In thinking about our conversations and various moments this week, it seems to me that we are all moving into a new stage in our relationships. Our children seem more comfortable- with each other, with us, and with the land. They are taking risks in all of these areas and it is a joy to see. Children are feeling brave about sharing their ideas and feelings, pushing their own physical limits and reaching out to others in new ways.

We teachers are feeling a shift as well. The logistics of how we all move around this vast space, how we all move in our small changing area and how we all move in the Cottage are now fairly established and smooth. Now we can focus on building our relationships, curriculum development and dive deep into inquiries that emerge. At our staff meeting, we all became very excited as we realized that we are in this new place.

Alison loves this snowberry plant. She is adamant that it is a mushroom plant. She tells several children that walk by that it grows mushrooms. Her brother disagrees and says it is a popcorn plant.

The Owl class starts piling up on the cabbage bench so why not take a class picture?

Joel finds a comfortable bed within the leaf filled ditch. Is he attracted to the feel, the sound of the crunching leaves or the cool air?

The Owls play a game “Find a Post” with Heidi. They are learning how to walk safely along the parking lot driveway.

Exploring the tall grass is exciting- what lies ahead? Playing with hidden elements is novel and creates anticipation.

Clayten and Ella bond this week. Here they are uncovering ” a dinosaur bone”.

Louie’s friends help pull him from the ditch. They are learning how to work together as a team.

William finds a quiet moments to himself to work on a drawing. He is learning how to respect his own needs and take a break from the active group.

Joel and Aiden build an airplane, taking time to figure out how to balance the wings.

The Eagles enjoy snack outdoors each day. They are learning how ‘to go with the flow’ and adapt to the world around them.

Tia and Claire are curious about Mr Lai’s compost bin so I ask if they would like the lid opened. Once open, they touch newly added coffee grounds. A very sensorial experience-it smells amazing

A child made fort-a perfect spot to enjoy snack!

Alex realized that a cut out in the wooden leg fits snugly against the planter box. This type of problem solving takes time and is very valuable for later construction projects.

Wyatt makes a home, marking and decorating it to make it his own.

Charleigh and Sophia make a cake. They are using their imagination and developing their cooperative playing skills

The apple tree in our front yard (remnants of the orchard that was here many years ago) gifts beautiful apples. The children spot one left, hanging high above their heads. Together, they brainstorm strategies to get it down, working as a team.

Tia is scouting out the apple-how to get it down?

Ethan knocks down the apple and is very excited (although in this picture Ty is holding the apple and seems the more jubilant)

‘Till the next post,

Emily

Looking back on our week,  there was not one particular day, activity or event that stands out. Our week was a series of moments, as they always are, and we educators are taking each one and finding its value. We also spend time dialoguing about how to connect these moments into meaningful learning opportunities for our children. Scroll through to see some of our moments:

We walked far, really far to discover this new place. The children learn how to throw sticks into the water without compromising the safety of others.

More print tracking.

Nell and Andy have a spontaneous encounter of pretend play on this fallen tree- it is a spaceship.

This tree becomes an unnamed method of transportation. Children explore balance, spatial awareness and cooperation.

The Owl class is having fun with new loose parts- bowls, spoons, tea cups and tubes. We see both social and solitary play- each important for children’s development.

Anna-Sophia, Jasmine and Thomas stir the pebbles, engaging in pretend play.

Jack figures out that this spatula can move the pebbles into piles easily. Thomas joins in after watching for a while.

The children arrived on a frosty morning and were completely captivated by the ice. Here Tia is taking time to investigate the ice, wondering about how it forms and using a tool to break through its surface.

Max, Rylan and Claire enjoy each other’s company as they negotiate their own balance with that of their friends.

Rylan and Teacher Emily stand on a rock and play with shadows, pretending to be Great Blue Herons.

Miles takes care of his baby, revealing his caring and nurturing self. Lovely!

Birds, birds and more birds. The farm is home to many birds and we are learning to identify them and appreciate their differences. The Studio is a place for children to explore their ideas and connect their learning threads.

Cuddling up his baby and using a soft voice, Andy is taking time to develop his skills as a caregiver.

