Giving Thanks!

Giving thanks to:

Our devoted, hard-working and committed parents and staff for their work in the garden yesterday! It felt amazing to have a community come together to support our gardening program. Sorry for the scarce photos ( I missed some people!)- we were too busy digging in the soil! If you couldn’t make it out this time, no worries- there are always future opportunities to dig, weed and assist with gardening projects!

thank you- Evie’s mum & grandma; Valentina’s mum; Ocean’s mum; Dylan’s mum; Kyo’s dad; Avery’s mum and brother; Kazuki’s mum; Heidi

And, as we head into a new week, the week before Thanksgiving, it invites me to also give thanks to:

this land and all its offerings; the animals, the plants and all things wild
the people that took care of this land from the beginning until now
the children for bringing energy, joy and laughter to this place
the whole teaching team of TNNS
the elders in our program
my own family for showering me with love and affection and making me proud each day
and, to my dearest and most amazing partner, Kate.

With deep gratitude,

Emily

Changing the Climate One Soul at a Time

As I head out later today to the Climate Strike in downtown Vancouver, I am not only thinking about Climate Change and what our role is; I am also drawn to thinking about what this means to be an outdoor educator. Sometimes, like all of us, I feel guilty–that I am not doing enough, not nearly enough. And yet, when I look at the photographs of children playing outside for the majority of their time, it allows me to pause and reconsider.

The first step to change is caring–caring about what it is you want to change. Children who climb trees care about their branches; children who plant beans care about the soil and the growth of the plant; children who roll down hills care about the grass; children who watch snails as they move ever so slowly care about Snail and their needs; children who see coyote scat ponder what he has been eating; children who taste honey fresh from the hive care about bees and how they will collect nectar & pollen; children who cherish Eagle’s call as she perches above care about Eagle and how she spends her time. Children who are outside engage with the outdoor world and care about the environment, on their own and with others- perhaps this change is enough for today. Together we really can make a difference!

And some indoor work

In gratitude,

Emily

“An Amiable School”

” Our goal is to build an amiable school, where children, teachers and families feel at home. Such a school requires careful thinking and planning concerning procedures, motivations and interests. It must embody ways of getting along together, of intensifying relationships.” (Loris Malaguzzi)

When we opened Nature School 6 years ago, Kate and I discussed this quote at length. It resonated deeply in our hearts because we dreamt of having a school that embodied exactly these principles. Throughout our team meetings in the week prior to school commencing this year and during our professional development day last Friday, we re-visited this vision with our team. Our team has grown a lot this year and we felt it is was important to discuss the intersection of vision/values/implementation. Our main goal this week was to connect and build relationships- it is the foundation of all our work. We hope you felt welcomed, valued and comfortable. Welcome to our TNNS family- we are so excited to grow our community of learners together!

We were most honoured last week when one of our alumni families offered to make a staff lunch for us! The family, including the grandmother, made a delicious meal and spent time with us enjoying our food. This small act represents so much- relationship and connection that far exceeds a typical “drop and go” school environment. We hope to build this type of relationship with each and every one of you!

Please enjoy some glimpses of our first week together!

With gratitude,

Emily

Buttercups

Don’t get me wrong- we love all weather, we are an outdoor school after all. We do rain. We do snow. We do hail. We do crazy wind. And we have grown to appreciate and embrace it all. BUT, admittedly, spring feels totally amazing and the coming first of Dandelions and now Buttercups is totally marvellous!

Buttercups pop up, speckling our fields with yellow candies, just when we need it most. They are utterly cherished and revered here, especially by our children, who are completely captivated by each part of the beautiful plant. Watching them respectfully engage with Buttercups, informing and expanding their play, is a true gift and I find myself sitting back smiling as they run through fields, harvest petals and the small “bead” inside; using hats to collect, they carry their gems, recognizing their simple beauty. Let us reach out to these offerings in our world and take a moment of gratitude.

Wee Walk at Garry Point Park

Zander’s ‘Gramps;, a geologist, came to share his love for rocks with our Owl group.

