Kids Club

Kindergarten and school-age care

416-693-6596

Our school-age before and after school program, located within St. John’s school, offers many advantages. Children get programs they enjoy, choices about how they will spend their leisure time, and are in a setting that is child friendly and safe. We offer high-quality structured programs for skill development balanced with time for play, socialization, and reflection.

Program Statement

We know that the early years for children are the learning years and this learning continues into adulthood. Staff view children as competent, capable, curious and rich in potential. We want children to be learners, to love to learn, to be part of a community of learners.

We have developed our own method of delivering care and education to school aged children. Our philosophy is a blend of the best practices of Early Childhood Education, using Ontario’s Pedagogy for the Early Years (How Does Learning Happen and the Early Learning for Every Child today – ELECT) the Toronto Middle Childhood Strategy and The Assessment for Quality Improvement (AQI) as a guide.

We believe that engagement, expression and belonging are key components to providing quality care to school aged children.

Staffing

Skilled and nurturing staff is fundamental to creating a stimulating, safe, and warm environment. At Kids Club, our experienced and trained staff members are responsible for each community and work with the Directors as a team for the overall management of the school. Our teachers provide a curriculum that promotes, enhances, and celebrates learning that evolves from the interests, strengths, and needs of the children. The teachers for each age group take into account the individual differences in developmental patterns and are cognizant of the skills involved within these stages. Our staff mirrors the cultures of our community and is responsive to parent/guardian requests related to religious and cultural differences. Teachers are aware that they are adults of influence and model empathy, kindness, and acceptance of all individuals.

MORNING ARRIVAL

The children are greeted and are offered the opportunities to enjoy a morning snack and participate in open activities.

AFTERNOON ARRIVAL

Kindergarten, Grades 1 & 2
Each afternoon, our staff escorts children from their last classroom to Kids Club.

Grade 3
During the first few weeks of each new school year our staff escorts children to Kids Club as a transition until they are ready to come to the Club on their own.

Grade 3-6
Children arrive between 3:00 pm and 3:15 pm on their own, and check in with Kids Club Staff.

As part of our Safe Arrival Procedure, attendance is taken in each community. If we have not received a message from you stating that your child was absent from St. John’s or is not attending Kids Club, we begin looking for them, which requires our staff to initiate phone calls to your home or office as well as sending staff to your child’s last classroom. Calling us when your child will not be attending Kids Club avoids this unnecessary and often confusing situation.