Hermione

So, confused is probably not the word when it comes to the schooling system here and all the different options.....

We have 2 boys, currently aged 3.5 years and 21 mths, and they are both in full time day care. I've been trying to do some research on kindergarten and seems #1 son could start in the school year when he will be 4 at March (he turns 4 this September - therefore, theoretically, he could start next March 2012....??) But I have no idea about school hours, if kindergarten is free and if not, what sort of cost would be involved, or is it worth keeping him in day care, which has a number of qualified teachers working there so he is already getting a good degree of structured academic learning..... Would we save any money putting him in kindergarten + the cost of out of school care?

Also confusing is the yellow bus service, which I understand only serves certain areas, and some schools seem to close either half or full day each week.

Then, I understand from colleagues that theoretically, you are entitled to send your child to any school of your choice, regardless of location, catchment area, religion, etc, but when reading the ECSD (Catholic

Any advice from some of you more seasoned Expats would be greatly welcomed!

Many thanks

Hermione

ctraveler

Yes your son would be able to start school, Kindergarten next year. For the most part elementary school is free. You have to pay for school supplies (pencils, books, etc) and any additional activities but that is all. All schools have different timings for their Kindergarten classes, most are a half day but they do vary between schools. So yes you would be saving daycare costs by sending your oldest child to Kindergarten.

Most schools have open evenings for parents where you can go and get information on the school and how things work. I would suggest going to some of these and finding out all the details and getting a feel for the school. If you are not able to do that, then call up the school office and they will be able to accommodate your queries. Again with the bus service this varies between schools and where you live. If you use this service there is usually a monthly fee. If you live reasonably close to the school you are usually expected to walk your child to school

I see you are in Edmonton. You will have a choice of public or Catholic schools and you can send you child to whatever school that you like. (There is a small private school sector but not widely used).

The best thing to do is to get on the phone to the schools that you are interested in and pay them a visit, then you can know what times their classes are and what they offer. This is the best way to narrow down your options.

TheThornes

Hi. I agree with what ctraveler has said and that each area and school will vary.

My youngest turned 5 last September and that was when he started Kindergarten. All we have had to pay was a registration fee and then some various sundry costs throughout the year for extras and trips etc.

Regarding the school buses, in our area we pay an annual fee although this year, for the first time, Kindergartens get free travel. This is because Kindergarten classes here are half day programs and so they only get to ride the bus one way so their fees have been waived. They do still have to apply for a pass however. This may well not be the case in Edmonton, I couldn't say.

Here, you would be unable to get a pass if you live within a certain distance from the school; ie. so close that you can walk - I forget the stipulated distance but generally, all other areas that are deemed within a reasonable catchment area for a school would be covered. Bus routes can be altered to accommodate additional students/areas if need be. I am in fact a school bus driver and my route has had extra stops added where students have moved into the area but to a part where the bus at the time didn't go.

The website for your local school board will probably have a link regarding transportation where you can get all the details.

ann m

Are you planning on working full-time yourself? This may prove to be the more difficult point to arrange children around.

For the kindergarten year, you may be offered a morning or an afternoon slot, so will need to sort out other childcare around those hours and/or arrange for someone else to do dropping off/picking up for you.

Hermione

I do work full time which is why I need to weigh up the options of whether the wraparound out of school care is do-able and feasible, whether the school buses drop off at wherever the out of school care is located, or if I should just keep them both in full time day care until they start school properly - aged 6....? If they don't HAVE to attend kindergarten, I'm thinking I should probably keep them where they are as they get academic & social stimulation there too...

Thanks for the advice so far peeps. We'll definitely start looking at some open days when the next round starts to be advertised - maybe we'll have our permanent residence by then and a better idea of where we're going to be living long-term (just renting at the mo - not gonna take the leap of faith and sell up back home until that PR card is in the bag!)

Steve_P

Assuming you will be sending your children to the Edmonton Public School Board and not the separate (Catholic) system.

From the Edmonton Public Schools website. http://programs.epsb.ca/early-years

The 22 schools are listed here. http://programs.epsb.ca/full-day-kindergarten-locations along with a list of schools that provide daycare here. http://programs.epsb.ca/school-daycare-program-locations

Hopefully this is of some help.

gryphea

I had a daycare that picked up and dropped off at school (they walked) for KG and later grades. Dayhomes often do this too.

If edmonton is anything like Calgary the full day kindergartens are located in places of high need; where the kids really need and benefit from full day KG. These may not be the areas you want to live.

Having said that there ware way more full day offerings in Edmonton so maybe thats not the case- but something to look into

Hermione

Thanks both. Those links are really useful. I'm pretty sure the day care they are in now has some sort of out of school care program as I've seen older kids coming & going from time to time, but it's not something I've asked them about as yet and I don't know which schools they serve.

I'm sure it'll work itself out in the end - I just don't want the kids to slip through the net in terms of starting school too late!

jennianne

Hi

My son is in Kindergarten in Stony Plain we had to pay a school fee but no supply list for kindergarten they supply everything. He started at 5 he goes full days 2 days one week and 3 days the other he gets the school bus which is free for us as we live far enough away from the school.

Hermione

I take it you don't work then? I work full time, as does hubby, so the part time school thing with no out of school care, won't work for us.

jennianne

i work part time evenings and weekends as we have no family here

No1_mom

In London, we decided not to put our son in Junion K as his nursery was so good, and we didn't like the option of alternative days, but this year we have to put him in. I know we coudl change nurseries but he has been there fromthe beginning and are sooooo good with him, he is more advanced than he woudl have been going to JK. We are lucky we do not have to get the bus, but he will still be alternative days odd or even.

We haven't been charged a registration fee, but do have a big list of items he has to buy for starting.

Last year because we considered starting him and also this year he was invited to 4 'school days' where he went along to meet his fellow students and meet all the staff. He had a ball and is now desperate to go to school


I wish we could take the good out of each country and put it in one location and end up in a dream world - yeah, it will never happen.

I really prefer the Scottish schools system at starting full time for children born between March and August who start school in August at between 5½ and 5 years old, and those born between September and February start school in the previous August at between age 4 years 11 months and 4½ years old.

Hermione

Why do you have to put him in? Is it some mandatory requirement at a certain age? (Don't want to pry if it's for personal reasons....)


It did seem much more simple back in the UK, although that may simply be because we're used to it. I know of friends who's kids started school in the UK only doing a couple of hours a day for a few weeks, before it was increased to full time, which sounded an absolute nightmare to me.