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!

Children at Work

Art

In gratitude,

Emily