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

When I first became involved with this school as a parent (1990!) I was blown away by the quality of the care and instruction in the classes. There were no report cards but I was comfortable with the feedback I received at drop off and pick up and as a teacher myself, this was important. Our daughter was the first of four to go through this school and each year I was more impressed with the level of ongoing communication.

Years later, back at the school as Director (2007) it became clear that more communication was required, especially for working parents. However, I was reluctant to start report cards for a number of reasons.  First, I didn’t want to take the time away from teaching/loving/guiding in order to document progress. Secondly, where a child scores on Monday could be very different by Friday, so by the time a parent received the report card, so many things could have changed. Not to mention the fact that children develop in very different ways at this age, so to put checkmarks in boxes seemed unfair.

But here we are – all preschools are issuing report cards and the Ministry requires that we document progress. Parents are now kept apprised of their child's social, intellectual and physical development on paper. May I offer some suggestions for interpretation?

1. Keep in mind that your child’s teachers consider the documentation process, including report cards, as tools in planning lessons for their students at each level of their education. As such, they are not so much an evaluation as a road map.
2. The checkmarks may give you an indication of where your child’s skills are just now, but this may change by tomorrow!
3. We have enriched goals for your children, so they may not have achieved them by February – be patient as many skills are still emerging at this time of year.
4. Do not hesitate for an instant to contact the school regarding ANY questions you may have.  I cannot emphasize this enough.  Your teachers are ready and willing to talk to you at any time so take advantage of that.
5. The extent of effort and engagement in the learning process has a big impact on later learning, so pay more attention to the personal comments, particularly those reflecting effort. This is the most important quality that you can encourage with your child. If effort is up there, how wonderful is that? If it is not, what a great goal!

As you may know, I am at the school Thursday mornings working individually with the Kindergarten students. They are amazing! I then visit the other classrooms and am still totally blown away by the quality of care and instruction. We are blessed.
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I hope you all enjoy a wonderful March break when it happens….Leslie

Let’s face it, February can be a dreary month. Parents often say how difficult it is to keep their children engaged. And nobody likes to admit to allowing more screen time than what is recommended for young children. Even with iPads and such, (and perhaps because of them!) children complain of being bored. What is a parent to do?
NOTHING!  You heard me…..researchers are saying that we should not rush in with solutions. They say that boredom provides an inner quiet that helps children with self awareness.  Dr. Vanessa LaPointe adds that children need to sit in their own boredom for the world to become quiet enough for them to hear themselves.

My Mother used to say that she left us kids to our own devices for a reason (she called it “creative neglect”). Now I see that she was teaching us to become resourceful. Trust me – as long as there are creative outlets around (lego, markers, cushions….) kids will come up with something, given enough time.

Anthony Robbins talks about how young adults blame lack of work on a shortage of resources (time, education, connections…) but in truth, it is the lack of resourcefulness holding them back. We have a chance to fix that if we just shift our perspective. Boredom is not a problem but an opportunity for our children to develop resourcefulness.  After all, how can a child become resourceful if they are never left to their own resources?  So…..let’s let our children be bored on occasion.  We will be doing them a favour.

Until next time…….Leslie

​Happy New Year!

We often look at January as another opportunity for a parenting “tune-up” so I thought I would focus here on “Discipline”.  People often think that discipline is a negative word, but really, it simply means the codes we live by.  For example, someone who runs every morning before work might be called “disciplined”.  The same can be said about a person who always acts respectfully. Teaching/modelling discipline for our children is not an option but an obligation. Children are not born knowing how to navigate this world.  We need to be the leader they need us to be so that they can become the disciplined adults they need to be. I say this, of course, in the context of first providing a loving, affectionate and supportive environment.

In a recent moment of complete insanity, I adopted two rescue pups (lab/husky combos) at 7 weeks old.  Sleep deprived and at my wit’s end, I found myself approaching 60 and raising the equivalent of toddlers. The pups are now 14 weeks old and since dog years are short, they are getting big quickly!  So I ask myself, are these playful puppy behaviours (jumping up upon greeting for example) something I want to be dealing with when they are 70 pounds? The parallels to child rearing have not escaped me. Is the behaviour we see in our Toddlers something we want to see in our teenagers?

I have a dog trainer come in every few weeks to help me set the course. Just like years ago, I hired a parenting coach to help me do the same with my children at various stages. Interesting how dog training is a common event but we only hire a parenting coach when we are desperate. Discipline is not something to be started once problems arise…..it is to set the tone, the foundation.

My dogs will do anything for food. My pockets are full of kibble. I am sure I smell like kibble. I am not suggesting we reward our children’s behaviours with food, but positive encouragement – even just noticing when they are being helpful or playing nicely, and commenting on specific actions, will go a long way to developing that foundation.

I call it mindful discipline.  Again – the codes we live by. If we lead well, with consistency and loads of positive encouragement, our children will develop a sense of trust, security and ……discipline.
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Wishing you much joy and happiness in this new year………..Leslie

Ahhh……Holiday season is soon 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) Let your language emphasize the value of spreading love and joy more than material gifts. For example “did you see how happy our neighbour was when we dropped off some cookies? He just loves seeing you!” Or “Grandma is so excited to give you a great big hug!”

2) Keep the gift giving low key. It’s an exciting enough time without us going crazy.

3) Try to avoid going overboard with presents – it really isn’t good for anyone.  As with many things, “Less is more”

4) Focus on the giving part. Involve your child in the selection and wrapping of the PJ/Book gifts for the New Circles families who are new to the city. Stress how much this will mean to them.

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

All the very best for the holiday season…….Leslie

“For Better or Worse, but never for lunch!”  As a youngster, this is what I remember my mother saying to my father (in jest, of course!)  But seriously, lunch just wasn’t something she wanted to deal with. Can we blame her? I know when I was in the trenches with my kids, preparing lunch, packing lunch, planning lunch – even thinking about lunch – was enough to put me over the top. Hadn’t we already put in the equivalent of a full day of work before school even started? Didn’t we just clean up breakfast?  Now you want me to worry about LUNCH? Not to mention what is for DINNER!

One of the things parents like about our Kindergarten Program is that a hot lunch is included. But it is also available to our Toddlers and Preschoolers.  When you receive our welcome package for next fall, have a look at the lunch bunch programs. You can sign up for as many days as you want. If you think your child will no longer be napping, consider the 9-2 program where your child can participate in all the specialty music, French, Sportplay and craft activities. We organize the lunch programs by term so that you can change things as you need to, but at the very least you will know that:

1)      Your child will have eaten a variety of vegetables, fruits and a healthy, hearty meal prepared by our cook.  Parents of picky eaters are often surprised with the positive influence of peers at the table.  It is also a great opportunity to practice manners (our teachers ensure this!)

2)      Your child will have had a chance to share a meal with friends and make friends from other classes.

3)      Your child will have had more of a chance to play and learn with friends….like a play date!

4)      Happy child…..happy parent…..and vice versa!!

If your child has not yet participated in our lunch program and you would like to try it out, just let us know. Our aim is to make life simpler for you!
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Until next time…….Leslie