Kindergarten Registration

When can my child attend?

Your child is eligible for the two-year kindergarten program in the calendar year that they turn four or five.

Your child must attend school if they are age six by September 1.

How to register – Find, Register, Contact:

Note, only parents or legal guardians can register their children for school.

• Find your neighbourhood school in our School Locator tool or call 905-527-5092.
• Register online (link will go live when registration opens) to create an account, enter details and add your child to our student information system. If you have questions, please contact your local HWDSB school.
  • OR, Register in person at your neighbourhood school (unavailable during remote learning period).
  • OR, complete and print the Registration Form, also available at your school. You can submit a PDF forms via email. (See school email list.)
  • NOTE: Online registration and the digital submission of documents will be our only methods of registering new students until schools are able to reopen.
• Your elementary school will contact you via MS Teams to verify information submitted.
  • Required documents include:
    • Proof of age (child’s birth certificate or passport);
    • Proof of address (identification that shows parent/guardian’s current home address);
    • Proof of immunization;
    • Verification of date of arrival/immigration documents (if the child was not born in Canada).
    • If registered using our print method, bring a completed Kindergarten Registration Form, also available at your school.

During the two-year kindergarten program, your child will have an opportunity to learn:

The importance of families

You are are an important part of your child’s education!

Young children come to school capable, curious and rich in experiences. Important stages of learning and development occur between birth and six years of age in all areas of growth & communication, emotional, intellectual, physical and social.

Children learn at different rates and in different ways. Our team of educators recognizes the unique strengths, interests and needs of children entering our program and adjust teaching methods and materials to support their growth.

How to help your child prepare for kindergarten:

• Be responsive and positive & listen to your child
• Talk, read and sing to your child daily
• Encourage clear speech
• Encourage safe exploration and play
• Be selective in the TV shows you watch together
• Encourage independent toileting and dressing
• Promote sharing and co-operation
• Expose your child to painting, crayons and scissors
• Introduce your child to letters and numbers
• Visit your local library and family resource programs such as Early ON programs
• Complete the Looksee Checklist (see section below, Is my child ready for Kindergarten?) and review with a health and/or child care professional.

Remember, families help HWDSB schools learn about each child’s unique strengths, needs and interests.

The Looksee checklist

The Looksee Checklist is a simple, easy-to-use developmental tool designed to help monitor a child’s development from 1 month to 6 years of age, featuring a short list of  “yes” or “no” questions about the child’s abilities. With the vision of helping all children reach their developmental potential, the Looksee Checklist (formerly the ndds checklist) was created in 1993 by ndds, a Canadian non-profit organization made up of early childhood specialists. In the 25 years since, it has been translated into over 10 languages and has helped thousands of children worldwide through initiatives with organizations like the Ontario Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services and World Vision.

Is my child language-ready for school?

Many parents considering kindergarten wonder if their child is ready for school. In addition to the Looksee Checklist, HWDSB staff offer the following guidelines for early language.

By age four, your child should:

• Follow simple directions with two or three steps (e.g. Get your boots and hat and meet me at the front door)
• Pronounce words like children their age
• Be understood by people they don’t know most of the time
• Speak in sentences that sound about the same as an adult’s
• Use endings on words like dogs, jumped, or biking
• Play a pretend game and describe it to you in enough detail for you to understand
• Ask questions about a book you just read together, like “Who was your favourite character?”
• If your child is unable to do the things listed above, a speech-language pathologist should meet with your child.

This can be arranged in Hamilton through Early Words, a publicly funded organization that provides speech and language services to pre-school children. You can also visit a Check It Out Clinic with no appointment necessary.

Call (905) 381-2828 to register your child before June 15 so your child is eligible for Early Words services in kindergarten. There is no cost to families. Find more information.

The Hamilton Child Care Registry is an online registry that makes it easy to find and apply for licensed child care in Hamilton. If you require financial help, you can apply for a fee subsidy with your Hamilton Child Care Registry account.

For details on child care at HWDSB schools, please visit our Child Care web page.

Children enter kindergarten with various needs and abilities. At registration, please tell staff if you have any concerns about your child starting school. We have many resources to support language development, behaviour concerns and special needs in the classroom. We want all children to have a positive and seamless transition to school.

Find out how HWDSB supports your student with Special Needs.

Hamilton-Wentworth Student Transportation Services (HWSTS) provides transportation for eligible HWDSB kindergarten students if the walking distance to their home school exceeds 1.2 kms.

HWSTS mails a letter to eligible students in mid-August detailing the online parent information portal and busing.

We take student safety seriously and believe that our youngest riders deserve support as they start to ride a school bus. Each summer, HWSTS offers First Rider orientation and safety training sessions for kindergarten students and guardians. In sessions about 45 minutes long, students and their parents

watch a bus safety video, ride on a school bus, and receive an introduction to all the safety features on the bus. Students will receive an information package and a certificate with their name on it.

Details are posted online each June about the First Rider programs, locations, dates, and eligibility.

Can my child attend kindergarten part-time?

Kindergarten is not mandatory, and parents can choose to have their child attend kindergarten on a part-time basis. Schools will explain how part-time attendance would be structured (e.g. half-time mornings/afternoons etc.) Your child can begin full-time attendance when you feel they are ready.

Does my child need to have learned to use the toilet?

All children have a right to attend Kindergarten in the calendar year they turn four years old. Children arrive with diverse abilities and needs, and all are welcome at school. HWDSB staff will work with parents on ways to help children with toileting support, and a school plan that meets each child’s needs and honors their dignity. If a child is not toilet trained by age four, the Canadian Pediatric Society recommends a visit with your family doctor. HWDSB schools have standard sized toilets. Find more information at www.caringforkids.cps.ca/handouts/toilet_learning

What if my child still naps?

Each child is unique and the rate at which they adapt to school will vary. Educators strive for a sense of calm in the classroom and provide large blocks of time to engage children’s attention in sustained, complex play and inquiry. There is no dedicated nap time in Kindergarten. Educators respond to the variety of needs in the class by providing children with a mix of experiences and calm learning opportunities, that fit their energy levels.

Find A School

Key Resources Countdown to Kindergarten Handbook Kindergarten Handbook Insert for 2021-22 Online Student Registration Form Student Registration Form 2021-22 Child Information Form for families at registration Before and After School Programs 2021-22 Indigenous Education Learn More Countdown to Kindergarten Postcard – overview of HWDSB process Eye See…Eye Learn – eye exams and glasses 100 Books to Read Before Starting Kindergarten City of Hamilton Early Years Programs and Services Full-Day Kindergarten – A question and answer guide for parents Finding Child Care – City of Hamilton Cool Little Kids Brochure – anxiety prevention for primary grade students Canada Learning Bond -Human Resources and Skills Development Canada The Looksee Checklist – developmental tool for families and professionals