Cooking Squash

We were so lucky to have a special parent volunteer with us today! Mrs. Montcalm spent time with the children in our kitchen cooking two kinds of squash. The children were very excited to be making something to eat! They first explored the differences in the outsides of the squash...

...and then scooped out the seeds.

The squash guts were so much fun to squish!

We used child friendly choppers to help remove the peel of the butternut squash...

 ...and also to chop it into little pieces.

 

We also chopped some apple to add to give it a sweet flavour.

When the spaghetti squash was cooked the children each had a chance to help scoop it out.

We were so proud of the children! Many tried the different kinds and some even asked for a second helping!

We love having parents and other family members in our classroom! If you have a special talent that you are willing to share with us, please consider spending time volunteering in our room!

Making the 1st Day Great!

Before the first day...

In the days leading up to school, practice walking to school or to the bus stop often so it begins to feel like a familiar routine. If you child will be riding the bus, attend the bus orientation and go over the bus safety rules a few times.

A few days before school starts, begin getting your child and yourself used to the bedtime and wake-up schedule that will be required during school.

Get everything ready a day or two in advance.

The day before, let your child pick out what they will wear on the first day of school. Let your child choose a favourite outfit from clothes that are already 'broken-in' and comfortable.

Try to get your child and yourself off to bed a bit early so you're both well rested in the morning.

The first day...

Get yourself and your child up early enough to eat a calm, unhurried breakfast. Keep things as normal as possible; if your child normally has cereal for breakfast, make cereal this morning.

When you say goodbye to your child the first day, make it quick, light, and reassuring.

Your child will be reassured by a warm hug and a reminder that you, or their usual caregiver, will be picking them up or waiting at home after school is finished.

Some parents feel a temporary sense of loss when their child goes off to school. If you're feeling that way, plan a special activity for yourself that you can look forward to during the first days of school. 

After school...

Plan a special dinner with your child's favourite foods to celebrate the first day of school.

Use the first day of school to start some routines for the rest of the school year. One of these routines is to talk with your child every day about what happened at school. Here are some questions that can help to start the discussion:

• Did your teacher read you a story today?  Tell me about it.
• What did you do in school today that you really liked?  Tell me why this activity was so special for you.
• What are you looking forward to doing tomorrow at school?

Another great routine to get started on the first day of school is displaying your child's school work. After you and your child have discussed what he or she has brought home from school, display it on the fridge or hang it on an inexpensive bulletin board hung in the hallway or bedroom at your child's eye level.

Use those precious few minutes before bedtime to snuggle with your child and read him or her a bedtime story. 

We have an open door - please don't hesitate to contact us with any questions or concerns!

First Day Anxiety

Freshly pressed school clothing, a new backpack full of supplies, and a child clinging to your legs refusing to let go...welcome to the first day of school! Although children are eager to begin kindergarten, it's understandable for most to experience first day (first week, or even first month) anxiety. Imagine what it must be like to suddenly leave the comfort of home and be dropped into a new environment where everything and everyone is different. This anxiety is normal and we will help you and your child to get through it! Please speak directly to us if you are concerned about your child's anxiety at starting school and we will do our best to provide support and strategies for helping with the transition to school.  (As a mom I know how it feels to send your baby to a new place; even if you are excited about the possibilities school is going to offer your child, it's hard to make the transition and realize they are now a 'big kid'. I've been there and can empathize. Feel free to talk to me about your questions and concerns as I want your child and family to feel secure and confident heading into the school year.)
 
Here are some tips you might also find useful:

Downplay the milestone. For some children highlighting the first day of kindergarten as a really big deal makes them more nervous than they already are. Instead of making a huge fuss about starting school, try comparing kindergarten to something your child is already familiar with, such as going to daycare, the Ontario Early Years Center, or a music or sports class.  Explain that kindergarten will be a place where he or she will make friends and have fun, just like he or she may have done with groups of kids before.
 
