School is just around the corner, which means a big change is coming for parents, especially for those sending a kid to kindergarten!

Dina Chudyk is the Director of Marketing & PR at Winnipeg Mennonite Elementary and Middle Schools. As they get ready for school, Chudyk stopped by to give parents some tips on sending your kid to kindergarten, whether it's your first or fifth.

"I think a lot of times people think they should have their kid writing their name or they should be able to count to a certain number," Chudyk said. "That's not the case."

She says that kindergarten teachers work with your kid once they are in school so kids will finish at the same spot by the end of the year. Chudyk does say that spot changes depending on the kids in the class though.

"We leave that to the teachers," Chudyk said. "The teachers set those goals with the classroom and work with the students so they can reach those goals."

Knowing this, she says, can take a lot of pressure off of parents, especially if you haven't been 'preparing' your kid for their first year of school.

"Your job as a parent isn't necessarily to instill the academics but to give them a foundation for what they are about to learn," Chudyk said.

To build that foundation, Chudyk recommends taking your kids to the park and letting them interact with other children and learning to take turns. Let them use safety scissors to grow their fine motor skills. If you're at the beach, Chudyk says you could have them sort rocks by color or size.

"If you can sit down at the table and have an activity book, that's great," Chudyk said, but continued "if you can't, just try to work [teaching] into everyday moments."

Chudyk encourages all students to start thinking about the school year and to set goals as a student and as a family for the upcoming 2017-18 school year.

WMEMS is already thinking about next year, so if your kid isn't quite ready for kindergarten yet but they are going to be next year, November 6-7 will be the school's kindergarten open house.