As part of the building restoration, the foundation needs to be re-done and although we had been anticipating this stage for the past while, the moment of viewing the Cottage on ‘stilts’ was nothing short of extraordinary.Many thoughts flashed through my mind at that moment and when Kate and I chatted about it, it was evident she shared the same feelings. The Cottage seems so vulnerable as it depends on the scaffolding to hold it up. There is a sense of delicate balance, of preciousness, of reverence– and, perhaps this is the truth behind many things. The children that will inhabit this building, will also be precious. They too will need help balancing and they too, should be revered.

Here are a few photos capturing the precarious position of the Cottage! Luckily, it is in good hands- the reno team is working hard and with careful consideration!

And, to keep you up to date on the Play Experience, here are some photos of the newest additions.

Until the next update,

Emily

In recognition of Earth Day, the Thompson Community Centre team, in partnership with the City of Richmond, organized a tree planting day. The trees were planted along the newly constructed Railway Avenue Corridor. The Railway Greenway path has gained lots of popularity as children and parents can walk and bike along an otherwise busy street. I myself have been using it to cycle along Railway and I have seen many smiling faces and overheard lots of great conversations as I pass the cyclists and pedestrians. So, it was with great pleasure, that we all went out to plant more trees to enhance the beauty of this pathway. Kate and I were so pleased to see many of our new families turn out for the event!

We planted a variety of trees including Firs, Red Alders and Spruce; each tree will have its own personality and life story. The City folks briefly educated the group about the tree varietals and I pointed out to the children that each time they pass by this area, they can feel proud of their contributions. I wonder what they will think of as they pass by here tomorrow, next week or months from now. Will they remember digging the hole for the tree or gently covering it with soil? Will they pay attention to its growth pattern? Will they feel a sense of pride?

Here are a few snapshots of the planting session:

I hope they grow to love these trees, this Greenway and their home city. 

Emily

With much anticipation, the work has begun on the Edwardian Cottage. In order to prepare to lift the house so the foundation can be re-done, some shrubs were cleared and the land around the house was excavated.  These are the beginning stages of the renovation and although they are not extraordinary in any particular way, they are nonetheless vital.  I think it is important to recognize the ‘ecology’ in everything;  I am using the term loosely to signify the relationship between things. Each part of this restoration will build from the one prior and there is no piece that will not hold its own importance.

Here are some photos of the process thus far:

For the past few years, as one of my personal goals, I am working on enjoying being in the moment and not looking ahead to the next event. So, in keeping with this commitment, I am going to try to do my best to do the same with this restoration. Of course, Kate and I have imagined the Cottage filled with beautiful things– wood furniture, carpets, lamps, shelving with beautiful objects, and children’s artwork. Rather than jump into the completed space in my head, I want to enjoy watching the day-to-day, week to week, month to month transformation of this already beautiful house into what will be the indoor space of our school. Thanks for following the journey of this building. And, as it develops, we must acknowledge and honour the house in its original state– the people who built it, lived in it and gave it life.  These stories will be the foundation for our new stories.

Emily

The construction crew from Vancouver Island has been hard at work installing the equipment. The cedar is looking outstandingly beautiful! Here are a few photos from some of the main play areas.

The Zipline

The Climber

The Swing

What lies ahead? Stay tuned for more pictures later this week!

Emily

A cliche– there is a first for everything. I had a moment the other day when I started to think about the many firsts I have experienced in my life. Many I can remember with clarity and certainty; defining moments. But there are many that have just faded into a normal state of being or doing. Take something as trivial as texting. I do not, in fact, remember sending my first text. Was I excited? Was someone leaning over my shoulder navigating me through the steps? Who did I sent it to? Perhaps it was just too uneventful to store in my brain for any length of time but when these ‘firsts’ arise, how do we know what will or should be considered to be in the “momentous” category? How we can ensure that we imprint those moments into our memory that are later going to be important? What propels us to focus on a thought, a feeling, a sound, a smell, a taste, a touch? As I grow older, I want to pay more attention to firsts. I do not want to lose them.

It is for this reason I am writing about our first Terra Nova Nature School Open House and Registration evenings. Quite honestly, I doubt Kate and I will ever forget these two events as they left us with a special sentiment. The weeks leading up to the open house were busy as we handed out flyers, put up posters, worked with Thompson staff on marketing strategies and told everyone we knew about our dream. It felt so good to share it with others– we had been working behind the scenes on this dream for a while but the act of telling others created a sense of relief as well as pure and utter excitement.

