So what happens during K orientation for the kids?

[Anonymous]

Our DD went a few days ago but claims they did "nothing." She was gone for at least 15 minutes. Just curious.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Our DD went a few days ago but claims they did "nothing." She was gone for at least 15 minutes. Just curious.

Next fall she will go off to school all day and claim they did "nothing". My advice is not to take this literally.

I don't know what she did during kindergarten orientation -- different schools seem to do things differently.

[Anonymous]

I got to go with the kids last year (because my daughter was clinging and crying). At our school they moved from table to table and did various activities. They were evaluating their readiness for K. They were asked to recognize letters and write their names. At the end they potted a plant to take home.

[Anonymous]

Ours did some coloring activities and decorated a door hanger, then came out with a cute goodie bag.

[Anonymous]

It is really about forms so don't expect too much. The kids read or color while parents submit forms and register. Some schools provide ice cream afterwards so you can meet parents/other children.

You will meet your teacher in August (if you are in MCPS) and that is when you will get more info on kindergarten. That and after school night in September.

[Anonymous]

The teachers are observing the kids at simple tasks. They use their observations together with other data (parent form) to group the kids into classes and assign teachers.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The teachers are observing the kids at simple tasks. They use their observations together with other data (parent form) to group the kids into classes and assign teachers.

+1

Last year, DS and a group of about 10 kids were with 4 K teachers for 30 minutes. They are assessing the kids really quickly to get a better sense of how to group them into their classes. Circle time, free play, letters, numbers, socialization, participation. In our Elementary School, they continued to assess the kids for the first week of school before assigning them to their classroom.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The teachers are observing the kids at simple tasks. They use their observations together with other data (parent form) to group the kids into classes and assign teachers.

+1

Last year, DS and a group of about 10 kids were with 4 K teachers for 30 minutes. They are assessing the kids really quickly to get a better sense of how to group them into their classes. Circle time, free play, letters, numbers, socialization, participation. In our Elementary School, they continued to assess the kids for the first week of school before assigning them to their classroom.

really? In MCPS - they didn't assign kids to classrooms until after the first week? How did that work?

[Anonymous]

I've been to K orientation at 2 different MCPS schools and they were different.

At the first one (a few years ago), right away they took my son into another room with the other kids while I submitted the paperwork and talked to some of the front-office staff. My son came out with some seeds he had planted in a cup and said he had a cookie.

At the second one last week, I was never separated from my son. While I was submitting the paperwork, they had a little table for the kids to draw and play with some small crafts. Then we both went down (in a small group with 4 other kids and their parents) to the first K classroom where they interacted with the teachers, wrote their name and drew a picture of themselves. Then we went to the second classroom, where they made a little puppet and got a cookie. Then we got a tour of the building from a 5th grader.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The teachers are observing the kids at simple tasks. They use their observations together with other data (parent form) to group the kids into classes and assign teachers.

+1

Last year, DS and a group of about 10 kids were with 4 K teachers for 30 minutes. They are assessing the kids really quickly to get a better sense of how to group them into their classes. Circle time, free play, letters, numbers, socialization, participation. In our Elementary School, they continued to assess the kids for the first week of school before assigning them to their classroom.

really? In MCPS - they didn't assign kids to classrooms until after the first week? How did that work?

Let me clarify. Kids were assigned a different K teacher each day that week for the first four days. On the fifth day, Friday, they stayed with their Monday teacher. They came home on Friday with their permanently assigned K teacher for the rest of the year.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The teachers are observing the kids at simple tasks. They use their observations together with other data (parent form) to group the kids into classes and assign teachers.

+1

Last year, DS and a group of about 10 kids were with 4 K teachers for 30 minutes. They are assessing the kids really quickly to get a better sense of how to group them into their classes. Circle time, free play, letters, numbers, socialization, participation. In our Elementary School, they continued to assess the kids for the first week of school before assigning them to their classroom.

really? In MCPS - they didn't assign kids to classrooms until after the first week? How did that work?

Let me clarify. Kids were assigned a different K teacher each day that week for the first four days. On the fifth day, Friday, they stayed with their Monday teacher. They came home on Friday with their permanently assigned K teacher for the rest of the year.

That's pretty cool. I didn't realize that elem schools in MCPS did things so differently. Ours the kids were assigned before school started and there were no changes.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:The teachers are observing the kids at simple tasks. They use their observations together with other data (parent form) to group the kids into classes and assign teachers.

+1

Last year, DS and a group of about 10 kids were with 4 K teachers for 30 minutes. They are assessing the kids really quickly to get a better sense of how to group them into their classes. Circle time, free play, letters, numbers, socialization, participation. In our Elementary School, they continued to assess the kids for the first week of school before assigning them to their classroom.

really? In MCPS - they didn't assign kids to classrooms until after the first week? How did that work?

Let me clarify. Kids were assigned a different K teacher each day that week for the first four days. On the fifth day, Friday, they stayed with their Monday teacher. They came home on Friday with their permanently assigned K teacher for the rest of the year.

That's pretty cool. I didn't realize that elem schools in MCPS did things so differently. Ours the kids were assigned before school started and there were no changes.

Well this is what happened for the Kindergartners. I don't know whether this also happens for the other grades.