Aspengrove School
Junior Kindergarten Programme
Let the love of learning begin!
Dedicated ECE/IB Trained Faculty
Enriched Educational Opportunities with Specialist Teachers
Play-Based, Hands-On Learning Experiences
A Continuum of Learning for Success in School and in Life
Small Class Sizes
Outside Time
Progress Reports
Family Involvement
“If children feel safe, they can take risks, ask questions, make mistakes, learn to trust, share their feelings, and grow.”
Alfie Kohn
Our Curriculum
While we emphasize the foundational learning skills of literacy and numeracy, our programme focuses on providing meaningful and authentic learning opportunities that promote deep understanding through a concept-based approach. The IB curriculum starts right down in our Junior Kindergarten Programme and is organized into four Units of Inquiry.
These Units are:
Who we are
How We Express Ourselves
Sharing the Planet
How we Organize Ourselves
Each of these Units of Inquiry is infused into our daily practice and across all disciplines. The goal? To nurture and develop global competencies in our students. Throughout their learning journey, students are introduced to the Learner Profile attributes of the IB Curriculum: Inquirer, Communicator, Caring, Balanced, Knowledgeable, Principled, Open Minded, Reflective, Risk-Taker, and Thinker.
Our team
Our team of qualified Early Childhood Educators includes teaching staff who have been working together for over ten years! We offer a safe and nurturing environment, rich in learning opportunities for every child.
ELC Directors & Teachers
Alison Strobl
Early Learning Center Director
Fun fact:
My family and I build and sell houses in our spare time. We’ve lived in 12 houses in the past 16 years!
Jessica McRae
Junior Kindergarten Lead Teacher
Fun fact:
I love shopping, binge watching TV (Grey’s Anatomy!) and spending quality time with my family.
Yuko Ishii
Junior Kindergarten Lead Teacher
Fun fact:
I love the outdoors and camping! I also played field lacrosse when I was in University.
Lauren Kite
Junior Kindergarten Support Teacher
Fun fact:
I was once an Au Pair in Reggio Emilia, Italy! I am also an identical twin, two minutes younger than my sibling.
Kate Yang
Junior Kindergarten Support Teacher
Fun fact:
I like to spend time cooking, reading, and exercising. I also take drawing classes and tennis lessons. In my free time, I enjoy walking my goats and playing with my chickens!
Su Mahara
Junior Kindergarten Support Teacher
Fun fact:
I speak three different languages and I am from the country of Mt. Everest!
Anna Binakaj
Junior Kindergarten Lead Teacher
Fun fact:
I love music, art, reading and writing. I appreciate nature and enjoy hiking and travelling too. I have a good sense of humour and enjoy working with children and making them laugh.
Emma Cox
Full-Day Room Supervisor
Fun fact:
I used to play competitive fastball! Now, I am a huge dog lover with a puppy of my own.
ELC Specialists
Andrea Meadows
Drama & Arts Specialist
Fun fact:
When I was younger, I travelled with the carnival! Now, I have a dog, cat, hamster, and bearded dragon as pets. I love crafting and being outdoors.
Azia Thomas
P.E. & Yoga Specialist
Fun fact:
I have 3 dogs who I LOVE exploring Vancouver Island with!
Maria McNeil
Outdoor Education Specialist & Full Day Program Supervisor
Fun fact:
I love running, teaching my gym classes, and gardening.
Nicole McDaid
Librarian
Cathryn Gunn
Music & French Specialist
Our Philosophy
“Imagination will get you everywhere.”
Albert Einstein
Play is at the heart of everything we do at the Early Learning Centre. We know that children who play learn valuable self-regulation and problem-solving skills in the process. This translates to emergent literacy, vocabulary, and early mathematics skills AND is a predictor for continued success in later years.
Our Programs
French
JK4 Only
Mrs. Gunn visits the JK4 class once a week and uses games, songs, and hands-on activities to help the children develop an understanding of the French language. The introduction of French using the Accelerative Integrated Method (AIM) allows children to become acquainted with French at an early age.
Music
Students are exposed to music every day through songs, clapping games, and dancing. A more formal music time is held once a week. Our Music teacher, Mrs. Gunn, engages our JK students’ minds and bodies through a mixture of singing, dancing, acting, and the use of musical instruments.
P.E.
The Junior Kindergarten P.E. specialist teaches each JK class once a week. We focus on the development of skills like balancing, traveling in different ways, as well as skills like turn-taking and following one-two step directions. Our P.E. teacher often takes advantage of our 40-acre campus by taking the P.E. classes outside.
Drama
In Drama class, Mrs. Meadows gives students the opportunity to role-play, express emotions, and speak in front of an audience. So fun! This early exposure leads to confidence, empathy, and clear communication skills.
Art
While art is an everyday opportunity in JK, Mrs. Meadows focuses on engaging students in a variety of open-ended, and often messy, art experiences during their weekly art class. She empowers students to make their own discoveries through experimentation with materials, mediums, and tools. Students develop skills such as fine motor control, hand-eye coordination, and creative problem-solving.
Library
Ms. McDaid helps students choose developmentally appropriate reading materials to share with their families at home. In addition, she provides stories, songs and learning engagements related to the class’ Units of Inquiry.
Yoga
JK4 Full Day Program Only
Mrs. Thomas introduces students to the mindfulness of Yoga on a weekly basis. Yoga practice can improve focus, memory, self-esteem and emotional regulation. Yoga is also linked to reduced anxiety and stress in children.
And more!
Jolly Phonics, Public Speaking, Outdoor Education, we do it all!
Our educators collaborate weekly to develop and implement meaningful learning engagement for every child.
Out of School Programs
Out of School Care
Fees
Mon/Tues/Thurs/Fri: 3:15pm-5:30pm
$20.00
Wednesdays and Early Dismissals: 12:30pm-5:30pm
$35.00
Professional Development and School Closures: 8:15am-4:45pm
$45.00
Summer Program
Interested in learning more?
We would be happy to answer any questions you have and would love to host you for a visit – there’s no better way to see if Aspengrove is right for your children than to see our happy, engaged young learners in action!
If you would like information about grade availability, programming or to book a campus tour, please fill out an inquiry form and we will get in touch with you shortly.