As an educational organization, we place the highest priority on supporting our youngest learners. Kindergarten is the beginning of a child’s education pathway, and our two-year Kindergarten programs provide rich learning environments to prepare children for success all the way through Grade 12, and beyond.
Our Kindergarten classes are staffed with caring and dedicated educators who always put the physical, social, emotional, and learning needs of the child first. We are proud to offer 28 Kindergarten programs within our 16 elementary schools, providing rich learning experiences to 570 four- and five-year children throughout the board. In the KPDSB, we focus on learning through relationships in a culture of inquiry. The learning in our classrooms is strengths-based and student-driven. Our caring and supportive Kindergarten educators foster children’s natural curiosity, often allowing students to direct the learning in their areas of interest using authentic and hands-on learning opportunities, all while supporting the development of a strong foundation in literacy and numeracy.
In addition to English programs in all of our elementary schools, we also offer French Immersion Kindergarten programs at Valleyview Public School in Kenora and New Prospect Public School in Dryden. Children enrolled in one of these programs are immersed in the French language 100% of their classroom day, beginning in the first year of the program. This rich language environment provides children with a solid foundation in their second language while complementing the growth of their English language skills as well.
Our Buddy System website is designed to help parents learn more about the school where their child will have their first educational experiences. For first-hand accounts from other parents, their children, and our educators, please take a moment to watch the videos included throughout the Buddy System website at www.buddysystem.ca.
Our schools offer a variety of child care options for our families right in our schools, from before- and after-school programming for a wide range of ages, to toddler and preschool programs. Subsidies are available for some families based on financial need and we ensure we include the information on our website to support families in finding the care that works for them: www.kpdsb.on.ca/pages/view/child-care-programs-1
We continue to welcome families into our schools and expand programming with our partnerships through EarlyON Child and Family Centres. EarlyON centres offer free, high-quality drop-in programs for families and children from birth to six years old. EarlyON centres are welcoming places that also offer a range of services and resources, where you can join fun activities such as reading, storytelling, sing-alongs and games, and connect with other families with young children.