Nicole plays with fire-she uses the pieces in a multitude of ways; creating new stories each time.

Ty and Nell share giggles as they do this puzzle many times over.

Damian fills the tea pot with pom poms. He is figuring out how many he can put in, without it overflowing. Children learn math skills in very subtle ways.

Kaya reads a story to her friends, Valarie and Nell. She is showing them the pages very carefully so they can see them clearly.

Together with our big buddies, clay art was created on our trees. Students collect different materials to make facial parts. Each face is entirely unique!

Till the next post,

Emily

We did it! We moved! The moment we had all been waiting for arrived on Monday. The excitement was high as we all settled into our beautiful new home. There were many new routines to learn and the week was spent figuring our new systems. Children, parents and teachers supported each other through these moments and it was a wonderful feeling of problem solving together as a community.

Something interesting also happened this week which I want to share with you. Many children asked if they could go back to the Red Barn. They missed the Red Barn– they requested to walk by it, look in the window and go inside.  These feelings of longing for the barn completely made sense but they took me by surprise. In fact, we teachers missed it too. We had experienced so many positive moments together in the barn; it was where we began to form our relationships and that space will always be dear to our hearts.

The children like the Cottage but they are not yet invested in the space because they have not been here enough to attach themselves to it.  We must re-visit a place frequently; notice it, respect it, look closely at it and then, and only then, will it begin to take on a new meaning for us. This is the foundation of our learning at Nature School. A place will share its stories with us, we will create stories in that place and then it will become important to us. So… here we go… ready to create stories in our new home– the Edwardian Cottage!

Here are a few other moments from our last two weeks….

Anna-Sophia is getting tea ready for Ella. The clipboard has the menu.

Evan and Kingston explore ways to attach cords to the fence.

William has a contemplative moment-what is he wondering about?

Louie is trying to interest Jack in his play. He is practicing his play skills and learning how to engage other children in his play.

Adam wanted to go deeper into the ‘marsh’ so Heidi leads the way, allowing him to follow his interest yet remain safe.

Using one of our tools (rope), the children experiment with securing the rope from one tree to another.

Ty is figuring out how to measure.

Max is helping Olina as she uses her stick to try to dislodge this stump. She concludes that a tool will provide her with more leverage than her own hands.

The children are noticing tracks and many offer ideas about how the tracks came to be here.

Ella and Finn shell our beautiful scarlet runner beans.

Katie observes Sophia as she shells a bean. Is she wondering about Sophia’s technique or is she hoping Sophia will notice her and invite her to join in?

Wyatt is concentrating as he figures out how to shell the bean by pulling on its ‘spine’.

Everyone hard at work!

Joel is the keeper of the bean bowl.

Clayton finds this fallen branch and claims it is a dinosaur bone. Soon, many children are around, shaking it to see how it moves.

The motion of walking, running, jumping, falling, and sliding through the mud never becomes tiresome.

The Eagles class begins to explore the north end of Terra Nova. The river, the planes, the birds- all are new and interesting to watch.

‘Till the next post,

Emily

When I look back on this week and some of the last week, I think what stands out the most is the children developing a sense of this land. As huge advocates of place based education, Kate and I see immense value in children knowing a place well- exploring it, learning about it, respecting it and loving it. The children are truly beginning to create special places for themselves on this land. Many are naming places and then later asking to go and visit that area. They are connecting to the land in new ways each day depending on who is with them, the weather, and their mood. We are so thrilled with this learning- share some of it with us through these photos.

Kaya and Hannah find great intrigue in the worm wriggling in front of them.

Washing our freshly harvested carrots.

Claire, before she gobbled down the carrot.

Learning how to jump and land safely.

Taking risks is healthy and builds confidence.

We all discovered this place together. The children have now coined it the Tree Maze. It is very popular with Eagle and Owl classes

Looking at a photograph of the Tree Tunnel, children draw with coloured pens.

Olina is thinking about the best way to translate her ideas to paper.

Nikolas loves sketching and is seen here spending time on shading.

Ty is smiling while he works.

Jasmine and Amelia leap off the stone wall, further solidifying this friendship.

