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John Muir’s Read and Ride Event is on Thursday, April 17 from 1pm – 2pm.
Wednesday March 12th, Super Pod – come join in the fun at Eagle Ridge Community Centre – 1089 Langford Parkway – 9-11.
Literacy Newsletter #3
Tuesday, February 25, 2025
“Reading is a journey. It’s a way to explore new worlds and meet new people. It’s a way to learn about different cultures and ways of life. And it’s a way to expand your imagination”.
Kate DiCamillo – children’s author
Reading aloud
Reading aloud is one of the most important things parents can do with their children. By making read alouds interactive and fun, you will be introducing new words, modelling fluency and expressive reading, and sharing with your children how wonderful books and reading can be. Read below to learn more about the benefits of reading aloud.
Benefits of Reading aloud
1. Boost early literacy skills – children who are read to regularly develop early literacy skills such as rhyming, phonemic awareness (hearing sounds in spoken words), and letter recognition.
2. Helps children develop language and literacy skills – books provide children with new vocabulary that is not used as often in everyday spoken conversation. Exposure to new words increases a child’s “word bank”. Reading aloud also helps children to understand text structure and develop comprehension skills.
3. Builds background knowledge – reading a variety of books helps children to develop a better understanding of the world around them.
4. Offers “windows and mirrors” – books that reflect cultures and family experiences give all kids a window into the diverse world we live in.
5. Nurtures a love of reading – when children are exposed to books and stories from a young age, they are more likely to develop a love of reading as they get older.
6. Strengthens family bonds – reading aloud is a great way to bond with your children, talk about books, share thought and feelings and ask questions.
On Friday, February 21, 2025
Strong Start Super Pod will be a Eagle Ridge Community Centre 1089 Langford Parkway 9 – 11 am
Join us for one, or all, of our drop-in Pop-Up Play Events. This is an opportunity for Sooke children entering Kindergarten, in Fall 2025, to join a Kindergarten play time outside. Please come to any school, not just your future school. Come meet other children entering Kindergarten as well as current Kindergarten students, teachers, and staff.
Siblings are welcome!
Upcoming dates:
John Muir Elementary School – February 20th – 1:15 to 2 pm/June 12th – 1:15 to 2 pm
Saseenos Elementary School – April 24th – 1:15 to 2 pm
Poirier Elementary School – May 15th – 1:15 to 2 pm
Sooke Elementary School – March 6th – 11:00 to 11:45 am
Kindergarten Registration
As we prepare for the new year, we are excited to share important information about kindergarten registration for the 2025-26 school year.
If you are not registering a child for kindergarten next year, please disregard this email. If you know someone who needs to register their child for kindergarten next year, please share this information with them.
Eligibility for Kindergarten Registration
A child is eligible for kindergarten registration if they turn 5 years old on or before December 31, 2025. This means the child must have been born in 2020. No exceptions can be made to this requirement.
Kindergarten Registration Dates
All children must register at their in-catchment school, determined by the family’s primary address. To find your in-catchment school, visit the School Locator tool. If you have a unique circumstance, you can submit a school change request form (click the link to view the dates). Please note that you must first register at your designated in-catchment school before submitting a school change request. Kindly be aware that school change requests are not guaranteed.
Nature Kindergarten
- Registration opens: January 13, 2025, at 8:00 AM
- Registration closes: January 17, 2025, at 4:00 PM
- Attendance at an information session is a mandatory requirement for completing the registration process specifically for Nature Kindergarten. Click the link below to view the dates and locations of upcoming information sessions.
- Learn more: Nature Kindergarten
French Immersion Kindergarten
- Registration opens: January 13, 2025, at 8:00 AM
- Registration closes: January 17, 2025, at 4:00 PM
- An optional online information session will be held on January 8, 2025, at 6:30 PM.
- Join the session here: Link to Join Meeting
- Learn more: Kindergarten French Immersion
Note: If the number of registrations exceeds the available seats, a lottery will be conducted in accordance with our Student Enrolment Priorities. Families will be notified of the outcome before the Regular Kindergarten registration period begins.
Please note that families may not register for both Nature Kindergarten and French Immersion Kindergarten. If you are unsuccessful in securing a seat in one of these programs, you will need to register your child for Regular Kindergarten.
Regular Kindergarten
- Registration opens: January 29, 2025, at 8:00 AM
- Registration closes: February 5, 2025, at 4:00 PM
- If registrations exceed the available seats at your in-catchment school, a lottery will be conducted following our Student Enrolment Priorities. Families will be notified directly if they do not secure a seat and will be provided information about the designated overflow school.
After February 5, 2025, registration will continue an ongoing basis and will be processed on a first-come, first-served basis, also following our enrolment priorities.
Need Help?
If you have questions or need assistance with kindergarten registration, please contact us at info@sd62.bc.ca.
Information from School
Our schools will reach out to families registered for kindergarten in September before the end of May 2025.
Thank you for reviewing this information. We look forward to welcoming our newest learners to the Sooke School District!
Nature Kindergarten is a program of choice that takes place at Saseenos
and Sangster Elementary Schools. Parents/caregivers must attend a
mandatory information session to receive program information and a
registration form. Both sessions will offer the same information, so you
can attend either one.
Please click on link for the date and time of these information sessions.
Nature Kindergarten Parent Information Session – 2025
HOURS
Mon. 8:30-11:30 – John Muir Classroom
Tue. 11:45-2:15 – Ed McGregor Park
Wed. 8:45-11:45 – John Muir Classroom
Thur. 8:30-11:30 – outdoor day John Muir Nature Playground
Fri. 8:30-11:30 – John Muir Classroom
The John Muir StrongStart Program operates five days each week and is open to parents/caregivers and their child(ren). It is a drop-in program for infants, toddlers and preschoolers. Please bring your child’s birth certificate to register for the program.
Weather restrictions for outdoor StrongStart Programs:
If the administration and/or StrongStart Facilitator feel that the program participants are at risk due to weather including high winds (30 km/hour + and swaying tree tops); persistent, strong rainfall; lightening; and/or temperatures below -5 degrees C, then program will end/close for the day.
strong start registration form