Our program | École Marie Gibeau

KINDERGARTEN

Known as the best on the South Shore, our kindergarten is the gateway to our elementary school. Although play time is still important in the learning process of children of this age, these periods are shortened to allow for greater development of the following abilities:

more advanced mathematical notions
fine motor skills
more refined communication skills
initiative and autonomy
self-respect and respect of others
concentration and continuous effort
self-discipline

ENGLISH, SPORTS AND TECHNOLOGY

École Marie Gibeau strongly values sports and arts and uses both to consistently incite a thirst for learning. Five hours of physical education, including one hour of karate, are integrated into the curriculum starting in kindergarten. Scientific studies have established a link between physical activity and academic performance; enhanced concentration and attention impact learning in many positive ways.

At the forefront in the field of education, Marie Gibeau proposes one to two weekly periods in the computer lab so that the children can sharpen their hand-eye coordination skills, boost their observation skills and improve their concentration through educational games related to reading, writing and mathematics. Classrooms are also equipped with interactive whiteboards.

Let us not forget that English has a privileged place in our Kindergarteners’ everyday lives. The Kindergarten is bilingual: children are taught in French half of the day and in English the other half.

Your child is entering kindergarten this year. This first stage of schooling, also known as preschool education, is of great importance for further education. It is now the beginning of the long journey that must lead him on the path of discovery and learning.

In order for your child to want to undertake this journey, he must take pleasure in it from the beginning and be encouraged to move forward continuously. This is one of the aims of preschool education. As you probably already know, the Quebec Ministry of Education’s education curriculum reform was applied to all schools. Since 2000, this reform also affects kindergarten. The program was therefore modified accordingly.

This year, your child will be experiencing a first contact with school. Regardless of the previous learning experiences you child has acquired before reaching kindergarten, École Marie Gibeau will welcome him/her warmly and take into account early life experiences. Every effort must be made to ensure that his entry into preschool education is successful and allows for:

The preschool education program is largely based on the professional expertise of the teachers, who will put their skills at the service of your child in order to promote his or her growth. They will take into account your child’s previous experiences to help them progress at their own pace through learning adapted to their age.

By organizing activities according to their needs and interests, students will be given the opportunity to meet challenges while being encouraged to exert effort and surpass themselves. The teacher will guide your child with activities that will capture interest and stimulate the desire to learn and to know.

Throughout the year, the teacher will inform you about the many facets of your child’s development. By observing him/her and helping him/her self-assess during classroom activities, he or she can tell you about his progress or difficulties. Your child will also be encouraged to talk about his/her own strengths and what could be improved. Thus, you will be better equipped to help your child.

The kindergarten program recognizes that play has always been an important part of your child’s development. Because play is part of your child’s world, the program uses it as a preferred learning medium to help expand knowledge and gradually prepare your child for entry into elementary school. For example, in addition to stacking blocks of wood just for the sake of building a house, your child will have the opportunity to explain how he/she proceeded and appreciate his/her realization. Thus, he/she will develop skills that allow him/her:

to express himself/herself
to work in groups
to take responsibility
to increase his/her imagination and creativity

Keep in mind that at this age, it is first by playing, for example by inventing a story or manipulating a puppet, that your child learns. This is why preschool education gives a place of choice to play as a means of learning.

The preschool curriculum allows your child to develop physically, emotionally and socially, as well as in terms of language and knowledge. To achieve this, he/she is trained to acquire and develop skills that will help him/her to live in society while stimulating his/her intellectual curiosity.

The program aims to awaken your child’s desire to discover the fascinating world that will surround him/her throughout primary education. The trip will seem all the more enjoyable because it will be possible to explore while having fun. What counts, in addition to the knowledge that your child will acquire, is the enthusiasm felt at the idea of learning more.

As the year goes by, your child will increasingly become a student who is interested in school and is responsible. He/she will be able to better use his/her judgment and make the right choices to move forward. At the end of this kindergarten year, your child will be ready to enter elementary school.

By living different learning situations, your child will acquire skills that will serve him/her all throughout life. For example:

By skipping rope or manipulating scissors with precision, your child will learn to coordinate their movements and act sensitively.
By taking initiatives and responsibilities, your child will affirm his/her personality
By sharing their games and ideas, your child will interact harmoniously with others
By building a story to tell classmates, your child will learn to communicate by using the right words and expressions
By observing, exploring and experimenting, your child will better understand the world around him
By drawing the plan of a cardboard house and building it, your child will become aware of the usefulness and the importance of moving ahead with projects

Because they take root in the daily life of your child, these different situations will promote the overall development of your child from the following points of view:

physical
affective
social
verbal
intellectual

In order for your child to successfully complete the first stage of the journey to the land of knowledge, it is essential that you accompany him/her on a sustained basis. As the first educator in your child’s life, you know his/her strengths and weaknesses. Since early childhood, you share a complicity and have learned to decipher his/her language (verbal and nonverbal) and even his/her silences!

Not only are you an indispensable partner for your child’s success, but you are also the pillar on which he/she will be able to rely at all times for:

emotional support that is necessary for progress
sharing of discoveries and emotions
progress towards a goal with confidence

COURSES AND SCHEDULE IN THE 5-DAY SCHEDULE FOR KINDERGARTEN