We offer Kindergarten with Full-Day Programming in select schools for children in their Kindergarten year. The Kindergarten with Full-Day program is half-day, and has an Extensions program offered for the other half of the day to create a full-day of programming.
The Kindergarten program is taught by a certified teacher and is based on Alberta Education’s Program of Studies, while the Extensions program is provided by an Early Childhood Educator (ECE) who guides meaningful play experiences and is based on Flight: Alberta’s Early Learning and Care Framework, as an anchor for the program.
Kindergarten Programming Highlights:
- Kindergarten is taught by a certified teacher.
- The classroom is where students learn and explore ideas together while working towards the Kindergarten curriculum.
- The teacher plans and develops lessons and will teach the curriculum to the whole class as well as in small groups and 1-on-1.
- The classroom teacher creates meaningful learning opportunities by setting targeted learning goals for the children to work towards achieving.
- The teacher assesses the children’s understanding and reports on the student’s achievements to parents/caregivers including formal reporting.
- Play-based opportunities take place throughout the Kindergarten Program to support the student's natural curiosity as they begin to understand the curriculum being taught.
Kindergarten Programming is based on Alberta’s K–6 Curriculum. Visit Kindergarten at Glance for more information.
Extensions Programming Highlights:
- The studio learning environment is a space that has real-life experiences that embed concepts in ways that are meaningful to children in a play-based context.
- The Early Childhood Educator takes the curiosity of the child and co-creates projects and interest-based centres for the children to engage in and to let their learning take flight.
- A sense of community is fostered through social-emotional learning.
- Children learn self-confidence by engaging in problem-solving experiences that support risk-taking and creative thinking through evolving projects.
- Creative expression is nurtured in a multi-modal approach that explores a variety of fine art experiences that include art, drama, and musical exploration.
- Visible learning is promoted to the school community and families through Early Childhood Educator documentation that supports the child's view of their world.
The Extensions Program is guided by the Alberta Early Learning and Care Framework.
More Information
Transitioning your child into Kindergarten
There are many ways that you can make the transition to school go smoothly for your child:
- Talk often about Kindergarten and reassure your child that it will be an exciting experience.
- Attend the Kindergarten Open House at your child’s school in the spring.
- Find out when your child can meet his/her teacher and have a tour of the classroom before school begins in the fall.
- Help your child develop a sense of responsibility. Encourage your child to learn to look after his/her belongings.
- Read with your child daily and have conversations about the books read.
- Explore the world that your child lives in. Talk about what your child sees. Point out signs, numbers and letters that he/she sees.
- Provide opportunities for your child to interact with other children to promote the development of social skills.
- Encourage your child to know his/her personal information (i.e. first and last name and phone number).
- Celebrate together in the little accomplishments that occur each day.
- Pray together.
What should I tell the teacher about my child?
- The Early Learning teacher and the school will want as much information as possible. Some guidelines that might help the teacher get to know your child better include:
- How does your child feel about coming to school?
- Has your child been in pre-school or daycare or will this be his/her first experience away from home?
- What are your child’s special passions or interests?
- What are your child’s special needs? (This includes everything from allergies to fears, unique physical or medical conditions, previous speech and language intervention, emotional or behavioural patterns, or any major change that might be occurring in your child’s life).
What will my child learn in kindergarten?
In addition to the teacher, Alberta Education is a great resource and publishes a parent resource called My Child's Learning. It is a very valuable resource that includes specific information about what your child will learn in Kindergarten. For more information, you may also check out the Alberta Education website.
Kindergarten Calculator
Find out what year your child will be attending Kindergarten by using our Kindergarten Calculator.
Our School's Mission
In order to prepare our students to live in and contribute to a changing world and engage in active faith-filled, lifelong learning; St. Justin School provides an interactive and collaborative inquiry based learning environment that promotes higher level critical thinking utilizing real-world tools.
The Kindergarten Classroom
The Kindergarten classroom learning environment is where academic curriculum is taught, and learner outcomes explored as a community of learners. This is where the teacher plans, develops and teaches through whole group, small group and individual experiences. The Kindergarten classroom teacher creates meaningful opportunities for learning by intentionally setting targeted learning outcomes for the children to work towards achieving. The teacher would assess the children’s understanding and report on learner outcomes to parents including formal reporting. Play-based opportunities are woven through the Kindergarten Program to support the child's natural curiosity as they begin to conceptualize the curriculum outcomes being taught.
