REGISTRATION CLOSED
Registration for the 2024/2025 School Year is now closed.
NOTE: Registration for 2024/2025 preschool year was open for one week between January 18-25, 2024. We are currently in the process of conducting the lottery, arranging class placements, and preparing offer letters. We expect to have information on available spots by mid-March.
2023/2024
OPEN AVAILABILITY
Preschool Class Availability Sep 2023 - June 2024 :
ABOUT HIGHLANDS
EARLY LEARNING CENTRE
Highlands Early Learning Centre has been educating children in the community for over 50 years. We provide a unique, quality preschool experience for 2-5-year-olds. We work together with parents to support children through their early years, extending their emotional, social, academic and physical skills and abilities.
Our goal is to inspire curiosity, independence, and a life-long love of learning to help our children become contributing members of our community and the world.
VISION
To create an inclusive preschool community that honours the individuality of each child and exceptional teachers who instill a passion for learning.
PURPOSE
Highlands Early Learning Centre provides preschool children with an inclusive space to play and explore, laying a foundation for a lifetime of confidence, curiosity, and wonder.
EARLY LEARNING FRAMEWORK
The Ministry of Education, in partnership with the Ministry of Health and the Ministry of Children and Family Development, have created the Early Learning Framework which Highlands teachers incorporate in their classrooms.
The Early Learning Framework states that “Play is vital to young children’s daily lives and promotes their healthy physical and intellectual development in ways that cannot be achieved by focusing on pre-academic skills.”
The Early Learning Framework supports the teachers to create rich early learning experiences and environments that support your children’s early learning and development. Current research suggests that there are windows of opportunity in children’s early development.
The Early Learning Framework describes four living inquiries:
-
Well-Being and belonging
-
Engagement with others, materials and the world
-
Communication and literacies
-
Identities, social responsibility, and diversity
“Living inquiries are rooted in the belief that children learn by doing (playing) when they are engaged in projects and inquiries that extend their interests.” ELF p 65
For more information on the new Early Learning Framework please CLICK HERE
PRIORITY REGISTRATION
STEP 1: OPEN REGISTRATION
Our registration period for the upcoming school year opens exclusively for one week during the third week of January. The exact dates will be posted on the main page of our website at least four months prior to registration.
To enroll, simply click on the button below during this week. Complete the registration application form with your child's details and indicate your preferences for both the 1st and 2nd choice schedules.
NOTE: The registration is not first come, first served; a lottery will be held after the registration closes.
STEP 2: APPLICATION FEE
There is a $75 application processing fee which does not guarantee placement, but rather covers the administrative costs of the application process.
We do our best to accommodate all families, but we have a limited number of spaces available in each class.
STEP 3: LOTTERY MEETING
Our lottery meetings are conducted with the active involvement of the Executive Director, Registrar, and three or more Board Members.
Placement order is determined using a tiered lottery system that includes categories such as board/staff, returning students, alumni families, and new students. It's crucial to note that our registration process does not operate on a first-come, first-served basis
STEP 4: PLACEMENT
Following the lottery, students will be assigned to classes based on their lottery number. If both your first and second choice schedules are full, you'll be placed on the waitlist and contacted via call or email to discuss available alternatives. If all classes are full at that point, you'll be added to the general waitlist.
This process may take up to six weeks. While we strive to accommodate preferences, we cannot guarantee specific morning or afternoon placements. Returning students are guaranteed a spot, while availability for alumni and new students is contingent upon openings.
STEP 5: OFFERS & WAITLIST
We will send Offer and waitlist letters via email once all class spots are filled.
Anticipate receiving these notifications in late February or early March.
STEP 6: TEACHER SCHEDULE
Teacher schedules for the upcoming school year are confirmed at the end of the current school year.
Please note that we cannot guarantee that the same teachers will be assigned to the same classes as in the current preschool year.
