April 2019
Kindergarten Countdown: 4 Months
Countdown to
Kindergarten
Welcome to the official Edina Public Schools Pre-K newsletter. We are excited that you will soon be joining the EPS family. In this newsletter you will find helpful tips, resources, and advice from kindergarten experts at all of our elementary schools that will ease your child’s transition into kindergarten. If you have any questions, comments, or concerns, please contact us with Countdown to Kindergarten in the subject line.
Activities
Recommended Books by Normandale Elementary Media Specialist, Lynnea West
We Don't Eat Our Classmates , by Ryan T. Higgins


Give Me Back My Book! by Travis Foster and Ethan Long
Ask an Educator
by Creek Valley Elementary Kindergarten Teachers
To start, welcome to kindergarten! The Edina kindergarten teachers are already looking forward and planning for our new crop of kindergarteners in the fall! Social and emotional development is one of the most important indicators of success in kindergarten. The more you can do to prepare your pre-kindergartener with these skills, the easier the transition to school will be.

 Before Coming to Kindergarten
  • Talk with your child’s preschool teacher to get insight on how your child interacts with peers in a classroom setting.
  • Try to give your child as many experiences as possible with same age peers. Playdates, community education classes, story time at local libraries or bookstores, hang out at playgrounds, etc. Edina Community Ed has many fabulous summer offerings, including Kindergarten Camp. Click here for more info.

 Consider the Following Questions:
  • How does your child approach new kids and situations?
  • Does your child use their words to communicate or their body to communicate?
  • Can your child stop and think about working out a problem with a peer independently, or is your child frequently acting out with their body?

Click to read more.
Kindergarten Video
Kindergarten School Lunch
Wondering what the lunch experience will be like for your incoming kindergartener? Michelle Boie, Normandale Food and Nutrition Lead, gives parents expectations and some tips to help prepare incoming kindergarteners for school lunch.
Ask a Parent
Forming connections at school can be challenging when you are from a different culture. To help meet this challenge and to ensure all families feel welcome, Edina Public Schools has three cultural liaisons: pictured left to right, Blanca Diaz DeLeon, Abdikadir Ibrahim, Sayali Amarapurkar. They help engage and enrich the academic experience of students and families from the district’s largest bilingual/multi-lingual demographic student groups.

EPS parent, Catalina, credits Blanca Diaz De Leon, Spanish-speaking cultural liaison, for helping her get connected at EPS and making the transition less difficult. Catalina shared her experience to encourage current Pre-K parents to contact the cultural liaisons when they need assistance or have questions.
 
Q: How were you introduced to the Spanish-speaking cultural liaison, Blanca Diaz De Leon?
  •  I arrived in the U.S. two years ago and came to the Edina Public Schools Community Center to register my son for school in July. Blanca reached out to me because I made known that Spanish was my first language. She assisted me with completing the school registration because I was not comfortable doing it online and made sure my son was enrolled in kindergarten at Countryside

Q: In what ways has Blanca helped you since your children started attending EPS?
  • Blanca is like an angel to me. She has helped me with everything. She helps me whenever I need something with the school and assists me with writing an email or making a phone call. She puts herself in my shoes and helps me in what I need with my kids. Blanca also organizes meetings with other parents and school staff to walk us through information.

Q: What misconception do you think people have about the cultural liaisons?
  • People think that if they speak English, then they do not need a cultural liaison. Cultural liaisons do translate, but the most important thing they do is to show us opportunities that exist. Blanca has talked about what my kids can do in elementary school and how they can improve their abilities.

Click to read more.
Kindergarten Registration
Easy Online Registration

It's not too late to register your child for the 2019-2020 School year! Visit the Edina Public Schools kindergarten registration webpage to complete kindergarten registration.
Required Early Childhood Developmental Screening
Early Childhood developmental screening is required by the state before starting kindergarten

Early Childhood screening is a simple and quick check that measures your child’s growth and development. Find more information about the screening process on the district website.

If your child has not completed the screening, it is very important that you contact the Early Childhood Screening office as soon as possible to set up an appointment.  Appointments are currently available for the month of May. There will be no screening in June or July.

Please call the Early Childhood Screening office at 952-848-4299 as soon as possible if you need to schedule an appointment for your child. 
Upcoming Events
April 26: Countryside Carnival, open to kindergarten families, 6-8:30 p.m.
May 7: Creek Valley Kindergarten Welcome Night, activities include tour of the school, classroom activities for students, and a chance to meet several staff members while learning more about Creek Valley, 4:30-6 p.m. Enter through Door 1.
July 22-August 9: Ready, Set, Kindergarten Camp - This Kindergarten Camp is a partnership with Hopkins Schools. The program will accept 50 kids from each district. To be eligible for the program participants must have no prior preschool experience and participants must be entering either Edina or Hopkins Kindergarten. Contact Leah Byrd for more information.
July 22-August 9: Edina Public Schools Kindergarten Camp, register online at edinaschools.org/earlylearningcenter
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