Tonight, before bed, Little Oats asked me to tell her a story about school. Ever since I mentioned, offhand, that kindergarten registration starts in a few weeks, she has been obsessed with the idea of going to school. She asks me to painstakingly outline every aspect of her day; what she will pack, how long the walk will take, who will be in her class, what kind of activities they will do. A lot of these questions are met with ‘I don’t know’- because I don’t know who her friends will be, what her teacher’s name is, or what activities she will do each day. But she takes it all in stride, and just tells me to ‘guess’ and ‘imagine.’ So I do.

When does school start?

Here in Ontario, ‘real’ school starts the year you turn four. Junior kindergarten is the first step, and in recent years it has transitioned from a half day/every other day program to a full day every day program. As long as you turn 4 before December 31, you can start in September. Some parents will choose to keep their kids back if they have later birthdays, but (at least around here) red shirting isn’t really something that happens. I didn’t really realize what a foreign concept kindergarten at age four was, until I posted something on Facebook and was bombarded by Hellobee friends whose minds were blown.

After junior kindergarten comes senior kindergarten, then grades 1-8, 9-12, just like in the States. Preschool or pre-k isn’t a set program here, like it is elsewhere. If you’d like your kids to have a bridge between home and school or daycare and school, there are private preschools available. Most kids I know go right from daycare into school though; preschool programs are often expensive and specialized. The coolest concept I’ve seen in Ontario is Forest schools; schools that are primarily based outdoors. There’s a Forest kindergarten in our area, and if it were closer to our house at all, or province-funded, we would definitely consider it!

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What is school like?

Once we’ve exhausted the topic of WHEN she will go to school, Little Oats wants to know what will happen at school. Our county switched to a ‘two break’ system several years ago. I thought it was the strangest thing, but now that I have an active three year old, I totally understand! When I was in elementary school, we would have a 15 minute recess in the morning, a 60 minute lunch at noon, and another 15 minute recess in the afternoon. School was from 9am to 3:20pm, and we were outside 3 times a day. Now, there is more of a focus on nutrition and exercise, rather than just shovelling your lunch in as fast as you could before running to play outside.

At around 10am, there is First Nutritional Break. Kids eat a large snack/half of their lunch, then have a good chunk of time outside. Then, around 1pm, there is Second Nutritional Break where kids eat their second large snack and have more time outside. This segments the day into bigger chunks for learning, and also allows more eating time. School still goes roughly from 9am to 3pm, but this varies from school to school.

Kindergartens here run on a ‘play-based’ curriculum, with a lot less focus on sitting and learning through worksheets, etc. (certainly compared to when we were in school!). There are many active learning centres, and a focus on experiences, imaginary play, and cooperation.

What do I bring with me?

Elementary schools in Ontario typically don’t have cafeterias or lunch rooms. Kids bring their snacks and lunches, and eat in their classrooms. Some teachers will have their ‘planning time’ during lunch, and another teacher or classroom volunteer will supervise the class while they are eating. The large majority of schools here are peanut and tree-nut free, which means that peanut butter sandwiches and Little Oats’ favourite granola bars are off the table as far as lunch is concerned. Since switching to the two break system, it is recommended that kids are sent with either two separate lunch bags, or two clearly defined ‘meals’; that way, kids aren’t eating everything at first break, only to be left starving by 1pm.

School supplies are typically supplied by the school board, though there will be a list of things to bring. I’ve heard stories of teachers in the States shelling out huge quantities of their own money to supply their class with things like Kleenex, pencils, and art supplies. As far as I know, in our county at least, this isn’t often an issue. Sure, sometimes teachers will ask for help collecting special materials for class projects, and every kid brings their own pencil case, notebook, etc. But for the most part, at least in kindergarten, everything is provided.

Indoor and outdoor shoes are another concept that totally intrigues Little Oats. We don’t wear shoes in the house; in fact, I don’t know a single Canadian family who DOES wear shoes in the house. This is a concept totally foreign to us, and I didn’t even realize that shoes could be worn inside until I was like 20. That being said, indoor shoes are crucial for school. At least 8 months of the year, the ground is covered in snow, slush or some hybrid. Another two months, everything is muddy and gross. Switching shoes just makes sense. I’m sure indoor/outdoor shoes are an American idea as well….but I’ve been wrong before! Little Oats is just thrilled that she gets to pick TWO new pairs of shoes.

What about holidays?

My frame of reference for American schools is pretty limited to what I know from my family who lives in Florida, and what I’ve seen on TV. That being said, if I’m being told correctly, school in the States often starts in late August and ends in late May (true?). In Ontario, we start after the Labour Day long weekend in September, and the last day of school is typically the last week of June. We have a good sprinkling of PA Days and holidays throughout, and March Break happens the second or third week in March. Kids get about two weeks off at Christmas, and we’ve got a few statutory holidays that are unique to us (Family Day in February, Victoria Day in May). Summer vacation lasts for 2 months, which is pretty good because SUMMER typically only lasts for two months. So it’s all good.

After we’ve covered all of these topics (maybe a little less in depth and with more discussion about the exact COLOUR of her indoor shoes), Little Oats is ready for bed. Soon enough, she’ll be in school all day every day, and chatting about the details at night won’t be so exciting. But it’s interesting to get a glimpse of kindergarten through a 3-year-old’s eyes.

Who else has a kiddo starting kindergarten in the fall? Does Canadian kindergarten sound as bizarre as some of my American friends have led me to believe?