In the Keewatin-Patricia District School Board, we offer child-centred and developmentally appropriate kindergarten programs that provide a foundation for children’s educational careers. Our kindergarten classrooms provide rich learning environments for four- and five-year-olds to prepare them for success through Grade 12 and beyond.
We are proud to offer 34 Kindergarten programs within our 16 elementary schools, providing rich learning experiences designed to support individual learners’ growth in each class. Our two-year programs serve 575 children throughout the region.
Educators in our classrooms 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.
Our educators recognize the many benefits of learning outdoors. In addition to spending time in fresh air and sunlight, outdoor learning also allows children to explore the natural world, providing unforgettable experiences and promoting the rich vocabulary development.
Valleyview Public School in Kenora and New Prospect Public School in Dryden offer French Immersion Kindergarten Programs. Children are immersed in the French language for 100% of their classroom day. This rich language environment provides children with a solid foundation in French while also providing them with experiences and strategies to promote the growth of their English skills.
Our kindergarten programs regularly adapt to meet the needs and interests of children, whether these needs are related to skill development, culturally responsive instruction, or public health requirements, among many others. Educators have commented specifically on the joy children have in returning to in-person learning, and we share that joy in learning with them.
Partnerships – Childcare Providers
Our partnerships with childcare providers throughout the region remain strong. One of the highlights of these partnerships involved joint professional learning in developing a common understanding of the best practices in our shared work with children in the early years. These partnerships also included the establishment of emergency childcare in the spring of 2021 to provide support for frontline workers at no cost. We continue to work with our partners to enhance and expand childcare spaces in our schools so that families have access to quality childcare.
We continue to strengthen our partnerships with early years service providers to better support children and their families. We are proud to continue to work with the Kenora District Services Board and our childcare operators to ensure that families are supported. KPDSB is extremely grateful to our early years partners for the continued dedication and hard work in providing services to families throughout the district.
