A place to reset, reconnect and choose what comes next
School-aged children spend much of their day meeting schedules, following instructions and working towards school expectations. At Kids Connection Childcare, they can arrive as they are: ready to talk, ready to move, ready to create or simply ready for a quiet moment.
Our Out of School Care Program gives children a dependable community before and after school and, when full-day care is confirmed, on school professional-development days, non-instructional days, longer school breaks and during the summer. Educators provide safe boundaries, thoughtful resources and genuine attention while children help shape how their time is spent.
We are here to provide a loving and secure environment where your child can grow, learn and thrive.
- Who the program serves
- Children in Grades 1 through 6. Kindergarten has its own program page.
- Centre operating hours
- 6:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. A child's actual care periods depend on the approved enrolment arrangement, school schedule, location and transportation route.
- Kinds of days
- Regular school days, individual school PD or non-instructional days, multi-day school breaks and summer days each use a different version of the program rhythm.
- Availability
- Families must confirm the dates and care arrangement they need. A school closure does not automatically create or reserve a full-day KCC space. Part-time childcare is not guaranteed and depends on space and the options currently offered.
- Regulated ratio
- 1 primary staff member to 15 children, with a maximum regulated group size of 30 for out-of-school care.
- Family updates
- Daily information in person and through the Centre Parent App, plus a formal progress report each August.
- Curriculum
- Montessori-informed independence, emergent projects and the same responsive principles of play, inquiry, relationships and belonging that guide KCC's early-learning practice.
At a glance
One program, four different kinds of days
An OSC schedule cannot honestly be represented by one timetable. Children may be at KCC for a short period around school on one day and for a full 12-hour centre day on another. Different schools may have different calendars, dismissal times and professional-development dates. During a school break, some children attend every day while others attend only part of the week.
KCC keeps the relationship anchors consistent while adapting the length, pace and possibilities of the day.
A school PD or non-instructional day is a day when the child's school is closed to students, and KCC may offer full-day care for eligible, confirmed children. A KCC professional-development day shown on the current Centre Closure Calendar is a planned centre closure, and care is not available when the applicable KCC program or location is closed.
These calendars can differ by school, program, location and year. Families should check both the child's school calendar and the current KCC Centre Closure Calendar, then receive confirmation from the Director before relying on care for a particular date.
Regular school day
Around school and the route
Care is organized around the child's confirmed school and transportation schedule: a calm arrival, nourishment, a safe school transition, after-school decompression, active play, friendships, interest projects and family handoff. Children participate only during the care periods included in their enrolment arrangement.
Single school PD or non-instructional day
One longer experience
When full-day care is offered and confirmed, familiar arrival, meal, outdoor, quiet and closing anchors expand around a longer project, club, active experience or outing. The day feels special without becoming rushed or over-programmed.
PD week or multi-day school break
A connected series
Consecutive days are planned as a connected but flexible series. Projects can grow over several days, while each day still has a clear entry point for children who do not attend the whole week. Educators vary outdoor experiences, creative work, group challenges and possible outings instead of repeating the same day five times.
Summer care
Longer stretches of time
When summer enrolment is confirmed, the program has time for longer child-led inquiries, outdoor experiences, possible on-site water play, community exploration, collaborative projects and seasonal events. Plans remain flexible for heat, UV levels, air quality, weather, attendance and field-trip requirements.
Belonging across Grades 1 through 6
A Grade 1 child and a Grade 6 child may enjoy the same idea for very different reasons. An effective mixed-age program does not expect everyone to complete one identical activity in one identical way.
Educators create several entry points and levels of challenge. A construction project might allow one child to experiment with balance, another to draft a measured plan and another to coordinate a shared design. A group game may offer roles in playing, rule-making, scorekeeping or strategy. Children can contribute according to their strengths without being compared.
Older children may choose meaningful leadership, such as teaching a game, helping organize materials or proposing a club. Leadership is an opportunity, not a duty, and older children are never treated as substitutes for educators or made responsible for supervising younger children.
The environment also respects children's changing need for privacy and autonomy. Children can join a lively group, work with one or two friends, concentrate on a personal project or take a supervised quiet pause without being made to feel that there is one right way to participate.
