KINDERGARTEN

The Kindergarten years are a beautiful time of wonder and discovery for your child. With our low 8 to 1 student-teacher ratios, at Brookstone, we offer individualised, child-centred programming that honours your child’s natural learning styles, interests and curiosities, and allows them to find true joy in the learning process. The experiences your child has in the early years of their education can set the tone for their attitude toward learning. This is a responsibility that we take very seriously! We are honoured to support our youngest learners at this stage in their development and show them that they are indeed competent and capable little humans whose opinions matter and can make a positive difference in our world.

To ensure that our students are amply prepared for success in Grade 1, the Brookstone Kindergarten program recognizes and enriches the Ontario Ministry's Kindergarten Program (2016) the Kindergarten Addendum (2019) and the “Four Frames” in which a child’s growth and learning is categorised and assessed. Within a thoughtfully and carefully structured environment, our students have ample opportunities for free and guided exploration and development in all four frames. Our primarily play and inquiry based environment is complemented by opportunities for guided practice of all fundamental skills, or for more advanced learning for those that are ready. In addition to becoming comfortable with literacy, numeracy and scientific concepts, and exposure to the arts, children are supported to learn how to analyse information, think critically and solve problems. They are also able to practise and build the fine and gross motor skills necessary for pencil grip, cutting, colouring, writing and walking, running, jumping safely. Each student receives the specific support they need to grow their social-emotional skills as well, while they learn to regulate their emotions and socialise with others appropriately. By far the greatest benefit of a personalised program is that every student gets what they need to not only learn and grow, but thrive.

Four Frames of Kindergarten

Kindergarten students are infinitely curious and their natural sense of intrigue about the world around them is a powerful motivator to drive their investigations that will become their new learnings. At Brookstone we wholeheartedly support students in their quest for answers! Your child will be provided with opportunities to think deeply, ask questions, test theories, solve problems and refine their thinking skills. In doing so they learn so much about the world they live in and their ability to have a positive impact on it. These are the important building blocks for supporting children to become thinkers, as opposed to just knowledge receivers, and is the beginning of the leadership and innovative thinking that will continue to be supported in the later years of our program.

Problem Solving & Innovating

Self-Regulation & Well-Being

Kindergarten students are developing their ability to recognize and regulate their emotions, focus on a task and learn to understand consequences. At Brookstone, students learn that how they feel matters, and that others’ feelings matter too. Teachers and students work together on mindfulness strategies, breathing exercises, emotion scanning, and talking about their feelings and situations, coming together to create a community where every child feels heard, respected and supported to be and believe in themselves, and where mistakes are part of the learning process and progress is valued over perfection.

Demonstrating Literacy & Mathematics Behaviours

At Brookstone, students have access to engaging and meaningful activities that invite them to explore early Math and Language concepts and develop and apply this knowledge more formally when they are ready. We believe, as per the Emergent Curriculum, that children are most successful when curriculum experiences account for their interests, strengths, needs, and lived realities. As such, our program offers personalised opportunities for guided practice of all skills, through hands-on activities and games, experiential learning and pencil and paper activities or small group lessons. Whatever the activity, student’s are met where they are and well supported to progress as per their unique interests and abilities and see themselves reflected in their classroom. It’s no wonder even our youngest students are deeply engaged in their learning and love to come to school!

Belonging & Contributing

The development of meaningful relationships with and among our students and families is also a key factor in the Brookstone Kindergarten program. In a safe and caring, positive setting, where kindness and compassion abound, we support the important social skills necessary for your child to feel a sense of belonging, make meaningful connections at school and within their community. At Brookstone, we ensure your child will always feel seen, accepted, understood, and valued for who they are as they learn to navigate the world and all their new adventures within it. With great enthusiasm and warm and open hearts, it is our pleasure to welcome our Kinder friends into our loving, supportive environment and help them to see what positive contributions they can make.

A Glimpse of Our Amazing Days in Kindergarten at Brookstone!

Each morning your child is welcomed into our beautiful space with friendly smiles and warm words. They are free to explore the classroom and choose from the various open ended activities provided. Educational opportunities for development in Language, Mathematics, Science and the Arts, are always available and centre around your child’s interests and curiosities. Science experiments and investigations are conducted on topics that students wish to learn about. Drama, Dance, Music and Visual Arts are interwoven throughout the day and used as a mode of learning or to demonstrate learning wherever possible. For example: Singing is used to help teach the alphabet and demonstrate their knowledge of it.

We offer many opportunities for nourishment throughout the day, two snacks and a lunch period, however in keeping with our support of the development of their self-regulation skills, students are welcome to visit the snack centre any time they feel hungry and/or need a little break. We spend ample time outdoors where we play on our beautiful country school grounds, take part in lessons that enhance gross motor skills, learn about nature, investigate and explore. Each day children are provided with quiet time to stretch and meditate to refresh their bodies and minds as well as provide some time for reflection.

At the end of their day your child will have so many exciting stories to tell you about the amazing things they did at school! Although you may have already heard about their activities as we enjoy keeping our families in the know of what their little learner has been up to all day, via our SPACES app and face to face chats at the end of every day.

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