Elisia did laps around this wall. She is developing her muscles, learning how to walk on uneven terrain and making friends along the way.

Enjoying puddles and splashing. Children explore water. How deep is this puddle? Where does the rain come from? What happens if I jump in with two feet really hard? Lots of learning in puddle jumping.

Adam points to the “poisonous’ mushroom. According to the children, most mushrooms fall into this category. We are happy to keep it that way!

Finding friendship in snails- Rylan has a way with snails

Ella and Katie try not to slip on the slope. They decide holding hands might help them keep their balance.

Owen makes a “nest” for himself after looking at the owl nesting box.

Sophia, seeing Owen in his nest, makes herself her own nest.

Valarie and Ryan share a moment together.

Running ahead to the “cabbage bench”. Children are learning how to follow directions and stop at certain landmarks.

Snack at the Parson house. I began to share some history with them about this particular house.

Sola and Joel- tree huggers!

The pictures tell it all- we are finding our place!

Emily

The Cottage is constantly undergoing changes, both large and small. The team is working long and hard to get the building ready for our Nature School students. This past week we began discussing the move with our children, wanting to prepare them for this approaching event.  Children adapt quite easily to change, on the most part, but it is important to allow them time to process what is in their future.

Looking back on the last five weeks, we are so thankful that we had chance to run the school out of the barn.  Our initial response to the barn was one of slight concern which soon was alleviated by a great team of people with good ideas.  Like many of the paths we take in our lives, it has been a rewarding and satisfying road, one that I think we would not change.  We have watched the children and families connect with the south end of Terra Nova Rural Park; they have explored its many gems– the Healing Garden, the Sharing Farm fields, walked on the paths, played with the pebbles, and learned about the  Richmond Schoolyard Society’s  gardens. They have developed a sense of this place and its relation to the Cottage. If we had started in the Cottage, on the north end, they might not have had the opportunity to connect to this side as much. Our hope is that they do ultimately connect to the entire parkland but by spending a great deal of time in one area, one can experience that area in a different way.

Here are some photos of some of the work in the Cottage; it is wonderful to watch the transformation step by step.

The cement was poured for the front entrance.

Cement poured for back entrance and ramp.

First coat on window frames and primer on siding.

The front entrance is beginning to come together.

The back door which leads into the kitchen. It is perfectly beautiful!

Lights flank the front entrance.

Gorgeous fir planks are nailed down, one plank at a time.

The flooring is magnificent.

The blue backsplash is so alluring- bright, warm, and dramatic.

The bathroom off the kitchen.

The sink in the Studio- oh, the paint colours that will swirl down this drain!

The French doors leading out to the deck.

The Shed behind the house. This shed is beautiful and has great history but is coming down as it is unsafe. Some pieces will be salvaged to ensure its history is not forgotten.

More changes to come this week- we will keep you posted!

Emily

We are very fortunate to have been gifted a set of outdoor building blocks which are absolutely amazing! They can withstand nature’s elements so they are perfect for Nature School. They have some weight to them so as you look through these pictures of children carrying blocks, know that they worked their muscles and co-ordination to get them from one place to another. This week was the first time the children experimented with them and they already were able to figure out some very structurally sound buildings. They also created trains, cars, ramps, and monster trucks! We are excited to watch as their play with these materials will change and  develop over time.

Here are our Owls hard at work!

Ezra and Jack cooperate to carry the heavy block.

William does everything with a smile!

Haymie helps out; one block at a time.

Louie and Amelia decide that going under the sunflower is more interesting than simply walking around it. I love how they did not choose the easy way out! Great curious minds.

Adam takes on the role of Foreman as he puts forth his ideas. He is learning how to be a leader.

Louie washes potatoes from our garden.

A moment of learning about cracked pepper. We open the pepper mill and explore peppercorns. As educators, we try to seize each moment as a potentially exciting learning experience.

We celebrate Kaya’s birthday at Gathering Circle.

Claire decides to make a campfire. We all gather around and sing “Fire’s Burning”. Then I ask who wants a marshmallow (pretend). I love how children jump into creative play with such ease. Soon, we have pretend chocolate and graham crackers. There is even a disagreement about someone getting too much chocolate – yes, pretend chocolate!

