Kindergarten

Medicine Hat Catholic Board of Education is pleased to offer Kindergarten programming at all six of our Elementary Schools.

If your child turns five by December 31, 2025, they are eligible to start Kindergarten this upcoming September! Our Catholic schools offer morning or afternoon options in English and French Immersion. Children can attend a combination of half day Kindergarten and half day ELP in the same school day.  We are proud to provide a safe, caring and inclusive learning environment for all children! Come learn with us!

Who is eligible to attend kindergarten?

If your child turns five on or before December 31st of the year of entry into school. Use our Kindergarten Calculator to see if your child is eligible to start kindergarten this fall!

Kindergarten Calculator

When and where can my child attend?

Kindergarten programs are offered at all six elementary schools in the Medicine Hat Catholic School Division. 

Children can attend a combination of half-day Kindergarten and half-day Early Learning  in the same school day for a full day of learning and fun! Out of School Care options before and after school are also available to kindergarten-age children. 

Early Learning Programs

Out of School Care

What do we learn in Kindergarten?

Early Literacy A is for apple: Your child will begin to understand that letters have sounds and that together those sounds form words and carry meaning. 

Early Numeracy Learning numbers and solving problems with patterns: Your child will represent and describe quantities of things up to 10.

Citizenship & Identity: I am unique and I belong! Your child will develop a strong sense of identity, self-esteem and belonging by exploring their environment and sharing stories.

Environment & Community Awareness: What do I see, smell and hear in my community? How do I shape the environment? Kindergarten children explore materials, build structures and use technology to explore, investigate and describe their world.

Personal & Social Responsibility: I know how to act and how to work and play with others. Kindergarten children develop ways to express their feelings positively and to show respect and care for others.

Physical Skills & Well-Being:A healthy body is part of a healthy life. Your child will begin to develop a love for physical activity through movement, games, and activities.

Creative Expression: Beauty is in the eye of the beholder! Drama, art, music, and dance give your child ways to express their ideas and feelings, to bring their imagination to life and to see their creativity in a variety of forms.

Our Kindergarten Programs provide learning experiences that meet the developmental needs of all children. Children move through similar stages, but with their own pattern and at their own rate of development and learning. When children enter the Kindergarten Program there may be as much as a year's difference in age between the oldest and the youngest — one-fifth of their lifetime!

The learning expectations of the kindergarten program are adapted and modified to meet the needs of each child.

How do I prepare my child for kindergarten?

  • Talk often about kindergarten and reassure your child that it will be an exciting experience.
  • Attend the kindergarten open house in the spring and find out when your child can meet his/her teacher.
  • Arrange a tour of the classroom before school begins in the fall.
  • Take a picture of your child’s classroom and teacher in the spring before kindergarten starts.
  • Help your child develop a sense of responsibility. Encourage your child to look after his/her belongings.
  • Read with your child daily and have conversations about the books you are reading.
  • Provide opportunities for your child to interact with other children to promote the
    development of social skills.
  • Encourage your child to know his/her personal information (ie. First and last name and phone number).
  • Play and pray together.