How to Register

Registration for the 2026-27 school year opens February 2, 2026.

• 2026-2027 Registration Link

During the school year, students new to the area and already of school age must register at their in-catchment (home) elementary school. Find your child’s home school in School Locator. For the out-of-catchment school process, click here.

Registering During July and August

During the summer families can register their student online HERE. Once this process has been completed, please bring original copies of documents required for document verification to the Education Center between the hours of 8:30am – 2:00pm on Tuesdays, Wednesdays or Thursdays from July 2 – August 20, 2026, excluding the week of August 10-14.  If you are unable to attend these in person dates at the Education Center through July and August, elementary schools re-open on August 31, 2026.  After August 24, 2026, please contact the school office to process document verification on site after submitting registrations online  School staff will complete your student’s registration.

Who may register at school directly?

• Canadian Citizen student or student who has applied for Canadian citizenship
• Permanent Resident student or dependent of permanent residents in Canada
• Student who or whose parent holds immigration documentation verifying their refugee status, e.g. a Notice of Decision letter for Convention Refugee or Protected Person status, a Refugee Protection Claimant / Identity Document or an Acknowledgement of Claim and Return for an Interview letter from IRCC
• Student living with a parent who has a valid work permit
• Student who or whose parent has a Temporary Resident Permit in Canada

Who should contact the Admissions Office before attending school?

• International fee-paying student who has a visitor Visa or Study Permit
• International Exchange student on a reciprocal exchange with a HWDSB student
• Student living with a parent who has a Study Permit 
• Student who has applied for Permanent Residence status in Canada and is awaiting approval
• Canadian or Permanent Resident student whose parents live outside of Ontario
• Student who has applied for refugee status but has not received any documentation from Canada Immigration authorities verifying status
• Dependent of a parent on a Cleric Permit, Diploma Status or Minister’s Permit
• Student who has expired immigration documentation or no documentation in Canada

Bring the following original documents when registering at school:

• Completed Student Registration Form (found at bottom of webpage)
• Proof of child’s age: birth certificate, passport, baptismal certificate or permanent resident card
• Proof of address: current utility bill, current home phone/cable/internet bill, current lease or purchase agreement, current property tax bill or current government mail (e.g. Service Ontario or Canada Revenue Agency)
  • Note: Driver’s license, cell phone bill or bank statement can not be accepted as per Ministry requirement
• Proof of status in Canada: Canadian birth certificate or Canadian passport or proof of student’s Canadian citizenship application (including copy of the application, receipt from Canada immigration and mail/courier receipt), Permanent Resident Card or Confirmation of Permanent Residence letter, Refugee Claimant Protection Document, Notice of Decision letter for Convention Refugee status or Parent’s Work Permit
  • Note: An Ontario health card can not be used as proof of status, i.e. Canadian citizen or permanent resident status.
• Proof of custody (if applicable): if a student is under 18 but not living with a biological parent, then one of these documents must be provided as proof of custody: Court Order, CAS letter, adoption papers, notarized Guardianship Agreement or notarized custodianship declaration forms (specifically for international students)

In addition,

• It may be helpful to bring any previous school records or documents i.e. an IEP for programming and student support purposes.
• Immunization/vaccine records

Parents are responsible for submitting their school-age child’s immunization/vaccine record to Hamilton Public Health. For more information on how to submit the immunization record and/or Hamilton Public Health protocols regarding vaccine exemptions, please visit hamilton.ca/vaccines.

Students that move during the course of the school year or switch from a French-Immersion (FI) program to English, will be allowed to attend their current school for the remainder of the school year (even if their current school is closed to Out-of-Catchment). Students must attend their home school for the following school year.

Find your child’s home school in School Locator. For the out-of-catchment school process, click here.

Registering During July and August

During the summer families can register their student online HERE. Once this process has been completed, please bring original copies of documents required for document verification to the Education Center between the hours of 8:30am – 2:00pm on Tuesdays, Wednesdays or Thursdays from July 2 – August 20, 2026, excluding the week of August 10-14.  If you are unable to attend these in person dates at the Education Center through July and August, elementary schools re-open on August 31, 2026.  After August 24, 2026, please contact the school office to process document verification on site after submitting registrations online  School staff will complete your student’s registration.

Who may register at school directly?

