Kindergarten Transition
Kindergarten Registration
Starting Kindergarten is an important step for children and families. This page shares how to register, what to expect, and where to find support along the way.
Kindergarten Registration – 2026–2027
Registration opens February 2, 2026 for children born in 2021.
Use the guide below to follow the steps to register your child for Kindergarten.
Step 1: Catchment school
Start by registering at your neighbourhood catchment school.
Not sure which school that is? Use the School Locator tool and put your address in.
Registering early helps schools prepare welcoming classrooms and supports for children starting Kindergarten.
Requests for a school outside your catchment
Requests to attend a school outside your catchment are reviewed after February 28, if space is available.
Step 2: Get the registration form
You can get the registration form here:
In person: pick up a copy at your catchment school
Step 3: Submit your registration
You can submit your registration:
By email: send the completed form to your child’s school. A list of school registration email addresses can be found here:
List of Schools
Include a copy of:birth certificate
Care Card
proof of address
OR
In person: bring the completed form and documents to your catchment school.
Step 4: All About Me Form
Families are invited to complete the All About Me form. This helps schools get to know your child and support a smooth and caring transition.
The form can be completed online here: All About Me- Family Form – Fill out form
or picked up as a paper copy when you register in person.
If your child attends an early care and learning program, an educator may complete a separate All About Me form, with family consent, to support your child’s transition into Kindergarten.
The form can be completed online here: All About Me – Educator Form – Fill out form
Paper copies will also be shared with early care and learning programs by our Early Years team.
Family consent is required before educator information is shared. Please complete the consent form and return it to your child’s early care and learning program.
Consent to Release of Information – Fill out form
Need Support?
Our Early Years team is here to help. If you have questions or would like support, please reach out.
K Days Welcome Events
You are your child’s first and best teacher!
As children embark on their educational journeys, early education is of vital importance as it lays the foundation for future social, emotional, and academic success. Our K Days program helps families and children with a positive start to their school journey.
All School District 70 Elementary Schools in Port Alberni, Bamfield, Tofino and Ucluelet host K Days events in the spring. Please check back here early Spring for a list of dates for K Days at your neighbourhood school!
K Days events engages children, parents and caregivers, schools and communities to make early learning a priority at home and help children and their families get excited for school. The program provides parents and caregivers with early learning and literacy resources, and play-based activities that can be done at home.
K Days- Welcoming Video Series
SD 70 Board of Education Welcome Message
Pam Craig, SD 70 Pacific Rim Board of Education Chair, is excited to welcome all families and children coming to Kindergarten!
Welcome Message from Peggy Tatoosh, from SD70 Pacific Rim Indigenous Education Team
Mrs T is excited to welcome all families and children coming into Kindergarten. Please enjoy her welcoming message.
Welcome Message from Lisa Tremblay, from SD70 Pacific Rim Indigenous Education Team
Mrs. Tremblay would love to welcome all families and children coming into Kindergarten! Please enjoy her message.
A Day in the Life of a Kindergartener with Mrs. Dawson, Maquinna Elementary & Howitt Elementary
We hope you enjoy this video of a day in a life of a Kindergartener in Pacific Rim SD 70. Please also enjoy some special messages from Mrs. Manson and Mrs. Dawson
Play-Based Learning with Ms. Girard and Mrs. Jen, Tsuma-as Elementary
Kindergarten is learning through play! As children play, they are… * Solving problems * Learning to explain their thoughts * Using their imagination * Cooperating with others * Expanding their thinking * Developing language and social skills
Importance of Outdoor Play with Ms. Heather, Wickanninish Community School StrongStart
Time spent outdoors in nature has many benefits for children and adults. It helps reduce stress levels, advances self-regulation, promotes health and well-being, helps reduce future health conditions by starting a healthy life-style early and increases cardiovascular health. Join Ms. Heather as she speaks to the many other benefits of playing in nature!
Tips for Healthy Lunches with Helene Dufour, Kimberly Toonders & Oliver Jacobson from Public Health
Join Helene Dufour, Kimberly Toonders, and Oliver Jacobson from Public Health and special guest's Oliver's Chickens :) They will give you some good tips on what to pack for your Kindergartener's lunch and also provide you with some good links to help you as you plan your lunches.
Social Responsibility with Ms Sigmund, Ucluelet Elementary
In Kindergarten, children will have experiences where they will be a member of a group, take turns, wait to speak, join in , and work in pairs in small or large groups. Please join Ms. Sigmund as talks more about that.
Goal #1: Developing Social Responsibility- Being a member of a group, taking turns, waiting to speak, joining in, working in pairs in small or large groups.
INTELLECTUAL DEVELOPMENT with Ms. Bowman and Mrs. Dawson, Maquinna Elementary
Intellectual Development refers to reasoning, thinking, and understanding. By exploring and investigating through hands on experiences in play, kindergarten children learn questioning, problem solving, spatial relationships, classification, number sense, and symbolic play. Kindergarten children learn questioning, problem solving, spatial relationships, classification, number sense, and symbolic play.
Goal # 5: Intellectual Development: Looking to clarify and extend thinking through language, develop literacy and numeracy skills.
PHYSICAL DEVELOPMENT AND WELL-BEING with Mrs. Holt, Wickaninnish Community School
Physical Development and well-being refers to children’s advancements in strengthening their fine and gross motor, core strength, body and spatial awareness and safety skills. These skills are important as they foster a sense of well-being that builds towards a healthy lifestyle as well as a joy of movement.
Goal # 3: Daily Physical Education and Movement teaches safety, body awareness, strength, and joy of movement.
Orca Program
The Kindergarten Orca Program is a free 4 ½ day program that runs in the summer prior to school beginning for students attending EJ Dunn Elementary School. Typically, we run the second to last week in August. Students who will be attending the catchment school are invited to join with their families for a fun introduction to their school.
Our key goal is to make connections and strengthen family connections with their neighbourhood school.
Our goals are:
Parents and children meeting key school personnel in a more informal setting
Start building relationships with teachers, secretary, principal, vice-principal, board members and community partners
For families and children to be comfortable with the school setting
For children to be excited about learning
To reduce anxiety
To establish positive key messages about Kindergarten
To have fun in a play based learning environment!