Kindergarten Program Statement & Information for Parents
Kindergarten Programming is based on the Alberta Education Kindergarten Program Statement and the Alberta Education Competencies. Alberta Education is a great resource and publishes a parent resource called, My Child's Learning. It is a very valuable resource that includes specific information about what your child will learn in Kindergarten. Below, for your information is an at a glance overview of what a Kindergarten child learns within the province of Alberta.
Qualifying for Kindergarten
To find out if your child is eligible to attend Kindergarten, please use the Kindergarten Calculator below.
Click here to access the Kindergarten Calculator
School Catchment Area
St. Justin School is pleased to offer kindergarten with full day programming. This program is rich in oral language, literacy, exploration and discovery. For additional information, please continue to scroll down this page.
To find out if you are within the St. Justin School catchment area, click on the School Locator Tool
Kindergarten Registration Information
If you would like to register your child for Kindergarten at St. Justin School please follow the link that follows which provides step by step assistance on what you will need to register online, click here.
Our School's Universal Design for Learning
At St. Justin School we work towards ‘Universal Design for Learning’ principles that incorporate best practices in all areas of the curriculum and provide multiple, varied, and flexible options for student representation, expression and engagement within our extended community to help build a child's competencies in a number of areas. We believe that attending our school is not only a one year decision for Kindergarten, but rather a decision that lasts a total of 7 years as part of our K- Grade 6 Programming. As such, we highlight for you below, all that our school offers your child towards being supportive, flexible and responsive to their particular needs.
Universal Design for Learning principles incorporate best practices in all areas of the curriculum and provide multiple, varied, and flexible options for student representation, expression and engagement.
We Offer:
- Universal Design for Learning with multiple technologies and platforms to support students.
- Diverse learning spaces designed to meet a variety of student needs and offer student choice.
- Flexibility in learning modalities based on a student's preferred learning style.
- Inquiry-based Learning that offers a high level of student engagement
- A Learning Coach to coordinate flexible approaches to learning, customized for individual student needs.
- Multiple Disciplinary Team (MDT) of Service Providers (OT, SLP,, FSLW, EBS)
- Multi-age Instruction for Project-Based Learning
- Full wireless capabilities
- Multiple Technology options for student choice (smartboards, FM systems, chrome books, iPads.)
- Transportation for catchment students
- 'Healthy Hunger' Hot Lunch Program
- Daily snack program provided through funding from the Edmonton Catholic Schools Foundation
- Before & After School Care onsite(Just'n out of school care)
- Levelled Literacy Intervention Program (LLI) for Struggling Readers
- SIOP Program for (ELL) English Language Learners
- Mathletics Program
- Discovery Education
- School Chapel - under construction
- French as a Second Language Instruction
- Comprehensive & Collaborative Music Programming for all students
- St. Justin Choir - funded through the ECSD Foundation and a generous donar
Extracurricular Activities
- STJ Student-Led Broadcast Team
- Volleyball teams
- Intramurals
- Running Club
- St. Justin choir
- Hand Bell Club
- Recorder/Orff Ensemble
- Annual Performances (Celebration of the Arts, Concerts, Community Performances)
Transitioning Your Child into Kindergarten
- Talk often about Kindergarten and reassure your child that it will be an exciting experience.
- Attend the Kindergarten Open House at your child’s school in the spring.
- Find out when your child can meet his/her teacher and have a tour of the classroom before school begins in the fall.
- Help your child develop a sense of responsibility. Encourage your child to learn to look after his/her belongings.
- Read with your child daily and have conversations about the books read.
- Explore the world that your child lives in. Talk about what your child sees. Point out signs, numbers and letters that he/she sees.
- Provide opportunities for your child to interact with other children to promote the development of social skills.
- Encourage your child to know his/her personal information (i.e. first and last name and phone number).
- Celebrate together in the little accomplishments that occur each day.
- Pray together.
What should I tell the teacher about my child who is entering Kindergarten?
The Early Learning teacher and the school will want as much information as possible. Some guidelines that might help the teacher get to know your child better include:
- How does your child feel about coming to school?
- Has your child been in preschool or daycare or will this be his/her first experience away from home?
- What are your child’s special passions or interests?
- What are your child’s special needs? (This includes everything from allergies to fears, unique physical or medical conditions, previous speech and language intervention, emotional or behavioural patterns, or any major change that might be occurring in your child’s life).
- What will my child learn in kindergarten?