Connect school to home. Bring your child with you to all events that happen before school including parent interviews. This will provide your child with an opportunity to meet us and see our classroom ahead of time. Please send in a 4 by 6 inch photo of your family (all members included, pets too) that we will display around the classroom. This will help your child to feel more connected to their home life while at school. When your child goes home at the end of the day, engage him or her in a conversation about what they did during the day. Talking to your child about his or her day at school can help connect school to home life.
 
Read books together about starting school. Reading about other children who might have fears and anxiety about starting school may be comforting to kids who are experiencing the same feelings. Here is an excellent list of books about starting school.  
 
Try to minimize your own anxiety. Just as it's perfectly normal for your child to feel some anxiety on the first days of kindergarten, it's absolutely normal for you to feel anxious when you see your child upset or when a life change like your child starting school occurs. It's also understandable that you may experience some frustration when you see other children playing happily in the classroom while yours is still clinging for dear life to your legs. Don't hesitate to speak with us about your concerns and how we can help plan for a smooth transition for your child into our classroom!
 
Don't stay too long. Reassure your child that you (or another caregiver) will be back at the end of the day (or waiting at home) and say a quick goodbye at drop-off time. Lingering will only make it more difficult for your child to see you go, and he or she may cry harder the next time because he or she may see that it's an effective way to get you to stay. As heart-wrenching as it may be for you to walk away while your child is upset, chances are that he or she will be playing happily soon after you are out of sight. We recommend that you don't sneak out without saying goodbye as this may undermine your child's trust and could worsen his or her separation anxiety.
 
Identify his or her anxiety. Find out exactly what your child is afraid of. Talk to him or her and find out what he or she is worried about. Concerned that you won't return? Afraid someone will be mean to him or her? Worried he or she won't know where the bathroom is or that he or she won't know what to do in the classroom? Once you establish what the specific fears are you will be better able to address your child's concerns and work with him or her and our teaching staff to find ways to handle them.
 
Send along a favourite comfort object or reminder of you. If your child has a favourite lovey (e.g., blanket, stuffed animal) send it along the first few days. We will ask children to keep their object in their backpack unless needed to help through a transition period. Sometimes having a favourite comfort object nearby helps provide children with a sense of security. Another wonderful item is a mini photo album filled with pictures of your family and home.
 
Don't put a time limit on how long it should take for anxiety to pass. For some children, first day anxiety may not last beyond a few days if it happens at all. For others, tears and school fears may go on for weeks. Just as each child has his or her own individual set of experiences and personality, the time it takes to adjust to school will vary from one child to another.

Visit our class blog together with your child. This helps your child see what fun and exciting activities have happened in our classroom in the past and will build excitement for the possibilities that await his or her time with us this school year!  
Don't hesitate to talk to us! We are here to help make your family's transition to full day kindergarten as smooth as possible.
 
Read professional resources to help you cope. An excellent book that we have recommended in the past for families is Nancy Balaban's "Everyday Goodbyes: Starting School and Early Care. A Guide to the Separation Process".

Sewing our own Owls

Last Thursday our children were treated to a creative activity that encouraged them to create their own stuffed owls while learning about sewing machines and the way things work. We were fortunate that one of our mothers was able to bring in many different pieces of fabric and buttons so the children could choose how to assemble their very own unique owls!

 

Watching the sewing machine work and the craftsmanship that goes into producing something like a stuffed owl was very interesting to our children. Many had never observed a sewing machine up close and found the entire process to be fascinating!

 

We also were very lucky that another one of our mothers volunteered to assist with the creation of the owls. Seeing the difference between a sewing machine working, and a thread and needle hand sewing, showed the children that machines can make our life easier and that different machines perform different jobs.

 

 

Many children were quite content to spend their entire playtime watching the owls be created. They commented on how their friends' owls were similar and different from their own.

A big thank you to Mrs. Montcalm and Mrs. Melanson for helping put a smile on our children's faces with some colourful, happy owls! We welcome and encourage any family member who would like to share a special talent and interest with our children to contact us about coming into the classroom! We love to learn from you and you help make our classroom an even better place to be!

Wish Wreath

Thanks to those families who have sent in the ribbon with their hope or wish for their child's year in kindergarten. It's looking lovely on our classroom door!