North Clackamas School District
2016
Full-Day Kindergarten
Spring 2016
Important Dates
Our Guiding Beliefs
The North Clackamas School District provides all students a child and
family-centered, developmentally appropriate, research based, and
balanced full-time kindergarten program. A quality full-time kindergarten
program supports whole child development in social, emotional, physical,
cognitive, language, literacy and math skills through fun and interesting
experiences.
We believe that:
• Families are a child’s first and most important teacher.
• Family, school, and community must work together to support
each child’s growth and development.
• Children thrive in environments that are joyful, safe, warm,
play-based, and developmentally appropriate.
• Children’s diverse cultural beliefs, home languages, experiences,
and abilities will be honored.
• All children are capable and competent learners. A growth
mindset must be fostered.
• Kindergarten provides high quality learning opportunities that
consist of a balance between teacher-directed and studentselected activities.
• Kindergarten provides time to explore and process learning as
children actively develop their understanding of the world.
• Kindergarten is an important transition year and a bridge
between early learning experiences and the K-12 system.
What will we do in Kindergarten?
Our kindergarten program is designed to provide our young students with a
playful, caring, cognitively challenging, and child- and family-centered start in
school. All students will participate in an age appropriate full-day program that will include daily learning, structured play and choice time, a lunch period, and
weekly instruction from music and physical education teachers. North Clackamas School District Kindergarten
Spring, 2016
How can I help my child be ready for Kindergarten?
Parents often ask teachers what they can do to help their child be ready for school in September.
The most important thing is to encourage your child and get them excited about this next step in
growing. Here are a few examples of things to practice to help your child have a successful start.
Listen to a story for a short period of time
Follow 2-step directions
Say first and last name when asked
Share toys with others
Follow simple rules
Ask adults for help
Learn to wait for their turn or materials
Button shirts, pants, coats, and zip
zippers
o Spend short periods of time away from
family (in preschool setting, etc.)
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o
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o Speak in complete sentences of 5 to 6
words
o Look at pictures and tell stories
o Find rhyming words
o Recognize and write own name
o Identify letters of the alphabet
o Count to 10
o Sort similar objects (by color, size, or
shape)
o Use crayons or pencils to draw or write
o Cut a straight line with scissors
For fun games to help with school readiness, visit our Student Learning Center under the
Students tab at http://www.nclack.k12.or.us/site/Default.aspx?PageID=690
A typical schedule for Kindergarten:
Each teacher and school will have their own unique schedule, however, a day in kindergarten
in NCSD will generally include:
Morning Routine and Circle Time
Reading Time (whole group, small group,
and center time)
Morning Recess
Writing Time
Language Development
Lunch with Afternoon Recess
Math Time
Choice Time (free play and center time)
PE/Music/Library/Technology
Art/Science/Social Studies
Going home routines
North Clackamas School District Kindergarten
Spring, 2016
What do I need to register
my child for Kindergarten?
o Proof of age (must be age 5 by 09/01/16)
o Proof of your address (driver’s license,
utility bill, etc.)
o Completed student registration form
o Immunizations record (for a list of required
immunizations, see below)
o Transportation Request Form
o Student information sheet
Register by June 1st for a great start to school!
Information For Parents
Immunization Requirements
Transportation
Riding the school bus is often one of the most
exciting things about starting kindergarten!
All children who live outside of the walk zone
for their school will be provided safe bus
transportation to and from school. Please
check with your school to determine whether
your child will receive bus transportation. In
the registration packet, you will find a
“Transportation Request Form.”
The state of Oregon requires the following shots for
school (grades K-6) and child care attendance*
Please complete this as soon as possible
and return it to your school. Route
information will be available at the end of
August.
*At all ages and grades, the number of doses required
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5 Diphtheria/Tetanus/Pertussis (DTAP)
4 Polio
1Varicella (chickenpox)
2 MMR or 2 Measles, 1 mumps, 1 Rubella
3 Hepatitis B
2 Hepatitis A
varies by a child’s age and how long ago they were
vaccinated. Other vaccines may be recommended.
Please check with your child’s school, child care, or
health care provider for details.
Do you need before or after school care?
At NCSD, we have high quality child C.A.R.E.
(Community Afterschool Relationship Engagement)
Program sites located at several schools throughout
our district for before and after school care.
For more information about C.A.R.E sites, schedules
and fees, contact 503-353-6090 or visit us at
www.nclack.k12.or.us/site/Default.aspx?PageID=1028
North Clackamas School District Kindergarten
Spring, 2016
Matt Utterback
Superintendent
utterback@nclack.k12.or.us
4444 SE Lake Road
Milwaukie, Oregon 97222
503-353-6001
www.nclack.k12.or.us
Dear Parent:
I would like to welcome you and your kindergarten child to North Clackamas Schools. We are proud of our teachers
and the well-rounded education program we provide. The North Clackamas kindergarten program operates on the
same full-day schedule as grades 1-5 at your local elementary school. Kindergarten is a time for your child to
continue learning and to develop new friendships as our teachers work to build classroom communities that support
social development and teach school routines.
This year, your child will become a reader, a writer, and a mathematician. Your child will also be a scientist, an
artist, and a musician, with opportunities for physical activity and exercise. Each step of the way, your child will be
excited to show you and involve you in what they are learning. Kindergarten is a fun time for each child and family,
as well as an important foundation of the next 13 years of education. We are dedicated to making this first year of
school the very best for your child and for you.
We are committed to making this a positive and successful year for each kindergarten student. As part of that
commitment, we need to ensure reasonable class sizes. This fall, in the event that kindergarten classes reach
capacity, kindergarten students may be transferred to a regional kindergarten class located at a different North
Clackamas school that has room for additional students. That transfer would be for the kindergarten year only, and
all transferred students would return to their neighborhood school for first grade and all future grades. Should this
rare occurrence happen, the principal of your child’s school will be able to help you with the details and answer any
questions you may have.
Student moves for the kindergarten year will be determined by which neighborhood areas contain the needed
number of students, not by a student’s registration date. Again, after kindergarten, students will return to their
neighborhood school for first grade.
Transportation plans for next year will not be finalized until late August, at which time you will receive information
for your child.
Welcome to North Clackamas Schools, where we look forward to many years of working with you to educate your
child.
Sincerely,
Matthew Utterback
Superintendent