Our School:  

We are an established preschool with a reputation for being a fun-loving, supportive and stimulating school for three and four year olds. We have been operating in the Victoria area for over 50 years.
We are also a member of VICPA (Vancouver Island Preschool Association).

 

 

View more photos

Gonzales Preschool provides a safe, happy and enriching environment for both children and parents. It offers a place for children to explore and understand their world. The co-op atmosphere, with its parental involvement, helps children establish warm and trusting relationships with other adults who care, thus facilitating a smooth transition from home to school. It also helps parents in establishing friendships with other neighboring families.

Playing & Learning Together:

Our program provides experiences that promote the intellectual, physical, social, emotional, aesthetic and artistic development of the child.  Our objectives are to:

• expand the child's range of experience, through exploration of a wide variety of materials, equipment, and situations
• encourage the child's sense of self-worth, providing situations where he/she can be successful
• develop the child's sense of responsibility through tasks and routines appropriate to his/her level
• develop physical skills appropriate to the child's developmental level
• foster the child's awareness of and sensitivity to the environment
• encourage imagination, creativity, curiosity, initiative
• increase the child's ability to communicate through language development, listening skills and social interaction
• encourage the development of social skills, consideration for the rights and feelings of others, sharing, taking turns, cooperation
• help the child to handle emotions in positive and constructive ways, encouraging the development of self-discipline
• keep alive the wonderment and awe that are natural in children

A Co-operative Commitment:   

This is a wonderful chance to be involved in your child’s education and to see your child interacting with others in the classroom.  Parents also take on different roles in the management of the preschool while a qualified ECE is employed to plan which material and learning experiences will be offered.  Parents assist the ECE in the preschool on a rotating basis (depending on enrollment, 1 to 2 times per month).

 

Being involved is enlightening – and it’s fun too!

• May – Welcome Orientation and Shadow Duty Day for new parents
• June – General Meeting and Social
• September Orientation
• duty days - approximately 1 to 2 times per month
• each family holds a ‘job’ for the school
• each family participates in one major clean-up of the classroom each year (Christmas, Spring Break, or June)
• each child must be represented at the monthly general meetings which include a Parent Education guest speaker (2^ndThurs, 7:30 - 9:00 p.m.)
• each family participates in the annual fund-raiser

Our Teacher: Frances Deas

We are so excited to have Frances Deas as Gonzales' teacher. Frances has worked as a preschool, pre-kindergarten and kindergarten teacher for the past 20 years.

Originally from Scotland, Frances spent 15 years on Salt Spring Island with Salt Spring Centre School and Sunshine Early Childhood Centre. A recent move brought her to our 'big' city. Her credentials include an ECE and BC Teaching Certificate.

Message from Frances:

Welcome! I am glad that you have chosen Gonzales Preschool.

Our philosophy of learning through play allows me to create an atmosphere and environment that supports and honors all aspects of growth and learning for our children. It allows for flexibility in meeting the needs both of individual children and also of the group as a whole, and it allows for opportunities for varied, open-ended, constructive and fun experiences. The more I work with young children, the more I have come to appreciate and respect  their individuality, creativity, resourcefulness, enthusiasm and love of learning. 

As I start each year with Gonzales and welcome new and returning children and families, I consider myself fortunate to be able to work not only with my students, but also to have such a close connection with their parents….and often siblings, grandparents, and more….

We will celebrate the joys of childhood together.

You're Invited:

We have an Open House every February.  Please bring your child to meet our wonderful teacher, Frances Deas, and to experience our delightful new classroom at St. Philips Church.  Children and parents from current and previous classes will also be on hand.

For more information on the open house, please call 250-727-1003. 

Also view our Frequently Asked Questions.

Click here to view or print a copy of our 2009 school brochure.