Want to get a better understanding of the fundamental Principles of Full Day Kindergarten Within the GECDSB and at Belle River Public School? Read on!

The Greater Essex County District School Board believes that:

• children learn naturally

• all children can learn

• children begin to develop an understanding of numeracy and literacy before they come to school

• children learn best when learning is kept whole, meaningful, interesting and functional

• children learn best when they make their own choices

• children learn best as a community of learners in a non-competitive environment

• young children learn best by talking and doing in a social context

Our dedicated Kindergarten Staff are happy to answer any questions you may have about our Kindergarten Program.  The Kindergarten Program reflects the belief that four- and five-year-olds are capable and active learners, full of potential and ready to take ownership of their learning. It approaches children as unique individuals who live and learn within families and communities. The program aims to provide every child with the kind of support he or she needs in order to develop within the four frames:

• Belonging & Contributing

• Self Regulation & Well Being

• Communicating & Demonstrating Literacy and Math Behaviors

• Problem Solving & Innovating

Indoor and Outdoor Learning in FDK: A Focus on Nature

At Belle River Public School, we work hard to create the best possible learning environment for all our Bucs.  In our FDK classrooms, the learning environment includes indoor space, outdoor space, and learning materials. The learning environment that surrounds children is often referred to as the third teacher.

Nature is an integral in the design process of the indoor environment.  In our classrooms, you will see natural objects and collec­tions such as plants, stones, shells, tree branches, water, etc.

There is adequate space for children to work at learning centres including dramatic play, block/building, sand/water/sensory, science/technology/discovery, visual arts, reading/writing, and math.

We set up the classrooms giving consideration to active versus quiet learning areas with clear boundaries that define spaces. There is a flexible area for small group/individual experiences, an area for whole group meeting.

Our classroom materials are authentic (inclusive and reflective of the cultural diversity of the classroom and community), realistic (real kitchen supplies, dress-up clothing, etc.), and open ended (children can use them in their own ways). They support the children’s needs at their stage of development.  All learning materials and equipment are of good quality and in good repair. Baskets/containers are be labeled (using photos and/or children’s writing) and organized in such a way that they are easily acces­sible to the children.

You will also find projects and creations produced by the students should be carefully displayed at the students’ level to communicate an appreciation of their work and to promote reflective revisiting of what the child has learned.

Why is it important?

•Children explore their environment and learn about their world through play-based learning, and through relationships with peers and teachers.

•Effective learning environments enable children and teachers to build relationships and construct meaning together.

•Planning outdoor environments, bringing nature into the indoor environments and encouraging children to interact with nature fosters wonder and inquiry and “can take manipulative play beyond sorting plastic pieces at a table to limitless learning anywhere”

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Our Outdoor Learning Environment is a natural extension of the indoor learning environment.  The outdoor learning environment is seen as an extension of the classroom where learning occurs across all content areas, not as a place to visit if time permits. Our staff look for daily opportunities for our students to experience natural changes happening in their world (e.g., going outside on a rainy day, going on a nature walk to look for changes indicating the arrival of a new season, etc.).

Just as the indoor learning environment is equipped with resources to support opportunities for investigation, discovery, exploration, and observation, so does our outdoor environment.  Thank you to our Parent Council for providing a variety of outdoor exploration tools.

At Belle River Public School, we value both our outdoor and indoor learning environments. Feel free to book a tour of our classrooms at any time!