Early Childhood Educator with girl Kindergarten Student

Transitioning to Kindergarten

Subscribe to this Page

We believe early childhood education is key to life-long success. Our Catholic elementary schools offer an inclusive learning environment for children ages four and five. Our Kindergarten program focuses on inquiry and play-based learning which contributes to the overall development of the child.

Watch our video to find out how are students become capable, confident and curious learners.

Upcoming Kindergarten Registration 2019-2020

Dear Parents and Guardians,

You are invited to register your child for Kindergarten at one of the Durham Catholic schools across the region. Your child must be turning four years of age by December 31, 2019 in order to enroll. Online registration will take place January 14-19, 2019. Visit dcdsb.ca to register. For questions, email admissions@dcdsb.ca. Once you have completed the on-line registration process, the school secretary will be calling you to make an appointment and complete your registration.

Students who are eligible to attend Kindergarten Year One in September 2019 register online and have a designated home school determined by home address. In accordance with the Durham Catholic District School Board Policy PO428 – Exception to School Attendance Areas, parents and guardians may have a need or legitimate reason for wanting a child to attend a school other than their designated home school. In such cases the online registration will be directed to the school they have chosen.

Admission to an out of boundary school is subject to approval by the designated home school principal and out-of-boundary school principal. The application will initially be processed by the designated home school and then processed by the school requested. Applications will be approved in accordance with Board Policy and where space permits. Please note that the following schools are currently identified as having limited available space for 2019-2020:

St. Patrick Catholic School
St. Josephine Bahkita Catholic School
St. Kateri Tekakwitha Catholic School

As such, approval for exception to school attendance areas at these schools may be limited. Please note that transportation will not be provided for an-out-of boundary school.

Four Areas of Learning

Our Kindergarten Program is based on four broad learning areas:

Belonging and Contributing;
Self-Regulations and Well-Being;
Demonstrating Literacy and Mathematic Behaviours; and
Problem Solving and Innovating.

These areas focus on aspects of learning that are critical to your child's development. They also reflect the integrated way in which your child will learn through play and inquiry in our classrooms. To learn more about theses areas, visit the Ontario Ministry of Education. Adapted from The Kindergarten Program 2016 (Ontario Ministry of Education, 2016, p. 8)

Welcome to Kindergarten sessions

Our elementary schools hosted Welcome to Kindergarten sessions during April, May and June 2019. Key information regarding your child's transition into Kindergarten is available in our Welcome to Kindergarten guide.

Child care arrangements

Plan your child care needs now! Learn more about our Child Care Centre and Before/After school programs. For additional information, email child care programs or call 905-576-6150 ext. 22172.

Registration requirements

Families are welcome to register children for our Kindergarten program at their local Durham Catholic school. Children must be turning 4 years of age by December 31, 2019 to register in Junior Kindergarten and 5 years of age for Senior Kindergarten.

Find my local Catholic school

We invite you to find a Catholic school near you or call one of our Durham Catholic schools.

How to register for Kindergarten?

Kindergarten registration is from January 14 to18, 2019. Follow the steps below to register your child in Kindergarten Year One. Children currently enrolled in Kindergarten Year One (Junior) at one of our schools for 2019-2020 are automatically entered into the Kindergarten Year Two (Senior) program.

Step 1

Visit dcdsb.ca and enrol your child through the online application process. For questions about registration or the application process, email our Admissions department.

Step 2

Call your local Catholic school to make an appointment and complete your registration. Documents needed to complete registration

To complete the registration process, parents/guardians are asked to present the following documentation to their local Catholic school:

Proof of age (Baptismal Certificate/Birth Certificate / Birth Registration or Passport);
Proof of Religious Denomination (Baptismal Certificate of child or parent/ guardian); and
Health Records (Immunization, allergies, etc.)

Resources

The following resources are available to help parents and guardians support a child's transition into Kindergarten.