• Canadian Citizen student or student who has applied for Canadian citizenship
• Permanent Resident student or dependent of permanent residents in Canada
• Student who or whose parent holds immigration documentation verifying their refugee status, e.g. a Notice of Decision letter for Convention Refugee or Protected Person status or a Refugee Protection Claimant / Identity Document or an Acknowledgement of Claim and Return for an Interview letter from IRCC
• Student living with a parent who has a valid work permit
• Student who or whose parent has a Temporary Resident Permit in Canada

Who should contact the Admissions Office before attending school?

• International fee paying student who has a visitor Visa or Study Permit
• International Exchange student on a reciprocal exchange with a HWDSB student
• Dependent of a parent who is on a Study Permit in Ontario
• Student who has applied for Permanent Residence status in Canada and is awaiting approval
• Canadian or Permanent Resident student whose parents live outside of Ontario
• Student who has applied for refugee status but has not received documentation from Canada Immigration authorities verifying status
• Dependent of a parent on a Cleric Permit, Diploma Status or Minister’s Permit
• Student who has expired immigration documentation or no documentation in Canada

Bring the following original documents when registering at school:

• Completed Student Registration Form (found at bottom of webpage)
• Proof of child’s age: birth certificate, passport, baptismal certificate or permanent resident card
• Proof of address: current utility bill, current home phone/cable/internet bill, current lease or purchase agreement, current property tax bill or current government mail (e.g. Service Ontario or Canada Revenue Agency)
  • Note: Driver’s license, cell phone bill or bank statement can not be accepted as per Ministry requirement
• Proof of status in Canada: Canadian birth certificate or Canadian passport or proof of student’s Canadian citizenship application (including copy of the application, receipt from Canada immigration and mail/courier receipt), Permanent Resident Card or Confirmation of Permanent Residence letter, Refugee Claimant Protection Document, Notice of Decision letter for Convention Refugee status or Parent’s Work Permit
  • Note: An Ontario health card can not be used as proof of status, i.e. Canadian citizen or permanent resident status.
• Proof of custody (if applicable): if a student is under 18 but not living with a biological parent, then one of these documents must be provided as proof of custody: Court Order, CAS letter, adoption papers, notarized Guardianship Agreement or notarized custodianship declaration forms (specifically for international students)

In addition,

• It may be helpful to bring any previous school records or documents i.e. an IEP for programming and student support purposes.
• Immunization/vaccine records

Parents are responsible for submitting their school-age child’s immunization/vaccine record to Hamilton Public Health. For more information on how to submit the immunization record and/or Hamilton Public Health protocols regarding vaccine exemptions, please visit hamilton.ca/vaccines.

During the school year, students new to the area and previously enrolled in secondary school must register at their in-catchment (home) secondary school. Find your homeschool in School Locator. For the out-of-catchment school process, click here.

If arriving during the summer, contact your home school for information regarding the registration process.

If you are transferring from a secondary school outside of Ontario, or from a non-inspected private school or a homeschooling environment, you will need to contact the Welcome Centre to book an English and numeracy or Prior Learning Equivalency Credit (PLEC) assessment PRIOR to registering at school.

Who may register at school directly?

• Canadian Citizen student or student who has applied for Canadian citizenship
• Permanent Resident student or dependent of permanent residents in Canada
• Student or dependent of a parent holding immigration documentation verifying refugee status, e.g. a Notice of Decision letter for Convention Refugee status or a Refugee Protection Claimant /Identity Document or an Acknowledgement of Claim and Return for an Interview letter from IRCC
• Dependent (under the age of 18) of a parent who has a valid Work Permit. Please note: if the student is 18 years or older, even though the parent has a work permit, the student must be directed to the Admissions Office PRIOR to school registration.
• Student who or whose parent has a Temporary Resident Permit in Canada

Who should contact the Admissions Office before attending school?

• International fee-paying who has a visitor Visa or Study Permit
• International Exchange student on a reciprocal exchange with a HWDSB student
• Dependent of a parent who is on a Study Permit in Ontario
• Student who is 18 years or older accompanying a parent holding a Work Permit
• Student who has applied for Permanent Residence status in Canada and is awaiting approval
• Canadian or Permanent Resident student (under 18) whose parents live outside of Ontario
• Student who has applied for refugee status but has not received documentation from Canada Immigration authorities
• Dependent of a parent on a Cleric Permit, Diploma Status or Minister’s Permit
• Student who has expired immigration documentation or no documentation in Canada

Bring the following original documents when registering at school:

• Completed and signed Student Registration form (found at bottom of webpage)
• Proof of child’s age: birth certificate, passport, baptismal certificate or permanent resident card
• Proof of address: current utility bill, current home phone/cable/internet bill, current lease or purchase agreement, current property tax bill or current government mail (e.g. Service Ontario or Canada Revenue Agency)
  • Note: Driver’s license, cell phone bill or bank statement can not be accepted as per Ministry requirement
• Proof of status in Canada: Canadian birth certificate or Canadian passport or proof of student’s Canadian citizenship application (including copy of the application, receipt from Canada immigration and mail/courier receipt), Permanent Resident Card or Confirmation of Permanent Residence letter, Refugee Claimant Protection Document, Notice of Decision letter for Convention Refugee status or Parent’s Work Permit
  • Note: An Ontario health card can not be used as proof of status, i.e. Canadian citizen or permanent resident status.
• Proof of custody (if applicable): if a student is under 18 but not living with a biological parent, then one of these documents must be provided as proof of custody: Court Order, CAS letter, adoption papers, notarized Guardianship Agreement or notarized custodianship declaration forms (specifically for international students)

In addition,

• It may be helpful to bring any previous school records or documents i.e. an IEP for programming and student support purposes.
• Immunization / Vaccines record

Parents are responsible for submitting their school-age child’s immunization/ vaccine record to Hamilton Public Health. For more information on how to submit the immunization record and/or Hamilton Public Health protocols regarding vaccine exemptions, please visit hamilton.ca/vaccines.

Hamilton-Wentworth District School Board has established a web page where you can learn more about the Welcome Centre.

The HWDSB Welcome Centre welcomes hundreds of new students every year, whether they are new to Canada or new to the Ontario public school system. It supports students and families with their transition to Hamilton, Ontario, as students begin their new school experience at HWDSB.

The Welcome Centre’s Admissions Office and assessment staff work together to provide services that make starting school a smooth process. The Welcome Centre also supports adult students with initial assessments as they resume their studies towards achieving their Ontario High School Diploma.

Which school will my child attend?

Find and Register for School to help identify a school.

Does my child qualify for transportation?

Check to see if your students qualify for transportation using the Bus Eligibility feature.

What time does the bus pickup/drop-off my student?

Use our Bus Stop Finder to help identify the times.

Where can I get transportation information?

Learn more about Transportation to our schools.

HWDSB is pleased to announce that homeschooling registration will be moving to an automated system. As of October 1, 2023, homeschooling will be accepted through the online application form. The new system allows parents/guardians to register their child(ren) in homeschooling.

The form allows the parent to register up to five children. If there are more than five children, please repeat the process. The registration is open through the whole year. The school year for homeschooling switches as of July 1 each year. The homeschooling form needs to be completed every year in order to be enrolled in homeschooling.

If you have any questions, please email [email protected] or by phone at (905) 527-5092 Ext. 2806.

Two easy steps to register your child(ren) for homeschooling:

1. Please visit and learn about homeschooling using the ministry website at https://www.ontario.ca/page/learn-at-home.
2. Please fill out the Notification of Intent to Provide Homeschooling form online (https://forms.office.com/r/pRbcbyPd3Z) and an Acknowledgement of Parental Notification and Intent letter will be sent to you immediately. Please make sure to enter the correct email address since your confirmation will be sent to this address.

Q & A

Q: What should I do if I don’t have an email address? 
A: Please fill out the “Notification of Intent to Provide Homeschooling” form and send to Homeschooling, 20 Education Court, P.O. Box 2558, Hamilton, ON L8N 3L1.

Q: What should I do if I haven’t received the Acknowledgement of Parental Notification and Intent letter?
A: Please contact the homeschooling department ([email protected])

Q: Will the last attended school be notified?
A: Yes, the last attended school will automatically be notified at the same time you submit your form

Q: I can’t open the form.
A: Please contact the homeschooling department ([email protected])

Q: I have registered my child for homeschooling for the whole year, but I have decided that I would like my child to go back to school in the second semester.
A: You can leave homeschooling at any time and re-register with HWDSB

Q: I am looking for materials/ resources for homeschooling.
A: Once you decide to register for homeschooling, you are responsible for arranging academic programing. Materials/resources are available at: https://www.ontario.ca/page/learn-at-home

Q: I would like to register my child for homeschooling in the second semester.
A: The homeschooling registration is open throughout the entire year.

Q: Do I need to fill out the form if I am already registered for homeschooling 2023-2024?
A: No, if you have received your Acknowledgement of Parental Notification and Intent letter you don’t need to fill out the form again.