Pre-school children ‘love’ SD60’s pretend to be a kindergartener

FORT ST. JOHN, B.C. — A School District 60 (SD60) initiative has pre-school children pretending to be a kindergartener for a day. 

Tracey Lariviere, principal of Early Learning and Child Care for SD60, told Energeticcity.ca that this initiative was started in 2025, and this year the “pretend to be a kindergartener day” has been scheduled for June. 

This initiative was introduced to strengthen the transition from preschool to kindergarten for preschool students. 

“What we’re doing is we’re inviting the kindergarten teachers into the preschool for a bit of time later in the year,” she explained. “The preschool students are all going to pretend like they’re kindergarten students.” 

On that day, the preschool students will be able to dress up as kindergarteners, and they will take pictures at a photo booth. 

Lariviere added: “The kindergarten teacher will have a little station, [ who will] do some art with them…preschool kids will pretend like they’re kindergarteners and they’ll get to know the kindergarten teacher at the same time.” 

“We wanted to bring our ECE [early childhood educator] that we have working in our preschools closer [to] the kindergarten teachers,” Lariviere said. “So what better way to do that than have the kindergarten teacher come into the preschool and see the kids in action.” 

When the initiative was launched last year, it was loved. 

Lariviere said: “We did it in one school last year, and the kindergarten teachers loved it so much that they actually said, ‘when can we do it again?’” 

This year, the school district plans the day to take place at Duncan Cran Elementary School, Robert Ogilvie Elementary School, Taylor Elementary School and Bert Ambrose Elementary. 

“They loved showing off for the kindergarten teacher, enjoyed being with the school administrator, they loved dressing up and showing their learning to the people in the room,” she noted. 

When asked how this initiative helps preschoolers transition to kindergarten, she said: “I think it really helps build that relationship between the kindergarten teacher and the preschool ECE, which really helps [them] feel part of the school and that connection as a learner.”