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.

A government childcare subsidy is available. Parents are not required to fundraise for the program.

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.

Important Dates

March 27, 2020	Registration opens for new students for the 2020-2021 school year.
June 19	Registrations submitted after this date may not be processed until after summer break
August 20	Schools re-open - Registrations received over the summer break are processed
September 1	First Day of Full-Day Preschool at Duclos School
September 14	First Day of Preschool (half-day programs and full-day at Ecole Plamondon School)

Fee Schedules

Please click on the program you are interested in attending for information on what classes are available. Please note that fees for the 2020-2021 school year have changed. Updated fee schedules can be found below.

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

2020-2021 Parent Handbook

Our 2020-2021 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

2020-2021 Preschool Registration

Pre-registration for our existing Care to Learn Preschool students will start March 12, 2020. Parents will receive an email informing them that a form has been assigned to them in School Engage. Please follow the instructions for Existing Preschool Students below.

We will open registration for new students for the 2020-2021 school year on March 27, 2020. Please follow the instructions for New Preschool Students below.

Existing Preschool Students

Parents who currently have a child enrolled in our preschool program can register their child for 2020-2021 through the PowerSchool Parent Portal.

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.

If you have not already created your Parent Portal account, please follow the instructions on our Parent Portal page or Download the instructions as a PDF. Your school's administrative assistant can help you with accessing the Parent Portal if you are experiencing difficulty.

If you have already created your PowerSchool Parent Portal account, please log in and click on School Engage in the lower left hand corner. Click on Students and choose the child you wish to register. Select the 2020-2021 Preschool and Kindergarten Re-Enrolment Form on the right-hand side. Many of the fields on the form will be pre-filled with information your have already provided to us. Please update any information that may have changed, choose your options for next year, and 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 in School Engage 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 19, your registration may not be processed until schools re-open on August 20.

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.

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 2020-2021 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 in School Engage 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 19, your registration may not be processed until schools re-open on August 20.

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.

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. Please select the questionnaires that are closest to the age your child will be when they start preschool, fill them out and give them to your child's preschool instructor on the first day of school.