More Options SALEM PUBLIC SCHOOLS MENU Student Enrollment and Kindergarten Entry About our Schools Immunization Requirements Non-Resident School Choice Parent Feedback - We Want to Hear from You! Parent Information Center (PIC) School Academic Calendar School Hours and Location Student Assignment Policy Student Registration Forms Salem Public Schools / Families / Student Enrollment and Kindergarten Entry / About Kindergarten About Kindergarten Welcome to Kindergarten! It is our hope that each child who comes through our doors will join a community of children, teachers, and families engaged in the joy, work, and wonder of childhood. Download a Kindergarten Information Booklet (available in English, Spanish, or Portuguese) here. Getting Ready for Kindergarten You are your child’s first and most important teacher. Every day, your child is learning from you as you talk, work, and play together. Being involved in your child’s school will help your child to be successful and develop a love for learning as well as the confidence to try new experiences. How to Help Your Child Get Ready for Kindergarten TALK Children need to hear and use language before they can read and write it. Talk to your child as you go about your daily routine. If you are bilingual and/or speak a language other than English at home, continue to talk to your student in that language! Students who develop a vocabulary in two languages show advanced problem-solving skills. You can: Introduce new and interesting words. Talk about familiar things so that your child can form ideas and understandings about the world. Use play equipment such as blocks, cars, balls, boxes, sand, water, and musical toys to describe shapes, colors, movement, direction, position, numbers, sounds, etc. Read stories to your child and ask questions about the story. LISTEN Listen and show interest in what your child has to say. Show your child how to listen to others. Practice taking turns when talking. Kindergarten Ready! 1. Build Skills With Your Child -- Children should have practice with self-care, including washing hands, using the bathroom, zipping, snapping, buttoning, putting on clothes, and tying shoes. 2. Establish Routines -- Keep bedtime consistent. Set aside a time each evening for your child to get ready for the next school day. Children love to know what to expect, and even small routines such as picking out their clothes for the next day or packing their backpacks can helm them feel more prepared. 3. Visit the School -- Visit the school and playground to help familiarize your child with new surroundings. Emphasize the fun your child will have while attending Kindergarten! 4. Communication -- Once your child starts kindergarten, the teacher will send home information about classroom expectations, schedules, and special events. Most notices will come home in your child's backback, so be sure to check it each evening. Please also take advantage of the school's parent-teacher conferences to learn how your student is progressing. This is a wonderful opportunity to visit the classroom, see examples of your child's work and talk to your child's teachers. 5. Parent Participation in School -- During the year, you will receive notices from the Parent-Teacher Organization (PTO). The PTO helps out with a variety of special events and fundraisers throughout the year. Parent participation is always welcome. Joining this group will help you get to know other parents. Each school also has a parent group to advise the leadership team. Get involved! What Will My Child Learn in Kindergarten? Social/Emotional Learning Children learn to understand and manage emotions, feel empathy for others, set and achieve goals, establish positive relationships with others, and make good decisions. Through work and play experiences, teachers gently guide children to become responsible friends and classroom citizens. It's one of the most important parts of the kindergarten experience. Reading, Writing, Listening, Speaking, Language Students listen to and talk about stories. They ask and answer questions about books, giving details from the story. As they are ready, they say, read, and write words and simple sentences. They learn nursery rhymes, poetry, and songs. Mathematics The main work of the kindergarten year is counting. Students recognize, write, and compare numbers to 10, which leads to beginning addition and subtraction. They make simple measurements of length, weight, and capacity, and they identify shapes by their attributes. Social Studies Children learn about their school, community, and families, as well as their responsibilities to themselves and others. Through books and multimedia, they learn about different times and places, recognizing that people in every age and location share similar needs and hopes. Science Kindergartners use hands-on activities and literature to learn about solids and liquids, motion and stability (pushes and pulls), weather, life cycles of plants and animals, and the effect of the sunlight on Earth. Art Children identify the primary colors and describe how primary colors can be mixed to make secondary colors. They use basic principles of design such as texture, color, and line to create two-dimensional and three-dimensional works of art. Music Children learn beginning music concepts through ABC and counting songs, nursery rhymes, and songs that tell a story. They use their bodies, voices, and instruments to echo and perform rhythm patterns, demonstrating soft and loud sounds. Dance and movement accompany many music activities throughout the year. Physical Education & Health The year begins with creating a safe environment for physical activity. Children practice movement concepts and skills with equipment such as jump ropes, hula hoops, parachutes, scooters, and balls. They also learn about dance, gymnastics, physical fitness and health, and cooperative games and challenges. Enrolling in Kindergarten Children who live in the district and who reach their fifth birthday on or before August 31st are eligible for kindergarten in September (a limited number of spaces are available to enroll children early through the Carlton Innovation School. Please contact the Parent Information Center (PIC) to discuss this opportunity). To find out how to register your child for Kindergarten, please click here. Supporting Your Kindergarten Student Make sure that your child comes to school well rested and ready to learn. Provide a backpack or bag to carry schoolwork and belongings. Dress your child for the weather since children go out for recess daily. School Meals Program Every Salem Public School student is eligible for free breakfast and free lunch! For more information, call the Food and Nutrition Services Department at (978) 740-1230. You may also visit their webpage here. Transportation Free transportation is provided for: -- K-2 students who live one or more miles away from school. -- Students in grades 3-5 who live 1.5 or more miles away from school. -- Students in grade 6 who live 2 or more miles away from school. -- Any student whose IEP or other legal documentation includes transportation services. All other students must provide their own transportation or pay a transportation fee if space permits. For more information, please call the Transportation Office at (978) 740-1240 or visit their webpage here. SALEM PUBLIC SCHOOLS 29 Highland Ave, Salem, MA 01970 | Phone 978 740-1212 | Fax 978 740-3083 Website by SchoolMessenger Presence. © 2021 Intrado Corporation. All rights reserved.