4.3 Full-Day Kindergarten and Childcare

    Welcome to the Louis Riel School Division’s Multi-Year Strategic Plan (MYSP) 2023-27 action pages. For each strategic action, we are diligently taking steps to achieve our goals. Together, these goals strive to create the best possible educational environment for students, staff, and community. On these pages, you will find answers to two key questions: What have we done so far? And where do we plan to be by 2027?

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    The Louis Riel School Division (LRSD) is already seeing positive impacts on students and families. This initiative is an important step toward supporting early childhood learning and well-being. 

    What have we done so far? 

    Thanks to a local taxpayer investment, Full-Day, Every-Day Kindergarten has been expanded to all 30 LRSD schools that offer Kindergarten. The addition of Full-Day, Every-Day Kindergarten helps address a growing need for full-day programming that supports working families and provides students with a nurturing and engaging learning environment. By extending learning time, students are given a stronger foundation to develop essential skills that will carry them throughout their academic journey. 

    The division is also taking strides to increase childcare spaces in our schools. 

    • As of September 2024, Full-Day, Every-Day Kindergarten is in full swing.
    • Completed classroom configurations to accommodate full-day classes.
    • Purchased necessary materials and equipment.
    • Conducted community consultation, particularly focusing on space concerns in École Sage Creek School, Island Lakes Community School, and École Van Belleghem.
    • Ensured that no childcare spaces were lost due to the implementation of Full-Day, Every-Day Kindergarten.
    • Consulted with childcare partners and the Department of Education's Early Childhood Learning division to create more spaces.
    • Expanded before- and after-school spaces at two schools—École Henri-Bergeron and École Provencher.
    • Began discussions about adding prefabricated childcare facilities, with plans for two 104-space centres and two 40-space centres.

    Where do we plan to be by 2027? 

    Full-Day, Every-Day Kindergarten is sustained and thriving. We continue to enhance our teaching practices and study the impact of this investment. 

    All families requiring before- and after-school childcare will be able to access fee-for-service programming in their catchment school at no cost to the taxpayer. 

    We will be working towards ensuring children attending preschool childcare in our schools will be connected to their catchment school. 

    • Partner with a third-party researcher to complete a review of Full-Day, Every-Day Kindergarten outcomes (qualitative and quantitative), including lived experiences of families and teachers.
    • Bring together Kindergarten teachers to share best practices and enhance capacity.
    • Bring together partners to incorporate land-based education in childcare learning.
    • Open a childcare centre in the new school serving the neighbourhood of Sage Creek Bonavista with a childcare provider.
    • Improve access to childcare centres.