All-Day Kindergarten
Our full-time kindergarten program encourages children to learn through play, and to discover who they are in the traces of God’s presence in and around them.
Full-time Program
At St. Ignatius School, we take great pride in our kindergarten program. Directed by a teacher and an educational assistant, our kindergarten class enrols a maximum of 25 students.
Students attend kindergarten full time. Kindergarten students receive about 110 minutes of music instruction, 150 minutes of physical education per cycle and 110 minutes of basic French instruction per school cycle.
Read the Kindergarten Program Overview for more information.
“Man does not cease to play because he grows old; he grows old because he ceases to play.”
G.B. Shaw
The Importance of Play
Play is an essential part of learning and is the basic ingredient for development in the kindergarten classroom. Play affects a child’s self-concept as well as all aspects of his/her development: social, emotional, intellectual, creative, language, moral and physical.
So, what exactly is play? Play, for the child, is like thought or work for the adult. Through play, children are able to express their thoughts and needs as they explore, experiment, plan, pretend, practice skills, imitate, think, solve problems and use language. For children, learning and play are synonymous.
Before entering kindergarten, play is the primary learning vehicle for children. That continues when they begin school. Play is where children develop an understanding of the world. Studies show that the most effective way to teach young children is to capitalize on their natural inclination to learn through play.
Because play requires participants to be actively involved in an activity, it’s self-rewarding and self-governing for students. Through play, the process of creating, building, or role playing far outweighs the final products that may result. Play encourages children to plan and to organize; thus making their world increasingly predictable.
Theological Orientation
Jesus said “Let the little children come to me; do not stop them; for it is to such as these that the kingdom of God belongs” (Mark 10:14).
Our religion program, In God’s Image, nurtures kindergarten students as they discover who they are in the manifold traces of God’s presence in and around them.
The Earth, the sun, the moon, the change of seasons, the growth of plants and animals — all bear God’s traces. In their uninhabited excitement and wonderment, children feel these traces of God. They experience the world with an innate sense that it’s a gift to be touched, smelled, tasted, seen and heard. In this unique way, children respond to the gift of God’s creation.
In God’s Image invites children to see the earth and all it contains as a display of the glory of God. The wonderment and awe are kept alive in children, leading them into wisdom and allowing them to experience life as a trace of God. To help children recognize the many traces of God around them is to lead them into God’s presence and to make them friends of God. This is what In God’s Image celebrates.
Faith Development Themes
The major faith development themes in kindergarten are:
- Me
- Earth Times
- Church Times (The Christian story as it unfolds throughout the year)
- Special Days
- Community
- Plants
- Animals
- Changes
Each theme includes stories from the bible, songs, and activities to help children learn about themselves and God’s creation. The goal is that each child feels unique and gifted, and that they belong to God’s family.