Everything you want to know about enrolling your kindergarten child at Eastgate Academy, a private school in Greater Moncton

Thinking about starting your child’s kindergarten journey at a private school in New Brunswick? We’ve got the info you need to consider Eastgate Academy in Greater Moncton as your top choice!

Disclosure: This article is part of a paid promotion with Eastgate Academy. From time to time, Pickle Planet enters into paid partnerships we believe fit our values and those of our readers, in order to fund the work we do on this site.

 

It will happen sooner than any new parent expects: the search for kindergarten options and registration information! If you’re looking for small classrooms and a program with a great reputation, you’ll want to consider Eastgate Academy, a private school currently located in Riverview, just minutes from downtown Moncton.

Eastgate Academy opened its doors in September 2021, a Candidate School for the acclaimed International Baccalaureate Primary Years Programme. For the 2023/2024 school year, classes ranged from Kindergarten to Grade 8, with higher grades being added each academic year as the oldest class progresses.

Principal Kathryn Crossman, originally from Sackville and a graduate of St. Thomas University and Royal Roads University, has been with the school since its opening. Her enthusiasm and professionalism shine through the moment you set foot on campus.

“First and foremost, we’re a community,” she says. With a ratio of 12 students per teacher, the school creates a feeling of closeness and allows for mentoring relationships to form. “Our staff and families are committed to nurturing young people as they find their purpose and grow into their potential.”

WHEN IS THE BEST TIME TO REGISTER FOR KINDERGARTEN WITH EASTGATE ACADEMY?

Just like the public school system, Eastgate Academy encourages families to begin the Kindergarten application process in the fall before your child turns 5. This allows you time to visit the school, and for your child to take part in the school’s transition program. They can spend a whole afternoon in the Kindergarten classroom, getting a feel for the school and their future schoolmates!

Eastgate Academy offers tours to interested families at any time; reach out to the school’s Director of Community Development to book your visit. You’ll see the various classrooms, gymnasium, art/music/drama room, and get a wonderful feel for the sense of community and fun!

The school does accept admission applications year-round, both for Kindergarten and for higher grades. Whether you’re applying for the start of the school year or part way through, there is an admissions process that involves both the prospective student and you.

“[This] is a chance for students, families, and teachers to determine if Eastgate Academy is the right fit,” reads the school’s website. “It is a two-way process: we want to make sure that your child can flourish in our school with the kinds of support that we provide, but we also want to help you to understand what we offer and determine whether it aligns with what you want for your child.”

The process includes school visits, an online application that includes disclosing and discussing any behavioral or learning challenges, and an assessment with the school before an admission offer would be made. There is also a $100 application fee.

For Kindergarten students, the assessment process includes spending time in the school with their future classroom teacher. Your child will get to be hands-on, exploring and showing their own personality, letting the teacher get a sense of their curiosity and interests, and giving your child a full sense of what it feels like to be in an Eastgate classroom.

WHAT MAKES EASTGATE ACADEMY’S KINDERGARTEN PROGRAM SPECIAL?

A day in the life of a Kindergarten student at Eastgate Academy involves play-based learning that encourages exploration and independent thinking. This approach places a strong emphasis on community engagement and builds your child’s personal agency. Independent learning thrives in the small classes at Eastgate Academy, with teachers able to spend time focused on students’ individual needs, drawing on their personal curiosities to drive educational goals and create strong bonds between student and teacher.

“A culture of courage and curiosity encourages our learners to push the boundaries of their social, intellectual, and physical comfort zones, while a culture of collaboration and community creates a system of support from which our learners draw the confidence to learn from successes and setbacks. Our goal is to create a stimulating and supportive environment in which our learners can grow through an iterative process of inquiry, action, and reflection.”

Kathryn Crossman, Principal of Eastgate Academy 

As an Eastgate parent, you’ll engage in open communication with teachers, have opportunities to volunteer within the school, take part in student-led conferences, and attend information sessions about the PYP program and curriculum.

“We are thrilled by our son’s experience in kindergarten at Eastgate so far. He’s excited to attend every morning and comes home full of excitement about the activities of the day. He had never attended any sort of formal learning environment before and Eastgate has been the perfect launching pad for what we hope will be a lifelong love of learning. We don’t think we could have made a better choice for him in the Moncton area.”

Parent of an Eastgate Kindergarten Student

WHAT IS THE COST TO ATTEND EASTGATE ACADEMY?

The annual tuition at Eastgate Academy begins at $15,900. This covers use of recreational facilities, as well as travel related to academic and athletic trips. With younger students, this also can replace after-school daycare costs, as most public schools in the province dismiss students in Kindergarten through Grade 2 before 2pm. Eastgate students can remain at school, engaged in playful learning, until 5:30pm.

A FEW MORE FAQS

• What are the school hours? 7:30am – 5:30pm, Monday through Friday. Academic focus is from 8:30am – 3:30pm; students can be dropped off for supervised, outdoor time in the morning and stay for the Eastgate Explorers program from 3:30-5:30pm. Eastgate Explorers can include science experiments, sports, makers club, and stop motion mania.
• Is there bus service to the school? There is no bus service at this time; you are responsible for bringing your student to and from Eastgate Academy. Many Eastgate families connect with each other to form carpool and rideshare relationships.
• What happens on snow days? The school doesn’t adhere to the same cancellation constraints as the public schools in New Brunswick, so there may be times when Eastgate Academy remains open when others might close. The school follows Codiac Transpo recommendations; if the public buses are not on the roads, the school often opens later/closes early. Classroom learning is adjusted based on the students able to come to the building during snowy days. 
• Can I switch my child to Eastgate Academy at any time? The school does support mid-year enrollments. Contact them for additional information based on your needs.
• If I choose Eastgate Academy for Kindergarten, do I need to submit anything to the province? Eastgate Academy will assist you with completing a form that will be sent to New Brunswick’s Department of Education and Early Childhood Development, which tracks both private and independent school enrollment, as well as students opting for public school and homeschooling.
• Is there financial assistance from the province if I choose Eastgate Academy? At this time, no funding is provided to families who opt out of the public system in New Brunswick. There is financial assistance available through an external organization called Apple Financial.
• Do the students wear uniforms? Yes; the school provides a catalog from which parents can choose items to have delivered to their home. There are several options within the clothing line, so students have some choice in the combination of uniform items they wear. Those items can then be brought to DNA Swag locally for custom embroidery.
• Will we still have things like holiday concerts, sports teams, etc.? Of course! Students take part in the annual Halloween Showcase, Winter Concert, and Night of the Arts, as well as various sports including pickleball, basketball, and soccer as part of the Eastgate Explorers program.
• What type of curriculum can we expect? Eastgate Academy is an independent school, pursuing authorization as an IB World School. Its curriculum framework aligns with the IB Primary Years and Middle Years Programmes and the current British Columbia curriculum. Eastgate pedagogy revolves around the needs, interests, and individual growth of its students.

If you think Eastgate Academy might be the right fit for your soon-to-be Kindergartner – or you still have more questions you’d like answered! — reach out to the school for more information & watch their social media channels for public sessions, too.

RELATED: Eastgate Academy brings education options to Greater Moncton

Eastgate Academy is moving to a new location at 210 Millennium Drive, Moncton for the 2024-2025 school year. For more information, visit their website at www.eastgateacademy.ca. You can also find them active on Facebook & Instagram.