore them. We have only bought a few clothes for school and we haven't bought any of his school supplies yet :eek:
The school is only a couple of blocks away so we're walking and he's very excited that he gets to ride his bike to school :aok:
I'm excited because I know he's gonna love it and he's gonna thrive like crazy but I also know that I'm gonna miss not having my little boy around :nod:
Then again it will give me a great chance to have one-on-one time with Ian which hasn't had much, not like Eliot did when he was Ian's age.

[Clare]

Our kids go to 'pre-school' twice a week at the same school where they go to kindergarten, so they are already used to the school.

Emily started kindergarten (here it's called Pre-Primary) when she was 5.5yrs. Harry will also be 5.5yrs when he starts in February. It is Mon-Fri 8.50am till 3.10pm. They take their own recess and lunch. The canteen is only open on Mondays and they can order lunch that day. A couple of months before the start of school, we are given a list of things they need - scrapbooks, markers, pencils, library bag, cup etc. The teacher also has a meeting with the parents where we are told what to expect and what is expected of us/the children. The kids aren't at that meeting as it's held while they are in pre-school. Uniforms aren't compulsory (they are once they get to 1st grade) but my kids do wear them, I think it's so much easier. I drive them to and from school, it's only a 2 minute drive. There isn't a bus but even if there was, they wouldn't be catching it alone :nono: And they won't be walking alone until they are much older. They cannot leave the classroom alone or with someone unknown to the teaching staff. A parent or nominated carer has to take the child from the teacher at this age.

Cami - even though Emily was (and Harry and Sam will be) older when they start kindergarten, there are plenty of younger kids in the class and the 4yr olds do just fine. Addison will do great!! :hug99:

[Alyssa]

Preparing?! Moi? :lol: Aidan starts Sept 5th.



What are the school hours? 9am-2pm
How will they get to school? We'll drive him (well, mostly DH) - and 2 of those days he'll be taking Colin to the associated preschool up the street where both boys went last year.
Do they eat lunch at school? They do each lunch at school, which we provide.
Does your child know any of his/her classmates? Some of the kids from Aidan's PreK class will be in his K class. It's a private K that draws for 4 towns, since not all towns here (including ours) have public K. :rolleyes:
Do they have a uniform? No
Have you bought anything for school yet? No, and I don't really plan to unless they send us a list. If he wants a new backpack, I might get him one (or have someone else get him one) for his birthday.
Have you met the teacher or visited the school? He went to the associated PreK so I know (and really like) the director. I briefly met one teacher of the 2. I have not been to the actual inside of the school yet. We have an orientation August 30th.
How are you feeling about the start of school? I am excited for him, because I know he'll love it. I am happy for Joe b/c it gives him a break. :lol: I am a little wistful that my baby is going to be 5, but I'm dealing. :)
And anything else I missed. Aidan is going to be a really young 5 (he makes the cutoff by 5 weeks) and as I have said before, that worries me down the line of him being younger and possibly less socially/academically mature. So in my mind, this is year 1 of 2 for him in K. I suppose I could change my mind, but I'm going to try hard not too b/c I don't want to kick myself for that down the line if he ends up struggling. I feel that it would be easier to repeat K than, say, 7th grade. I am hoping we move by then into a town with K, and that he goes to year 2 of K with what will be his future classmates.

[MrsPeacefrog]

Wow Cami, Alison is a whole year younger than Eliot and Eliot is just starting kindergarten this year (he couldn't have gone last year because he was not 5yrs old), I didn't know there were places where they could start kg at 4, .

You can start kindergarten here in Australia at 4.

Our school year starts in February, if your are turning 5 before June/July then you can start kindergarten.

I am still up in the air to wether I will start Aiden Feb 2007 or wait until 2008, I really want to start him this coming school year even though he will be 4yrs 9 months (his birthday is in may) but I worry because he goes to speech therapy wether he will be ready. But if I wait he will be 5yrs 9 months and to me that seems so old to start kindergaten!

I am talking to the speech therapist Friday about this, if we decide to put him in next year I will be back with an update on the questions you posted :awink:

[Mary DK]

You can start kindergarten here in Australia at 4.

I am talking to the speech therapist Friday about this, if we decide to put him in next year I will be back with an update on the questions you posted :awink:
That would've been great for Eliot b/c he was so ready for school last year :nod:
What did y'all decided? Is he going or are you gonna wait?

Ian is a July baby so he would end up being one of the younger ones in the class or we can hold him back and he will end up being one of the older ones in his class... not sure which way we will lean towards, I guess it all depends on how ready he is.

Eliot's first day of kindergarten is tomorrow... he is so READY!! :lol: He has been counting the days/hours/minutes since thursday when we went to orientation/meet the teacher. He keeps saying that he's gonna have so much fun and can't wait to be in his classroom :banana:
Hmmm, let's see if he thinks the same after a few days of waking up at the crack of dawn :lol:
I'm not ready for my baby to start full time school!!!! :shuffle: :bawl::mope: