During Lunar New Year, we encountered some visitors to the park who were very intrigued to see the children organizing themselves at snack time: laying out the tarp and wash stations, finding snack bags and settling down to eat together. While we declined their invitation for a group photo, we just couldn’t resist a pic…Continue reading →

There are truly no words to describe the energy from yesterday’s Family Cooking Class, Italian Day! It was a special event- bringing our families together, the very young to the more experienced, to learn, cook and eat was an exceptionally rewarding experience. Our bellies and even more importantly, our souls, are all filled up! Check out…Continue reading →

A joyous week…Lunar New Year Celebrations, the arrival of a very generous donation from West Coast Seeds , playing, cuddling, and exploring our hearts and our minds. Wishing you all a prosperous, healthy and happy year! Emily

Emily’s post of last week, “Encounters”, has had me thinking about a word that represents my own intentions for this New Year of 2017.  In this, our third year of operating Terra Nova Nature School, I am enjoying a feeling of ‘finding our feet’ – we operate with proven systems and routines; we have names…Continue reading →

Encounter–this word has been swirling though my mind as we enter a new year. In the past fews years, inspired by others, I have chosen a word that will support setting an intention for the upcoming year.  Influenced by one of my mentors, I have been thinking a lot about encounters. I am interested in…Continue reading →

  Learning to use tools such as mallets, pegs, sticks, and tongs is tricky with mittens on, but very engaging!  Many children were interested in finding ice in various shapes and formations.  Ken and Yohan learned about the trapezoid!   Finding ways to travel across the land challenged our gross motor skills! Having some quiet…Continue reading →

A week of celebration: of honouring our traditions, welcoming community, and enjoying this special place of Terra Nova, Richmond. “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…Continue reading →

This week’s snowfall gifted us with many opportunities for exploring new materials, consequences, ideas, and strategies.  Frozen puddles were fun for smashing with our boots, until we discovered that stinky mud still lurked beneath!  Children declared “Let’s skate on the ‘lake’! Can ice be eaten, and how did those bubbles get caught in there?” We…Continue reading →

At our last team meeting, Heidi shared an observation that was thought provoking for all of us. Most days, but certainly not all, we bring quite a lot of equipment with us; scarves. play dishes, working tools, ropes etc. She noticed that once we stop our wagon to settle in a play space, the children madly…Continue reading →

A theme of ‘finding balance’ has emerged for me as I look through photographs from last week (and a few from the week before that I just couldn’t leave out!).  Throughout a school day, every educator faces numerous choices as we observe, scaffold, direct and re-direct the children in their behaviours and activities.  What are…Continue reading →

Given the major political event that occurred this week, it seems timely to discuss and introduce the idea of our preschool children being citizens of our community; our municipality; our province; our country; our world. This term is something we have discussed in depth at team meetings in the past as it is an integral…Continue reading →

It had been a long time coming, and I mean a really long time coming! I had been thinking about wheat day for over a year and yesterday it finally happened! It truly was like a dream come true for me– sharing my passion for growing wheat, processing it and cooking with it, was something…Continue reading →

Without doubt, this particular place of Terra Nova Rural Park in Richmond, BC, is a beautiful place to explore.   What I notice when looking at photographs from this week, though, is the sense that we are coming together as a community.  The children are learning one another’s names and using them more often; routines…Continue reading →

Last week we hosted our first Parent Meeting of the new school year, and one of our agenda items was ‘curriculum development’.    What do we teach?  How and why do we decide what is  important – for all of us – in our living together at Nature School?  It is an enormous question, and…Continue reading →