Welcome to Kindergarten
We are delighted to welcome your child to Kindergarten
Starting school is an exciting time for your child. Our school provides a rich learning environment for all children to learn and grow.
At Iron Ridge Elementary Campus, our Kindergarten programs focus on the Alberta Education Kindergarten Program where your child will build a strong foundation for learning in a safe and caring play-based environment. At Iron Ridge Elementary Campus we provide an every day, half-day program to support your child's learning. Outside services such as speech & language, physiotherapy & occupational therapy will be provided for students who have confirmed assessments.
The primary goals of the Kindergarten program are:
- to become independent
- to become critical & creative thinkers
- to increase physical skills & well-being; motor skills & coordination
- to develop literacy & numeracy
Kindergarten 2025/26 What are my options?
Everyday Half-day Kindergarten
At IREC students attend ½ day everyday.
This specialized, researched-based programming provides students a daily nurturing environment that:
- Consistently provides opportunities for building relationships
- Promotes development at a pace appropriate to each individual child
- Maximizes learning and emotional regulation
- Allows children to maintain attention, focus and energy for the entire program
- Consistent work on concepts and positive behaviours for lifelong learning
- Supports a strong foundation for literacy & numeracy learning
- Provides tremendous learning growth when outside services (speech & language, etc.) have the opportunity to program & work with students often
Full-day Every Day Early Explorers Program (includes a monthly fee)
What is the Early Explorers Program?
- A new pilot program running all day, every day Kindergarten offered through Iron Ridge Elementary Campus with additional costs covered by families
Goals of the Early Explorers program:
- Developing social, intellectual and academic skills in a safe, welcoming environment through curiosity and play
- Promote a positive attitude towards lifelong learning and encourage children to value themselves as capable and competent learners.
- Provide wrap-around services with speech, occupational therapy and physical therapy if needed to set them up for success.
- Develop positive attitudes toward learning.
- Learn to share, cooperate, be responsible, problem solve, self express and make decisions
- Develop a sense of confidence and self-esteem
Benefits of the Early Explorers program:
- Allow children to integrate into full-day programming in future grades more easily.
- An opportunity for your child to access early assessment and intervention services if needed
- Increased independence, problem-solving and exposure to the curriculum
- Improved ability to play and socialize with others
- Focus on social-emotional learning
After registering please click here to apply for the full-day Early Explorers Program (a monthly fee will be applied).
Kindergarten Frequently Asked Questions
Iron Ridge Elementary Campus continues to accept registrations throughout the school year. Please refer to our registration page for forms and additional information.
After registering please click here to apply for the full-day Early Explorers Program (a monthly fee will be applied).
Questions
1. Why Every Day Kindergarten Half-Days for Full-Days?
Our school provides half-day kindergarten every day because it is better for kids!
As parents, we know that everyday, consistent routines are best for kids and the best educational environments are no different. Lack of a daily routine causes anxiety and feelings of insecurity in children. Lack of daily, consistent learning routines means that children miss out on optimal learning when there are gaps in the schedule that occur on a regular basis.
Kindergarten is one of the most significant transition times in a child’s school career. Everyday Kindergarten better prepares children academically, socially and emotionally. Everyday kindergarten provides consistent learning so students can achieve an excellent foundation of literacy, numeracy & social skills more readily. Our results show it! 40% of our students are EXCEEDING literacy benchmarks & everyday Kindergarten is a huge part of that success for students. This also allows for outside services (speech & language, etc.) to have the opportunity to program & work with students often.
We are a PreK - Grade 3 child-centred campus that specializes in this age group. Our specialized programming is not based on older student schedules, timetabling or curriculum. It is built especially for your child’s development at this age!
2. When will registration start next year?
January, registration for the Fall classes opens CLICK HERE for ONLINE registration. You may come to the school and register on one of our computers if you prefer.
3. How old does my child have to be to attend Kindergarten?
Your child needs to be 5 years of as of December 31st of the year they start Kindergarten.
4. Is there a limit to how many students the school can take?
Class size under 20 is ideal for early learning. We will accept all students within our catchment area. We will determine how many classes are needed to accommodate the number of students who have registered.
5. Is there a Pre-Kindergarten program offered?
Yes. Pre-Kindergarten is offered in our building, through Bright Futures Play Academy.
6. What are the class days/times?
Morning classes are: Monday-Friday 8:10-11:05
Afternoon classes are: Monday-Friday 11:55-2:50
Play is Serious Business for Children
It performs many functions & has many effects on child development such as developing:
Planning skills Language Concentration
Empathy Impulse-control Relationships
Self-regulation Creativity Inquiry
Problem-solving Sharing Respect