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SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE
Parents new to the school system are deciding which kindergarten to send their children to now that the time to return to school is drawing near.

Both Yellowknife school district's provide kindergarten in both English and French, and there is also a kindergarten program at Ecole Allain St-Cyr.

Jen Debogorski, a mother of three, said she had a number of required factors that schools had to have when she was choosing which one her oldest daughter Grace, now 7, was going to attend.

"Having Christian values and a sense of community was very important to us," Debogorski said.

School location, safety and communication between administration and parents was also important she said. Debogorski said she consulted with friends to see which schools they were fond of as well.

In the end, she chose Ecole St. Joseph School, one of two schools in the Yellowknife Catholic School (YCS) district.

YCS has six kindergarten classes in its district - four at St. Joseph and two at Weledeh. St. Joseph School also offers two English kindergarten classes and two French.

Each of the classes at St. Joseph School have the capacity for 16 children. Classes at Weledeh have room for 17 each.

Debogorski chose French for her daughter and her two younger daughters, both of whom went through the bilingual preschool program before attending St. Joe's.

"The program (at St. Joseph) had been running for a long time, so I knew it was going to be well run and all the kinks were going to be worked out," she said. "I heard from other parents whose kids had excelled in French immersion and knew the teachers were really good at adjusting their programs to meet the needs of the kids."

Claudia Parker, superintendent of education at YCS, said registration for kindergarten is high and there is a strong interest in French programs.

"I think parents are seeing the benefits of their children learning a second language," Parker said. "The bilingual preschool program also helps."

John Stephenson, trustee and vice-chairperson for Yellowknife Education District No. 1, said the district has eight kindergarten classes, three of which are offered in French, between J. H. Sissons, Range Lake North, Mildred Hall and N. J. Macpherson schools.

Yk1 has both regular kindergarten in both official languages and the Montessori program which offers alternative schooling with an emphasis on independence and natural development.

Stephenson said there were 157 children enrolled in kindergarten last year, and he expects there to be equal or more for the 2013/2014 school year.

Registration is still open and the district receives registrations right through September, Stephenson said.

A father himself, Stephenson said he understands the task of choosing the right kindergarten that parents face.

"Kindergarten is as big a step in a person's life as graduating high school," he said. "The choice a parent makes on behalf of youngsters during this time will define a lot of things in their school life."

All four of his children have gone through Yk1's education system and Stephenson said they took advantage of the early French immersion.

"Here in Yellowknife, there is the incredible opportunity to provide children with French immersion. Parents need to ask the questions, do their research and decide if it's the right thing for them and their children," he said, adding that there is a wealth of resources on the district's website.

"When searching for a kindergarten, pick out something that feels right for the family," he said. "I'd encourage parents to go visit the schools and see what they look like, talk to the administrators and make

it a family effort."

Yk1's district offices open on Aug. 20 should parents have any questions, with the first day of school for the district on Sept. 3. For YCS, the district office is open on summer hours, Monday to Friday 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m., and closed for the lunch hour.

The first day of school is Aug. 27 for elementary and kindergarten and Aug. 28 for high school.

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