Our Kindergarten Panel

Junior Kindergarten & Senior Kindergarten

At La Citadelle, Kindergarten is where the French language comes alive. These are the key years in which children begin to live in a second language, using it to communicate, discover and create. Kindergarten is also where children are introduced to the Arts & Science philosophy that gives our school its name, and to the balance of learning and character formation that guides them through to graduation. With classes capped at twelve, every child receives the devoted attention these formative years require, and every child is seen.

Key Features

• Small classes, so every child is seen: capped at twelve children per class.
• French as a living language: French is the language of daily learning, and no French is required at entry.
• An Arts & Science education: a holistic philosophy that balances the creative, the logical, the physical and the personal, introduced in Kindergarten and deepened each year to Grade 12.
• Character formation alongside academics, in partnership with families.
• The French syllabic method for reading, preparing children to read and engage in both official languages.
• A writing journey that includes cursive from the start.
• Mathematics one year ahead: Junior Kindergarten covers Junior and Senior Kindergarten content, and Senior Kindergarten works at the Senior Kindergarten and Grade 1 level.
• Specialist educators in Mathematics, Art, Music and Physical Education.
• Mathematics and sciences taught in French, through visual, oral and written communication.
• Play based, discovery based and structured learning, balanced with artistic and wellbeing programs.
• All workbooks and notebooks provided, along with a La Citadelle knapsack.
• A full day, 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., included in the fees.
• Four report cards a year, Parent-Teacher interviews, and daily engagement between parents and teachers.
• Part of the school community: children take part in daily school life and school wide events.

French as a Living Language

La Citadelle does not require families to be francophone. The school is devoted to teaching every child both French and English, the official languages of Canada, and is committed to bilingualism in Canada. Languages are central to communication. Giving every La Citadelle student two official languages allows them to explore other cultures, connect with a wider world and take their place in it with confidence.

Children enter our Kindergarten from all backgrounds: some speak no French, some speak a little, and some speak only their mother tongue. They are immersed in French through music, songs, plays and group projects, so the language becomes part of how they think, play and express themselves. Parents who do not speak French themselves can be assured that their children develop the language naturally and with confidence.

The Reading and Writing Journey

Our Kindergarten uses the French syllabic method for reading. Children learn to combine sounds into syllables and syllables into words, which gives them a clear, structured way into reading. This foundation prepares them to engage fully in both official languages. Kindergarten is also where children begin their writing journey, learning both cursive and print, so that writing develops alongside reading as a means of communication.

Mathematics and the Sciences

Mathematics at La Citadelle is taught at a higher level from the earliest years. Children learn mathematics both with a specialist and in class with their homeroom teacher. Junior Kindergarten covers Junior and Senior Kindergarten content, and Senior Kindergarten works at the Senior Kindergarten and Grade 1 level, in preparation for La Citadelle’s advanced mathematics program, which runs one year ahead. Mathematics and the sciences are taught in French. Through visual, oral and written communication in these subjects, children strengthen their abilities in every area, and small classes give each child the specialist attention needed to discover and understand.

The Specialist Educator Model

Kindergarten is where children are introduced to La Citadelle’s specialist educator model. Instead of learning every subject from a single homeroom teacher, children take Art, Music and Physical Education with specialist educators. English is not taught formally in Kindergarten. Through these specialist classes, however, children learn to navigate learning and instruction in English, which builds a natural foundation for the formal study of English that begins in Grade 1. These programs nurture creativity, physical wellbeing and an appreciation for the arts. They also introduce children to different teaching styles and subject based expectations, which prepares them for formal learning.

An Arts & Science Education

The words Arts & Science in our school’s name express our holistic philosophy. A complete education includes every facet of a child’s learning and daily routine: creative and logical thinking, artistic expression and scientific inquiry, physical activity and healthy habits, and the wellbeing of the whole child. When all of these are part of each day, children develop balance, depth and proficiency, and they grow into well rounded learners. This philosophy is introduced in Kindergarten and is expanded and deepened year over year, through to the Grade 12 graduating year.

Academic achievement is essential, and at La Citadelle it is balanced with character formation. Guided by our values of excellence, compassion, respect, integrity, achievement and harmony, and in partnership with families, we help each child develop into a well rounded student who can take on more each year with confidence, joy, curiosity and a spirit of inquiry.

Every Child Is Seen

At La Citadelle, every child is seen. We cap our Kindergarten classes at twelve so that our educators can devote attention to each child, follow each child’s progress closely and support each child’s growth. Children who join us with no French receive the support they need to thrive, and children who are ready for more are given room to go further.

Prepared for the Elementary Panel

Through play based, discovery based and structured learning, balanced with artistic and wellbeing programs, La Citadelle’s Kindergarten prepares children for the structured and balanced learning environment of the Elementary Panel. In Grade 1, formal English as a first language is introduced alongside additional subjects, and children arrive ready, confident and proud of all they have learned.

Home and School, United Around the Child

We understand that families work and need to know their children are safe, happy, learning and properly supervised. Kindergarten fees cover the full day from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Families receive four report cards a year and meet with teachers at Parent-Teacher interviews, and parents and teachers communicate daily. Home and school stay united around each child, their learning, their character and their wellbeing.

Financial Information

Included in Kindergarten Fees

• The full day, from 8:00 a.m. to 4:30 p.m.
• All workbooks and notebooks
• An LCA  knapsack

Additional Costs

• Uniform
• Annual School Fees (Parent Committee, Student Council, Building Fund & Student Personal Account fees)
• After school care: 4:30 p.m. to 5:30 p.m. for $1,500 annually
• Hot Lunch Program

Admission

The Kindergarten Panel welcomes children entering Junior Kindergarten and Senior Kindergarten.

No French is required.

Places are limited, and priority is given to siblings of current students, to children continuing from our Daycare Panel, and to referred families.