Parents in four Catholic District School Board of Eastern Ontario (CDSBEO) communities now have a new option when it comes to the education, and every day care, of their four and five year-old children. The schools are the first within the Board to offer full-day, every day, learning to kindergarten students, complemented by before and after school programs.

The Ministry of Education has approved the following schools as phase one sites for the new Early Learning Program:

• Holy Name of Mary Catholic School, Almonte

• Immaculate Conception Catholic School, Cornwall

• St. Francis Xavier Catholic School, Brockville

• St. Joseph Catholic School, Gananoque

The CDSBEO worked with our coterminous Board, municipalities, and the Ministry in choosing which sites would host the program. A number of criteria were carefully considered. The local needs of communities were explored to determine how a full-day kindergarten program could potentially benefit each community. In addition, each phase one site had to have appropriate facilities, which did not need extensive renovations to accommodate the program.

The Provincial Government announced that full-day, every day, learning will be available in approximately 600 schools across Ontario. The goal is to have the program implemented in all schools by 2015-16.

The program offers children a learning environment designed to help them develop the foundational social, emotional, academic and physical skills necessary to succeed in school and in life. The program will see teachers and early childhood educators work together to provide a rich learning environment during the regular school day. Our kindergarten students will have a chance to learn, play, and grow in their faith as they begin a Catholic educational journey rooted in the Gospel values of faith, hope and love.

Director of Education, Wm. J. Gartland, stated, “Early childhood education is a key to a successful education. Our Board is dedicated to nurturing our students in an education based on the Catholic virtues from the time they enter kindergarten until they become secondary school graduates. The Early Learning program gives us an extended opportunity to provide the basic fundamentals of education for our youngest students.”

The CDSBEO will also be offering parents the opportunity to enrol their child in a fee-based extended hours program at all four Early Learning school sites. “It is clear that another benefit of the program is having the ability to offer parents a before and after school program to complement the full day of learning,” added Mr. Gartland.

Registration for kindergarten, and all students, for the 2010-11 school year begins on February 1. Please contact your local Catholic school to register your child.

For more information, please contact CDSBEO Communications Officer Bob Perreault at 613-258-7757 or 1-800-443-4562 ext. 206 or 613-859-0678 (mobile).

The Catholic District School Board of Eastern Ontario operates 39 elementary and 10 secondary schools across 8 counties. The CDSBEO offers excellence in Catholic education through provincial-leading programs to approximately 15,000 students.