2026/2027 Nature Kindergarten Registration has closed and is no longer accepting registrations.
Students spend every morning outside, rain or shine, in natural settings. Students then return to school for their lunch and remain in the classroom during the rest of the afternoon for indoor learning.
Nature Kindergarten is available at the following schools:
If your primary address is in the Westshore your child would attend the Nature Kindergarten program at Sangster Elementary. If your primary address is in East Sooke, Sooke, Jordan River or Port Renfrew your child would attend the Nature Kindergarten program at Saseenos Elementary.
To register, children must turn five years of age by December 31 in the same calendar year that they begin school. There are no exceptions.
Lottery system for kindergarten registration
Due to high demand for Nature Kindergarten, if a school receives more registrations than the number of available seats, a lottery will take place. The lottery will follow the unique enrolment priorities for Nature Kindergarten and students will be placed in the order in which they are drawn.
How to register:
1. Attend a mandatory in-person Nature K parent information session prior to registration. Parents/Guardians must attend the entire presentation. Your attendance will be recorded. The presentations are not school-specific. You can attend either session. This session is designed for adults, and we encourage families to make alternate childcare arrangements. If doing so presents a challenge, please contact the school in advance.
2.Read theRegistration Checklist to make sure you have the required documents ready to upload during registration. Please upload ALL required documents. Registration will be incomplete until all documents are uploaded.
Uploading Documents: Don't have a scanner? Please provide CLEAR photos of the documents. If the document cannot be read clearly, it will not be accepted.
Students will not be officially registered until all documentation has been uploaded.
When the number of applicants exceeds the number of available seats, a lottery will take place. The enrolment priorities unique to Nature Kindergarten will apply to the lottery.
Schools will notify parents of lottery results before the opening of Regular Kindergarten registration. If you were not successful in the lottery, your name will be placed on a waitlist. Please note that we do not disclose individual positions on the waitlist. Should a seat become available for your placement on the waitlist, the school will notify you directly.
No. By registering, your child is automatically included in the lottery.
Yes. If you do not have a computer at home, you can access a computer at any of the following places:
Public library
A friend or family’s house
Use a mobile phone
Yes. All correspondence, including the offering of seats and waitlist status, are sent to an applicant’s e-mail address. It is important to have access to your e-mail account for school and district correspondence.
Yes. You must fill out a Nature Kindergarten application form that can only be obtained at one of the mandatory information sessions listed above. This application must be completed in full and submitted to the school before the end of the registration period.
You must register your child for Regular Kindergarten.
In the event of a lottery, one ballot will be entered into the draw for families with multiples (twins or triplets). If drawn, multiples will be offered placement in the program at the same school provided there is space. If there is not enough space, the district will look to place multiples at a different school with available space.
No. When a lottery is required, only students who are considered in-catchment are included. All eligible applications are considered equally based on the district's student enrollment priorities. This means your child’s registration carries the same weight as any other registration with the same circumstances within the catchment area, according to the school’s enrollment priorities. This is why a lottery process is used.
No. French Immersion Kindergarten is also a program that receives more registrations than available seats. The French Immersion lottery occurs at the same time as the Nature Kindergarten lottery, and French Immersion typically has a waitlist. You may inquire during Regular Kindergarten registration to see whether there is space at your catchment French Immersion elementary school, but this is unlikely.
