Our Kindergarten Program

Our Kindergarten program is a child-centred, developmentally appropriate, integrated program of learning for young children. The purpose of the program is to establish a strong foundation for learning in the early years, and to do so in a safe and caring, play-based environment that promotes the physical, social, emotional, spiritual and cognitive development of all children.

The primary goals of the Kindergarten program are:

to establish a strong foundation for learning in the early years;
to help children make a smooth transition from home, child care, or pre-school settings to school settings;
to allow children to benefit from learning through relationships, through play and inquiry;
to set children on a path of lifelong learning and nurture competencies that they will need to thrive in the world of today and tomorrow.

Our program is based on four broad learning areas — Belonging and Contributing, Self-Regulation and Well-Being, Demonstrating Literacy and Mathematics 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. Read more about each area of learning below.

Adapted from The Kindergarten Program 2016 (Ontario Ministry of Education, 2016, p. 8)

Four Areas of Learning

Belonging and Contributing

This area focuses on your child's learning and development with respect his/her:

sense of connectedness to others;
relationships with others, and contributions as part of a group, a community, and the natural world; and
understanding of relationships and community, and of the ways in which people contribute to the world around them.

The learning encompassed by this area relates to your child's early development of the attributes and attitudes that inform citizenship, through their sense of personal connectedness to various communities.

Demonstrating Literacy and Mathematics Behaviours

This area focuses on your child's learning and development with respect to:

communicating thoughts and feelings — through gestures, physical movements, words, symbols, and representations, as well as through the use of a variety of materials;

literacy behaviours, evident in the various ways they use language, images, and materials to express and think critically about ideas and emotions, as they listen and speak, view and represent, and begin to read and write;
Mathematics behaviours, evident in the various ways he/she use concepts of numbers and patterns during play and inquiry; access, manage, create, and evaluate information; and experience an emergent understanding of Mathematical relationships, concepts, skills and processes; and
active engagement in learning and developing a love of learning, which can instill the habit of learning for life.

What your child learns in connection with this area develops their capacity to think critically, to understand and respect many different perspectives, and to process various kinds of information.

Self-Regulation and Well-Being

This area focuses on your child's learning and development with respect to:

his/her own thinking and feelings, and your child's recognition of and respect for differences in the thinking and feelings of others;
regulating emotions, adapting to distractions, and assessing consequences of actions in a way that enables them to engage in learning; and
physical and mental health and wellness.

What your child learns in connection with this area allows him/her to focus, to learn, to respect themselves and others, and to promote well-being in themselves and others.

Problem Solving and Innovating

This area focuses on your child's learning and development with respect to:

exploring the world through natural curiosity, in ways that engage the mind, the senses, and the body;
making meaning of his/her world by asking questions, testing theories, solving problems, and engaging in creative and analytical thinking; and
the innovative ways of thinking about and doing things that arise naturally with an active curiosity, and applying those ideas in relationships with others, with materials, and with the environment.

The learning encompassed by this area supports collaborative problem solving and bringing innovative ideas to relationships with others.

Special Education

At the Durham Catholic District School Board, our philosophy of inclusion shapes the delivery of our Special Education Programs and Services. We make every effort to fully include all students, regardless of exceptionality, into regular, age-appropriate classrooms. All educators share in the responsibility of providing an appropriate education for each student in their care. Teachers have access to resource staff within the school and the wider resources of the Student Services department as the need arises. Fundamental to this process is the collaboration among educators and support staff to deliver a variety of services, programs and strategies to achieve measurable and successful outcomes. One of the first steps in supporting a student with special education needs is a School Team Meeting. The team generally consists of parents, teacher, Program Support teacher, principal and perhaps other Board Student Services staff. This team approach is recognized as a proactive and effective way to understand a student’s needs and determine potential supports. Parents of students who have special needs are encouraged to share this information with the school as soon as possible so that a team meeting can be arranged to ensure a successful transition into the Kindergarten program. Click here for more information on Special Education.

Indigenous Education - We Walk the Path Together

Parents and guardians of students with First Nation, Metis and Inuit ancestry (Status, Non-Status) who are under 18 years of age can voluntarily self-identify their Indigenous ancestry. By self-identifying, we are able to offer additional programs, services and supports to assist students in achieving their potential. No proof of ancestral background is required. You can self-identify as part of the online Kindergarten registration or simply complete the online form available on your school’s website, under Students, Indigenous Education. Click here for more information on Indigenous Education.

French Immersion

Our French Immersion program at the Durham Catholic District School Board begins in Grade 1. The program is designed to provide non-francophone students with a high degree of proficiency in the French language. Our goal is to develop students’ level of proficiency, while supporting their growing confidence in communicating effectively in French in their everyday lives. The ability to speak two or more languages increases the capacity for creative thinking and the ability to respect and understand other cultures. Providing a strong, early foundation in literacy at home will help to enhance second language acquisition. Many Durham Catholic elementary schools currently offer this program. Please refer to pages 14 and 15 of this document for a complete listing of schools across the system that provide the French Immersion program. Click here to read more about French Immersion.

English Language Learners

At the Durham Catholic District School Board, our English language learners are given educational supports that allow them to achieve their potential. English language learners may be newcomers to the country or Canadian-born students who speak another language at home. English as Second Language (ESL)/English Literacy Development (ELD) teachers provide support to a group of elementary schools in our Board. The ESL/ELD teacher works in the classroom and with the classroom teacher to support a student’s English language development. Click here to read more about our English Language Learners programs.

Summer Rays Program

Our Summer Rays Learning program is available to students who have completed Senior Kindergarten and are going into Grade 1 in September. Students are recommended to this program by their current classroom teacher.

Our four-week learning and recreation program focuses on improving students' literacy skills while offering all the benefits of activities such as field trips, arts and games.

Summer Rays is offered for 16 days during the month of July from Mondays to Thursdays. There is no school on Fridays.