About Kindergarten at Earl Beatty

"When we see students as competent, capable of complex thinking, curious, and rich in potential, we value and build on their strengths and abilities. " - Kindergarten Curriculum 2026

WHAT DOES A DAY IN KINDERGARTEN LOOK LIKE?

Full-day Kindergarten is a two-year program for four- and five-year-olds that provides a cohesive, coordinated approach to early learning across the province.

Each Kindergarten classroom is staffed either by a teacher or by a team made up of a teacher and a Designated Early Childhood Educator (DECE). Together, educators create a safe, caring, and engaging learning environment that supports children’s growth and development. In some smaller classes of approximately 15 students, the classroom is staffed by a teacher without a DECE.

The Kindergarten curriculum has recently been updated, with the new program taking effect in September 2026. The curriculum’s vision is for students to develop the foundational knowledge and skills needed to communicate effectively, solve problems, think critically, make informed decisions, and thrive in a global community.

In the French Immersion program, Kindergarten curriculum expectations are delivered in French.

For further information about the Kindergarten Curriculum, see:

Kindergarten Curriculum Overview

Kindergarten Curriculum 2026 (Ministry of Education)

GETTING READING FOR KINDERGARTEN

Looking for ways to help prepare your child for September?

Have your child practice:

talking about books/stories you have read to them
printing and identifying the letters and sounds in their name (the first letter should be capitalized)
identifying letters in the alphabet (uppercase and lowercase)
counting and recognizing numbers to 10
Cutting paper using age-appropriate scissors
holding writing tools properly (pencils, crayons, markers. etc)

Encouraging self-help skills is also beneficial:

doing up buttons and zippers
dressing themselves for outdoors
packing their own backpack
opening snack and lunch containers
eating independently
tidying up their toys when they are done playing
washing their hands for at least 20 seconds (sing the alphabet song)
washroom routines (i.e., using toilet paper, wiping the seat if necessary, flushing, hand washing, etc.)
coughing into the crease of their elbow
blowing and wiping their own nose with a tissue

WHAT YOUR CHILD NEEDS FOR THE FIRST DAY OF KINDERGARTEN

a large backpack (needs to fit a lunch bag and a large library book)
a lunch bag (two snacks and lunch, PEANUT/TREENUT FREE please!)
a full set of extra clothes (shirt, pants, underwear, socks), kept at school, a few sets if prone to accidents
a pair of indoor running shoes (VELCRO), kept at school
a reusable water bottle (access to filtered water refill station)

Please ensure you label your child's personal belongings, as it is very often that children have the exact same items (i.e. backpacks, lunch bags, food containers, water bottles, shoes, etc.)

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

When do I find out who my child's teacher is?

Parents/Caregivers will receive an email on September 4, 2026, informing them of their child's teacher. Kindergarten students meet at the front of the school every day at entry time. This email will include other important first-day procedures. If you do not receive an email, please contact one of our office staff and check our school website for more information.

Where do I drop off my child?

Kindergarten students meet at the front of the school every day at entry time. On the first day of school, teachers will be meeting their students outside, 10 minutes before the bell rings.

Does my child spend the entire school day in one classroom?

Your child will participate in a variety of learning activities throughout the school day. Some are conducted in our own classrooms, while others are conducted in other areas of the school (i.e., the gym, the lunchroom (multipurpose room), music room, dance and movement room, library, the Kinder Yard, the nature yard, etc.).

Does my child's classroom teacher teach all the subject areas?

The new Kindergarten Curriculum is divided into four strands:

Strand A: Foundations of Language and Mathematics

Strand B: Problem Solving and Innovating

Strand C: Self-Regulation and Well-Being

Strand D: Belonging and Contributing

Your child's teacher is with the students for most of the day and will focus on all strands. Additional teachers will provide instruction connected to physical education, music, drama and dance.

What does lunch time look like?

If your child is staying for lunch, they spend half of their lunch period eating lunch in a kindergarten classroom and the other half outdoors in the Kinder Yard or nature yard located at the front of the school. Students who go home for lunch are picked up at the front entrance of the school and are dropped off in the Kinder Yard at the end of the lunch period.

How often does my child go outside?

Outdoor play is an integral part of our Kindergarten Program. In addition to spending time outdoors during the lunch period, students often take part in daily outdoor play during instructional times. Necessary accommodations will be made for extreme heat and extreme cold alerts. Dressing your child appropriately for the weather every day will ensure they are comfortable when participating in outdoor play.

What should I pack my child for snack?

