The week flew by! We tried broccoli. Raw did not go over very well, but the steamed broccoli was a hit! 

We were thrilled to have a few warmer days to enjoy on the playground. The children are becoming much more independent in dressing themselves for the outdoors. Zipping one’s own coat can be quite tricky. We tend to get the zipper started for the children, then encourage them to zip it the rest of the way up. Many of the children are now able to get their coats on and off independently as well. Has your child shown you the special ‘flip’ that we do at school? They stand by their hood (or toes to tag if they have no hood), put their arms into the arm holes, and flip the coat over their head, beaming with pride upon completion. Taking their coats off can be a bit tricky as well. Rather than jumping in to complete the task for them, we tend to help the children just a little in order to set them up for success. For example, help the child to take one hand out of their coat. Then, that hand is free for them to use to take off the other side. I often tell them that we work as a team to get the job done. We can see on their faces that they feel empowered even in the tasks that we adults may consider small.

A few favorite activities this week have been painting at the easel, re-telling Bear Snores On (by Karma Wilson) using the felt board, and driving the PlasmaCars in the gym. We walked to the gym without our rope, “just like the big kids,” which was very exciting. 

We have a new group of Middle School students who visit us weekly as part of their Social Impact program. The children are delighted when our new friends join us. Bryant, Anders, Emma, and Allie have been enthusiastic role models and also really seem to enjoy their time with the toddlers. 

Wishing you all a healthy weekend filled with a perfect balance of fun and relaxation.

Christine & Lizette

This week, we enjoyed strawberries as our food-tasting experience. Despite the children’s familiarity with the fruit, they were in awe as we cut the strawberry to reveal the white inside. We discussed the edible seeds on the outside of the strawberry and remembered that some seeds are not edible, such as those from an apple.

We’ve noticed since our seaweed tasting a few weeks ago that a few children have brought seaweed for a snack- and it sparks conversation each time!

We had the opportunity to expend some energy in the gym this week. We worked on catching, throwing, and kicking balls. A few children did a few laps around the gym. We discussed how running and exercise change the way we breathe and make our hearts beat faster.

We’ve also enjoyed some time outdoors. There is so much to learn through the senses – especially when there is snow on the ground. We particularly enjoyed listening to the sound of the snow crunching underneath our boots with each step.

We have been talking a lot about woodland animals, such as chipmunks, skunks, raccoons, and bears. A few of us have shared stories of encounters with these backyard critters.

Happy Birthday to our friend Kai, who we celebrated in class this week.

Please note that a handful of photos in this week’s batch are from last month but never made it into the post. I will share a funny song that we discovered by accident, which the children love. If you play it at home, I hope you’ll have the chance to see their bodies move and groove to the music as they listen. (We always listen to music on a speaker using Spotify, even though I share via YouTube.)

Also, for those of you whose children will be moving into Primary next year, please consider attending the Moving Up information night on Thursday evening, February 1, at 5:30 pm. It is a great way to gain more information about your child’s year ahead.

Happy and healthy weekend!

Christine & Lizette