Care to Learn Preschool

Care to Learn Preschool

Care to Learn Preschool is a provincially-licensed organization located in nine schools in Northern Lights Public Schools.

We are a developmental preschool, providing learning, growth and play opportunities for pre-Kindergarten aged children through music, arts and crafts, games, physical activity, early math and literacy centres, and more.

Our preschool program is designed to support families in their efforts to provide their preschool-aged child with the following essential skills:

independence;

decision-making;

imagination and creativity;

sense of community;

communication;

learning through exploration;

problem-solving;

feelings of value and self-worth;

and relating to others.

We offer many options for parents to choose from.

Our Three-Hour Program is available in the mornings and afternoons and there are options to attend either two or three classes per week. Not all options are available at every location due to enrollment numbers and staff availability.

The Three-Hour Program is available at Ardmore School, Cold Lake Elementary School, Duclos School, Ecole Plamondon School, Glendon School, Iron River School, North Star Elementary School, Vera M. Welsh Elementary School and Wandering River School.

We also offer a Full-Day option at Duclos School in Bonnyville and Ecole Plamondon School where children can attend preschool five days a week.

More information on program availability and fees is available in the Fee Schedules section below.

Please note our preschool programs (with the exception of the full-day program at Duclos School), follow the Northern Lights Public Schools calendar and there are no preschool classes on no school days.

2021-2022 Fee Schedules

Please note fees are subject to change on an annual basis so information from the 2021-2022 school year may not reflect what is being offered in 2022-2023 or the fees that will be charged.

Please click on the program you are interested in attending for information on what classes are available.

Ardmore School
Cold Lake Elementary School
Ecole Plamondon School - includes information on Full-Day program
Duclos School - includes information on Full-Day program
Glendon School
Iron River School
North Star Elementary School
Vera M. Welsh Elementary School
Wandering River School

2022-2023 Fee Schedule

Fee schedules for the 2022-2023 are still being finalized. Links will be posted once they become available.

Please click on the program you are interested in attending for information on what classes are available.

Ardmore School
Cold Lake Elementary School
Ecole Plamondon School - includes information on Full-Day program
Duclos School - includes information on Full-Day program
Glendon School
Iron River School
North Star Elementary School
Vera M. Welsh Elementary School
Wandering River School

2021-2022 Parent Handbook

Our 2021-2022 Preschool Parent Handbook includes important information about our program including:

Introduction and Goals
Registration and Fees
Supplies
Snacks
Policies and Procedures
Discipline
Illness
Communicable Disease
Lice
Accidents and Emergencies
Emergency Evacuation Procedure
Grievance Procedure

2022-2023 Parent Handbook

Our 2022-2023 Preschool Parent Handbook includes important information about our program including:

Introduction and Goals
Registration and Fees
Supplies
Snacks
Policies and Procedures
Discipline
Illness
Communicable Disease
Lice
Accidents and Emergencies
Emergency Evacuation Procedure
Grievance Procedure

2022-2023 Preschool Registration

Parents of our existing Care to Learn Preschool students will receive an email with information about pre-registration. A form will be assigned to them in School Engage for them to complete. Please follow the instructions for Existing Preschool Students below.

Registration for new students for the 2022-2023 school year will open on April 1, 2022. Please follow the instructions for New Preschool Students below.

New Prechool Students

If you are new to Northern Lights (no other children currently enrolled in our schools), please register using School Engage.
- We recommend using a computer (desktop or laptop) to complete forms in School Engage. Forms can also be completed on a tablet, but are not mobile friendly and we do not recommend using a smartphone to complete forms.
- Detailed instructions for registering through School Engage are included in our School Engage Parent Registration User Guide.
If you already have other children enrolled in a Northern Lights school, you can register your preschool student by logging into your PowerSchool Parent Portal account and clicking on School Engage in the bottom left hand corner of the screen.
- Detailed instructions are included in our Parent Registration Guide for Existing Parents.
- You will need to access the Parent Portal using a computer (desktop or laptop) in order to access registration forms. You will not be able to access the forms using the Parent Portal app.

Once you have accessed School Engage, please select the 2022-2023 Preschool Registration Form, fill everything out and submit the form. You will need to provide citizenship documentation as part of the process (birth certificate, passport, citizenship documents), so please have that available to upload. If you require assistance with filling out the form, please contact your school.

For tips on completing your registration form, please see the Tips for Completing Your Student Registration page.

Once you have submitted your form, it may take up to five working days (Monday-Friday, excluding statutory holidays) for us to review your form and availability in the class you have selected. You may receive a call from our division coordinator during that time to confirm details.

Please note that if you register after June 21, your registration may not be processed until schools re-open in August.

Once your enrolment has been confirmed, you will be sent instructions on how to pay your deposit through School Cash Online. If you need assistance in setting up or using School Cash Online, please contact your school.

Your space in the preschool program will be held for two weeks from the date your enrolment is confirmed. If you have not made payment by that time, your space may be assigned to someone else.

If you are experiencing difficulty paying the fee on time or need assistance with applying for the Provincial Government's Child Care Subsidy, please contact our Division Coordinator, Glenda Bouvier, at 780-623-4414.