We typically have a snack time in the morning and in the afternoon, so two snacks should be sufficient. We recommend sending your child with healthy snacks to give them energy to learn throughout the day. Dairy products (yogurt, cheese), fresh fruits and vegetables, granola bars and crackers are great options! When packing food for your child, please avoid peanut and nut products (i.e., Nutella). We often have students with severe nut allergies and need to take necessary precautions to keep the environment NUT FREE. Please check all package labels (even products that state may contain nuts/peanuts should be avoided).

Earl Beatty now has a morning snack program. See our website for more information.

What if my child has a "bathroom" accident?

It happens! You will be required to send in a full set of extra clothing, which will be kept in the classroom. We will provide your child with their extra clothes so that they can change. Soiled clothing will be sent home in a bag inside their backpack. When this happens, please remember to send back a clean set of extra clothes the next day. If your child is not yet toilet-trained, please let the office know before the start of school so that we can put a plan in place to best support them.

What if my child arrives late to school in the morning?

The entry bell rings at 8:17 AM. If your child arrives late to school, please report to the office immediately to notify them as they will need to update their system and print you a late slip.

Can my older child pick up a sibling in Kindergarten?

Kindergarten students should be picked up by a parent/guardian. There will be a form sent home the first day asking for information about who will be picking up your child. A list of people allowed to pick up your child will be required for safe dismissal. If there are any changes, parents will need to inform the teachers ahead of dismissal time. Please call the office and let us know.

What if my child is sick or will be away from school?

When children begin to feel unwell at school, we immediately inform the parents. If we are unable to get in touch with the parents, we often call the next emergency contact on file. We encourage parents to pick up their child as soon as possible. If your child has a fever, it is recommended that they stay home for at least 24 hours symptom-free before returning to school. See TPH Healthy Start to School for some helpful information.

If you know your child will be away from school, please report absences through the School Messenger App or by calling the Safe Arrival Program at our school office at (416) 393-9070 by leaving a message to let us know the reason why your child will be absent. Otherwise, the system will call you to confirm your child's absence and ask for a reason why he/she is absent.

Information about the School Messenger App can be found on our welcome page.

My child is going into French Immersion Kindergarten. How do I find out about busing?

The busing information generally comes out at the end of August, and the busing company informs the parents directly.

Do I need a Police Reference Check to Volunteer?

See volunteer information on our welcome page.

Supporting your Child's Learning

You are your child’s first teacher. You can encourage your child’s natural curiosity and love for learning by helping them connect what they learn in school to what they learn at home.

Talk about it!

Be curious and show an interest in what your child is learning – your positivity and excitement can make your child feel positive and excited too.

Talk to your child about:

day-to-day situations and ask questions that encourage them to share their thoughts and ideas (e.g., “What if?”, “How did you know?”)
different ways to solve problems when you or your child experience challenges
new words they are learning at school and home and how to use them to describe their experiences and observations

Be a role model

You are your child’s most important role model. When your child sees you reading, writing, doing math and thinking through challenges, they will follow your example.

Use your child’s first language

Your child’s first language is the language they learned first and is often the language(s) spoken at home. For many children in Ontario, this is not English or French. Continuing to use your child’s first language(s) at home, even when they attend an English- or French-speaking school, supports their overall development because skills learned in one language transfer to others.

Tell stories and read together

Sharing stories and reading together encourages a love of reading. Set aside regular times for reading with your child. Family and other close community members can share stories with your child. Choose what you’re going to read together and choose from all kinds of books and reading materials. To support your child’s reading in Kindergarten, see our storybook options.

Make learning fun

Get to know your child’s interests and hobbies. This is important because your child is more likely to enjoy learning about what they are interested in. Activities that can be fun and help your child develop key skills like math and science include:

puzzles
games with dice, playing cards or dot cards
dominoes
sorting games
board games, including board games with numbered squares
crafts
building

Apply learning through everyday family activities

There are many ways to help your child apply what they are learning in school at home and in the community. Here are activities that you may want to share with your child.

Read and talk about signs in the community, such as traffic and store signs.
Explore and talk about food labels, schedules, maps, instructions, flyers and brochures.
Find fun and meaningful ways to write together, for example:
- creating greeting cards
- making shopping lists
- writing party invitations and gratitude notes
- adding appointments and activities on your family calendar
Have your child count and sort objects such as toys, kitchen utensils, clothing and collections (e.g., stickers, buttons or rocks).
Play familiar math games, for example:
- a number or shape version of I Spy: “I spy something that has the number 5 on it” or “I spy something that is round”
- origami
- hopscotch

Stay informed about your child’s learning

Stay in touch with your child’s school and educators. If you are unsure of your child’s progress or how you can support your child’s learning at home, ask your child’s educator for ideas.

You can also explore some of the learning activities, games and resources that your child’s educators may be using in the classroom, including resources from:

source: https://www.dcp.edu.gov.on.ca/en/kindergarten-overview/support-child

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