This week the culinary students from the Northwest Culinary Academy of Vancouver were at the farm learning all sorts of new skills related to the true essence of farm to table. gardening, harvesting, processing vegetables and even a lesson on bees all from Nature School partner Chef Ian Lai. They also were our big buddies for our morning Eagle classes. Our Nature students had the opportunity to roll out two types of dough with our buddies and then watch them rise in the Cobb oven with the most scrumptious toppings (thanks Chef Warren, Chef Curtis, and Chef Stacey!)

This type of experience holds great value for all of us- the small children, the older students, the teachers and the parents. Our young children learn to work with new people, even if it means holding back fearful tears. They learn there are interesting and talented people in the world who are willing to spend time listening to them and guiding them through a new experience. Together we are building community and we are grateful for this opportunity.

Miles and his big buddy, Cynthia, from Northwest Culinary Academy roll out pizza dough.

Damian receives instruction from his big buddy,Pedro. At first Damian was hesitant to get flour on his hands but with the gentle encouragement from his buddy, he rolled out dough.

Taylor smiles at Nell in adoration of her ability to jump into the project!

Big buddy Nick watches over Andy as he learns to coordinate rolling the pin back and forth.

Rylan is loving working with Angela!

Olina and Cale enjoy working together.

Big buddy, Liv, helps Ty, put the pizza in the Cobb oven.

Tricia and Haymie investigate thyme.

The Owl classes went on a couple of long walks this week. The simple act of running through fields and staying together as a group is actually a lot of learning. Children learn how to be free, go at their own speed and yet be part of a group.  These life lessons do not happen overnight and we all must be patient as they learn these skills. The Owls also took time to explore our herb gardens, find insects for our bugs jars, make friends and picnic outdoors.

Joel and Clayton bond over a small creature.

Kingston looks closely at a rotten apple piece.

Thomas shows us his woodbug.

Jasmine and Elisia have a gentle moment together.

Charleigh and Sola pull the wagon- learning how to get two hands on one handle!

Ethan is a confident tree climber. He has sturdy feet and checks for secure branches.

Our first month of school has passed- really?

Emily

I think we are finding our rhythm. It takes time to settle into our new lives together and this week there was a new feeling; a trust, a softness, an understanding, a commitment. It felt amazing! The week was filled with so many lovely moments– children already achieved things they did not know they could do whether it be physically, emotionally or intellectually.  The ability to take risks is based on several factors, namely trust. The children are beginning to trust that we will keep them safe while still encouraging them to stretch their skill sets. As educators, I think one of our roles is to help children see themselves in a new light.

Here are some moments from our week together–

Some children call this the Tree Tunnel.

This group sat down to sketch the Tree Tunnel.

Lina, deep in concentration.

Nikolas expresses his idea of the tunnel.

Miles took his time drawing his sketch.

Claire’s Tree Tunnel.

“Rock climbing”

Ty proudly holds a worm.

Planting fava beans.

Jasmine and Amelia begin to develop a friendship.

Nathan explores putting pebbles in the tube. He watches to see where they go. He is making connections, figuring out the two ends.

Damon and Nell find a hide-away.

Claire helps to make a flower potion to deliver to her other friends.

Outdoor playdough- children were not only allowed but encouraged to mix the dough with pebbles and grasses.

Cooperation at its finest! The children pulled the wagon all the way from the Barn to the Parson’s House.

Ryan and Damian collect our shelled beans.

We do our farm chores- weeding our garden beds so we can plant garlic next week.

Hannah takes a break from her chores!

We were in the right place at the right time. The truck arrived to pour cement for the ramp leading up to the Cottage.

Kate discusses colour mixing and finding the subtle nuances of shades. Allowing the children to work slowly and with only a few options, provokes a thoughtfulness to the work and materials.

Ditch jumping at Nature School

Looking forward to each new day,

Emily

The City crews have been out in full force, clearing lots of overgrowth and creating open space. The change is quite remarkable; suddenly there are viewpoints that did not exist before and although it is hard not to miss the magical feeling one used to get while descending the driveway, it is definitely more open feeling.

