Hundreds of St. Albert parents will take a sneak-peek at their children’s first day of school this month at Kindergarten fairs and expos across the region.
Three of St. Albert’s four school boards are holding fairs and expos this January to introduce parents and students to the wonders of Kindergarten. École La Mission (which is part of the Conseil scolaire Centre-Nord) will hold its Kindergarten open house Feb. 29.
Alberta students often attend Kindergarten classes when they turn five as a warm-up for the start of mandatory education in Grade 1. Some 1,368 students in the St. Albert Public, Sturgeon Public, and Greater St. Albert Catholic districts were in Kindergarten as of last October.
This month’s fairs and expos are meant to help people learn about Kindergarten and the various programs and support it involves, said Shelley Greenwood, director of learning services for Sturgeon Public. There will also be information on pre-Kindergarten, which starts at age two or three and generally applies to children who are gifted or have disabilities. Pre-Kindergarten typically involves an evaluation, close work with specialists, and dedicated provincial funding (Program Unit Funding, or PUF).
St. Albert parents have a wide range of Kindergarten programs available. Some are full or half-day, while others emphasize French language, Christianity, or outdoor learning.
Simone Lacroix teaches Kindergarten at École Sacré Coeur and has also taught Grades 1, 3, and 4.
“Kindergarten is such a beautiful rite of passage for kids,” she said.
“It is an opportunity for them to experience the full joy of childhood.”
Lacroix said Kindergarten prepares kids for Grade 1 by teaching them the basics of reading, writing, and socialization. There’s a lot of learning through playing or singing and hands-on crafts, usually grouped around themes such as arctic animals or Christmas. Students also learn to be independent by putting on their own clothes and communicating their needs to others.
“For some kids, it is their first step away from their parents,” Lacroix said.
Lacroix teaches the Nature Kindergarten program at her school, which sees students spend half the day learning outdoors, where they might hike through a ravine, roll down hills, or pull tomatoes from the school’s garden. The program gets kids outdoors and shows them how to be observant.
Lacroix said the best way to prepare a kid for Kindergarten is to spend time with them, read with them, and take them into social situations to build their social and emotional skills.
Lacroix said she loves teaching Kindergarten due to the joy of discovery she sees in her students.
“It’s breathtaking to see them blossom.”
Sturgeon Public’s Kindergarten expos are at 6 p.m. Jan. 16 at Redwater School in Redwater and Jan. 17 at Four Winds Public in Morinville. GSACRD’s expos are at 6:30 p.m. Jan. 18 at St. Albert Catholic High and Jan. 25 at Morinville Community High. St. Albert Public’s Kindergarten fair is Jan. 13 at Bellerose Composite at 9:30 a.m. Visit sturgeon.ab.ca, gsacrd.ab.ca, and spschools.org for details.
