​Our quote is from one of our favourite story book characters:
Pete the Cat!

He always says:
“Go For It!”
 
We hope you have a wonderful active March!!!
 
-Jennifer and Kirsten

There is something very special about the Olympics ……and not just the pride in the medal count! For two weeks, the whole world comes together to watch athletes from all nations compete for gold. Many families will turn to the TV to watch these winter games during the day and/or night. Watching the Olympics as a family can teach life lessons to all children and even adults. Minds expand when watching these sports or events as children ask questions, cheer for athletes, feel badly when someone falls or learn how athletes deal with winning and losing all while on a world’s stage. There is so much learning involved when engaging in these games with the whole family. Listed below are attributes which Olympic athletes possess and they help to instill wonderful values for all ages:

Dedication: In order to accomplish goals and achieve success dedication means putting forth your very best effort all the time.

Perseverance: Learning to persist and persevere when meeting unexpected obstacles, as life is full of them.

Teamwork: Learning to work together and cooperating to get tasks completed to reach goals.

Sportsmanship: Learning how to both win and lose with grace and how to be a good sport. “The Thrill of Victory and the Agony of Defeat”

Courage: Believing in oneself and having the courage to take chances/risks and pursue goals.

Aspirations and Dreams: Having dreams and setting goals to aspire to.

Cultural and Economic Diversity: The Olympics empowers a global audience. The world watches as a whole so it can be a platform to learn about diversity and inclusion and then we can celebrate all the differences/similarities in this world.
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“The Olympics bind us together and teach us all to be our very best selves—and these lessons are timeless, genderless, ageless and ultimately worth their weight in gold!
 
Jennifer and Kirsten

Ahhh……Holiday season is almost upon us….. and with it comes the bombardment of marketing media touting this year’s hottest gifts.  So easy to get caught up in it all! Young children are especially vulnerable to all the advertising and as parents, we don’t want to disappoint. We adults understand that “Tis better to give than to receive”, but how do we teach this to our children?  Here are some tips to keep the spirit of giving alive and to keep the holidays in perspective:

1. Keep the gift giving low key. It is an exciting enough time without going crazy!
2. Focus on the giving part. Involve your child in the selection and wrapping of the PJ/Book gifts for our school drive for New Circles.
3. Try and keep your children rested so that everyone can enjoy the holidays! Racing around is hard on little bodies!
4. Take the time to enjoy the holiday season with friends and family!

Finally, as the whirlwind of shopping and entertaining unfolds, be selective about what you take on, to minimize stress and maximize the joy. Easier said than done, but we can try!!

All the very best for the holiday season!
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Jennifer and Kirsten       

Tis the time of year to adjust our sleep patterns no matter how old we are! Now that fall is here, the days are shorter and we are losing the daylight more and more each day! This coming weekend we will change our clocks back one hour. Here are a few tips to make this transition easier at home:
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Control the light
Stick to a routine
Be sympathetic

Children will have a successful sleep if the evening follows a routine. After dinner; a good warm bath, cozy PJ’s, a stuffed animal and a good book will help set children up for a restful night of sleep. One of the nicest times of the day is to cuddle up with a young one and share a story together. This is good quality time together plus reading to your child is the most important thing you can do as it will help to foster a long love for reading. This gaining an hour of sleep on Saturday night can sometimes take a few nights for children to adapt even though it is only one hour. Be patient and give it a few nights! If your child is tired and still asleep in the morning, let him/her sleep, if you can! It does take their little bodies a few days to adjust and lose that sleepy feeling in the morning!

“Let him sleep, for when he wakes he will move mountains."
 -Napolean

October is the month to ponder and ask ourselves what we are grateful and thankful for in our lives. Given the recent tragedies in this world, we need to live each day to the fullest and be thankful for what we have and more importantly for all the wonderful people in our lives! Enjoy your beautiful children every day as we are thankful to have them here at LPS!

“Let us be grateful to the people who make us happy; they are the charming gardeners who make our souls blossom!”
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We wish you all a very Happy Thanksgiving. Gobble Gobble!
Jennifer and Kirsten

We would like to welcome you all to our Lawrence Park School Family! Thank you for entrusting us with your beautiful children for this school year! We are excited to get to know each and every child who is under our care!
Our goal is to work together as parents and educators to give your children the best possible start in all areas of development. Please look at the weekly blogs as they showcase all the wonderful learning that takes place each week plus there are often extensions for learning at home!
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Here’s to a fun, happy successful year full of learning, exploration and growth!

Kirsten and Jennifer
 
“Everyone wants to live on top of the mountain, but all the happiness and growth occurs while you are climbing it!”  (by Andy Rooney)

June always gives me pause to reflect – another school year coming to a close. A time to celebrate our children’s accomplishments and acknowledge their personal growth and special friendships.

In my weekly visits to the school, I am regularly astounded by the gains the children are making – physically, cognitively, academically and socially. More than anything, I notice their level of confidence as they approach new tasks. I think as teachers, this is our greatest responsibility. It is such a delicate balance to provide children with the right mixture of challenge and success such that they learn to persevere, to keep trying. And that mistakes are more than OK – they are an opportunity to learn. This goes for everything from a word misread to spilt milk. The teachers at LPS are truly gifted in this process and it is pure joy to watch them at work with the children!
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Many of you will be moving on from here and we wish you all the very best. Know that you can come and visit any time! I hope that summer provides an opportunity for a change in routine and lots of outdoor play!

Fondly…….Leslie

Ahhhh……Spring! What a wonderful time to explore the senses!  We all love to get outside at this time of year and for children, the more time outside the better.  They can listen to all the sounds of spring – the birds, the rain…..They can smell the flowers, feel the mud and sand and the warmth of the sun. They can even feel a thunderstorm coming! Children can see the world become more lush and green and watch the buds turn to leaves. They can feel their bodies moving and the exhilaration that simple running can give.
Getting outside not only helps children grow and experience things physically.  It is an important part of their intellectual and social development as they explore the outdoors and using inquiry, imaginative play and expressive language.

We get a lot of rainy days in the spring and while we may not appreciate them, children LOVE them! I grew up in Winnipeg where, despite the cold winters, we were outside all the time.  My mother said there was no such thing as bad weather – only bad clothing!  So, we dressed for it.  We can dress for the rain and enjoy puddle hopping, catching raindrops on our tongues, collecting water. There is nothing like the smell of wet growing things in the spring!

Enjoy……….Leslie
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PS:  Recommended spring book…..”Big Sarah’s Little Boots”

It’s time for dinner, or it’s time for school, or it’s time for swimming – whatever the reason, you need your child to stop playing and come with you. “Just a minute” is the response.  Not what you need when the clock is ticking. 
Numerous strategies can help children transition from one activity to the next and certainly school is a great place for children to learn how to follow routines. While you may not wish to sing our “Tidy Up” song, some of these strategies can be adapted to the home front.

First however, we need to understand something. Imagine you are working on an important project or e-mail and you are right at a critical point. Along comes your spouse saying “Time for dinner”. I might be annoyed enough to say something less polite than “Just a minute”.  However, if I was reminded half an hour earlier that we needed to eat by a certain time in order for our son to make it to hockey, I would be more understanding.

Play is a child’s “work”. It is what they are meant to do and they do it with their hearts and souls. Having to stop suddenly will never seem fair to them. We know that preparing a child for a transition is important but sometimes we forget or get distracted. Any kind of timer can be helpful here and you can teach your child how to watch for when it gets close to ringing. Let your child know that when play time is over, it will sound like this. Plan ahead where to put the activity so that it can be resumed at a certain time and decide when that time will be. Be clear and specific (ie tomorrow after breakfast you can finish the lego).

If the activity is an iPad or other electronic device, set the limit ahead of time (one game or level is a natural break). Agree on when a good place to stop will be and hold to it. If you waver even once, your child will test you constantly, hoping that this will be the one time you give in, just like a gambler at a slot machine.
The good news is that with Spring coming, we can all enjoy being out of doors more often and rely less on electronics!
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Until next time……Leslie