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…Continue reading →

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…Continue reading →

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

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…Continue reading →

As the sun shines and the leaves turn colour, we find ourselves already in week 3! The past few weeks have been a time of settling in. For some, the experience is familiar but still requires becoming reacquainted with routines and people. For others, the experience is so new that each moment is heightened as…Continue reading →

The first week of school, even after teaching for 24 years, continues to be an emotional time. A time for new beginnings, new wishes, new commitments and reflection. As we head into our fifth year of Nature School, we have a better sense of who we are as individual educators as well as the dynamics…Continue reading →

Although many of us our sniffling and suffering from itchy eyes (thank you lovely cottonwood trees and tall grasses!) our outdoor play has been a little easier thanks to the abundant sunshine.  We have mostly shed our rain pants, and definitely the mittens!  Felt stories can be shared at circle without pieces blowing away, and…Continue reading →

“I wish we could do this every weekend!”, said one participant at the end of our class. I believe this pretty much sums up the day! There is something about dough, especially dough cooked in a Cobb Oven fire. Dough seems to have its own life force that is gently awakened by the hands of…Continue reading →

Walking is something we do a lot at Terra Nova Nature School.  Ann Pelo, a wise and distinguished Early Childhood Educator, in her book The Goodness of Rain, encourages us to “Walk the Land” as a way of supporting children to develop an ecological identity.  Walking encourages us to slow down.  When we walk regularly we…Continue reading →

We have watched the field go through its new phases of life as it got a big haircut last year ( at first we were sad); then overwintered with large heavy sheets of plastic (which led to either helping to stake it down or reporting that help was needed!);  then was tilled a few weeks…Continue reading →

Another busy couple of weeks at Nature School!  All of a sudden, rain and sun have colluded to turn the park and garden green! We have been using tools – wheelbarrows and trowels, shovels and rakes – in the garden.  The new rolling compost bin is up and spinning.  Outdoor loose parts such as ramps,…Continue reading →

Our Family Cooking Day, Indian Food, was everything we hoped it would be and more! The idea began brewing a long time ago, years in fact! Coincidentally, a Cobb Oven cooking idea was also something Leslie  Williams, from the Sharing Farm, had also been thinking about for a while.  Sarah Drewery, the Executive Director of the…Continue reading →

This week, despite the heavy rainfall, has been filled with the beauty of our natural world and the glory of working outside. Horsetails are popping up all over the land, lamium (dead-nettles) are speckling our fields, honeybees are foraging on flowering plants and trees, stinging nettle is growing, the wheat in the garden is  rapidly…Continue reading →

For all of us who thought we could pack our mittens and wool layers away during Spring Break, Tuesday was a shocking reminder of just how cold the wind can be, especially with our proximity to the Fraser River!  Nevermind, we are enjoying re-connecting to one another, to the land, to the Red-winged blackbirds, Eagles,…Continue reading →

Spring is in the air and everyone is feeling that little lift that happens once the days are longer and spring’s calls are louder- a new energy is brewing! The children have been working on a variety of projects including  an exploration of totem poles ( launching from our First Nations Dance Festival field trip),…Continue reading →