Kindergarten info sessions for parents

Parents in Saskatoon can get a glimpse inside the city’s kindergarten classrooms at open houses hosted by the public and Catholic school divisions this month.

Kindergarten student enrolment continues to climb.

The Catholic and public divisions recorded a combined increase in population of 158 students between Sept. 30, 2016 and Sept. 30, 2017. Over the course of January, the public division is holding 47 open houses and the Catholic division is holding 38 info sessions.

“It’s really to learn more about the culture, the community and what (the schools) have to offer,” said Joanne Weninger, the Catholic superintendent responsible for early learning.

For many parents, having a child in kindergarten is their first experience returning to school life, she said, noting it’s likely a different world than when they attended classes.

As a result, the scope of the information sessions usually goes beyond early-years education.

“We want to them to not only learn about what kindergarten will look like, but what the whole Pre-K, or Kindergarten to 8, experience is,” Weninger said.

Information about the open houses and information sessions is available online.

Parents and students have an opportunity to tour facilities and ask questions of staff. The open houses also provide parents a chance to relay information they feel is important about their child before the start of the year.

People who are unable to attend are encouraged to reach out to their school’s principal and staff to set up an alternative time to get an introduction to a school and its staff.