With gratitude,

Emily

Doing Less is Doing More

I know this sounds odd but the more I teach, the less I do. As I move deeper into a practice of observation and reflection, I find myself offering more space, both to the children and myself. This way of teaching may appear to be ‘lazy’ or lackadaisical in nature but truly it is the opposite. It requires an educator to know when to step in only when needed; careful planning in terms of provocations and materials; honing in on the important elements of play; and scaffolding and planning next steps. I think all of us teaching here at TNNS are working on the same way of offering ourselves as educators to our children. It is an exciting and dynamic process– one that keeps our work interesting, edgy and new. Thank you for believing in this type of education and supporting emergent curriculum.

Developing Relationship with Grass on our Big Walk for our Wee Walk Program

and…

Planting seed potatoes

Warmly,

Emily

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Top Five

Top Five Things on my Mind since returning from the Break

SPRING happened while I was away- garlic is shooting up taller; the call of the chickadees is more prominent; the willow tree is revealing her sweet buds; the soil is warmer; the kale is revitalizing itself.
JOY– the joy of watching worms wriggle onto the hands of our excited children; the joy of listening to a child excited about bandaids on her knees; the joy of a warm breeze along the water as the Eagles soar above our heads whilst big sticks are tossed into the water by my small group.
WORK– the amount of work to be done; in the garden, in the Cottage, in the office, in curriculum development, as a team day to day, as a team for a team project for an upcoming presentation.
DEEPENING– how to go deeper into our values and teaching practice.
CONNECTIONS– laughing together each day; listening to stories told by our children, land and animals; sharing ideas and stories with our families; learning from our Elders.

In gratitude,

Emily

Snow, in all its glory!

We always welcome snow- the play affordances are plentiful! However, to have SNOW and VALENTINE’S DAY is just too precious! The snow supported our ideas about how to open up a dialogue about what friendship means and invited the question: Can we be friends with the non-human world? What does being friends with Terra Nova Rural Park and its inhabitants mean?

Leading up to Valentines we wanted to offer children a non-commercialized experience ( thank you parents for supporting this idea); partially sparked from our professional development day last week, partially ignited from another outdoor educator whom we greatly admire ( Megan Zeni) and a lot generated from our own thinking over time, we decided to create projects that would be a ‘gift’ to the land; to show our love for the land. Some groups made hearts, some ice sculptures, some hanging heart leaves and rose petals were sprinkled about ( thank you Kate for getting the petals!).

I asked my small group “What is Valentine’s Day?” I heard responses like “cards, candy and toys”. Hmmm, I said. Then Atlas said “We give cards to friends”. This opened a little crack for me to ask about how we show we care about someone. And, if we care about someone, what kinds of things can we do to look after them? We rambled into new pathways of discussion ending in this question:

How we can be friends with Terra Nova?

Atlas: We can be friends with Great Blue Herons and Chickadees.

Ryan: Crows

Daniela: We can be best friends with Eagles.

Roy:Hawks

Dion: Spiders and tree, “Yes”, says Tyler, “with trees and rocks”

Atlas: and bees

Daniela: What about the sky and the clouds and the sun?

By thinking of the animals and plants as beings, it shifts our thinking- we can care for them in new ways, as we would a friend. Isn’t this a beautiful way to look around our world and see friendship in new ways?

Enjoy these photos of our ‘gifts’ to the land, snow play and inside time.

In gratitude,

Emily

Richmond Sentinel

We were recently featured in the Richmond Sentinel!

Click here to view article

Making Connections

Making connections- we all strive to make connections each moment of every day. We connect with people, with our environment and with ideas. Enjoy viewing these photos with the lens of connection.

Crystal, our newest volunteer, tells a beautiful story about English Ivy, using felted props. The week prior, she told the story inside; now we have a chance to hear the story outside right beside English Ivy!

Connecting to the story, this small group explores ivy and what it can do.

Grady notices there is frost on this shrub. What is he thinking about as he gazes down? What connections is he making?

