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Kindergarten and Transition to Kindergarten Orientation

Salish Coast Elementary

2025-2026

School Year

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Introductions: Office Staff

Lisa

Condran

Principal

Tracy

Gallegos,

Dean of Students

Lacey

Garcia

Secretary

Lainie

Johnson

Secretary

Starla

Crowell

Nurse

Jason

Lynch

Principal

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Kindergarten Teachers

Sally Shaw Stephanie Sanders Nora Sabia Paige Eldridge

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Transition to Kindergarten Teachers and Paraeducators

Sheri Shaw Tina Giulvezan Bobby Cranfield McKennah Collins Mitzi Wright

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Kindergarten & TTK Classroom Locations

Kindergarten & TTK Classrooms

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Proud Salish Coast Students

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TTK & Kindergarten Daily Schedule

  • Kindergarten starts with a morning circle where the teacher introduces the lessons for the day
  • Daily math, writing, and reading
  • Social and Emotional Learning Focus
  • Specialist time: PE, Library, Art, and Music weekly
  • Classes at times with the Counselor and Garden Teacher
  • Science, Social Studies, and Handwriting are regularly taught
  • Time for two snacks during the day
  • Time for at least two recesses during the day

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Academic learning goals for TTK & K

Arts:

  • Beats and rhythms
  • Voice Skills
  • Fine Motor Skills

English Language Arts:

  • Understand features of print
  • Retell stories and key details
  • Answer questions
  • Identify all upper/lower case letters and sounds
  • Write a complete sentence independently
  • Read beginning reader texts

Math:

  • Learn numbers and what numbers represent
  • Learn concepts of addition and subtraction
  • Create and Identify Patterns
  • Write numerals 1-20
  • Learn place value of ones and tens

Science:

  • Learn about the physical world
  • Learn about local weather
  • Learn about what plants and animals need to live

Social Studies:

  • Learn about communities
  • Learn about how rules and decisions are made

Health and Fitness:

  • Learn vocabulary, facts, concepts about the body
  • Develop motor skills and follow safety rules

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Working together on math in kindergarten

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Breakfast, Lunch, and Snacks

  • There are snack times during the day.

  • Please send your students with healthy snacks to eat at snack time

  • Breakfast if offered every morning at school

  • Scratch made meals with a focus on local and organic ingredients

  • Many options: Vegetarian, vegan, gluten free, etc.

  • If your students have allergies, please complete an allergy form.

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Example Lunch Menu

Breakfast and Lunch are free for all students.

We ask that everyone still fill out a Free and Reduced Lunch form, as the school and community get funding from this information.

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Volunteering at Salish Coast

  • We have many volunteers at Salish Coast.

  • We welcome and encourage you to volunteer in your child’s classroom and in other areas of the school. Please check with your child’s teacher for times that will available to help in the classroom.

  • All volunteers must be screened using the Online form at ptschools.org, For Families, Applications and Forms, Volunteer Form

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Parent Teacher Association (PTA)

  • A great way to get involved—can be involved in small or big ways.
  • PTA will be sharing information about joining at the beginning of the school year.
  • TTK & Kindergarten families are the best ones to get involved, as they will be at our school for six or seven years!
  • PTA plans school events that are both social and learning focused.
  • Tonight right after our event, we invite you to stay for the PTA Meeting with childcare available.

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Planning for Success: Before School Starts

  • Before school starts, talk about how excited you are about your student starting kindergarten. This will help build your student’s excitement.
  • Read books together about starting school. 
    • You can ask your local librarian for suggestions or try some of these:
  • Miss Bindergarten Gets Ready for Kindergarten, Joseph Slate (Illustrated by Ashley Wolff)
  • Seven Little Mice Go to School, Kazuo Iwamura
  • Pete the Cat: Rocking in My School Shoes, Eric Litwin (Illustrated by James Dean)
  • Mom, It’s My First Day of Kindergarten, Hyewon Yum
  • Yoko Learns to Read, Rosemary Wells

.

