Sunday January 26, 2020 ~ WEST SHORE & SOOKE
by Mary Brooke ~ West Shore Voice News
During the week of January 27 to 31 there will be General Kindergarten online registration for any children in Sooke School District 62 (SD62) who will turn 5 years old in 2020. That’s to start Kindergarten in September 2020.
SD62 has 19 elementary schools serving families in Langford, Colwood, Sooke, East Sooke, Highlands, Metchosin, View Royal and in Juan de Fuca up to Port Renfrew. The schools are located in Langford, Colwood and Sooke (and one in Port Renfrew).
Two specialty Kindergarten programs — Nature K and also French Immersion — had registration online during January 13 to 17. The popular programs saw full capacity registration, with overflow now being taken care of by lotteries.
“Registration for these programs of choice went well,” says SD62 Superintendent Scott Stinson.
“We had to have a lottery draw for John Stubbs French Immersion, and both Nature K programs (at Sangster Elementary and Saseenos Elementary). The numbers were large but not as large as we have seen in the past. We only have a few students wait-listed for Nature K and about 15 in-catchment registrations for John Stubbs French Immersion,” says Stinson.
“In all other programs we were able to accommodate those that registered,” the Superintendent said.
“We are working through the question of overflow now and how we will attend to any waitlists. We continue to refine the process based upon feedback (which we will gather from our schools over the next bit) in order to streamline the process and ensure clarity,” said Stinson.
Stinson says their general kindergarten registration which will give SD62 “a better indication of overall enrolment across the district and any areas of pressure that we need to attend to”.
Nature K is based on the principle of turning the outdoors into a classroom. Children spend all their instruction time outdoors, which is popular with some children and not others.
Regular indoor General Kindergarten (full-day Kindergarten at all SD62 schools in Langford, Colwood & Sooke) can be done by parents online at www.sd62.bc.ca starting at 8 am on Monday January 27.
==== NOTES:
The first version of this article was published on page 4 in the January 24, 2020 print-PDF edition of West Shore Voice News.
SD62 will be opening the 1995 time capsule at Lakewood Elementary School in Langford on February 3, 2020. All alumni of the school are welcome to attend.