DSBN's kindergarten programs are designed to delight, surprise and engage
Kindergarten takes place in bright, beautiful spaces, and gives students the time and attention they need to play, learn, and grow.
Register For Kindergarten If your child was born in 2021, or turns 4 in 2025,
then they are ready for kindergarten!
Need to find your home school? Our School Locator tool will tell you exactly where it is!
Welcome to Kindergarten
Barkley is your child's friendly Kindergarten companion, and your guide to Kindergarten at the DSBN. Follow Barkley to learn all about what our Kindergarten program will offer your child and family.
Safety
Your child's health and safety is extremely important to us. We are consistently working with Niagara Region Public Health and the provincial government to ensure every DSBN school has effective and up-to-date health and safety protocols.
Day in Kindergarten
What is a typical day in Kindergarten like with us? Watch this video to hear from one of our Kindergarten teachers.
Explore a Classroom
Curious about what a DSBN Kindergarten classroom looks like? Virtually explore one of our classrooms.
What Does Learning Look Like in Kindergarten?
Your child will engage in the kind of learning Barkley loves the most: playing! Play helps stimulate a child's intellectual growth. Through different kinds of play, children learn how to reason and interact with each other, all while building a powerful foundation for a successful experience at school. Play-based learning in Ontario is designed to support your child's natural learning by focusing on four key areas:
Belonging & Contributing
In Kindergarten, students really begin to explore where they fit into the world and their role as community members.
Self-Regulation & Well-Being
Students matter as individuals. Learning in Kindergarten helps them to become more self-aware, and understand their own thinking and feelings.
Literacy & Mathematics Behaviour
Students show literacy with the language, pictures, and materials they use to express themselves. Using numbers and patterns during play strengthens their developing mathematics skills.
Problem Solving & Innovating
Kindergarten students begin to make sense of their world by asking questions, solving problems, and engaging in creative play.
Frequently Asked Questions
How old does my child have to be to start Kindergarten?
Your child's Kindergarten journey starts in the year they turn 4. To begin Kindergarten in September 2024, your child will have been born in 2020
What information do I need to register my child for Kindergarten?
To register your child for Kindergarten, please show proof of:
- Age: a birth certificate or baptismal record or passport
- Proof of Address: including any two of the following current documents: Utility bill (e.g. hydro, gas, water), cable TV, internet, or home phone bill, insurance policy (home, tenant, auto or life), mortgage statement, rental or lease agreement or deed, current purchase and sale agreement, property tax bill or notice of tax assessment. Original correspondence from a government agency or legal clinic may be accepted as a second proof of address document
- Register online! Begin the registration process here
How do I register for Child Care?
Register for child care by visiting the Region of Niagara's Child Care Registry: Click here
How do I register my child for Kindergarten?
Visit the Frequently Asked Questions about Kindergarten Page!
Have a question that wasn't shown here?
What do parents and students think of DSBN Kindergarten?
Preparing for the First Day of Kindergarten
Find Your Home School
Our School Locator tool will tell you where your child's home school is.
Transportation
Your child may qualify for a seat on the bus. The Niagara Student Transportation Service takes care of transportation at the DSBN, and you can find out if your child is eligible by clicking below.
Child Care at DSBN Schools
We work closely with several community partners to provide before and after school child care options.
EarlyON Child & Family Centres
There are five EarlyOn locations based at our schools, where you and your child can engage in educational experiences together.
First Day of School
September 3, 2024
"Thanks for learning all about Kindergarten with me. I can't wait to meet you and your family at school!"
