Les Petits Soleils Preschool and Out of School Care - Sherwood Park, Alberta

Scott N.

Madame Kathryn and her team do an excellent job at keeping the kids busy during the day and we have seen a huge improvement on our children's French speaking skills. She is also very knowledgable about community programs that are available to come into the classroom and assist children if they need additional help. Les Petits Soleils also offers summer camps and week long camps throughout the year (during school breaks) and they are good value. have flexible hours and our kids have really enjoyed them. All of our kids will go to Les Petits Soleils for preschool...one more to go! Keep up the good work Les Petits Soleils!!!

Samantha S.

My daughter has been having the most incredible experiences over the past few months. She is 3 years old and her understanding of French has increased so quickly and impressively! I am so proud of her and all she has accomplished. More than learning the language, she is gaining invaluable self regulation strategies, as well as developing social skills. She is making friends and learning how to interact with her peers. The staff have ALL been so welcoming and calming to her in all situations. To anyone who is considering enrolling their child, I suggest waiting no further and choose this program.

KLynn L.

This before/after school care program has exceeded my expectations overall. When we started, I wasn’t sure if my kids would enjoy it and it really extends their day but they have loved it so much right from the get-go that I have never been concerned. There are always great activities for them to participate in, they have made so many more friends from all of the grades, and they were so excited to participate in a glow party that they won for good behaviour. It has really been an amazing experience. One of my kiddos is a bit higher energy and needs more direction with her emotions and such a bad this programming has been amazing for her. I believe it is called “belief reprogramming” and I cannot say enough good things about it.

There has been lots of great, open and transparent communication and I can even text the staff to let them know when I need my kids ready. Super convenient if you have another activity to attend after.

The food offered in the morning has also been a godsend. All well thought out menus that offer choices and my kids are always happy with it. Saves me so much time in the mornings.

If you are thinking of a program for before/after school, this is the one!!

Kacie B. K. (. L.

The program and staff at Les Petit Soleil are SO GOOD that I actually moved so that my child could stay in the program!

We were SO impressed with the Pre school that I wanted her to continue with them and be able to attend their Kindercare and afterschool care, not to mention the PD days and summer camps.

I have SO much appreciation for the care and attention of the staff, who are all well trained, organized, and managed. They ALWAYS go above and beyond for my child, and to communicate effectively with me.

They have helped me get the most subsidy that I could so I was paying as little out of pocket as possible, but I also appreciate the reasonable fees, especially considering they staff ABOVE ratio- which makes for a MUCH better experience for everyone involved.

When I have had concerns, Mme. Kathryn has always taken the time to respond personally, with so much grace, compassion and consideration. When I have questions her staff always respond with such kindness and thoroughness!

I also have to thank her and her program for sharing Belief Re-patterning with me and my family. We have been able to shift so many unsupportive beliefs using this technique, and I LOVE that all the staff are trained to empower kids using it. You can really move out of the energy of "I can't" into "I can" (and I am beyond grateful because I SEE how profound of an impact it has made on my child's emotional regulation.)

Finally- The FUN!!!
My kid asks to be dropped off as early as possible and picked up as LATE as possible on camp days so she can have as much fun time as she can.

What more could you ask for?

The environment is so positive, supportive and inclusive that there is no where else I would want my kid to be.

If I could give 10 stars I would!

A

HIGHLY RECOMMEND!
An EXTRAORDINARY childcare provider.
Les Petits Soleils includes: French immersion KinderCare (4-5 years), after-school care program (4-12 years) & summer camps (3-12 years). Our child has progressed through all the programs over the past years.

What do you get?
For starters, it’s a full package, competitively priced childcare program in the Park. The owner, Kathryn, and her staff provide competent, professional care through all their programs. The level of customer service is high, expectations and services are clearly explained, and they are as accommodating as possible when last-minute changes or difficulties come up.
But what makes this provider so exceptional is the EXTRAORDINARY VALUE ADDED. In our experience, these are things that we did NOT find with other local childcare providers.

