“Gifts To Give…Thoughts on Thankfulness" - FAS T/Th Class
October 25, 2017, 06:00 AM
To celebrate Thanksgiving, we
decided to bake “Cranberry Tarts” with the children so they could create a
treat to share with their family! Before
we began this experience, I sat down with all the children and explained that
we would be working in groups of five to make these yummy gifts. I also asked the children to start to think
of things that they were thankful for so we could discuss it later.
Each group of children washed their
hands and helped to stir the mixture of melted butter, brown sugar, white sugar,
egg and corn syrup. Then each child
individually filled two tart shells with “5” cranberries. These baking details supported their
understanding of measuring, mixing and also counting. Once each tart was filled, they were placed
into the oven and we waited for them to finish baking.
When we all gathered in a circle
once again, I asked the children “What are you thankful for?” Some children offered these thoughts…”I am
thankful for…”
Dayna: “…for my babies”
Judy: “…the playground”
Era: “…for my baby”
Lalita: “…the playground”
Iris: “…my family and home
Loen: “…my baby”
Jerome: “…chasing bad guys”
Mia: “…for the playground”
Joseph: “…my mom; my guitar
Yusaf: “…my home”
The variety of responses represented
the children’s many life experiences and how they enjoy and embrace them. Personally, I feel thankful for the many
blessings in my own life and appreciate the opportunity to interact with your
incredible children each week.
Sincerely,
Teacher Lori
Moore
Photos
courtesy of Teacher Patricia
Comments (1)
Lantern Festival - October
October 24, 2017, 04:37 PM
On Thursday
October 19, West Richmond Community Centre hosted the 18th annual Lantern
Festival. Unfortunately it was raining this year so we were forced to
moved the festivities inside - however the rain did not stop
the guests from enjoying a magical evening.
As a newer staff member this was my first Lantern Festival. I was unsure of what to expect, but I was blown away to see our community come together for an evening of charity and fun.
Upon arrival guests were welcomed, many of them graciously brought perishable foods to be donated to the food bank. Next, guests were offered crisp apples and sweet hot chocolate. There were so many stations to visit such as the scarecrow and pumpkin themed photo-op, the wishing tree, face painting, cake walk, obstacle course, drummers, balloon making station, lantern making station, the pizza concession, and finally the charismatic juggler.
As I looked across the room I saw so many familiar and new smiling faces, what an amazing way to see and get to know our students and their families a little bit better outside of the classroom.
Around 7:30pm. we began lighting our special homemade lanterns. Every lantern was beautifully handcrafted and unique, they represented each and everyone of our children perfectly. Then, our Child Care Director, Gina, led a procession accompanied by the drummers to close out the evening. It was truly an amazing night and I can't wait until next year's Lantern Festival.
Jordan Richards
As a newer staff member this was my first Lantern Festival. I was unsure of what to expect, but I was blown away to see our community come together for an evening of charity and fun.
Upon arrival guests were welcomed, many of them graciously brought perishable foods to be donated to the food bank. Next, guests were offered crisp apples and sweet hot chocolate. There were so many stations to visit such as the scarecrow and pumpkin themed photo-op, the wishing tree, face painting, cake walk, obstacle course, drummers, balloon making station, lantern making station, the pizza concession, and finally the charismatic juggler.
As I looked across the room I saw so many familiar and new smiling faces, what an amazing way to see and get to know our students and their families a little bit better outside of the classroom.
Around 7:30pm. we began lighting our special homemade lanterns. Every lantern was beautifully handcrafted and unique, they represented each and everyone of our children perfectly. Then, our Child Care Director, Gina, led a procession accompanied by the drummers to close out the evening. It was truly an amazing night and I can't wait until next year's Lantern Festival.
Jordan Richards
Paper Towel Rainbow - 4 Year Old Class
October 23, 2017, 06:30 AM
In
class we put coloured water into three mason jars, and added the primary
colours, red, blue and yellow.
We
then placed the jars in a circle with three empty jars in-between, and had
paper towel rolling from one jar to the next. The children were very interested
in this science experiment and what the outcome would be.
The
process took a few days, but the children were able to see the colours absorb
into the towels, creating green, orange and purple.
We
followed up with an interactive activity allowing children to mix the primary
colours using vinegar with food colouring, droppers, and trays filled with
baking soda.
Some
comments:
Matias
– It looks like it's steaming!
Kaius
– It's bubbling!
Lucas
– It's like a colourful volcano!
Alara
– It's like cooking with ginger!
Until
next time :)
Barbi
Taking Turns - FAS M/W/F AM Class
October 19, 2017, 07:00 AMAs the first month of preschool
closes we are getting to know each other more and more every day. It is so
exciting for us to see each personality shine through while the children
participate in creative play, art, and circle time.
Some children are more vocal than
others when it comes to expressing their likes, dislikes, interests, and
passions. In order for us teachers to learn more about the children and for the
children to learn more about each other, we will often ask questions
at circle time such as, "what is your favorite colour?" or "what
did you do this weekend?". We will then go around the circle letting each
child share their answers. However, many times the children are so excited to
share their thoughts that a lot of over talking occurs or thoughts get lost in
all of the commotion.
In order to ensure that each thought
gets heard we decided to make a "talking stick". The talking stick
encourages children to listen when it is not their turn to speak. It is a
visual reminder to practice patience until it's their turn to share.
So far we have found the talking stick to be a success! The talking stick has worked so well that a few students have even reminded us teachers to wait until we have the stick back to speak. The talking stick has helped to create so many special moments already and I can't wait to experience more!
Until next time
Jordan
So far we have found the talking stick to be a success! The talking stick has worked so well that a few students have even reminded us teachers to wait until we have the stick back to speak. The talking stick has helped to create so many special moments already and I can't wait to experience more!
Until next time
Jordan
It’s Pesto Time! - 4 Hour Class
October 16, 2017, 07:00 AM
Over the summer, our herb garden grew strong and we had an
abundance of basil. Coincidentally, Teacher Mariam brought in a big bag of
beautiful cherry tomatoes from her dad’s garden. So, off we went into our first
cooking activity!
We wanted a simple recipe with just a few ingredients so we
decided on cooking pasta with pesto sauce and cherry tomatoes.
Last class, we had intentionally placed some of the herbs out. We
wanted the children to observe, feel, smell, and experiment with the herbs. In
the next class, during our morning gathering, we passed basil leaves around for
the children to feel and smell. Some children said they liked the smell, and
some did not. The children who were playing with the herbs in the morning
seemed to like the smell better than the friends who had not played with the
herbs previously.
We then asked the children to help snip leaves off the basil
plant. A few of our friends were very excited and wanted to cut the basil off
the main stems. We explained that we needed to take care of our plants so that
they recover and regrow more basil. The children then took turns and
carefully snipped the leaves making sure they were not crushing or breaking the
main stems. When we returned inside, we washed the basil and made sure we had
just the leaves and not the stems.
While waiting for our water to boil for our pasta, we cut
tomatoes. With eager hands and butter knives, children were cutting carefully
to make sure the tomatoes were cut in half.
Some children liked the tomatoes, and some preferred the pasta without the tomatoes. Nevertheless, everyone enjoyed sitting together and trying the recipe.
Karen