Frequently Asked Questions

Every child who lives in Toronto is welcome to attend a TDSB school. To attend Junior Kindergarten in September, children must be age four by December 31 of that year. If you have any questions about which grade to register your child in, please contact the school Principal.

Only a parent or legal guardian can register a child for Kindergarten.

Registration for English Kindergarten programs begins in February and continues throughout the school year. Please visit Kindergarten for more information about registration options and requirements.

To find out which school your child should attend, please visit Find Your School.

You can apply to out-of-area schools through the Out-of-Area Admissions application process. This process begins in January and is open for approximately five (5) weeks. Please note that many schools are not able to take students from Out-of-Area  due to space limitations. You may want to contact your school of choice first to see if they are open to out-of-area admission applications or you can look up their status on the Out-of-Area Admissions website.

The Early French Immersion program begins in Junior Kindergarten (JK). Families who wish to have their child participate in an Early French Immersion Program must apply in November. To apply, please visit  www.tdsb.on.ca/EFI

In the Spring, only those families who applied in November and have accepted an offer of placement for their child via the  central application process can validate the registration at the school in which they accepted placement.

To register your child for Kindergarten, please bring:
 

• Proof of age (birth certificate, Canadian passport, Canadian Citizenship card or certificate or baptismal record).
• Proof of student’s address – choose any of the documents below, one from each category, showing the home address (bills must bear the name of the legal parent/guardian and be mailed to the registration address):
  • Category A: Property Tax Bill / MPAC Notice of Assessment; Current mortgage statement, Rental / Lease Agreement, or deed ; Agreement of Purchase and Sale, including proof of purchase provided before the pupil attends the school, and;
  • Category B: Utility Bill / e-Bill (i.e. Hydro, Water, Residential Phone/Cable/Internet Bill, Enbridge, Insurance Policy – Home, Tenant or Auto); Other official/government documents confirming residence requirements (i.e. CRA Notice of Assessment, Statement of Old Age, Security T4 (OAS) or Statement of Canada Pension Plan Benefits, etc.); Original correspondence from a government agency, legal clinic, etc. may be accepted as a second proof of address document
  • Documents not acceptable in Category A or B:  Driver’s License; Health Card; Credit Card Statement; Cell Phone bill and/or Cell Phone e-Bill
• Proof of immunization (the card that shows a list of needles your child has received):
  • Report online www.toronto.ca/studentvaccines.
  • If unable to report online, parents can provide immunization information to the school and the school will mail a copy to Toronto Public Health. Toronto Public Health accepts and translates foreign immunization records.
  • If requesting an exemption, call 416-392-1250.l
• Proof of Canadian Citizenship (If applicable)
• Proof of Custody (If applicable)
• You can also begin the registration process through the online registration system at www.tdsb.on.ca/kindergarten. *Note: you will still be required to visit the school to verify documentation.

If your child was born outside of Canada, verification of date of arrival is required. Families who are permanent residents and refugee claimants may register directly at the school. Students, who are living in the community without immigration status, are entitled to admission to school as per the Students Without Legal Immigration Status Policy (P061) and the Admission Eligibility Requirements Procedure (PR518). Information about them or their families will not be shared with immigration authorities.  Students without immigration status must provide paperwork to show name, date of birth, home address, country of origin and arrival date in Canada. Verification documents can include a passport, birth certificate and/or expired immigration documents.  An affidavit or signed letter of confirmation from a person of recognized standing in the Toronto community (e.g., family doctor, community shelter director, faith leader, etc.) may also be used to support verification. Schools can register these students directly, however may refer them to the International Students and Admissions Office at 5050 Yonge Street (main floor) should required verification documents not be available.

Please contact the International Students and Admissions Office in-person, or by phone/email — 5050 Yonge  Street (first floor), 416.395.8120 or admissions@tdsb.on.ca.

If your child has special education needs and will be entering school for the first time, please call your local school to set up an appointment with the principal and a representative from the TDSB’s Special Education Department. At this meeting, you will be able to share any needs, relevant documentation, and discuss supports that are available in the school for your child. By working together, we can determine the supports and resources your child will need for a successful transition to school. For further information please also visit the Special Education and Inclusion website.

To help make school a safe and happy environment for your child, your school needs to know:

• the name your child is called, if it’s different from official documentation
• any allergies and/or other medical concerns
• current phone numbers (home, work, cell) for parent(s)/guardian(s) with whom the child resides and of the person picking up the child from school
• name and phone number of child care provider
• emergency contact name and phone number
• names of brothers and/or sisters attending the school
• language(s) spoken in the home
• any legal or personal circumstances that may impact your child

It is important that this information be kept current. Please let the school know of any changes to the above information during the school year.

As part of the process of registering for school, you will be asked to complete a Developmental History Form. This form is used to collect important information about your child’s interests and development. It will help the teacher in planning a program to meet your child’s needs.

In Kindergarten, children learn in a play-based learning environment with a team of responsive educators who plan learning experiences that promote inquiry and higher order thinking in language, mathematics, science and technology, personal and social development, health and physical activity, and the arts.

Children learn through the integration of the four frames: belonging and contributing, self-regulation and well- being, demonstrating literacy and mathematics behaviour, and problem solving and innovating.

Over the course of a two-year program, children develop self-regulation, and build literacy and numeracy skills while developing positive attitudes toward learning and school. Opportunities exist throughout the Kindergarten day for children to explore learning centres that include drama, writing, math, reading, writing, painting and visual arts, and working with materials such as sand, water, and construction blocks

All classrooms with more than 15 students — most of our classrooms in the TDSB — have both a teacher and early childhood educator who work together to help young students learn during the regular school day. These educators have complementary skills that create a learning environment to support the unique needs of each child. With two qualified professionals in the classroom for the full school day, there is more time for individual and small group instruction.

The teacher and early childhood educator will communicate with you throughout the school year, both formally and informally. At parent-teacher interviews and on the Communication of Learning: Initial Observations and Communication of Learning (reports), your teacher will share information about your child’s progress and achievement. You are also encouraged to share updates and connect with the educators throughout the school year

These fee-based programs are run by independent third party licensed child care operators, authorized recreational and skill building programs, or directly by the TDSB for Extended Day Programs. TDSB for Extended Day Programs are offered from 7:15 a.m. to the entry bell and from the dismissal bell to 6:00 p.m. 

Please speak with the Office Administrator or Principal to ask about the availability of a Before- and After-School Program. For more information, please visit www.tdsb.on.ca/EarlyYears/Before-and-After-School-Program-4-to-12-Years.

The TDSB has a self identification policy for First Nations, Métis and Inuit Students. 

Resources and supports are available through the Urban Indigenous Education Centre.

To help support parental, caregiver and community input, the Urban Indigenous Community Advisory Committee (UICAC) meets on a monthly basis to offer parent/guardian/caregiver and community input on TDSB policies and programs, in addition to providing an advocacy role for parents and the community.