Preparing for a Smooth Start
to the New School Year
MEET & GREET (AUGUST 12)
We invite preschool f
amilies to join us for our Meet and Greet! Families and children will get to meet the teachers, explore the classroom, and meet their peers. Teachers will provide helpful tips to ensure a smooth transition on the first day of school. An email with more details will be sent in July. We also encourage you to show your child the virtual tour to get acquainted with the campus: Collins Campus & Oxnard Campus.
PLAYDATES
We encourage families to exchange information during the Meet and Greet to plan for playdates. Beginning friendships before school can be helpful for your child’s first day of school. If you are not able to do so, don't panic! We spend a great deal of time building classroom community and friendships in the first six weeks of school.
READ BOOKS ABOUT SCHOOL
Reading books is a wonderful way to introduce new ideas and changes to children. Some suggestions: The Kissing Hand, Preschool, Here I Come!, Pete the Kitty's First Day of Preschool (Pete the Cat), Daniel Goes to School, and The Night Before Kindergarten.
TELL YOUR OWN STORIES
Children enjoy hearing stories about mom, dad, grandma, grandpa, brother or sisters. Tell them about your first experience with school! Remind them that you will always come back and the fun they will have.
GO SUPPLY SHOPPING TOGETHER
Take your child to pick out their backpack, lunch box, thermos, or nap mat. Have them pick out their first day of school outfit. This experience not only promotes independence but it gives them autonomy over their experience.
KNOW THE CURRICULUM
WHPS is proud of our unique Play-Based Emergent Curriculum inspired by Reggio Emelia. We teach our developmentally appropriate objectives at children's highest level of interest through thematic lessons based on the interests of the children. You can read more about our curriculum here.
ROUTINES, ROUTINES, ROUTINES
Routines provide children with a sense of security and safety. Routines help children to know what to expect at different times of the day. While implementing new routines, continually provide your child with reminders of what the next step is. Create a bedtime and morning routine that works for your family.
FUN TIP: Read more about perfecting preschool drop-off.
GET CONNECTED
Before school starts, you will be invited to join the class webpage, a private page that shares reminders as well as pictures of the learning experiences. This is a great tool to stay connected. We also encourage you to join our school Facebook, YouTube, and Instagram.
BE CONFIDENT
Children can sense when parents are feeling anxious or upset. Feel confident in your decision and know your child is in loving and dedicated hands.
The partnership between home and school is one of the most impactful relationships on our children’s education and social-emotional development. We strive to partner with families to focus on one goal: your child's success. Starting with a shared understanding of the end goals and some of the potential tricky spots along the way ultimately helps children reach their full potential. There is so much information to share; we like to get a running start now before the current year ends. Please plan to take advantage of these upcoming events: 
Kindergarten and third grade have been studying nutrition. We started this unit by learning about human nutrition. The students had so many great questions that we were able to discuss and debate. Considering this is topic that not even the experts all agree on, it’s not a surprise. Our end of year project will include drawing upon everything we learned this year and creating a care plan for an animal. Our second grade evolution simulation has come to the point where each student's creature has evolved; now our young scientists will learn how to classify their brand new species. We will also learn about binomial nomenclature, how scientists name new species, and give our creatures their new scientific name. Finally, our ecology classes (first, fourth and fifth grade) have been learning about how senses, particularly vision, affect the lives a different animals. We will be using the scientific knowledge we've learned about traits of different animals to determine how and where they could live.