Oliver uses his finger to feel the frost. I notice him trying to make lines but it isn’t working so I offer him a branch.

Ryan & Roy want to write their names in the frost. This moment deepens their relationship as well as opens a door to discuss cold and frost.

Veronica is Einav & Stanislav’s’ third child at TNNS and we are so honoured to have them join us each year to celebrate Hanukkah. Sharing stories, traditions and yummy food with us is so special for all of us. Thank you!

Keith and Misuzu hold hands while listening to Heidi’s wonderful storytelling. How will this simple act impact their day?

Misha and Barry had just finished sharing an idea and now are enjoying being beside each other, listening to Mr Gumpy’s Outing.

Tricia and Mohammed are so connected- they share ideas, laugh a lot and help each other grow.

So lovely- Roy’s arm resting on Penny’s shoulder as the three of them watch the construction of the new playground bathrooms.

Connecting to our garden, even in the cold weather of autumn, children feel and smell the dried lavender harvested months ago.

Daniela and Emma work on a drawing together. They end up doing two drawings so each person can bring one home. Creating art together is personal and powerful for relationship building.

Dion excitedly goes through his binder, asking me to read some of his work and memories.

Taylor takes time to work on beading a necklace. Will she want to wear it?

Hillary always has a group of children gathered around her for stories. Her warmth and listening invite others in so readily.

Jackson helps to ‘read’ the book with Hillary. What impact does this role have on Jackson in terms of the group?

Titus brings his prop to the felt board when his character is called upon in the story. Using story props helps children relate to a story in a different way.

Jayden wants to know what this sign tells us. He reads out individual letters. This sign relates to a sculpture beside it, allowing me to share some TN history with Jayden.

Owls at play on the bench!

Ambrose and Lavender decorate their gingerbread cookie. Gingerbread is a yearly tradition here at TNNS. What are your home traditions?

And more connections to think about…

In gratitude,

Emily

A Tangled Ball of Yarn

My brain is like a tangled ball of yarn. The past couple of weeks my mind has been swirling with thoughts about curriculum in large and small groups- poetry; art; buddies; introducing the deep concept of home and exploring it further; emotional engagement; student visitors from SFU; new volunteers; and offering in depth play experiences.

It also has been filled with thoughts on a bigger scale- the work of the Ministry of Children & Family Development and the Ministry of Education; the new Early Learning Framework; the project we are working on as a team with a grant from the Vancouver Reggio Association; registration details for next year (yes, already!); and how to develop and grow a community of Early Childhood Educators.

So, because my mind is in a state of not knowing, collision, and imbalance, I cannot seem to pull one thread from these photos. I invite you to enjoy each photo on it’s own and yet realize the collective nature of our work. One moment is a moment but it always braids with the other moments, creating this unique and special place we call home.

In gratitude,

Emily

‘Owls of Terra Nova’

Like their namesake, the Owls students can be a tad elusive at Terra Nova. While we keep careful track of who has been featured in various blogs and videos, it’s sometimes hard to catch great shots of children who attend twice a week – especially when they are on the move or the rain is falling hard! Please enjoy this retrospective of some of our ‘Owls’ being physically active outdoors!

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A very full week!

The last week of October is exciting for many children and families in Canada. I recall from my own childhood how slowly the hours would creep by when October 31 fell on a school day! We may have had a class party – juice and chips for a treat, indoor games and a craft project – but we didn’t get to wear our costumes until dinner was finished and it was dark outside! Our costumes were homemade, put together with whatever boxes and paint and old clothes we could scrounge in the days prior to Halloween. My brothers and I would join a band of other unaccompanied children from the neighbourhood, while adults stood ready at their doors with bowls of candy, giving us just one each! I have enjoyed sharing these memories and traditions with my own children. As an Educator, though, I recognize these are not everyone’s traditions. Each year our team gives a lot of thought as to how best to honour the spirit of Halloween within our school setting. How to be mindful of waste while enjoying making? How to balance treats with good nutrition? How to teach manners and expectations within our multicultural community? And how to allay fears while still enjoying a little shiver of excitement? Still, our practice of offering extended playtime using open-ended materials both indoors and out, remains the same. Enjoy these images of children problem solving, explaining, theorizing, describing, and especially, delighting in pumpkins, water, play dough, face paint, shapes, spiders, apples, music, and movement. Warmly, Kate

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Ignited!