How our curriculum works for school-aged children
KCC's school-age program is intentional without turning out-of-school hours into another formal classroom. Educators observe children's interests, relationships, strengths and emerging needs throughout the month. Those observations shape the next month's flexible plan and individualized experiences or supports.
Montessori-informed practice
Independence with real purpose
The prepared environment makes useful materials accessible and gives children responsibility for their choices. Children organize belongings, prepare an eating space, care for shared materials, follow a process, manage time and complete tasks with increasing independence.
Educators demonstrate when needed, then step back enough for children to think, practise, make mistakes and try again. Freedom operates within clear limits that protect people, materials and the shared space.
Emergent curriculum
Projects that belong to the children
Children's conversations, questions, games and creations provide the starting point. Educators listen for an idea with energy, then offer time, tools, information, vocabulary, community connections and increasingly complex challenges.
An interest in shadows could become outdoor measurement, photography, storytelling, sundial design, dramatic play or a discussion about the movement of the sun. The direction is not predetermined, and the project develops through the children's own questions.
Responsive principles from FLIGHT
Play, inquiry, relationships and belonging
Alberta's Early Learning and Care Framework directly supports practice with children age six and under. For older school-aged children, KCC draws on the same responsive principles of play, inquiry, relationships, identity, well-being and belonging rather than presenting FLIGHT as a one-size-fits-all school-age curriculum.
Children's voices influence the environment and the possibilities offered. Educators document meaningful moments, reflect on participation and relationships, and use family knowledge to understand the whole child.
What children strengthen at KCC
| Area | What parents may notice |
|---|---|
| Belonging and friendship | Joining a group, maintaining friendships across schools or grades, including others and finding a comfortable place in the community |
| Independence and executive function | Managing belongings, planning steps, using time, making informed choices, persisting and asking for help when it is needed |
| Communication and collaboration | Explaining an idea, listening, negotiating roles and rules, giving useful feedback and repairing after conflict |
| Inquiry and problem-solving | Asking questions, researching, testing a design, revising a plan, comparing strategies and applying learning in a real project |
| Creativity | Making, building, performing, writing, drawing, cooking and transforming an original idea into something that can be shared |
| Physical literacy | Running, balancing, throwing, catching, coordinating movement, learning games and taking appropriate physical challenges |
| Self-regulation and well-being | Recognizing whether movement, food, quiet, conversation or adult support will help after school or during a long day |
| Leadership and contribution | Proposing an activity, teaching a skill, caring for the room and helping a shared idea move forward without being placed in an adult role |
| Digital judgement | Understanding that technology is a tool used purposefully and briefly, not the default way to fill time |
Progress does not look the same for every child. Educators adapt materials, communication, groupings, expectations and the level of support so children can participate meaningfully.
A typical regular school day
This is the regular school-day baseline, not a full-day PD, break or summer schedule, and Tuesday through Thursday use the same five blocks. Actual departures for school and afternoon returns may be earlier or later because bell times and approved routes differ; the Director confirms the schedule that applies to each child, and not every family uses every block. The 7:45 a.m. block is a morning snack rather than a full breakfast, so please send breakfast with your child if they need one before school.
A flexible full-day rhythm
On a confirmed full day the school-day anchors expand into a complete program. Exact clock times can change with the season, the children, weather, an outing and the needs of the group.
| Full-day anchor | Purpose |
|---|---|
| Welcome, decompression and free choice | A warm arrival with room to reconnect, settle belongings and choose a comfortable starting point. |
| Morning nourishment and community planning | Food, conversation and a brief look at the day's possibilities, safety needs and children's ideas. |
| First outdoor or active period | About 60 minutes of movement, games, physical challenge and outdoor exploration when conditions allow. |
| Inquiry, clubs and project work | A sustained period for building, art, science, cooking, performance, strategy games, making, research or another interest emerging from the group. |
| Lunch and shared responsibility | An unhurried social meal with age-appropriate independence in serving, opening containers, cleaning and caring for the eating space. |
| Quiet transition or relaxation | Reading, drawing, journalling, puzzles, quiet games or another calm choice. School-aged children are not expected to nap. |
| Second outdoor, active or community experience | Another movement period, an outdoor investigation, a larger group challenge or a planned outing. |
| Afternoon snack and recharge | Time to eat, talk, rest and decide how to re-enter the afternoon. |
| Child-led recreation and deeper interests | Flexible time to continue a project, join a game, work with friends or pursue an individual interest. |
| Wind-down and family connection | Restoring the room, gathering belongings, quiet choices and a genuine handoff at pickup. |
This sequence protects what children need on a long day: food, movement, meaningful choice, social connection, time to concentrate and time to recover. It is not a promise that every full day will follow the same clock or contain every type of special activity.