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Our playground has many fun options

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Social and Emotional Skills

  • Important Social and Emotional Skills:
    • Self concept and self awareness: Understanding feelings
    • Self regulation: Being able to calmly respond regarding needs, feelings, and events
    • Relationship Skills with Others: Sharing, Turn Taking, and Problem Solving
    • Accountability: Students Understand and Follow Routines and Rules
    • Adaptability: The Flexibility to Adapt to Change

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Social and Emotional Development

  • Kindergarten & TTK students are learning to get along with each other
  • Kindergarten & TTK students are also learning to share toys and friends
  • Friendships can change from day to day
  • Children are very sweet and forgiving of each other
  • Children will have conflicts with each other and need to learn how to work through these problems
  • If your child does have a conflict they are having a hard time solving, talk to your child’s teacher, so they can help

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Screen Time

  • School staff in recent years have noticed that both children and adults are having more screen time than is recommended.

  • For elementary school students, it should not be more than one hour a day, including television, computers, and other devices.

  • Parents should consider decreasing their screen and phone time when around their children.

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Sleep Time and Bedtime Routines

  • 3-6 Years Old: 10 - 12 hours per day, recommended by American Academy of Pediatrics.
  • Our school start time is 8:15 am
  • If we assume that most students will come for breakfast at 7:50, that means a student would need to get up by 6:50 am their family are taking them. It probably would need to be earlier if taking the bus.
  • Classrooms open at 8:00 AM
  • Given this information bedtime should be no later than 7:30 PM to ensure a minimum of ten hours of sleep.
  • Students who don’t sleep enough have a very hard time in school.

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TTK & Kindergarten Camp

September 2, 3, and 4

  • Our Kindergarten & TTK Team has strong teachers and considers the needs of young learners.
  • Family input on class placement is taken into account, but requests for specific teachers or classmates are discouraged to ensure balanced classes.
  • A schedule is designed (TTK & Kindergarten Camp) at the start of school to help teachers get to know students and create these balanced classes.

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Starting TTK & Kindergarten

    • The first three days of school, starting from September 2nd, 2025, will be half days for Kindergarten & TTK students, starting at 8:15 with Free Breakfast for students in the Cafeteria (families are welcome to stay for breakfast with a suggested donation of $2.50 per adult) and ending at 12:50 PM. Afternoon transportation is only available on September 3rd.

    • On the afternoon of September 4th families will receive communication from their child's teacher to set up a conference.

    • There will be no Kindergarten or TTK classes on September 5th and 8th to facilitate conferences with families.

    • Kindergarten and TTK will resume on September 9th with a full-day schedule aligned with the rest of the school.

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WA Kids Whole Child Assessment

  • In Washington State, full-day kindergarten programs must complete the WA Kids Assessment.
  • Teachers observe children daily to assess in six key areas: social-emotional, physical, cognitive, language, literacy, and math.
  • Understanding each child's strengths helps teachers and families collaborate for student development.

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Preparing for success: The first day

  • Help your child say goodbye. 
    • When saying goodbye to your child, assure them that you'll meet them later, specifying a time and an activity, such as "I'll pick you up after school, and we'll walk home together."

  • Avoid behaviors that might upset your child. 
    • For example, try not to:
      • Show that you are upset about leaving your student.
      • If your child appears sad, we suggest leaving quickly. Our observations indicate that children typically overcome their sadness once family members are gone and become enthusiastic about being in class.
      • If your student does continue to struggle after you leave, please trust we will call you and let you know.

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School: Start and Dismissal Times

  • Breakfast starts at 7:50 in the cafeteria.

  • Students can come into the building at 8:00 am.

  • Students are encouraged to walk, ride bikes, or take the bus.

  • Dismissal is staggered and at 2:45 PM Kindergarten students come out to the blacktop and TTK students wait in the cafeteria.
  • If picking up, please meet them at their pick-up spot and check out with the teacher.
  • Wednesdays are two-hour early release, which makes a 12:45 PM Dismissal.
  • During Parent/Teacher Conferences there are three-hour early releases, which makes an 11:45 Dismissal.

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Immunization Availability

Current ways to get immunizations:

  • Jefferson County Public Health is offering immunizations BY APPOINTMENT. This is different than what used to be our walk-in clinic. People should call 360-385-9400.

  • Jefferson Healthcare clinics are offering immunizations BY APPOINTMENT. People can call their doctor’s office and arrange a well-child visit plus immunizations, or a nurse-only visit just for immunizations.

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We are so excited to have you join our school!