LCDS Preschool & Kindergarten

LCDS Preschool and Kindergarten (Londonderry Child Development Society) was established in North East Edmonton in 1972 by a group of parents in the Londonderry Area who wanted an early learning program in their community for their young children. The program started out inside M.E. Lazerte High School. They believed that learning should be fun, affordable and they wanted to be actively involved in their children’s education. With the growth of the High School and the Society, the school had to move and was relocated to the Greisbach area. This area was also undergoing redevelopment and the school moved once more to its present location inside the Gateway Alliance Church.

LCDS is a Parent Cooperative program and is a registered not-for-profit organization established under the Societies Act of Alberta. We are a private Early Childhood Services (ECS) program licensed under the Government of Alberta through Early Learning and Child Care Services and Alberta Education. We employ a qualified Teacher (Bachelor of Education Degree) possessing a valid Teaching Certificate. We are proud members of the Alberta Independent Schools and Colleges in Alberta (AISCA) and the Northern Alberta Preschool Teachers Association (NAPTA).

We enjoy a good working relationship with Gateway Alliance Church and Little Genius Daycare.

Half Day Programs

Learning Through Play

Educational Support

Friendly Place

Our core values

12006373_10153649332772888_6619486453926474610_n — LCDS
Today, LCDS Preschool and Kindergarten still operates with the same values and beliefs established by the founding members of the Society. Parents have the unique opportunity to be actively involved in their children’s education through monthly parent helper days, classroom activities, committee volunteering and operational roles on the Board of Directors in coordination with the program’s teaching staff, Executive Director and Business Manager.

element5-digital-OyCl7Y4y0Bk-unsplash — Education
LCDS Preschool and Kindergarten distinguishes itself from other Edmonton Early Education Programs in that the program is a licensed Private ECS Program offering Kindergarten and Preschool within the same classroom. The program is led by a Certificated Teacher with a Bachelor Degree in Elementary Education and Psychology and a minor in Sociology along with qualified Educational Assistants and Contract Therapists for those children who may benefit from early educational supports for Speech & Language or Fine or Gross Motor Development.

img6-500x376 — Learning Through Play
LCDS is a distinctive early learning program in that we offer both preschool and kindergarten in a combined classroom setting. We follow a ‘Learning through play” philosophy, in a language rich and fun environment. Under the guidance of our teachers, children aged 3, 4 and 5 attend together in the same classroom where they are introduced to a daily structured routine, balanced with learning and play. The program focuses on age appropriate development of the child’s language, vocabulary, social, emotional, physical and intellectual growth and development. The teacher introduces the children to daily kindergarten curriculum concepts and focuses on Kindergarten readiness for all children. Children develop a strong foundation for future educational success.

volodymyr-hryshchenko-NDDKWsrKufY-unsplash — Parent Involvement
As a parent cooperative program LCDS parents and guardians are a big part of their children’s success. Parents and guardians have the opportunity to be hands-on in their child’s first educational experience, supporting their learning, experiencing their excitement and watching them make new friends. Parent volunteering shows children that the adults in their life are interested in what they are doing and that helping others is important. By sharing your knowledge, expertise and experiences with the children, you have the opportunity to help enhance the education in our classroom. The Board of Directors and various committee roles are filled by volunteer parents; they help support the overall administration and operations of the program. Being a part of the daily classroom through parent helper days, our parents also learn new parenting/behavior management strategies that can be applied at home.

Society Philosophy

OUR MISSION

LCDS exists for the purpose of providing a well-defined, quality early childhood education program within an interactive, dynamic and fun learning environment involving family and community.

VALUES AND BELIEFS OF THE SOCIETY:

We believe in quality, affordable early childhood education.
We believe that children learn through play and experiences within their community.
We value each child’s individual development.
We believe that school should be fun to encourage a love of learning.
We believe that parents play a key role in their child’s education and development within and beyond the classroom.
We believe that school should be a safe inclusive environment that is respectful of each child’s cultural heritage and language and this is central to the child’s safety, well-being and development.
We believe that all children should have positive experiences and should be protected from all forms of physical punishment, abuse whether physical or verbal and emotional deprivation.

LONDONDERRY CHILD DEVELOPMENT SOCIETY BELIEVES THAT:

Children learn in supportive environments

In our program:

We have fostered an environment in which children are free to experiment, explore and take controlled risks as they strive to construct meaning.
We understand and accept that students develop at an individual rate.
We encourage their progress.
We respect and support children’s efforts, ideas and intentions by using student contributions rather than adult models.
We encourage positive interactions between children in which the focus is on support and feedback that would lead to improvement.

Personal growth and learning are closely interwoven

In our program:

We accept and respect personal responses of the children.
We encourage children to develop and extend their imagination.
We encourage children to apply skills and strategies that they have learned in one situation to other learning situations.

Meaning is central to learning

In our program:

We encourage children to make sense of the world for themselves.
We use what the children already know to help them make links with what they are trying to learn.
We provide activities that encourage students to practice skills and strategies in functional authentic situations.

Learning is enhanced through interaction

In our program:

We encourage children to share their experiences, thoughts, emotions, imagination and language with others; formally and informally.
We encourage children to test the validity of their own ideas.
We encourage student’s ownership of their own learning.
We encourage children to make choices about what they communicate, construct and explore.
We assist children to develop and use language to think clearly and logically.