The attention to detail in this restoration is respectful and thoughtful. The design team has put a lot of thought into its historic value, always reflecting on the past and what would have fit into the era. Kate and I have enjoyed our conversations with many of the people on this team, always learning something new. It is refreshing to work with people who are passionate about their work and we are fortunate that this team exemplifies just that.

There will be many more photos to come in the next few weeks but here is a little glimpse into the work that has been done.

The driveway leading to the Cottage from River Road.

The clearing of the overgrowth has made these two magnificent trees even more prominent.

The base for the ramp leading up to the kitchen entrance.

The kitchen- where many delicious treats and stories will be told.

In a post long ago, there were pictures of this cabinet dismantled so the doors could be refinished- it is looking beautiful, isn’t it?

It is hard to tell in the photo but the dry wallers spent many hours texturing the wall, replicating the style of the era. The result is subtle and artistic.

The Studio- Nature students will use this space to create art work as well as work on long term projects and inquiries.

The sink in the Studio.

Looking out the window from the Quiet Room.

One step closer indeed!

Emily

We had some serious gardening work to do! The area that will soon be the home for our garlic needed to be weeded. The children were hard working and when Nikolas declared himself a “farmer”, soon we had many children proclaiming they too were farmers!  They worked together very well really, considering they are all just getting to know each other. Yes, soil was flung onto people’s shoulders, trowels scraped other’s hands and worms were fought over. But, all in all, there was harmony in the garden bed!

On another day, the children used magnifying glasses to discover the treasures that lie within. They used them both in the garden and walking on the pathways. Needless to say, it slowed the walk down immensely which was absolutely lovely. I realized it sort of gave them an intention, a focus for their walk. I know in yoga class many instructors will invite you to set an intention for that particular class- a practice I find quite beneficial. I wonder if children can set an intention for their walks and carry them through?

Katie and Amelia bond over the tiniest of worms

A small gesture that sends the message ” I like you”.

The conversation I overheard  in the garden bed during the Owl class.

Amelia: I found a worm.

Finn: I found a weed. A weed!

Colin: I found a woodbug.

Sola: I found a weed-look!

Ezra: Can I see?

Sola: It’s dead. Do you know what that means? It means someone stepped on it.

Charleigh: There is hair on my plant.

Katie: (Holds out her hand to reveal a worm)

Kingston: Can I see it? Katie, do you need help?

Katie: (shakes her head, no)

A few other pictures that speak to our day–

Improving our cardio running up hill and coordination running downhill.

Kingston looks closely at a scarlet runner bean.

Mr. Lai gave us 4 poles of beans to take off the vine and shell.

After discussing how we wanted to introduce colours to the children, we thought it would be best to slowly investigate one colour at a time. By allowing children to work with one colour, they can explore in a different way than if presented with a lot all at once. They will come to see this colour for all its worth- what shades, hues, tones and tints can be created? What does blue convey? What in my world is blue? Kate gently asked questions as she encouraged them to discover the beauty of blue.

Heidi and I took the children on a new path, and like all our walks, it lead us to an unexpected little sanctuary. I invited the children to follow me into this little space. It was small so we all had to squeeze in to make sure we all could fit.  Honestly it wasn’t anything extraordinary but somehow it felt it anyway. We took out our sketch boards so the children could draw what they saw, heard, smelled and felt. Rylan coined the space as a “Tree Cottage” and since we are trying to encourage children to begin mapping the land for themselves, this is now what it is referred to for the time being. We remained in the Tree Cottage for a long time; Damon and Tia found sticks and started to draw with them, watching in awe as brown colouring swept across their pages.

Max map his own map.

The Owls enjoyed a few days of loose parts on the gravel–

Believing in the importance of following through on our experiences and teaching our children to reflect on them, we laid out the vegetables from our last weeks’ harvest. We encouraged the children to investigate them and then draw representations of them.  Again, we worked slowly. First we left the vegetables intact for several days and then we cut them open to reveal their insides.  Many children are able to identify these vegetables- will they be able to transfer this knowledge when they are in the grocery store or in someone else’s garden?

