Welcome to Kindergarten
Coming Soon: Registration for the January 27, 2025 Live Virtual Kindergarten Information Session.
Kindergarten Registration for the 2025-26 school year begins on January 20, 2025.
Kindergarten Parent Guide
This TVDSB Guide gives caregivers all of the information they need to understand the Kindergarten Program and how their child will be supported as they begin their school experience. Within this guide are suggestions on what to bring to school, information about toilet learning, and links to helpful community resources.
View the Kindergarten Parent Guide (PDF)
The Virtual Live Kindergarten Information Session Recording
About Kindergarten
Kindergarten is a two-year, full-day program that focuses on creating a strong foundation of learning for children. Children are challenged through a developmentally appropriate play and inquiry-based program, which focuses on developing the whole child including areas such as Physical, Social, Emotional, and Cognitive.
Relationships are an important foundation, as educators work in partnership with families to support the child in everyday learning experiences. These opportunities build a variety of skills and behaviours that will assist children as they move forward as lifelong learners. (Ontario Ministry of Education, The Kindergarten Program, 2016)
In this video message, Dr. Jean Clinton, Child Psychologist, extends a warm welcome to new Kindergarten children and their families as they learn through play in our TVDSB classrooms. We are ready to learn with you at TVDSB!
The activities offered to your child are based on the Kindergarten program document, developed by the Ministry of Education. It is a program that capitalizes on the children's natural curiosity and their desire to make sense of their environment. Through exploration, investigation, and communication, your child will be excited about their learning.
Please note: The current student pre-registration system is not compatible with any mobile devices. Please use a computer or a laptop to complete your account set up.
Families are encouraged to register for kindergarten at capped elementary schools by February 2, 2024. Learn more about capped elementary school registration.
We are so excited to meet your child when they start Kindergarten this September! Thames Valley’s Kindergarten classrooms are safe places for children to meet new friends and socialize in rich learning environments.
Eligibility Requirements
Your child must turn four years old by December 31st to be eligible for junior kindergarten. To be eligible for senior kindergarten, your child must be five years old by December 31st. To register for grade 1, your child must be six years of age by December 31st.
Use our School Locator Tool if you aren't sure which school your child will be attending.
Register for Kindergarten and French Immersion (Grade 1)
Where space permits, your child may be eligible to attend English-language Kindergarten at the designated French Immersion school they will attend in Grade 1. To begin the process, a child must first register for Kindergarten at their designated English-language school.
Kindergarten Registration FAQ
| How do I register a child for Kindergarten at a Thames Valley School? What documents do I need to complete the process? |
| You can begin the registration process by visiting the TVDSB main website. Under the Parents tab go to the Kindergarten Program section and there you can begin the online registration process. During the online registration process, you will be able to find your child’s school by inputting your entire address including postal code. To complete the registration process, you will need to provide the school with proof of address and a copy of your child's identification. |
| How do I register my child for Before and After School care? |
| During the online registration process caregivers can indicate their interest in Before and After school care. To find out details about which Licensed Child Care Operator provides Before and After school care at your child's designated school, you can contact the school or visit the Early Years section found under the Patents tab on the TVDSB main website. https://www.tvdsb.ca/en/parents/Early-Years-Programs.aspx |
| How do I register my child for the school bus? |
| During the registration process you will want to check with your designated school to see if your child is eligible for busing. Caregivers will need to register their child with My Big Yellow Bus to ensure that they are included on the appropriate bus route. To do this you will need to visit, https://www.mybigyellowbus.ca/ |
| If I have a specific question about my child's particular individual situation or needs, who should I contact? |
| If you have an individual or specific question regarding your child, you should contact your designated school. This will help to ensure that information is shared with the appropriate staff and that families can be connected with the appropriate school specific contacts. |
| How can I share with the school about my child’s medical needs? What forms might I need to complete if my child has an allergy or needs medication? |
| During the enrollment process there is a section where you can provide information regarding medical needs and allergies etc. It is best to connect directly with your child's school so that you can share important information and provide any documentation that may be necessary. The school will provide caregivers with any forms that need to be completed to ensure the safety and health of each child. |
| How do schools and classroom educators communicate with families and caregivers? What is the best way to communicate with the school? |
|
There are many ways that caregivers can get incontact with their child’s school if they have questions, their child is going to be away, or they are looking for community resources. When you enroll your child with TVDSB you will gain access to School Messenger. This is an electronic system that all schools use to communicate with families and caregivers. You can also call the school during the day, where the school staff can support you in finding the information needed. TVDSB also has easy access to translator services to help reduce communication barriers. School staff can help families access phone and in-person translators to provide support for school events or meetings. |
| Will there be an opportunity to visit the school and classrooms before the starting in September? |
| In the late spring schools will host a “Welcome to Kindergarten” open house. During this time caregivers and children will have the opportunity to meet some of the school's educators and staff. They might also have the chance to visit a classroom and see other spaces in the school. Caregivers can also find school specific information on their child's school website under the Kindergarten Tab. |
| When is the first day of school for the 2025/2026 school year? |
| All students will start school on the first day of classes, which is the Wednesday after the Labour Day weekend. |
| What is the kindergarten registration process for capped schools? |
|
Siblings of current students can register at capped schools. Please register siblings of current students in-person at the school as you will be unable to select the capped school in the online registration tool.
To learn more, please read the notice posted to the news section of the TVDSB website. |
Hearing from Kindergarten Families
|
Resources provided by Southwest Public Health Unit |
|
Southwest Public Health is excited to provide families with a short video series featuring community experts and summer activities to try with your soon-to-be kindergarten. Family Health and Well-Being Nutrition and School Lunches Speech, Language, and Literacy Social and Emotional Health Movement Skills: Fine and Gross Motor Physical Health and Vision Closing Remarks |
Thames Valley’s Speech and Language Team has created the ‘Rock the Talk: Why Talking with Your Child Matters’ booklet, designed to help families support their children’s communication development. This resource outlines major areas of language and communication development and provides practical strategies for families to support their child in developing these skills and behaviours. This resource has been included for families as a PDF, as well as in video form, which includes a voice-over in English.
Virtual Kindergarten Tour
Is your child starting Kindergarten in the fall? You and your child can take a sneak peek of a Thames Valley Kindergarten classroom. As you walk through this virtual learning environment click and explore the various tags to access helpful links and learn more about what your child might experience at school.
Our Kindergarten educator teams are each comprised of a Teacher and Early Childhood Educator who provide many play-based learning experiences to meet each child's needs and interests. All children are offered opportunities to explore, investigate and learn with their friends both indoors and outside. We look forward to meeting your child!
Contact Us