Existing Preschool Students

Parents who currently have a child enrolled in our preschool program can register their child for 2022-2023 through the PowerSchool Parent Portal.

You will need to use a computer (desktop or laptop) to log in to the Parent Portal and access the registration form in School Engage. You will not be able to access the form using the Parent Portal app.

If you do not already have a Parent Portal account set up, please contact your child's school and they will assist you.

If you already have a PowerSchool Parent Portal account, please log in and do the following:

Click on School Engage in the lower left-hand corner.
Click on Students and choose the child you wish to register.
Select the 2022-2023 Preschool and Kindergarten Re-Enrollment Form on the right-hand side. Many of the fields on the form will be pre-filled with information you have already provided to us. Please update any information that may have changed and choose your options for next year.
Submit the form.

Detailed instruction are included in our Parent Registration User Guide for Existing Parents.

For tips on completing your registration form, please see the Tips for Completing Your Student Registration page.

Once you have submitted your form, it may take up to five working days (Monday-Friday, excluding statutory holidays) for us to review your form and availability in the class you have selected. You may receive a call from our division coordinator during that time to confirm details.

Please note that if you register after June 21, your registration may not be processed until schools re-open in August.

Once your registration has been approved, you will receive instructions on how to pay your deposit through School Cash Online.

Your space in the preschool program will be held for two weeks from the date your enrolment is confirmed. If you have not made payment by that time, your space may be assigned to someone else.

If you are experiencing difficulty paying the fee on time or need assistance with applying for the Provincial Government's Child Care Subsidy, please contact our Division Coordinator, Glenda Bouvier, at 780-623-4414.

Ages & Stages Questionnaires

Care to Learn Preschool uses the Ages and Stages Questionnaire (ASQ) as a developmental screening tool. We ask each parent to fill out an Ages and Stages Questionnaire and an Ages and Stages Social Emotional Questionnaire for each child enrolled in our preschool program.

The first five years of life are very important because this time sets the stage for success in school and later adulthood. This is optimal time for your child to learn through play and experiences. It is important to ensure that each child’s development is proceeding without problems during this period.

The Ages & Stages Questionnaire (ASQ) covers the following areas:

Communication: looks at the child’s language skills, both what he/she understands and what he/she can say.
Gross motor: looks at large muscle movement and co-ordination.
Fine motor: looks at hand and finger movement and co-ordination.
Problem-solving: looks at how the child plays with toys and the child’s problem-solving skills.
Personal social: looks at the child’s self-help skills and interactions with others.
Overall section addresses general parental concerns.

The Ages and Stages Questionnaire: Social-Emotional (ASQ-SE) complements the ASQ by providing information specifically addressing the social and emotional behaviour of children.

Copies of the questionnaires are available at each of our preschool locations. If you would like to complete the questionnaire please select the questionnaires that are closest to the age of your child and give them to your child's preschool instructor for scoring and review.

Open House Dates and Information

Our elementary schools will host Open House events on Friday, May 13 to provide families with an opportunity to visit our schools, get more information and ask questions about our Little Lights, Care to Learn Preschool, and Kindergarten programs.

Here is what is happening at each location (information will be added as details are confirmed for each school):

School	Time	Details
Ardmore School K-8, Preschool	May 13 - 9 a.m. - 12 p.m.	Explore our classrooms, meet the teachers and learn about our school.
Cold Lake Elementary #803 - 16 Avenue Cold Lake North K-3, Preschool	May 12 - 6-7 p.m. May 13 - 9-11 .m. and 12-2 p.m.	May 12 - Parent night with Q&A May 13 - meet teachers, tour classrooms and learn about our programs
Duclos School 4801 - 52 Avenue Bonnyville K-4, Full-Day and Half-Day Preschool	May 12 - 6:30-7:30 p.m. May 13 - 10-11 a.m. and 12-2:30 p.m.	May 12 - Kindergarten Cafe May 13 - Explore our early learning programs, meet the teachers and tour the classrooms and school!
Ecole Plamondon School K-12, Russian Language Program, Full-Day and Half-Day Preschool	May 13 - 9 a.m. - 12 p.m. and 12:30 - 3 p.m.	Come out to meet our teachers, see your classroom and have the chance to show off your talent at our learning stations.
Glendon School K-12, Preschool	May 13, 9 a.m. - 12 p.m.	Meet the teachers, see your classroom and ask any questions you may have.
Iron River School K-8, Preschool	May 13, 9:30 - 11:30 a.m.	A rural community school with grades from PreK to Grade 8. We would love for you to join our school family.
North Star Elementary 5520 - 50 Avenue Cold Lake South K-5, Preschool	May 12 - 6-7 p.m. May 13 - 10:30 a.m. - 12 p.m. May 13 - Booked Screenings 1-3 p.m. (book an appointment online)	May 12 - Parent Information Night May 13 - children can meet teachers, tour classrooms and learn about our programs
Vera M. Welsh Elementary 9912 - 103 Street Lac La Biche K-3, Preschool	May 12 - 4-7 p.m. May 13 - 9:30 a.m. - 3 p.m.	Meet teachers, play games and learn about our school.
Wandering River School K-6, Preschool	May 13, call the school at 780-771-3939 to make an appointment	Tour the school, meet the staff and complete activities in our classroom!