Last week our team attended various sessions of a conference hosted by the Vancouver Reggio Association , presented by Tizania Filipino. Wow! Tizania as been working in Reggio Emilia for over 30 years, mostly as a pedagogista. This role is multi layered and complex, acting as a mentor to educators to develop deep curriculum as well as uniting educational practice between children, families and educators. A pedagogista supports educators to do research, document and make learning visible. As well, creating relationships and bridges between school and municipality, is also an integral component of this role.

Tizania’s knowledge, insights and clarification of key concepts provoked thinking for all of us. Personally, I have been revitalized this week, looking at the children’s work with fresh eyes. Creative juices are flowing and I am excited to dive into some good work! I am pretty sure much for our team feels the same! The work is often subtle and is the foundation of our curriculum; however, it may not be blatant or apparent. We can continue to dialogue more about this philosophical approach as the days unfold.

Enjoy these photos which showcase some of our experiences this week.

Planes are a big part of TNNS; often requiring us to stop speaking and wait until the plane has passed.

I had just purchased a book titled “The Lost Words” which examines some words that are no longer in the Webster’s Children’s Dictionary, particularly in the area of the natural world. This book invited me to thank about language so Monday morning’s circle was focused on thinking about ways to describe something- using adjectives as a beginning. This concept is challenging so we will continue to explore these ideas for some time.

Kate, scaffolding on this idea, concealed this brussels sprout plant underneath a blanket and asked the children to follow her works to draw a picture. For example ” Draw a long straight line”, then ” Add a bunch of squiggles on one end.” etc. After she delivered her instructions, she revealed the plant. These are some examples of what the children drew according to he instructions.

The Owls worked in pairs to choose an object and use words to describe it.

A big pile of wood chips was delivered- thanks City of Richmond!

Playing- Working-Learning

This is amazing- Daniela and Ryan looked at the building rainbow and decided to try to replicate it on the peg board.

Owls prepare squash and potatoes for a pan fried snack.

In gratitude,

Emily

A Little Peek

We have been cherishing these sunny autumn days- each day is truly a gift and we have enjoyed watching the children play freely and happily! Each day invites discovery, friendship, understanding and questioning.Please enjoy this brief snapshot of children at play the last couple of days.

Best,

Emily & Kate

Giving Thanks

Thanksgiving is always a time to reflect on our blessings, offering gratitude for all our precious gifts- family, friends, and place. This Thanksgiving was different for me as I flew out of town to see my son (who is temporarily living there), my brother and my other family in Toronto. Before I left, I was excited about visiting everyone but it really wasn’t until I arrived that I realized just how much I has missed connecting with my ‘eastern’ family. I grew up in Montreal but also have strong ties to Toronto through family and dear friends. We have embraced the west coast fully and whole heartedly since the moment we moved here 27 years ago but my heart is still also in love with the east. Being there, with my clan, filled up my soul more than I had imagined. It calls forward so many questions about what is family? What is place and a sense of belonging? What is our given community and what is our chosen community? I cherish the opportunity to explore these ideas for myself, in all my roles- as a person, a mother, a wife, a friend and for all of you at TNNS, as an Educator.

Parent Meeting

We had our first parent meeting of this school year earlier this week. Typically we begin with a session that opens a window into our teaching practice, discussing the Reggio Emilia approach to education and our beliefs around the work we all do. But, not this time– food was on our mind! Food, in some ways, the foundation of our being, is part of our daily lives. We cooked three different recipes that could be a great snack or lunch here at school- energy balls, squash dip and kale & potato fritters! The tasting was wonderful and equally important was our dialogue about family, food and what it all means. We just started to unravel the beautiful complicated world of food and nourishing ourselves. More to come in the next meeting!