Is this a private school?
No. Dalhousie Community Kindergarten is a publicly-funded community school. Children in our kindergarten program are funded through grants from Alberta Education, similar to other public school boards in Alberta. We are an Accredited, Independent ECS Operator through Alberta Education. Alberta Education does not allow independent kindergarten programs to charge tuition for standard kindergarten hours, and requires that the same minimum curriculum is taught in all ECS programs across the province. We typically offer additional hours of instruction (about 20 hours) and allow opportunity for children to progress beyond the minimum learning expectations – if they are ready!
Our Junior Kindergarten program is tuition based. Please see Program Information for additional details and current fees.
Can students from any community register?
Yes!
What is the difference between this kindergarten program and others?
We don’t mean to brag, but several things come to mind: our small class size (maximum of 18 students) allows our teacher to spend time with each child as an individual, our dedicated staff (both teacher and teacher’s assistant) teach kindergarten as their chosen speciality because kindergarten is our passion(!), our large sunny class space, our commitment to daily outdoor time, our community focus, the opportunity for parent involvement and the relationships that develop between our families, the small number of children sharing the playground, our direct contact with Alberta Education, and our experience and commitment to unique and memorable learning experiences (field trips, classroom visitors, hatching ducklings, ski, skate and swim lessons, and so many more special class activities!)
Is there on-site childcare available?
Yes. The Dalhousie Community Association operates a licensed and accredited childcare program in our building. They generally offer care before and after our class, and there is a direct transfer of care between their staff and ours (i.e. if you drop your child off before class with them, they will bring your child to our classroom for the start of school, and will pick them up from our class after class.) They offer flexible options of 2, 3 and 5 days a week as well as coverage for non-instructional days. This program qualifies for subsidy and the Affordability Grant. Please confirm all details directly with their program. Their info is found under the Programs tab at dalhousiecalgary.ca
Can any child attend the Out of School Care Program?
Children who are kindergarten aged (i.e. will be 5 years old by Dec 31) can attend the before and after school care program offered by the Dalhousie Community Association. PUF funded children who may require additional support while in the child care program may be able to apply for funding through FSCD (Family Supports for Children with Disabilities) to make their attendance possible.
What about transition to Grade 1?
Children from our program move to several different schools for grade 1. Parents have reported that the transition to a new school is typically not a problem. The year in our program helps your child develop confidence, independence, and communication skills that leave them well prepared for grade one and new friendships. To make the change as smooth as possible for the child, our program emphasizes academics: letters, sounds, sight words, numbers, and math concepts. In particular, the program emphasizes early literacy and language learning. Grade 1 teachers have commented that not only do our students arrive on equal footing academically, but also that the children from the smaller class seem to be more focused.
What about a gym or a library?
The children have access to the community centre’s hall for indoor physical education, as well as the outdoor skating rink, sledding hill, and amazing playground. (We try to have outdoor activity time every day that the weather cooperates.) A ‘library parent’ is chosen to bring books from the public library directly to the classroom, to add to our extensive collection.
Does the Junior Kindergarten Program qualify for childcare subsidy?
No. We operate as a school and are not a licensed childcare program. Unfortunately this means you can not apply for childcare subsidy to offset our tuition, and the Affordability Grant does not apply.
Is there room in next year’s class?
Registration for the the school year takes place in January. Please see our registration page for more details. Class size will be limited to 18 students.