Pine Creek School Division recruiting kindergarten kids to class

It's one of the most important weeks of the year for the Pine Creek School Division as they hold their annual kindergarten registration.

Within the division, Austin, MacGregor, Gladstone, Plumas, and Langruth Elementary schools have begun to recruit.

MacGregor principal Bryan Marriott says they normally run two classes, with each class alternating days. This year, they ran one class of 20. He's optimistic that number will go up for 2023-24.

"We always look forward to seeing those new faces and when they pop into the school, we always have a little treat for them," says Principal Marriott. "We give them a book to take home with them, so we try to make it as friendly as we can. It's a good experience for our families, and it's great because families can pop in, and come and visit us, and they can have a tour of the school, if they wish, and meet some staff members. It's a good experience."

MacGregor Elementary

He says they want to make the process as easy for the families as they can. Although registration only runs until the 10th, they will accept families after the fact.

Gladstone Elementary is aiming to have around 20 students, and they will run their program every second day. One of the interim principals is Fiona Rempel, who has been at the school for fifteen years. She says they cannot wait to meet the new kids next year.

"We are, obviously, a small town school. We have very friendly staff. We feel like a very close-knit community," says Rempel. "Because the school is so small, all of the teachers know all of the students and we just run a great program."

Austin Elementary principal Sharla Davey has only been in the role for one month, previously serving as the resource teacher for five years, and a classroom teacher for six years prior to that. She says the school has a strong sense of family and their kindergarten class offers lots of play-based learning opportunities, with math and literacy centres, with lots of opportunities to build social skills.

Sharla Davey, principal at Austin Elementary

"Parents are welcome to come for a visit and do a school tour and ask any questions that they have ahead of time," says Davey. "We're always very excited. We're looking forward to seeing new faces in the building and meeting new families."

Schools in the area await funding announcements from the province, with many looking to lock in their staff for next year.