The everyday details
How full-day planning changes across the year
A one-day school closure brings children out of their regular weekday rhythm. Some arrive excited for a special day; others need the same gradual start they use before school. Educators preserve familiar arrival, meal, active-play, quiet and pickup routines while opening a larger block for one meaningful experience, such as a collaborative build, creative workshop, cooking investigation, outdoor challenge, group game or a field trip when one has been planned and consented to.
When several non-school days occur together, copying the single-day schedule would make the week feel repetitive. KCC plans a flexible arc instead:
- projects can begin, change and deepen over several days;
- clubs and challenges offer different levels of complexity for Grades 1 through 6;
- active, creative, social and quiet experiences are balanced across the week;
- possible outings are spaced around in-centre days rather than turning every day into an excursion;
- each day has a fresh entry point, so a child who attends Tuesday and Thursday can still belong fully; and
- familiar meal, outdoor, quiet and family-handoff routines remain stable even when the content changes.
Children are not penalized for missing an earlier day of a project. Educators recap, offer roles that make sense and keep materials accessible so ideas can continue without becoming a closed club.
Summer offers longer stretches of time and a different social rhythm. Planning may include outdoor games, water play, neighbourhood exploration, nature investigation, art and making, cooking, group challenges, performances and field trips; specific activities depend on children's interests, resources, weather, consent and the plan shared for that period, and examples are not standing promises. Age-appropriate on-site water play may be offered with the consent described in the Parent/Guardian Agreement. Swimming and off-site water activities are not part of the program.
After school should not feel like more school
The program complements school but does not duplicate a classroom day or promise tutoring. Children have already worked within an academic schedule; their KCC time prioritizes relationships, play, movement, creativity, projects and self-directed interests.
Learning is still present. Children use literacy to write rules or scripts, mathematics to cook or design, research to answer a project question and social reasoning to organize a game. The difference is that these skills are applied through relevant experiences rather than a second round of compulsory lessons.
Decompression, guidance and conflict support
Children can arrive from school hungry, energetic, quiet, disappointed or socially overloaded. Educators do not require an immediate group report about the school day. Food, movement, a familiar game, a calm activity or a brief conversation can help a child shift into the program.
Positive guidance uses clear expectations, meaningful choices, redirection, problem-solving and logical consequences suited to the situation. When conflict occurs, educators protect safety, listen, help children explain what happened and guide them towards a workable next step. A child who needs help regaining calm may receive close support in a quieter supervised area and is welcomed back when ready.
Children are never shamed, humiliated or isolated as punishment. When a pattern requires consistent support, educators and families work together on practical strategies.
Outdoor experiences, movement and community outings
On a confirmed full day, KCC plans about 60 minutes of outdoor play on two occasions when weather, temperature, UV conditions, air quality, site conditions and children's safety needs allow. The amount of KCC outdoor time on a regular school day depends on the care period and transportation schedule.
Outdoor time may include child-created games, sports, loose-parts challenges, walking, playground play, nature inquiry or time to talk and move with friends. Educators also provide at least two indoor movement periods of 10 to 20 minutes each day, in addition to active play that occurs naturally, and indoor movement increases when outdoor time must be shortened or cancelled.
Children may visit community locations such as parks, playgrounds, libraries or museums when an outing is part of the plan. Recurring walks require the applicable Walking Excursion Agreement. Families receive advance notice of a field trip, and the specific Field Trip Agreement must be completed before a child can participate. Children must arrive before the stated departure time, and KCC meets or exceeds the required staff-to-child ratio off site.
Regular outings under the walking agreement have their favourites: from High River, the Bob Snodgrass Recreation Complex and the spray park; from Diamond Valley, the spray park and the Dr. Lander Memorial Swimming Pool and Spray Park. Where a week's outings go depends on the season, the weather and the plan.
