Our Preschool is operated by the NSCS and offered at the North Shuswap Elementary School. In order to attend, children should be at least 32 months old (36 months old by December 31st), and may attend for up to two years, until they are school aged. Preschool starts on the Monday after Labour Day in September, and continues until the Friday before the last week of school in June. Preschool is in session Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays from 8:00 AM until 12:00 noon. You may bring your child to the Preschool (StrongStart) room any time from 8:00 to 9:00. Our formal start for all children is 9:00. Preschool is not in session on school professional development days. These usually occur on Monday or Friday, about six times over the course of the year. We will provide written notice in advance of when these days occur. Information can also be found by searching “SD83 Calendar” online

Our Philosophy of Early Learning and Child Care

Our Early Learning and Child Care Philosophy is grounded in the British Columbia Early Leaning Framework; in the Purpose, Vision and Values of the North Shuswap Childcare Society; and in evidence-based best practices in the field of Early Learning and Child Care (ELCC)

Our preschool program provides guided play experiences that are specifically designed to promote social-emotional learning, language development, cognitive learning, self-regulation, fine motor learning and physical education. Educator-facilitated guided play situates the natural motivation and joy of child-directed play within a carefully prepared learning environment, resulting in meaningful authentic, inquiry-based learning experiences.

We proactively support inclusion and diversity. Over time, our preschool children form their own small community based on independence, responsibility, helpfulness, understanding and acceptance. We encourage children to struggle with self-care tasks, work together to solve problems, express feelings, pay attention to the feelings of others, and take small managed risks. We help them believe in their own abilities, take pride in their accomplishments and develop positive relations with other in the context of interpersonal differences.

As educators we are strategic, reflexive, and reflective. We observe and discuss children’s behavior’s and learning in order to plan our fluid curriculum around the interests and learning needs of the group. We share the stories of children’s preschool experiences and learning with each other and with our children’s families.

We hire educators who have the highest level of professional ELCC training and qualifications, we expect our educators to maintain their professional learning and development through continued formal coursework in the field, including professional development courses recognized by the ECE registry of BC, and participation in professional communities of practice.