Preschools in the Vancouver Area
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Vancouver KidsOutAndAbout Preschool Newsletter |
Dear KidsOutAndAbout readers:
Are you planning to have your children attend preschool this year? Or are you thinking about whether it's the best option for your family? Do you have a friend who is thinking about preschool for her kids? If any of these is true, this special annual edition of our newsletter is for YOU! We provide not only options for where to start your search in our area, but also some tips for what to
think about and what to look for as you start the process.
KidsOutAndAbout has a large list of local preschools that have posted to our site; this list is provided in the LISTS/Preschools & Childcare list linked from the menu on every page of
KidsOutAndAbout. In this newsletter, first, we have some featured preschools with descriptions of their programs. Next, we provide a list of links to some additional schools. And last, we provide tips for helping you evaluate preschools when you visit, to see if they are right for you.
Remember: SAVE THIS NEWSLETTER and forward it along! If you or one of your friends is in the market for a preschool, it's a handy
reference.
—Debra Ross, publisher |
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KidsOutAndAbout.com: Discover more. Do more. Connect more. |
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What will your child’s Mulgrave story look like? It all starts here. Our preschool programme for 3-year-olds nurtures curiosity and confidence through a personalised, play-based approach. By joining our community early, your child gains the guidance needed
to discover their passions and impact the world.
Make their first school experience a joyful one. Applications for preschool (for 3-year-olds) 2026-27 close February 2nd. Start the journey: https://www.mulgrave.com/admissions/apply.
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Abbotsford Early Years is designed to connect parents, caregivers and service providers in Abbotsford with tools and resources to support families of young children.
We provide information on parenting, early childhood resources, referrals, and developmental screening. Abbotsford Early Years also offers numerous programs, including StrongStart, drop-ins and parenting supports.
The Early Years Centre is located at the Sweeney Neighbourhood Centre at 33355 Bevan Avenue, Abbotsford. Please visit the Centre, this website, or our Facebook page for the current schedule.
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We foster their early education learning styles by offering a broad variety of preschool activities that encourage play. At Burke Mountain Preschool in Coquitlam, we are committed to providing a stimulating, exciting, fun pre-kindergarten program which
stimulates childrenʼs curiosity and sense of wonder. During the day, children can create anything they like at our open art table, they can participate in science experiments, build houses or rocket ships with blocks, have races with cars, take the choo-choo train for a ride, take care of our babies, cook some food in our kitchen, or just solve some puzzles. They can also spend their time sorting various objects, hunt for treasures in a big variety of treasure boxes, or maybe just paint their
ideas, or play dress up.
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Dunbar Memorial Preschool is a licenced preschool located in the Dunbar area of Vancouver close to UBC. From September to June the preschool offers preschool and an Outdoor Nature Program for 3 and 4 year olds, as well as 2 year old classes. In
the summer (July and August) the preschool has summer preschool camps with options for single weeks or full months. Our staff of licensed early childhood educators are Reggio inspired and believe in children learning through play.
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Founded in 1969, Kiddies Korner started as a Parent Participation Preschool. In 2014, the parents and teachers worked together to change Kiddies Korner Preschool from a Parent Participation Preschool to a Parent Involvement Preschool. This change in the
program gave us the opportunity to lighten the parents requirements significantly without having to change the teaching and learning philosophy that we so strongly believe in. We are still a non-profit society, founded and maintained by parents. Parent Involvment encourages parents, children and teachers to contribute to and participate in a creative learning and growth oriented environment.
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Childgarden Preschool & Discoveries located close to Rocky Point Park in Port Moody, BC is an award winning committed to providing an outstanding quality program that is
welcoming, fun, exciting, stimulating, creative and safe.
Our program is deeply inspired by the Reggio Emilia approach to learning for young children.
We pride ourselves on building meaningful relationships
with the children, families and community at the heart of our programming.
Limited space still available for our afternoon 3 and 4 year old classes.
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Highlands Preschool provides a unique, quality early learning experience for 2-5 year olds. We work together with parents to support our 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.
Providing outstanding early learning since 1964, Highlands Preschool has been educating local children for over 50 years.
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We are situated in the heart of South Vancouver, near the intersection of Granville St. and West 70th Ave., and just a short walk from beautiful Fraser River Park. Our pre-school classes offer half-day programs in the morning and afternoon and are licensed
by Community Care Facilities Licensing. We also provide full day (extended-day) programs for our 5 year old children.
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Upper Lonsdale Preschool encourages parents and caregivers to take part in the children's preschool experiences. As a ULP parent you are welcome to be involved in the classroom in a manner that is convenient for you. We offer an eclectic play based program
for 3- and 4-year-olds that builds on children's natural curiosity, creativity and imagination. The program embodies respect, cooperation and open communication. Since its conception in 1954, the preschool has created a niche in the Upper Lonsdale community, and has given a good start in life to hundreds of alumni that hold their preschool years dear in their hearts and minds. We are a board-run non-profit preschool, overseen by Vancouver Coastal Health and regulated by the Government of British
Columbia.
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St. John's School is an independent, IB World School for boys and girls Grades Junior Kindergarten to 12. St. John's is a vibrant community that embraces families and provides individual attention for students. Students participate in a breadth of athletic,
artistic and academic co-curricular activities.
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Oakridge Montessori School is an independent, BC Certified School for preschool aged children up to Grade 3. Oakridge Montessori School is dedicated to providing your children with an inspiring learning environment based on Montessori principles. These
principles foster independence, grace and courtesy, confidence and respect, while guiding and nurturing each child’s individual development. It is the intent of Oakridge Montessori School to build a solid personal and academic foundation in children’s foundational years.
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What kind of preschool best suits your child?
Those nice parenting articles always tell you to make sure you choose a preschool that best suits your child's personality--but then rarely provide any specifics on what will give you those clues. Children vary widely in their responses to different situations. Think
about where your child falls on the following dimensions, and think about your own personal preferences for what a preschool experience should be like for your child. Then, when you visit preschools, ask the administrators (and observe yourself) about how well the school's philosophy matches your children's needs. - Playing and learning: Do these seem like separate times at the preschool, or are play and learning time integrated?
- The setting: Is your goal to get your child used
to a school setting, or is it important that the setting feel more like home?
- Specific learning goals: Do you have academic milestones or religious needs that you would like met? Think about this before you set out, and refine your thoughts as you visit more schools.
- Introverts and extroverts: If your child falls on one end of introvert-extrovert scale, it's important to realize this and see what would be expected of them at each preschool (especially important for the
introverts).
- Active play: Does the school provide resources for physically active play that match your child's needs?
- Rest: Kids have different rhythms and requirements for rest. Think about what your child's specific needs are to ensure that they will be accommodated.
- Structure: Some kids do better with lots of structure, while other families feel that they already have enough structure and prefer that a preschool ensure lots of time for unstructured play and
interaction.
- Discipline: What happens when kids misbehave at school? Does the school's philosophy match yours?
- Safety: Safety is a big concern. Think carefully about your standards for keeping kids safe, and observe how the school meets your expectations.
If your child attends (or attended) a great preschool that is not currently on our big preschool list (the easiest way to find out is to search in the big search bar on the top of every KidsOutAndAbout page), please
email me back and we'll contact them immediately to see if they'd like to be on this list! |
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