Field trips from both centres have included Bar U Ranch National Historic Site near Longview and Granary Road south of Calgary. Where a year's trips go depends on the group, the season and what is on offer, and no particular destination is promised.
Quiet transition, not nap time
School-aged children are offered a quiet transition or relaxation period rather than being expected to nap. On a full day this may include independent reading, drawing, journalling, puzzles, quiet construction or another calm choice.
After school, the reset may be shorter and more individual. One child may want to sit with a snack, another may need active outdoor play and another may want a quiet conversation. Educators use the time and the child's cues to support an appropriate transition.
Meals and snacks during KCC care
The regular school-day plan includes morning and afternoon nourishment. A confirmed full day also requires lunch and may require additional food planning based on the child's attendance and the schedule shared for that day.
Morning and afternoon snacks are included in the optional Essential Services Package. Families who decline the package provide snacks and milk or yogurt. Snacks include foods from at least two food groups. Families send a nutritious, ready-to-eat lunch on a confirmed full day.
Educators use meals to build independence and relaxed social connection. Food is never forced, used as a reward or withheld as a consequence. Allergies, sensitivities and dietary restrictions must be recorded and kept current in the Centre Parent App. Families should also speak with the Director so a safe plan can be arranged.
Before relying on care for a non-school day
School calendars are complex, especially when KCC serves children from more than one school. For each PD day, early dismissal, multi-day break or summer period, families should:
- check whether the date is a school closure or a KCC closure;
- ask whether KCC care is offered for the child's grade, program and location on that date;
- receive confirmation that the child has a space, since regular school-day enrolment does not by itself guarantee a full day;
- confirm the care hours, arrival location and pickup location for that date;
- confirm whether lunch, extra snacks or special clothing are needed;
- complete any field-trip or walking consent that applies and arrive before a stated departure time; and
- report an absence or change through the process and deadline KCC provides.
An inquiry, calendar note or app RSVP is not a confirmed change to enrolment unless KCC approves the arrangement.
Thoughtful and limited screen use
Screen use is not part of KCC's regular program and never replaces play, outdoor experiences, movement or social interaction. Brief educational media may occasionally be used when it directly supports the curriculum and an educator remains actively involved.
Assistive, communication and accessibility technology may be used when it supports an individual child's participation.
Care, supervision and group size
Alberta's regulated requirement for kindergarten and school-aged children in out-of-school care is one primary staff member for every 15 children. This page serves Grades 1 through 6; kindergarten is named in the regulatory category but has a separate KCC program page.
| Regulatory group | Standard staff member-to-child ratio | Maximum regulated group size |
|---|---|---|
| Kindergarten and school-aged children in out-of-school care | 1:15 | 30 children |
The maximum regulated group size is a licensing grouping limit, not the physical capacity of the whole OSC room. Applicable ratios are maintained alongside active supervision, attendance checks, headcounts and KCC's safety procedures. Off-site groups meet or exceed the required ratio.
Transportation, attendance and changing school calendars
Regular travel between school and OSC is available only where it applies to the child's program, centre, school and approved route, and it is governed by a separate OSC Transportation Agreement. Centre operating hours do not establish that a route or care period is available.
Families keep current the child's school, grade, bell schedule and calendar; early-dismissal, rotating or special schedule information; the KCC care periods and days the family has been approved to use; transportation and route details; authorized pickup arrangements; and any absence or change that affects whether KCC expects the child.
An absence from an OSC route must be reported through the required process at least 30 minutes before the scheduled departure or pickup. A message to the school does not replace the required notice to KCC. When school is closed, the regular school route does not simply convert into a full-day care or excursion arrangement. The schools each centre currently serves are below.
High River
Spitzee School, Holy Spirit Academy and École Joe Clark School
Diamond Valley
Turner Valley School and C. Ian McLaren School
Starting with us
Staying connected with families
Educators share daily information in person and through the Centre Parent App. Because a school-aged child may not need a list of every activity, the most useful update may be a specific observation: an idea they pursued, a friendship they strengthened, a challenge they stayed with, something that made them laugh or a moment when they showed care for someone else.
Families may also receive photographs, room journals, learning stories, project documentation, schedules and reminders. A formal progress report is shared through the app each August and summarizes the child's strengths, interests, learning and areas for continued growth.
