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Jan 08, 2026
School Day 2
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Strathmillan School
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Half‑Day Kindergarten Programme

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Our programme aims to give children a joyful start to school in our high‑quality, half‑day Kindergarten. At Strathmillan School, we value a play‑based, literacy‑rich philosophy that nurtures curiosity, confidence, and foundational skills for success in Grade 1 and beyond.
 

Our Philosophy: Play + Literacy

  • Play‑based learning: Children explore, create, and problem‑solve through purposeful play—centres, projects, and outdoor discovery—building social, emotional, and cognitive skills.
  • Literacy‑rich classrooms: Daily read‑alouds, phonological awareness, emergent writing, and meaningful conversations weave literacy into every routine. We celebrate children’s voices and ideas.
  • Inclusive and responsive: Educators differentiate instruction to meet each child’s unique needs, interests, and strengths, ensuring everyone feels safe, seen, and successful.
 

Monitoring Growth: Early Years Evaluation (EYE)

We use the Early Years Evaluation (EYE) to observe and track developmental milestones. This helps us understand and respond to each child's gifts and needs across key domains. 

The EYE informs instruction in five areas of development:
1) Awareness of Self and the Environment
  • Recognizing personal identity and belonging
  • Understanding community roles and classroom routines
  • Noticing patterns, attributes, and changes in the world
2) Cognitive Skills
  • Sorting, sequencing, comparing, and classifying
  • Early numeracy: counting, quantity, shapes, and spatial thinking
  • Reasoning, memory, and problem‑solving through play
3) Language and Communication Skills
  • Oral language: listening, speaking, and rich vocabulary
  • Phonological awareness and letter‑sound connections
  • Emergent reading and writing in authentic contexts
4) Physical Development and Social Skills
  • Gross motor: balance, coordination, and movement games
  • Fine motor: pencil grip, scissor skills, building and crafting
  • Social skills: sharing, cooperating, empathy, and self‑regulation
5) Approaches to Learning
  • Curiosity, persistence, and independence
  • Flexibility, risk‑taking, and problem‑solving
  • Engaging with tasks and reflecting on learning
 

A Day in Half‑Day Kindergarten

  • Arrival & Welcome – connection routines and morning message
  • Play‑Based Centres – literacy, numeracy, construction, art, sensory
  • Community Circle – stories, songs, movement, and language
  • Small‑Group Learning – targeted literacy and numeracy
  • Outdoor Play – gross‑motor development and nature exploration
  • Closing Reflection – sharing, goal‑setting, and home links
 

Partnering with Families

We believe families are children’s first teachers. It's important for school success for children to engage in
  • Everyday literacy: talk, read, sing, and play
  • Numeracy through routines: counting, sorting, and measuring
  • Fine‑motor fun: drawing, building, cutting, and crafts
  • Social‑emotional skills: feelings talk, turn‑taking, and routines

We post Welcome to Kindergarten newsletters with activities for families. 

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