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Preschoolers Program
(3 to 4.5 Years)
For more than two decades, we have helped families prepare their children for school. St. Francis offers licensed Preschoolers in Edmonton, Viking, and Grande Prairie for children 3 to 4.5 years.
👬 1:3 Ratio
📍 3 Centres
🏠 Dedicated Preschool Rooms
A Safe, Engaging Environment
Preschoolers are full-time learners by age 3. They need spaces that channel that energy into discovery, confidence, and connection.
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Alberta’s Caregiver Ratio
Alberta requires one educator per eight children aged 3 to 4.5 years, and we meet that ratio in every preschool room.
On busier days, we often staff above the ratio so each child gets the attention they need.
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Supervised Indoor and Outdoor Play
Every Preschoolers activity is supervised by qualified educators, indoors and outdoors. Playgrounds are inspected daily and meet Alberta’s safety standards for licensed facilities.
Pickup is limited to authorized adults listed on each child’s enrollment form, and we verify identity at every centre before a child leaves.
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Dedicated Preschoolers Rooms
Preschoolers learn in classrooms separate from infants and toddlers, with reading corners, art tables, building areas, and dramatic play spaces.
Materials are rotated regularly to keep activities fresh, and surfaces are sanitized on a documented schedule.
What a Day Looks Like
| 7:00 AM | Drop-off and free play |
| 8:00 AM | Morning snack |
| 8:30 AM | Circle time, calendar, songs |
| 9:00 AM | Literacy and numeracy stations |
| 10:00 AM | Outdoor play (weather permitting) |
| 11:30 PM | Lunch |
| 12:30 PM | Quiet time or rest |
| 1:30 PM | Art, science, or sensory project |
| 2:30 PM | Snack and free play |
| 3:30 PM | Small-group activity or learning station |
| 4:30 PM | Outdoor or active play |
| 5:30 PM | Pickup window opens |
Pre-Literacy and Numeracy
Children explore letters, sounds, rhymes, and the rhythm of stories every day. Number sense, sorting, patterning, and basic counting are built into games and projects.
Activities follow Alberta’s Flight: Early Learning and Care Framework, which uses play as the foundation for school readiness.
Creative and Social Development
Each day includes art, music, and dramatic play, plus group activities that build cooperation and turn-taking.
Outdoor time happens daily, weather permitting, with climbing, group games, and time in natural spaces.
How We Support Development
The Preschoolers years are when school readiness takes shape. We track each child’s progress and share our observations with parents.
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Daily Communication with Parents
You will hear from us each day about how your child engaged, what they tried, and what made them light up.
Most centres use written daily reports, in-person handoffs at pickup, and photo updates on request.
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Portfolio and Progress Tracking
Educators document each child’s progress with notes, photos, and work samples kept in an individual portfolio.
We formally meet with parents each quarter to review milestones together and plan next steps.
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Open-Door Policy
Parents are welcome to drop in any time during operating hours. If you want to visit on a lunch break or call to check in, just ask.
There is no need for an appointment, and no question is too small.
Our Preschoolers Team
By the Numbers
50+
15+
100%
Qualifications and Training
Every Preschoolers educator holds post-secondary credentials in Early Childhood Education or Child Development, and is current in CPR and Standard First Aid.
Many of our Preschoolers educators have a decade or more of experience, and several hold additional training in early literacy or inclusive education.
Ongoing Professional Development
Our staff complete a minimum of 50 hours of paid professional development each year, covering topics like literacy strategies, inclusion, and the Flight curriculum framework.
Training is built into the work week, not asked of staff outside their regular hours.
Find Preschoolers in Edmonton, Viking, & Grande Prairie
Our Preschoolers program runs at three of our five centres. Each has its own director, dedicated preschool classroom, and full team.
Have a younger child? See our Toddler program. for ages 18 months to 3 years. When your preschooler is ready, our Kindergarten program begins at 4.5 years old. See our full Programs hub for everything we offer.
Frequently Asked Questions
How is your Preschoolers different from a half-day preschool?
What does kindergarten readiness mean?
How will I know how my child is progressing?
My child is shy. Will they be okay in a group?
Visit Our Toddler Program
The best way to see whether our preschoolers is right for your family is to walk through one of our centres. Tours run year-round and take about 30 minutes.
We are a Canadian family-owned daycare, which means the same family that started St. Francis 25 years ago still oversees how every preschool day unfolds. Ready to enroll? Download the registration paperwork from our Parents Zone.
Have a question first? Contact us at Info@stfrancisdaycare.ca or call your nearest centre. We will get back to you within one business day.
