Settling Into Preschool
September 20, 2018, 01:44 PM
Settling into Preschool
During the first few days of preschool it has been wonderful to see the children settling into the classroom and enjoying the various activities. It’s very interesting to watch and support the different emotions each one of the children and families are feeling. Some children are happy to say good-bye whist others are wondering why mom left, no matter what the children and families are feeling we are here to support you and confident this is a milestone in children’s lives that will allow them to understand their emotions and act upon what they are feeling and grow from it. We feel its important for children to allow themselves to feel sad, mad, angry and if they are feeling that at anytime and know we support them to understand its going to get better and that sad, mad, angry feeling do pass.
Here are some pictures of our first weeks in class:
During the first few days of preschool it has been wonderful to see the children settling into the classroom and enjoying the various activities. It’s very interesting to watch and support the different emotions each one of the children and families are feeling. Some children are happy to say good-bye whist others are wondering why mom left, no matter what the children and families are feeling we are here to support you and confident this is a milestone in children’s lives that will allow them to understand their emotions and act upon what they are feeling and grow from it. We feel its important for children to allow themselves to feel sad, mad, angry and if they are feeling that at anytime and know we support them to understand its going to get better and that sad, mad, angry feeling do pass.
Here are some pictures of our first weeks in class:
Until next post,
Jess
Comments
Ships and Boats - FAS T/Th Class
May 9, 2018, 06:00 AMAs we explored the ocean and sea life last
month, we noticed that the children were getting interested in ships and boats
and what sinks and floats. To further explore that interest, we had a fieldtrip
to the Britannia Shipyard.
The class before the field trip, the
children were able to make their own boats. They used corks, toothpicks, rubber
bands and foam paper. A bucket of water was also provided so they could test out
their boats.
On
the day of the fieldtrip, the first area that we visited was the shipyard. The
children were able to get on a fishing boat. We also saw the area where boats
got fixed and the tools used for repairs.
Then
we went to a house where a fisherman and his family lived. It was called the
Murakami house. We got to see the different appliances they used before. Some
of them we don’t use anymore and some that have been improved throughout the
years.
The
last activity for the field trip was boat making. The children, with the help
of their parents, were able to make their own wooden boats. They use hammers
and nails to attach the different pieces together. The children also got to
decorate and name their own boats.
The fieldtrip got the children excited and
curious about boats and ships. We cannot wait to do more learning and discovery
in the classroom.
Until next time,
Patricia
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A Day at the Nature Park - 4 hour Class
May 7, 2018, 06:00 AM
It was a beautiful morning with blue skies and
sunshine. We went for a walk through the Richmond Nature Park with our guest
Teacher Keefer, who is an avid nature enthusiast. So off we went on our
adventure...
We also played games, found a secret tunnel, observed moss, and talked about bogs. We had an amazing time at the Richmond Nature Park.
Until next time,
Karen
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Wee Walk - 4 Year Old Class
May 3, 2018, 06:00 AM
In
advance of Wee Walk day on May 16th (a move for health event), our
Preschool 4's Class took the opportunity to walk the Hugh Boyd Trail. This walk
is # 8 of 23 easy walks around Richmond. All walks can be found in the Richmond
Walking Guide Book.
Being that the children were so engaged with all they could see, feel and hear... we happily only managed the first half of the walk on this morning.
“Whose shoe is it?” Roan
We happened upon a concrete pipe that the children found so
intriguing, and were very excited about.
Many familiar items seemed extremely interesting today.
Being that the children were so engaged with all they could see, feel and hear... we happily only managed the first half of the walk on this morning.
We're
off!
“The
grass is growing and I can see small grass so small. It's just starting to
grow.” Charlie
Oops, someone forgot a shoe on the benches!
“He'll be sad right Alara?” Iris
“Maybe we should take it.” Tiffany
The children noticed something happening across the turf, so we
walked over to check it out.
A young boy explained to us that he and the other boys were
auditioning for a commercial.
“Can
I be in the movie?” Yasmin asks her teacher
“There's a man up there so high.” Ariyen
(as he watched the camera man filming)
“The puddle's so big and there's so much water. That's why we
can't go there” Charlie
“We don't have boots Charlie, you can't go.” Roan
We study our home-drawn map to decide where we need to go next.
The children had fun climbing on the bleachers and getting a
birds-eye view of the soccer turf.
There was such a positive energy this fresh, Spring morning, and
the children's chatter was constant. Nothing was getting past them. They were
curious about everything from sewers to birds nests, to signs on the fence.
Lucas read the sign about cleaning up after your dog, which triggered a
conversation with loads of laughter!
“Look, another sign.” - Ariyen The sign was identifying a meeting place in the event
of an emergency. A place where everyone can go and be together, so they can
hear instructions about what to do next.
“I wonder who left it here.” Lucas
The hole in the pipe had imaginations running wild.
“Maybe animals live inside.” Alara
“Maybe bunnies live inside.” Iris
“Maybe an alligator!” Ariyen
The children were finding all kinds of treasures every step of the
way.
It was a very enjoyable and high-spirited walk. We look forward to
doing the 2nd half of the Hugh Boyd walk in the near future.
Barbi :)
Spring has Sprung - FAS M/W/F AM Class
April 30, 2018, 06:00 AMIt has
finally begun to feel like Spring. The
weather has started to cooperate and we have been enjoying our time outdoors.
The activities and information that was given to our children related to them because we used all our senses to learn about the many signs of spring time. The children were actively doing by observing, touching, moving, and listening. This makes a huge impact on how they receive information and how they learn from the experiences.
Our class
has been very active these days with many projects and activities tying into
Spring. We have been gardening in our
garden boxes out on the patio with the guidance from our parent helper,
Tina. She is Chloe and Olivia’s mother. The children were fully engaged planting our
mini vegetable garden. Tina provided the
children with very hands on information which involved getting our hands right
into the dirt. They each got to plant
seeds right into the soil and now they are all sprouting.
It’s a great way for children to learn as
they are part of the process and visually can see what is happening. As they
were planting, a lady bug appeared and added even more excitement to the
day. The children were very curious
about the unexpected visitor. Another learning moment came upon us
spontaneously and we will be exploring that avenue too.
Inside our
classroom, we planted beans in wet paper towels in clear cups so that the
children could visually see the roots growing.
Having visual and interactive experiences for the children provide them
with many learning connections. Once we
make the connections with the children we can expand their active learning.
Another way
was taking a field trip to the Richmond Nature Park. Although, it was a very rainy day, we had a
successful trip. At the nature park, we
expanded on Spring and gardening by learning about bees, pollen collecting and
other plants and trees. We also got to learn about frogs and a variety of
birds too. Oh yes, we must not forget about the snake that we got to pet. The activities and information that was given to our children related to them because we used all our senses to learn about the many signs of spring time. The children were actively doing by observing, touching, moving, and listening. This makes a huge impact on how they receive information and how they learn from the experiences.
I would
like to thank Tina for coming to our class to share her knowledge and
providing the materials. And another
thank you to Carol, Nora’s Grandma who came on our field trip to the Nature
Park to help with the class.
Until next
time, Deanna
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