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Register online at www.pwpsd.ca/registration 

PWPSD offers online registration. First-time users will need to set up an account, and then complete the online registration process. Online registration for the upcoming 2020-2021 school year opened on March 17, 2020. To review how the online registration process works, please see How to register online. 

Please note: Registration is not complete until it has been approved by the school office. If you are unable to upload scanned copies of your child’s birth certificate and proof of residency, please bring them to the school office. Other documents, such as custody information, may be required by the school office.

Lifelong learning starts the moment we are born. The first six years of our lives are a time of unparalleled discovery. We learn about ourselves and the world around us. Our personalities take shape and we begin to lay the foundation of knowledge that will support us as we enter the education system. Recognizing this, PWPSD and Alberta Education are committed to exploring options that provide children with access to early learning opportunities.

Early Childhood Services (ECS)
School authorities use the following guiding principles when working with children, as outlined in Alberta Education’s Kindergarten Program Statement:

• childhoods differ depending on social and cultural circumstances;
• children’s development is influenced but not determined by their early experiences;
• children interact and learn in a variety of contexts;
• children are co-constructors of knowledge and partners in learning;
• children are unique and active contributors to their learning;
• children construct and represent knowledge in a variety of ways;
• children are citizens and active participants in school and society;
• children are active collaborators in and users of assessment;
• children may require specialized programming and supports to develop the knowledge, skills and attitudes that engage them in their learning; and
• children and their families may need co-ordinated community services to meet their needs.

PWPSD provides options for educational programming for children between the ages of 2 years and 8 months old, and younger than 6 years of age, as of September 1. Alberta Education’s ECS policy states that children identified with a severe disability or severe language delay may be eligible for up to two years of pre-Kindergarten programming. For information about program availability, call (780) 532-8133.

Kindergarten

Kindergarten is a program that not only helps prepare children for entry into Grade 1, but also provides a foundation for later success. Kindergarten provides learning experiences that are developmentally appropriate to meet the diverse needs of children and promote a positive attitude toward lifelong learning. A child whose developmental needs have been met is more likely to grow into a self-reliant, responsible, caring and contributing member of society.  

Junior Kindergarten and Playschools
Through Junior Kindergarten (JK) and playschool, PWPSD is able to initiate early intervention programs a full year earlier. See the column at right for a list of PWPSD schools offering JK and playschool programs, and how they differ. 

Children learn different words based on their experiences and they communicate differently because of their personalities. Even though they develop speech and language at their own pace, they do learn the same things in a similar order.

Here’s what most five-year-olds can do:

Talking:

• Say most speech sounds correctly and are easy to understand.
• Speak in sentences that are five-to-six words in length.
• Ask questions using who, what, where, and why.
• Use the present, future, and past tenses (She walks to the park. She will walk to the park. She walked to the park.).
• Retell a story by naming the characters and talking about what happened.
• Use different types of words, such as action (kick) and describing words (yellow, cold).

Listening/Understanding:

• Follow three directions at a time.
• Understand many concepts, such as colours, location words, and numbers.
• Put things into basic groups, such as fruits, animals, and toys.
• Understand most adult conversation, including sayings like Time to hit the sack.
• Understand and answer most questions appropriately.
• Like to listen to rhymes and make up their own rhymes.

Social Skills:

• Makes eye contact with other children and adults.
• Takes turns and wait for their turn during activities.
• Sits quietly and listens to the teacher during circle time.
• Says hi or hello and goodbye appropriately.

Some five-year-olds may still have trouble:

• Saying the sounds sh, ch, j, s, z, v, r, and th. The s and z sounds may be lisps.
• Asking questions that start with when.
• Understanding the words above and below.

If you have concerns about your child’s development, contact Heather Putio, Assistant Superintendent at PWPSD, (780) 532-8133.