We had a vision of the open house– and, just like when we are working with children, we wanted to be true to the vision, work hard to create it and yet know that it would take on its own life. We had an awesome team of people working along side us and we are indebted to their hard work and professional input. Although we hoped people would come out to meet the Nature School team, we really did not know what to expect and we were feeling both excited and nervous. We were just finishing up an interview with the Richmond Review (http://www.richmondreview.com/news/249845641.html#.UyEOsuTeVRM.facebook) when we realized it was time for the open house to start.

The doors opened and suddenly this amazing energy filled the room. Smiling faces of both adults and children quickly entered our cozy space, filling the room with animated voices and laughter. Families flocked to Ian Lai’s worm table as he captivated them with these wonderful creatures and his inviting explorations; they eagerly found Kate to ask her questions about the program; they approached me as well, wanting to know about the idea of forest schools. Children explored the plentiful activities like the Sand, Mirror and Gem table, the Still Life with Fresh Vegetables,  and the Loose Parts Building Area. Families enjoyed our slideshow, drank herbal tea from Terra Nova Farm, indulged in homemade cookies and enjoyed the reading materials provided. Nerves vanished to be replaced by pure joy! Families, both new and old, were curious and interested in our vision! Every once in a while I would stop ever so briefly to glance over at Kate and Ian- a sense of pride would fill me as I realized that I am so fortunate to work with these two amazing educators. I looked over to my new Thompson family and felt grateful for their support and belief in this project. I do not want to forget these moments.

Fast forward to our registration night. Once again, we hoped to have a good turn out and there was a buzz a few days before about people’s interest in the program. And yet, Kate and I only wanted to focus on working hard, connecting with people one to one and keeping ourselves grounded. Would people actually decide to register for this program or was it too ‘out there’?  Then we heard the first person had lined up, then another and so on. A surge of emotions subsequently prevailed- excitement, reverence, humbleness, gratefulness and still a resounding sense of disbelief.

Thank you to each and every family that waited patiently to get a spot. Thank you for believing in the importance of connecting children to nature, wanting to allow children the freedom to explore in a fluid and dynamic environment and putting your trust in us to share in your child’s educational journey.    Together we have so much to look forward to– a building restoration, the construction of the play experience, garden beds seeded and then our days on the land.

Firsts to remember… new beginnings to create.

Emily

It was a blustery, chilly afternoon when the Board members of Thompson Community Association and the Richmond Schoolyard Society ventured out to have a look at the inside of the Edwardian Cottage. Many of them had not been out to the site yet so Kate and I were excited to share this special and unique building with them.

The history of Terra Nova and its heritage buildings is fascinating. The Cottage dates back to 1923 and one cannot help but daydream about the people who lived in the house on this rich land, working hard to provide for their families. What was a day like for them? What stories did they share? What would they say now if they could see the changes in the area? Kate and I have a passion for creating a social and historical context for our students, no matter their age. We want them to understand their Richmond roots; the continuum of life. We place importance on building connections to the past, the present and the future. We hope to incorporate much of this learning when we begin our journey in September!

Bundled up with scarves around our necks and gloves on our hands, we wandered down the rough driveway to the Cottage. This diverse group of individuals  walking beside me were all there for the same reason–to see the home of the new Terra Nova Nature Preschool opening in September, 2014. Would everyone immediately see the beauty and potential that Kate and I saw? Could they see past the creaky floor, peeling paint, half deconstructed bathroom and the shingled wood walls?

As Alex opened the door, everyone began to stream in, anxious to see the building . Everyone dispersed, wandering around the small building, and checking out the rooms. Finally, the first person spoke. And, then another, echoing her thoughts. YES!! They did see the secrets that lie within. Kate and I shared our vision of the rooms–the Studio Room, the Quiet Room (yet to be named), the Open Space for free play, group time, and eating together. We stood in the kitchen and talked about how we would cook the food from our garden. We grappled with the lack of space for cubbies, knowing that with some good planning and creative thinking, we would come up with a solution. Then we headed back outside, dreaming of a re-creating the front porch that was once a part of the building. We marvelled at the wide variety of mature trees with fondness.

Ian Lai, the Director of the Richmond Schoolyard Society, briefly gave some history of the Society’s work on the land–they have done amazing projects over the years, connecting children to their land. The excitement bubbled inside me as I allowed myself to imagine the future– preschoolers working with school age children to care for the land, creating art and food and learning how to take care of their community.

This quaint cottage will be the place where children can be children– laughing, exploring, learning, uniting. We know we have many treasures waiting for us! As with any renovation we know there will be many challenges ahead but, in keeping with our philosophy of process over product, we know we will find great joy throughout this exciting journey!

Until next time,

Emily

The driveway leading to the Cottage

The Edwardian Cottage

The front door

The Studio

The Quiet Room

The Play Space

The spiral staircase that might have to go.

The south side of the building-looking like it needs some love!

In  the raw…the home of Terra Nova Nature School