Families know their child best. Please tell educators about school changes, current interests, friendships, worries, cultural or family events, dietary needs and strategies that help the child feel secure. Prompt communication is especially important before schedule changes and full-day care periods.
What to bring
Please label every item with the child's name. OSC families generally provide:
- indoor shoes and a labelled water bottle;
- at least one complete change of clothing appropriate for the child's age;
- seasonally appropriate outdoor clothing and footwear;
- school belongings required for the approved daily transition; and
- a nutritious, ready-to-eat lunch on a confirmed full day.
For summer or a planned special activity, families may also be asked for a sun hat, swimsuit, towel, rainwear or other specific items. Send these only as directed for the plan, and label them clearly.
Families who decline the Essential Services Package also provide morning and afternoon snacks, milk or yogurt, sunscreen and insect repellent. Medication must never be left in a backpack, school bag or cubby; it is handed directly to an educator with the required authorization completed.
Planning beyond Grade 6
The OSC Program serves children through Grade 6. Families should speak with the Director well before their child's final program year ends so the last day of care, withdrawal notice and transition to the family's next arrangement can be planned clearly.
Frequently asked questions
Is full-day care automatic when school is closed?
No. A school PD day, non-instructional day, early dismissal or school break does not automatically create or reserve a KCC full-day space. The Director must confirm the date, availability, location, hours and any additional arrangements.
What if KCC also has a professional-development day?
Use the current KCC Centre Closure Calendar. If the applicable program or location is closed for KCC professional development, care is not available even if the child's school is also closed.
Does the published timetable apply on PD days and in summer?
No. The published clock times are the regular school-day baseline. A confirmed full day expands to include community planning, longer projects, lunch, quiet transition and two active or outdoor periods. Exact timing changes with the group, season, weather and any outing.
Why is there not one fixed full-day timetable for the whole year?
A single PD day, a multi-day break and a summer week create different needs. KCC preserves predictable anchors while changing the length and content of projects, outdoor experiences, group challenges and outings. This provides consistency without repeating one identical day.
What happens when schools have different calendars or dismissal times?
KCC plans from the school and transportation information confirmed for each child. Families must keep calendars and special schedules current. Exact care periods and routes depend on the location and approved arrangement.
Does my regular enrolment continue automatically into summer?
Do not assume that it does. Summer dates, attendance, space, location, hours and any program requirements must be confirmed through the enrolment information KCC provides.
How are Grade 1 and Grade 6 children served in the same program?
Educators provide multiple ways to participate and different levels of challenge. Children can work independently, with friends or across ages. Older children may choose leadership opportunities but are never responsible for supervising younger children.
Is OSC a homework or tutoring program?
No. The program complements school through play, movement, relationships, creative work and child-led inquiry; it does not promise tutoring or homework completion. Families with a specific homework-related need should discuss it with the Director.
Is breakfast provided before school?
The room plan names a morning gathering while current KCC service information lists a morning snack. Ask the Director what is served for the child's program, and send your child having eaten breakfast unless a different arrangement is confirmed.
What food does my child need on a full day?
That depends on the services selected and the schedule for the date. Families who do not use a centre lunch service, or where it is not offered, send a ready-to-eat lunch. Families who decline the Essential Services Package also send the required snacks and milk or yogurt.
Will there be field trips on PD days, school breaks or in summer?
There may be outings when they support the program, but no specific trip is guaranteed. Past trips have included Bar U Ranch National Historic Site and Granary Road. Families receive details in advance and must complete the required agreement. Children need to arrive before departure time.
Is part-time care available?
Part-time childcare is not guaranteed. Families must inquire, and approval depends on available space, staffing, school and transportation arrangements, the requested dates and the options currently offered.
Are screens used after school or on long days?
Screens are not part of the regular program. Brief educational media may occasionally support a current inquiry with an educator actively involved, but screens do not replace play, movement, outdoor time or relationships.
How will I know what happened during the day?
Educators share information in person and through the Centre Parent App. Full-day schedules, reminders, photographs and project documentation may also be shared there, followed by a formal progress report each August.
Ask about the right OSC arrangement
The best schedule is the one that reflects the child's actual school, route, attendance needs and calendar. Speak with the Director to confirm regular school-day care and any PD-day, school-break or summer dates your family may need.