1. French Immersion KinderCare
Our child thrived in this program. Kathryn, the owner, is an innovator. A big plus for us is that she is a teacher, equipped with a Bachelor of Arts in Developmental and Behavioural Psychology and a Bachelor of Elementary Education (earned in French). She is an actual French immersion educator! That experience and extensive training are demonstrable. Kathryn can connect with the littles in ways that are truly astounding. It’s neat to experience as a parent.  She treats children as individuals, each with their own learning style.  She can engage children as active participants.
The KinderCare French gave our child a head-start and confidence for French immersion at the kindergarten level and above.

2. A Deliberate approach to Teaching and Modeling Emotional Regulation
Coming out of the pandemic, there’s a lot of attention going to kids and their emotional and mental health. Kathryn and her staff have been leading and innovating in this space for YEARS.
One of the key innovations they use to help kiddos is a technique called Belief Re-patterning. Its foundation lies in cognitive learning theory. Kathryn has piloted a kid-version for children as young as 3 years. In essence, it supports kids to develop healthy mental and emotional states by giving them developmentally appropriate tools to regulate their emotions and expand those skills and practices in their daily lives. This equips kids with lifetime tools to navigate challenging situations.
This approach is woven into program activities so kids get incentives to support each other and are encouraged to work through disagreements instead of having everything regulated for them by adults. (Our experience is that most childcare providers don’t make or take the time to support kids this way.)
We were curious about the methodology and pedagogy, as it was something that worked exceptionally well for our child. This is not a “thing” that is forced upon you or your family, but if you are interested in details, Kathryn provides them.
The best recommendation we can give here is that we were impressed when we realized our kid was coaching us in managing difficult conversations.

3. Inclusive and Welcoming
We’re a bi-racial, multi-cultural family. Finding programming that celebrates diversity and caregivers who are genuinely inclusive seemed impossible in the Park. As a family that celebrates Christian, Hindu and Islamic traditions, we were pleased that the staff are knowledgeable and comfortable discussing values and traditions outside of the Judeo-Christian hetero-norm. We find that Les Petits Soleils has consistently been an inclusive, non-judgmental, welcoming space. This was NOT our experience at other Park care providers.

4. Fun and Caring
None of this matters if the kids aren’t having fun – and they do! The staff consistently come up with great activities to engage a variety of kids. If you’re wondering if this is just our experience, it’s not. Our friends have had similar experiences with this program.
To wrap it up – our experience has been, hands down, transformative.
This is a provider that really does go above & beyond

The S.

I had a chance conversation 4 years ago with a friend who sent her boys here and I am so happy to have found out about this program. I have had all 3 of our kids in the program. Mme Kathryn was able to help catch a speech impediment with our son and we got him the early help needed to resolve it quickly. They have become part of our family. Their love and support for our kids has helped us determine that we will use this program to also provide the out of school care that we need as well! I wouldn't have anyone else help raise our kids with us.

Sarah S.

A few years ago, we were lucky to get into Les Petits Soleils part way through the year. My son has some separation anxiety and the school was a dream to work with. The staff are incredible and it didn't take long for my son to want to go to school. Skip ahead to my youngest, and we have similar issues. Kathryn Bobwal is an amazing teacher, and her staff are incredible as well. Each child is treated with respect and cared for. The curriculum is perfect for the age group and I'm loving the Belief Repatterning that is being implemented. This will be our last year at the school and there's a small part of me that wishes I had more kids just so I could stay connected with the school. I don't have enough good things to say. I highly recommend Les Petits Soleils for anyone looking for pre-school.

Brandi D.

I absolutely love this preschool!! My son attended Les Petits Soleils for 3 years and loved it! The teachers go above and beyond to create educational and fun activities for the students, including bringing in guests and going on field trips. They are in constant communication so you always know what your little one is up to and what they have planned! Les Petits Soleils involves parents and the community in the children’s learning, which I really admire and appreciate! My son learned so much in this program, such as the preschool curriculum, positive problem solving/social skills, calming/de-escalation techniques, accountability, respect, and so much more! His continuous development of and interest in the the French language was impressive! I have nothing but good things to say, this preschool and before & after care program are excellent!