Ryan spent a long time drawing his carrot.

Another wonderful week at Terra Nova Nature School!

Emily

There will never be another first week of our first year. We had this thought the week before school began and once it was said,  this idea took on a life force of its own. It became our mantra for the week, weaving though every moment of every day.  We wanted to cherish these new beginnings. New beginnings in our relationships with each other, our children, our parents and our land. And, I believe we all did just that! Each day brought gifts- smiles and laughter from children,  important conversations with parents, reflective dialogues amongst our staff and a found owl feather (thanks Mr Lai).

We all had so many questions. And, by all, I mean teachers, children and parents. How would the day flow? What will the children enjoy doing? How will our space work?  How much should we plan and how much should we leave to spontaneous interest? Each day brought some answers and even more questions.

Our focus was on building relationships: with trust, care and respect, we can all do great things together!  We can explore and learn about our world but only once we have established our own relationship to each other. This next week will be more of the same- deepening our friendships.

We kept the week simple so we could just ‘be’- no huge expectations or demands.  Here are some moments from our first week.

Harvesting our giant zucchini.

Amelia and Anna love to look, smell and touch flowers.

Another gardener planted a special spot. The sign reads “Scarlet Runner Bean Teepee for all to enjoy”

An impromptu activity picking up pine cones that have fallen from what the children have now labelled as the ‘pine cone tree”.They are slowly making references and maps for themselves.

The Eagle Class worked with students from the Northwest Culinary Academy of Vancouver, harvesting vegetables to make a soup for the grand opening of the Terra Nova Adventure Park.

The students were kind, patient and interactive. They marvelled at the ‘cuteness’ of our children!

The Owl class washed all the vegetables from the morning’s harvest.

We had snack in the tent- for many children this was a very new experience.

Playing with loose parts and water on a rainy day.

What an exciting and rewarding first week!

Emily, Kate, Heidi, Tricia, & Kirby

P.S. Thanks to Chloe, our awesome volunteer this week!

Kenny Hall played some interactive tunes on his acoustic guitar.

Kate, Heidi and I had a lot of fun setting up for the picnic as we tested our skills hanging Kate’s homemade (and beautiful I might add!) flags over the ever so prickly blackberry bushes that brushed up against the tree we used as support. As usual, our antics sent us into several laughing fits, thereby setting the tone of the evening. Yes, we like to have fun- alone, as a team and with our children and families! We hauled the bales of hay which tested our strength (they are heavy!) to form a circle, moved the picnic tables (these are even heavier than the hay bales!) and cut up fresh watermelon.

We were excited to see our picnic plans come to life! We strived to keep it simple yet provide enough activities to keep everyone busy. We wanted to make sure we all had time to connect with each of our new students and families. Knowing just how important the the first few moments of relationships can be, we felt it was imperative to create an open and relaxed feeling. It always is a balance between planning and being flexible. Planned activities included face painting, bubble blowing, bug catching in magnifying containers, and a sing-a-long. The unplanned activities were children picking ripe, sweet, blackberries,  picking zucchinis from the garden and wandering around the front gardens with confidence and curiosity. It was lovely and we marvelled at how perfect these children are to be ‘nature school’ students. We were thrilled with their response to being outside, despite the abundance of mosquitos!

In keeping with our philosophy of the importance of  integrating the whole family  in our school, not just the child, we also wanted to help parents begin to connect with each other. We tried something new– we asked a local journalist, Sandy Buemann, to ask our parents a simple question: When you look back on your childhood, what memory of playing outdoors brings a smile to your face? Our goal is create a documentation around these responses; one that is shared amongst each other in our classroom as a launching pad for further discussions between parents, educators and children. These responses might provide insight as to what parents are hoping their child will experience here at  Nature School and in their childhood overall. Perhaps there is a way to incorporate some of these experiences into our own programming? We shall keep you posted on this project!

Here are a few moments captured on camera from our evening together.

Sandy Buemann reached out to each family to ask them about their own outdoor memories.

We look forward to our next time together,

Emily

PS We realize we did not get photos of all our families that evening- our apologies! Conversation had a tendency to take over.

