Welcome to Warwick Public Schools!
We're so excited to have you and your family. We wanted to create helpful tips and resources to ensure the transition into Kindergarten is as successful as possible, for you and your family.
Quick Tips To Prepare Your Child For Full-Day Kindergarten
Read books about kindergarten, many can be found at the Warwick Public Library. Talk about the story and how the characters are feeling. Ask your child how they are feeling. Check out their Tumblebooks site here as well.
Play at your new school. Play on the school playground a few times before your child starts the new year. These visits increase your child’s comfort and confidence with the new setting.
Make a small family photo album. You can do something as simple as sticking a family photo in a ziplock bag for your child to keep in a pencil case or lunch box. Let your child pick the photos and make the album with you for a wonderful bonding experience.
Talk to your child about their feelings. It’s normal to feel happy, sad, excited, nervous, or anything else. Explain that starting something new can feel scary at first and that lots of people feel the same way. Share your own experience. When you allow your child to share their feelings, you can help them think through how to handle them in a healthy way.
Practice self-help skills. Provide your child with the chance to practice taking off their coat, tying their shoes, zipping their backpack closed, and sitting with their legs crossed nice and quiet. If your child will be bringing lunch, pack one up before school starts and have a picnic together. This will give them the chance to practice unzipping their lunch box and unwrapping a sandwich or snack.
Use pretend play to act out normal daily routines like saying goodbye, Morning Meetings, storytimes, and lunch. This will help children feel more in control and reduce the anxiety they may be feeling.
"Children’s lives are packed with first-time experiences. As a caring, supportive adult who talks with them, asks them questions, offers comfort, and shares feelings, you’re nurturing a relationship that will help children feel safe and secure to explore and learn about everything around them. By using everyday moments for learning, you’re building their brains—and a strong foundation of early school readiness for success in school and in life. That’s the 'power of now'!"
Questions? Please reach out to Warwick Neck Elementary School's main office staff. If you have not yet registered your child, please begin that process here or call (401) 734-3040.