River East French Exposure Nursery School has been providing quality education to three and four-year-old children for over 40 years. The school was founded by a group of parents who wanted to give their children a good head start in preparation for kindergarten.​​ This wonderful idea of a French-based nursery school was established in Neil Campbell School - it was then known as the French Immersion Nursery. REFENS headed to Transcona in 2003, where we landed at Joseph Teres School. We had the pleasure of operating within Joseph Teres until June 2024, when we made our move to our current home at École Margaret Underhill.​

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We have made many wonderful connections with the staff and students within our housing schools. We are committed to creating opportunities to work together - collaborating with the kindergarten classes for science days and inviting older students into our class to work with the preschool children. We are the only nursery school program that offers an initiation to the French language in the North/East Kildonan area, and our program has attracted students from various parts of the city.

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Our program is designed to prepare children for Kindergarten in both French and English. We follow a routine that emulates one found in a school setting. We focus not only on teaching numbers, letters, colors, and shapes, but also on developing the necessary skills to thrive in a classroom environment. We believe in the importance of both learning and play. We encourage our students to share their toys and books with others, even when it may be difficult. We also prioritize following school schedules and procedures, such as being quiet in the halls and respecting other classes. Safety is a top priority, which is why we conduct regular fire drills and enforce playground rules.​ By the end of June, we are proud to have learned so much that we are ready for Kindergarten, even though it means saying goodbye to each other.

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Our students have been fortunate to participate in a variety of exciting activities over the years - from visiting local spots such as the Library and Fire Stations to taking part in cultural events like The Festival du Voyageur and the Winnipeg International Children's Festival. We are thrilled to be invited, year after year, as guests to the KidsFest Opening Ceremonies, where our students are invited to perform on stage with beloved children's entertainers such as Fred Penner and Splash'N Boots.

 

Nursery school friendships are special and long-lasting. At REFENS, we celebrate these bonds with our annual Family Fun Night, where we welcome back our alumni and their families. It's a heartwarming experience to see former students and parents reconnect and reminisce about their time at REFENS.

 

REFENS is proud to have a wonderful reputation in the RETSD! Our program has been highly praised by kindergarten teachers in both the Immersion and English schools. We are thrilled to see graduates ready and eager to take on the challenges of the education system and enthusiastic about cheering them along through out their school age journey and beyond.