Whitehaven Kindergarten School Age Centre understands that the early years are the most critical in a child’s development.
For children 2.5 – 4 years old
For children 3.5 – 5 years old
For children 6 – 12 years old
Download the Parent Handbook
The complete guide to how we operate at Whitehaven: policies, hours and answers to all of your questions.
Early Learning for Every Child
The quality of care and education that children receive sets the foundation for their lifelong learning, behaviour and health. Our Centre provides a carefully designed learning environment (Early Learning for Every Child Today) with stimulating play materials and age appropriate activities. The program at Whitehaven Kindergarten School Age Centre is carefully planned and delivered to help children develop a positive sense of self. Opportunities are provided to enhance social, emotional, physical and intellectual development.
At Whitehaven, children are encouraged to work together with staff to expand and develop a wide range of skills and competence based on an emergent curriculum that is spontaneous and responsive to their immediate interests. Children are offered a wide variety of activities and experiences such as creative, dramatic and language arts, science activities, outdoor experiences, field trips and special presentations from visitors in these areas.
We offer three programs: Full-Day Preschool Program for children 2.5 until they attend Kindergarten, Extended Day Kindergarten Program (on behalf of the Ottawa-Carleton District School Board) for children attending either junior or senior Kindergarten and a School Age Program for children up to age 12.
Our Preschool Room is bright and spacious with lots of windows. The room has various inviting learning centre areas to allow children to move from one centre to another at their own pace. A kitchenette, washroom facilities, children’s cubbie area, and the Centre’s Director’s office are also within the room. The Centre walls are used to display the children’s artwork – creations, and photographs of activities for parents and friends to enjoy. The room exit opens to directly access a spacious & secured playground with a new play structure and an extensive variety of seasonal outdoor toys and play materials.
The Preschool Program promotes learning through active investigation of a carefully planned learning environment.
The Preschool Program promotes learning through active investigation of a carefully planned learning environment, recognizing that play is a natural process. We support a child’s sense of wonder by encouraging curiosity, exploration and discovery. Each Learning Centre Area is designed to meet specific goals of our ELECT Framework (Early Learning for Every Child Today). Children are offered a wide variety of activities and experiences such as creative, dramatic, language arts, science activities, and outdoor experiences.
Early literacy and numeracy is taught through a wide variety of carefully chosen games, songs, and activities that provide children with active and fun learning experiences at a daily Circle/Storytime. Field trips, theme days and special presentations are also an important part of the program.
Our Kindergarten Program is tailored to meet the developmental needs and interests of children attending full day junior and senior kindergarten. We provide a wide variety of activities in order to meet the continuing development of knowledge, skills and abilities for all children attending our program. The experiences and activities we provide on a daily basis are meant to compliment the learning being received from the Kindergarten Full Day Learning Program.
Our program provides the children with a balance between structured and fun recreational activities.
Recognizing that kindergarten children have had a long day at school, our program provides the children with a balance between structured and fun recreational activities (dramatic play area, arts & crafts, listening to music, board games, and building manipulatives) in a relaxed environment.
Our staff plan the learning environment based on their observations of the children’s interests. Staff are following the ELECT Framework (Early Learning for Every Child Today) created by The Ministry of Education. Parents are encouraged to communicate with staff regarding their child’s changing interests. Letting staff know which parts of our program children are enjoying and responding well to will help staff plan for future activities.
Our School Age Program is aimed to fulfill the needs of our children in grades one through six. Understanding the impact a full school day has on the children; our program provides a needed change of pace after the school day in a relaxed atmosphere. Our program provides opportunities to teach children how to make responsible decisions, how to manage risk and how to respond to conflict. Children have opportunities to engage in: structured and unstructured activities, co-operative games, brain teasers, crafts, free play, and outdoor play in order to satisfy the need for individual and active play.
Our staff encourages responsibility, autonomy and leadership roles for our children transitioning into adolescence.
Staff is able to engage the children in the development of program plans for the group with which they work. Staff set up the room in a way that stimulates their curiosity and encourages their continued development and learning. Program planning is based on the children’s knowledge, skills and interests and staff is able to adapt the program quickly based on the children’s changing needs and interests. Planning styles change throughout the year depending on the length and type of program (e.g. before and after school, P.D. days, summer). Our staff encourages responsibility in all of the children and provides increasing opportunities for autonomy and leadership roles for our children transitioning into adolescence. Our School Age Program strives to provide a stimulating yet relaxed environment allowing for all children to create emotional bonds with other children and staff within their group.