Kindergarten

Enroll your child in full-day Kindergarten at a PWPSD school near you. All families welcome!

Click here to learn how to register for the upcoming school year.

Beginning the educational journey is an exciting step for children and their families. Please review the following information in preparation for the start of the school year. If you have additional questions, please contact your school.

Prior to the start of the school year, Kindergarten start-up dates are published under the "Registration" link on your school's website.

Kindergarten is a program that not only helps prepare children for entry into Grade 1, but also provides a foundation for later success. Kindergarten provides learning experiences that are developmentally appropriate to meet the diverse needs of children and promote a positive attitude toward lifelong learning. A child whose developmental needs have been met is more likely to grow into a self-reliant, responsible, caring and contributing member of society.

Welcome to Kindergarten!

A typical day of a student in full-day Kindergarten:

Time	Activity
8:20 a.m.	Arrive at school: Get settled, stow personal belongings and prepare for the day.
8:45 a.m.	Centres: Activity-based opportunities for free exploration, cooperation and developing social and language skills.
9:20 a.m.	Learning time: Stories, the alphabet, songs and playing with words – so many fun ways to learn!
9:45 a.m.	Fine motor development activities: Play dough, puzzles and forming letters.
10:00 a.m.	Washroom break and snacks
10:15 a.m.	Sharing and foundational numeracy activities.
11:00 a.m.	Outdoor recess
11:30 a.m.	Theme-based learning
Noon	Physical activity in the gymnasium.
12:30 p.m.	Lunch
1:00 p.m.	Literacy and artistic exploration.
1:30 p.m.	Centres: More activity-based learning.
2:00 p.m.	Outdoor recess
2:30 p.m.	Snacks, followed by games or cross-graded reading activities.
3:00 p.m.	Wrap up circle time. Preparation for dismissal.
3:20 p.m.	Dismissal

Our students are supported in a safe and caring environment

Harry Balfour School Kindergarten students develop their fine motor skills while having fun decorating cookies.

Parents consistently rank our schools as ‘Very High’ and ‘High’ in the following Accountability Pillar Survey categories:

Safe and Caring
Citizenship
Work Preparation
Program of Studies
School Improvement
Quality of Education
Parental Involvement
High School Completion

Register your child for Kindergarten

Watch our Kindergarten Registration video

PWPSD offers online registration. First-time users will need to set up an account, and then complete the online registration process. To review how the online registration process works, please visit our 'How to Register Online' webpage.

Please note: Registration is not complete until it has been approved by the school office. If you are unable to upload scanned copies of your child’s birth certificate and proof of residency, please contact the school office. Other documents, such as custody information, may be required by the school office.

Transportation

PWPSD offers free transportation for students who qualify due to distance

Harry Balfour School students learn about bus safety.

Free transportation is provided to PWPSD students who qualify due to distance from their boundary school. Before the first day of school, bus drivers call parents to provide the bus route number, along with pick-up and drop-off times. After you receive your child’s bus route number, remember to download the Bus Status app for up-to-date bus information.

Preparing for the first day of Kindergarten

Did you know?

Positive energy at home goes a long way with self-esteem in the classroom.

Staggered entry
Some schools begin with staggered entry. At the start of the year, small groups of students receive their first introduction to school on different days. Inquire at your school about the times and dates.

What to pack:
Pack clean running shoes, a change of clothes, and a nutritious lunch and snacks.

School supplies:
Contact your child’s school to find out if you need to purchase school supplies.

Additional tips:

Read to your child for 20 minutes per day.
Get involved at your child’s school.

Junior Kindergarten and Playschool

Savanna School's Junior Kindergarten students enjoy decorating their own ice cream cones.

Through Junior Kindergarten (JK) and playschool, PWPSD is able to initiate early intervention programs a full year earlier. Play-based learning is encouraged in JK programs, but in a more structured environment where a certified PWPSD teacher has input in the programming and instruction. The curriculum framework, Flight: Play, Participation, and Possibilities: An Early Learning and Child Care Curriculum Framework for Alberta, is used to support evolving practices, planning and provisions for young children's learning.

The following is a list of PWPSD schools offering a variety of JK and playschool programs:

Beaverlodge Elementary School
Bonanza School
Eaglesham School
Harry Balfour School (County of Grande Prairie)
Hythe Regional School
Penson School (Grovedale)
Robert W. Zahara Public School (Sexsmith)
Rycroft School
Savanna School
Spirit River Regional Academy
Teepee Creek School
Wembley Elementary School

Some playschools are run by licensed Family and Child Support Services (FCSS) Early Childhood Development staff and offer a play-based program that follows four areas of wellness.

PWPSD has a partnership with FCSS for playschool programming at:

Bezanson School
Clairmont Community School
Elmworth School
La Glace School
Whispering Ridge Community School (County of Grande Prairie)

Private Playschools and Preschools

PWPSD partners with privately-run playschools and preschools to provide programming for children with identified mild, moderate or severe disabilities/delays.

A private playschool is offered at:

Ridgevalley School

Speech and Language Development

Children learn different words based on their experiences and they communicate differently because of their personalities. Even though they develop speech and language at their own pace, they do learn the same things in a similar order.

Here’s what most five-year-olds can do:

Talking:

Say most speech sounds correctly and are easy to understand.
Speak in sentences that are five-to-six words in length.
Ask questions using who, what, where, and why.
Use the present, future, and past tenses (She walks to the park. She will walk to the park. She walked to the park.).
Retell a story by naming the characters and talking about what happened.
Use different types of words, such as action (kick) and describing words (yellow, cold).

Listening/Understanding:

Follow three directions at a time.
Understand many concepts, such as colours, location words, and numbers.
Put things into basic groups, such as fruits, animals, and toys.
Understand most adult conversation, including sayings like, 'Time to hit the sack'.
Understand and answer most questions appropriately.
Like to listen to rhymes and make up their own rhymes.

Social Skills:

Makes eye contact with other children and adults.
Takes turns and wait for their turn during activities.
Sits quietly and listens to the teacher during circle time.
Says hi or hello and goodbye appropriately.

Some five-year-olds may still have trouble:

Saying the sounds sh, ch, j, s, z, v, r, and th. The s and z sounds may be lisps.
Asking questions that start with when.
Understanding the words above and below.

If you have concerns about your child’s development, contact Erin MacLellan, District Principal of Inclusive Education, (780) 532-8133.

Read our Kindergarten flyer

Kindergarten Mailer

Kindergarten is offered at:

Beaverlodge Elementary School
Bezanson School
Bonanza School
Clairmont Community School
Eaglesham School
Elmworth School
Harry Balfour School
Hythe Regional School
La Glace School
Penson School
Ridgevalley School
Robert W. Zahara School
Rycroft School
Savanna School
Spirit River Regional Academy
Teepee Creek School
Wembley Elementary School
Whispering Ridge Community School

Hutterite Colony Schools:

Bay Tree Colony School

Birch Hills Colony School
Birch Meadows Colony School
Codesa Colony School
Crooked Creek Colony School
Doe River Colony School
Grandview Colony School
Shady Lane Colony School
Silver Valley Colony School