Here we go!

Our first week of preschool is all behind us and we're all settling in and getting to know each other and get used to new routines. It has been so much fun learning about you and your children and we look forward to a wonderful year together. Here is the first batch of photos that I took during our first week at school. You'll notice that there are no faces or names attached as this blog isn't private. Photos for this blog will always be taken this way.

In the future these blog posts will include more specific things like lunch ideas, songs we sing in class and more. Just watch this space for new info and keep an eye out on the class whiteboard for when the newest post goes up!

Miss Karen

Farm fun!

We had such a great day at the farm! We saw lots of animals including Simba the llapaca (a cross between an alpaca and a llama) and a big pig. Farmer Don even let us harvest eggs and sit on a tractor. We took a lovely walk on the property and even saw a stream going through with a beaver dam. At snacktime we had the chance to have a picnic then play a quick game of animal freeze before storytime and home. It's always nice to "escape" the city and visit a different way of life. Especially when it's right down the street!

Miss Karen

Looks like Simba may need braces!

Farmer Don let us pet a bunny

Let's help Farmer Don get those eggs!

What does a rooster say?

There are some beehives

Mmmm... honey

Farmer Don's greenhouse was nice and cosy on that cool day!

What a big piggy!

Oink!

Moo!

Let's go for a walk!

Beware! Construction zone ahead!!

We are having a blast in our yard, testing our riding skills on trikes and scooters. Today we found some traffic cones in our shed. What fun! We piled them up, placed them carefully around the yard, then they got lined up across the pavement on the trike path. There was a lot of skill involved with driving around those bad boys and with a little help from the teachers, the children got around the custom, child-made obstacle course. What a great time we had with just a few orange construction cones. Cheap and cheerful is the name of the game when it comes to preschool play!

Miss Karen

Get ready!

Right now our yard is in a state of flux. Every morning we teachers have to decide whether it's a sled day or a trike day. That is if we get to go out at all. Sometimes our yard is too wet or icy to even get out there!

Our backyard is a blessing. We have AstroTurf that doesn't get slippery or smelly as it defrosts and a lot of cement to run those trikes and wagons. That said, we also have a huge sandy sandbox and we expect some very large (and rather attractive) puddles that usually turn up as soon as the snow melts away.

As teachers who use emergent curriculum in our daily work, we love to see the children enjoying those puddles to the fullest. We ask questions, we encourage splashing, and provide opportunities to explore those puddles safely. Which is to say, your children will get wet and dirty. Oh, and did I mention wet?

We will definitely try our best to be reasonable (we promise you no swimming or puddle angels) but when those irresistible puddles start showing up, be prepared for wet boots, splash pants and mitts. And sometimes that pesky water even gets through their outerwear to their pants and socks so please remember to send dry clothes in their backpacks to school. 

Thanks in advance for your understanding! We love to foster learning and growth in preschoolers and Spring (if it finally arrives) is a great time of year for it!

Miss Karen

Something so wonderful happened!

This is the kind of small thing that happens in class that makes me realize that what I do as a teacher matters, is noticed, and appreciated by the kids.

I have a little Mason jar full of popsicle sticks with song titles written on them. It's to remind me to sing different songs when I'm on circle so that the ones I often do don't get stale. I usually pull out 2 or 3 and teach them to the kids.

Last week one of the children found a purple marker and a blank popsicle stick at the art table. He started scribbling, turned around and handed me it to me. "Here's a song for you Miss Karen!" It took me a second to realize that he'd remembered me with my song jar weeks ago and wanted to give me some more musical choices. How cool!

It just goes to show you that children are always watching and learning and wanting to mimic what you do. That's why we as caregivers have to be mindful of everything we do in a child's presence. My mum used to say, "little pitchers have big ears" and truer words have never been spoken!

Miss Karen

We got outside today!

Last week stuck inside, because of snow days and temperatures that could rival the surface of the moon, I just had to share our joy at being outside this morning. We played with everything available but I think the most fun was had with nothing. Just lying in the snow looking up into the grey sky, munching on a crusty chunk of (clean) snow. Is there anything better?

Miss Karen