About our Kindergarten Program

Starting Kindergarten is an exciting adventure for children and their families. It is a new beginning for you and your child. Children will develop relationships, independence, confidence, and the behaviours and attitudes that will ensure their success in school.

All of our elementary schools offer a Full-Day Kindergarten experience that provides a safe, caring and inclusive learning environment for all children.

Kindergarten is a two-year bilingual program consisting of 50% English instruction and 50% French instruction. It is available to any child turning 4 years old on or before December 31. Therefore if your child will 
be 4 years old by December 31st this year, they are eligible to start Kindergarten this September Register Now.

Every child develops at their own pace and the Kindergarten program is designed to reflect that. The two-year Kindergarten program is optional. Students must start school in the year they turn age 6. They can however start in the first year or the second year of Kindergarten. You decide what is best for your child. 

Our Extended Day Program is an integral part of the Full-Day -Kindergarten program. It completes a seamless program for full-day learning for 4 and 5 year oldsTo learn about the Extended Day Program please visit the Extended Day Program webpage. 

Play-based Learning
Children are full of natural curiosity and they explore this curiosity through play. In our full-day kindergarten program, teachers and early childhood educators structure play to create learning moments. Our Kindergarten program provides children with educational activities appropriate for young learners, taking into account their physical, intellectual, social and emotional needs. Their world is one of curiosity, exploration and imagination. Children investigate and develop an understanding of their world through play. Educators observe the children's social, emotional, physical and intellectual interactions within a classroom setting, assessing their stages of development aligned with the curriculum, and supports and encourages experiences to further their growth.

Our French program
All of our kindergarten classes incorporate 50% French language instruction. This means that children will experience the program equally in French and in English, providing a rich exposure to both of Canada's official languages. Our program is designed for children of all languages.

A Team Approach
Each kindergarten class is led by a team composed of a teacher and an Early Childhood Educator (ECE). The team works together to plan for and provide meaningful learning opportunities for the children and to create a positive, welcoming and safe learning environment.

The program aims to provide every child with the support they need in order to develop self-regulation; health, well-being and sense of security; emotional and social competence; curiosity and confidence in learning; respect for diversity of his or her peers.

Transportation
School bus transportation is available to all kindergarten students who live more than 0.8 km from their school. Information is available at your school or from the Ottawa Student Transportation Authority.

Family Reception Centre
If you are new to Canada, have a school-aged child, and English is not your first language, the OCDSB's Family Reception Centre can assist you with enrolling your child in school. The Centre's staff will provide student assessment and guidance for English language learners and their families. Please call 613-239-2416 for assistance.


Register Now

It’s easy to register. Visit our Registration page to register online anytime.


Parent Information Nights

Your local school will be holding a virtual parent information session. You will learn about our Kindergarten program, meet the principal and staff, and we’ll offer some useful tips to ease your concerns and help your child prepare for their learning adventure.

To know about the time and date of your local school's session, visit OCDSB’s Kindergarten Parent Information Nights webpage or the school website.


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