Update for 2025 – 26: Both our morning and afternoon classes for the upcoming school year are full. We continue to accept registrations for our wait list, in case spaces become available.

Both morning and afternoon children who will be 5 years old by Dec 31 2025 will have full access to the on-site out of school care program (7am to 6pm), subject to available childcare spaces. Class times are 8:30 to 11:30 and 12:30 to 3:30, Monday to Friday.

Our PUF* spots for 2025 – 26 are currently full. Registration for 2026 – 27 Kindergarten PUF spaces will begin to be accepted starting October 15 2025. (*Program Unit Funding, or children who are coded to attend our class with the support of an aide.)

General Information for 2025 – 26

  • Dalhousie Community Kindergarten is open to children from any community in Calgary, not just Dalhousie.
  • We will offer a morning class, Monday to Friday, and an afternoon class.
  • Registration requests are taken on a first come, first served basis, with the exception of children receiving PUF* support. (Please see our specific PUF registration information page here)
  • Kindergarten-aged students (i.e. five by December 31, and not yet 6 yrs old on September 1st) may attend our program either via funding from Alberta Education (the typical choice) or via paid tuition.
  • Junior Kindergarten students are eligible to attend our program, subject to teacher’s approval if they are at least 4 years old by the start of September.
  • It is recommended that your child have the Measles/Mumps/Rubella immunization prior to entry into Kindergarten. (https://www.alberta.ca/immunization-routine-schedule)
  • If your child will be 6 years old by September 1, please contact an elementary school for grade one registration.

(*Program Unit Funding, or children who attend our class with the support of an aide.)

General Timelines:

  • Upcoming Open House and Registration dates: click here
  • Registration requests will be accepted for all kindergarten aged children beginning October 15 for the upcoming school year. This includes registration requests for children with PUF funding.
  • Kindergarten is funded by Alberta Education, typically only for one year. Kindergarten-aged children are those who will be 5 by December 31 of the upcoming school year, but not yet 6 years old on Sept 1.)
  • Beginning Oct 15 and until midnight of the third Wednesday in January, nine priority registration spaces will be held for Kindergarten-aged children from Alumni families, or children who are currently attending the Dalhousie Community Pre-school. Any unfilled priority spaces will be released to wait listed or new registration requests on the third Thursday in January.
  • On the third Thursday of January we will begin accepting registrations for tuition-based Junior Kindergarten students. (Those who will be 4 years old by the start of the school year.)
  • Registrations for children who will attend kindergarten with an aide (those receiving Program Unit Funding (PUF)) are handled a little differently. Registration requests for children with PUF* funding that are received between October 15 and the second Wednesday in December will be entered into a draw to assign sequence for consideration. PUF registration requests received after the December draw date will continue to be accepted for our waitlist.

(*Program Unit Funding, or children who are coded to attend our class with the support of an aide.)

Links to Registration Directions:

Kindergarten-aged students: How to Register: click here for directions

Junior Kindergarten students: How to Register: click here for directions

PUF kindergarten-aged students: How to Register: click here for directions

Student Categories:

Kindergarten-Aged Children

Kindergarten-aged students will be 5 by December 31 of the upcoming school year, and not yet 6 years old on September 1. Kindergarten-aged students in our program can attend either as a government funded student (typical scenario) or a a tuition based student.

The tuition option may be suitable for kindergarten-aged children who:

  • are not eligible to receive Alberta Education funding (i.e. due to other citizenship), or
  • have already used their one year of Alberta Education kindergarten funding but will not yet be 6 years old on September 1st and wish to delay the start of grade one, or
  • would be eligible to attend kindergarten based on age, but wish to delay their funded kindergarten for another year. (i.e. children who are 4 years old as of September 1 of the start of the school year and will turn 5 before December 31. They would attend our program as a tuition student for one school year, and the following school year would be 5 years old on Sept 1 and turn 6 by Dec 31, and thus eligible to take their funded kindergarten year at that time.)

Kindergarten-aged students in our program are eligible to attend the out of school care program in our building.

Junior Kindergarten Students

Junior Kindergarten students are eligible to attend our program subject to teacher’s approval. They would be at least 4 years old by September 1, but not turning 5 until after December 31st . These children attend as a tuition-based student. They are in the same class as our kindergarten students with adjusted learning expectations. A junior kindergarten student must be socially and developmentally ready for our program in terms of considerations such as their interest in learning, ability to interact with peers, follow directions, sustain attention, toilet independently, and their general readiness to attend class 5 half-days per week.

Junior Kindergarten students are NOT eligible to attend the out of school care program due to regulations for this type of child care.

Children receiving PUF (Program Unit Funding) Support

PUF is a funding model that provides individualized programming for children with severe disabilities/delays. Kindergarten-aged children who are receiving PUF supports can attend our program. Typically these children will already be receiving supports through a special needs agency, and will be attending our program with the support of a one-on-one aide.

When your child attends our program, you will continue to work with your existing agency to ensure continuity in the services that your child receives. Our teacher will become a part of their existing team.

If your child has not yet been assessed and thus has not yet received coding/approval for PUF, but you suspect your child may be eligible, we will work with you to connect you with an agency that can offer supports. This support must be in place before the start of the school year, so it is essential that we begin this process as soon as possible – ideally months before the school year.

We only accept PUF children who are kindergarten-aged.

Preschool:

If you are looking for an amazing preschool program, the Dalhousie Community Preschool is next door to our classroom and offers programs for children who are 3 or 4 years old. (this program is two or three half days per week) Preschool is operated by the Dalhousie Community Association, and we are happy to consider each other wonderful friends!

You can find more information about their program here on the dalhousiecalgary.ca website

Out of School Care:

Out of School Care for kindergarten-aged students (at least 5 years old by December 31) is provided in our building by the Dalhousie Community Association’s childcare program. They offer a licensed and accredited program that qualifies for the Affordability Grant. There is a direct transfer of care between our program and the out of school care program – i.e. they will drop off your child with our program and/or pick them up from our program depending on your childcare needs. They offer both full time and part time options, with care provided between 7am and 6pm daily.

Registration for this program is handled separately. Generally it is anticipated that all children in our program can be accommodated with a space in the before and after care program.

For more information visit their website at dalhousiecalgary.ca