The crew has been working hard, really hard. And, really carefully.  Kate and I have gone by almost daily to chat with the crew and see the progress ( and maybe bring them a cookie or two). In speaking with them, it became apparent that these skilled carpenters really care about their work. They are interested in the history of the building, recognizing its significance and valuing its preservation. All along I have been grateful for their attention to detail and care but it suddenly dawned on me whilst flying high above the world in an airplane over our countryside yesterday, that the process of this restoration is so utterly perfect for our Nature School. In fact, it falls under one of our core values and guiding principles.

Kate and I have engaged in numerous discussions about the importance of place based education; allowing children an opportunity to connect to their land and their community on a very deep level.  The premise being that if one spends quality time with something, whether it be a person, place or thing, then one will naturally develop an important relationship with it. It follows then that the craftspeople who are working on every element of this house, are creating deep relationships with its parts.  Each time they run their fingers along the grain, smell the wood and see its shape, they are connecting to the piece and aiming to restore it to its natural beauty again.

And, isn’t this the very essence of what we hope our children will experience?  Caring for things, not taking them for granted, not replacing things just because we can.How fortunate we are to have this project so in sync with our school values. We are grateful for this work and the craftspeople.

Here are a few glimpses into their work:

Working on the door frames.

Staining the baseboards.

Getting the windows ready to install back in their original spaces. Notice the extra foreman on the job!

Beginning to sand all the drawers from the built-in cabinet.

First drywall is complete!

Preparing to install the new chimney. Although it is not a working chimney, it replicates the original one.

The base of the back entrance.

The base of the porch which extends from the great room.

Tony discussing a plan for the front entrance.

Drilling in preparation for fire systems.

Till the next time,

Emily

A Cottage restoration update–the foundation is complete and the Cottage is back on solid ground! Kate and I popped by many times, checking on its progress and little by little, all the work to build the proper foundation was done with care and precision. I am always in awe of the expertise it takes to construct something; the design and then the hard work of putting it all together. It has been interesting seeing what is underneath our building; usually we are not privy to this view. Once again, I find myself coming up with an analogy about child development– it is our hope that we become acquainted with your child’s foundation and together we all help build them up from there.

Here are a few photos that capture the last few weeks.

On its way down, one level at a time.

Our address!

Now for the inside…..

Emily

The idea behind our family planting day was simple– we envisioned a gathering of children and adults participating in a healthy activity in the beautiful outdoors! We also hoped to begin to create a sense of community; a slow process that takes time, commitment and trust. Kate, Ian and I planned out the day to include refreshing the soil in the beds, planting seeds and seedlings and enjoying a scrumptious snack of homemade crisps and strawberry and mint tea from Smokehouse Sandwich Co.

Although we knew a lot of our families prior to this day, I still had that nervous bubble inside my stomach as I anticipated the unfolding of events. Questions whirled through my mind like–Would the weather cooperate (yes, we are an outdoor school but let’s be honest and confess that drier weather is preferable for this type of family event)? Would our new students like the digging, the worms, the slugs, and the planting? Would they like us? Would they enjoy the treats? Would the actual planting go smoothly (well, as smoothly as can be expected with young children)? Would parents mingle and chat amongst themselves?

From the moment our time together began until the very last chip bag was consumed, we all had a wonderful time. Children DID love the activities, parents DID chat together and start to build their new community, the children DID like us and the planting went very very well.

Here are some snapshots of our day:

Making our name tags

Mr Lai offering instruction

Small hands but big effort!

Noticing the beauty of buttercups

The Snack Station

Siblings working together to turn the bed.

Some people even brought their own machinery!

Mr Lai using the rotor tiller. This was almost as exciting as the movie “Frozen”. Everyone stopped to watch!

Savouring the crisps

Parents worked hard!

Planting the scarlet runner beans seedlings

Planting several varieties of potatoes

Break time!

Thank you to all our families that made our planting day part of their long weekend! And, to the other families that could not make it out, we look forward to many more family days in the future! Also, a big thanks to Alex from Thompson Community Centre for helping with t & t (tent and treats)!

Emily