West Richmond Preschool

Today was the big day. We were finally going to pick our pumpkins albeit they were still a little green (ok, a LOT green). So green that for a while I wondered if they were in fact not pumpkins but squash. But, lo and behold, they are pumpkins, just not super mature due to our less than perfectly sunny spot. I thought "Great, I can use this opportunity to teach them about the power of sun in ripening fruits and vegetables". Will they be upset that they are not green, I wondered. Well, when we gathered around to pick the pumpkins off the vine,  not one, not one single child said anything negative about their colour. I love these kids! They just went with it and were so excited to be picking them they really did not judge the colour at all. Truly, there is a deep lesson in this story. For all of us. I also was entirely impressed by their uncanny ability to ignore the rain. The huge drops of rain that landed on us as we ran on the pathways, looked for coyotes  (not today), loo...

Starting last week, we waited for our buddies with great anticipation. Prior to their arrival, we discussed what it means to be a "fun" little buddy - listening, talking, sharing thoughts and ideas, being gentle and smiling.  Since this teacher and this class were new to us, we did not know what to expect. I wondered if our children would feel shy or nervous. Would some need a lot of support from us teachers? Would they need support to help them feel comfortable? Would they feel intimidated by the teacher? Alas, none of these concerns came to a head as the class is filled with gentle, kind and caring grade 6 & 7 students and the teacher is calm, humble and exudes kindness. How lucky we are! Our little buddies seemed comfortable immediately and had no hesitation in engaging with their big buddies. It was fascinating to watch them pair off with such confidence and ease.We discussed the outline of the day which included an art project, shelling beans and threshing wheat, cir...

Before we went to Courtyard Gardens Senior Home, we went for a run around Minoru track. The kids loved it- lots of bragging about their speed and agility. I know many of our children play soccer so we tried to make a connection about cardio and soccer. The other people on the track were totally in awe of our children and judging by their exclamations, found them to be most adorable! We arrived at the Senior's home to find a very good turn out of "Grandmas" and "Grandpas". Right away, the Seniors and Charlene, the Recreation Coordinator, made our children feel welcome. We sang a welcome song and then everyone did name introductions. I was surprised at how comfortable all the children seemed, as if they had been there before. What makes a child feel comfortable in a new situation? I imagine it is many interconnecting attributes- their peers, the staff, the room, the new people- very interesting. We brough a small, easy to clean up and portable art proje...

We had an "in" day. Not "in" as in inside but "in" as in not going on an out trip. So.. time for some cooking and art projects. We had squash and garlic from our garden so we added some carrots, onion, vegetable stock and a wee bit of cream ( ok, lots of cream) and made a pureed soup. While it was cooking Chloe said "Onion, garlic and carrots make the soup tasty so it will smell good". She was stirring the soup at that point. Colin jumped in and said " Smells yummy and delicious. I wish we could eat after.". Although every single child tried it ( our mandate) the general consensus was not favourable. Zev seemed to be the soup's biggest fan and showed his appreciation by eating 3 bowls. I repeat... 3 bowls! Luca started in our class this week and he is doing amazing.  While he was playing with the airport with Cole, Zev and Nico he said " I have been on an airplane. I went to Taiwan. People talk different. I can't ta...

Wednesday class: Children spent a lot of time on fine motor development today as they poured, scooped, and squeezed. These simple activities help children to develop their fine motor and concentration skills. These activities strengthen their muscles, increase precision, support hand-eye coordination and concentration.     Friday class: We had a lot of fun on our first visit to the Richmond Food Bank. We feel very fortunate that we had the opportunity to volunteer our services. We feel it is important for our children to learn how to care for others in their community and lend a helping hand when they are able. We began with a tour of the facility, led by the Volunteer Coordinator, Keith Yee. We looked at the groceries, household products, containers, other volunteers, organization procedures and the forklift. We all went into the huge refrigerator- very exciting indeed! We then divided into 3 groups. Two groups counted out package...