Unity

We hosted two family evenings this week as a way to come together and celebrate the joys of the holiday season. To be in our warm, cozy, beautiful Cottage with our children and families was a dream for our team! Kate and I have spent many hours over the past couple of years discussing our visions of events such as these and to finally have it come to fruition was absolutely marvellous! Thank you to all our parents who came out on the stormy nights! For those of you who couldn’t make it, we look forward to seeing you at another family event.

Enjoying a family sing-a-long.

Children use their hand woven bells.

Other moments..

Dimitri is playing hide n’ seek with his friends. Trees make a very good hiding spot! Children learn self-regulation skills as they work at being still and quiet.

Ryan and Damon pull ivy from the tree. These strands of invasive weeds will be used for our jingle bells for family night.

The Owls experiment with rope and tarps. Building a shelter large enough to fit everyone proves to be a wee bit of a challenge.

Working together to bring over a large branch, the Owl team learns about cooperation and spatial awareness.

Jack is scooping and filling his bowl. I am not sure what his internal dialogue is but he is captivated by this activity. I love the fact that he is so content to play with gravel- no fancy beads or stones needed.

Walking on uneven terrain helps to build muscle control and balance. Ezra, Thomas and Kingston are enjoying playing a chasing game.

Heidi spends time listening to the many ideas that swirl in the children’s heads. By taking the time to actively listen, Heidi is showing the children she cares about them and their ideas matter.

Ty and Miles take a private moment to look at one of the gardens. I hear Miles say to Ty ” Look at the worm.” I hear Ty say “The slug is eating this leaf.”

Harvesting carrots in December! WE LOVE BC!! Here the children are washing the tri-coloured gems so they can gobble them up immediately.

Hanging out together, Mason and Thomas fill and then empty boxes. Why do children love to fill empty containers so much? It is interesting to observe this type of play.

Jasmine and Ezra work quietly as they decorate a popsicle stick star with copious amounts of glitter.

Claire says “Emily, look, I planted a garden!” Gathering branches, fallen leaves and other treasures, she creates a space for her foliage.

Damon is adorning himself with beaded necklaces

The children make a fort underneath the harvest table. They assign roles and household tasks to each family member. They are replicating what they know to be true in their own lives.

In celebration of Hanukkah, we play driedel. Learning how to take turns, counting beans and reading the symbols, opens the doors for a lot of learning!

The important seasonal changes around us are apparent to us all. Here, children explore the scarlet runner bean teepee which looks remarkably different now than when we started school.