I was born and raised in the country, outside was my playground. Exploring the forest, discovering wildlife at the creek and the experience of muddy clothes, my sisters and I loved it all. Spending time outdoors allowed us to learn and explore the endless opportunities nature had to offer and I am so thankful to be able to experience this with all of you.

Our outdoor play group was a new experience for myself and for many of our families. When we began promoting it I sensed some apprehension around the uncertainty of exploring the outdoors. The hesitation regarding the safety in the forest, (as well as encountering those pesky little mosquitos) was a concern for some. After a great discussion about how children are instinctually drawn to nature and the many benefits of allowing them to explore their environment, take risks and connect with nature (develop muscle strength, coordination and self-confidence), I sensed their unease transform to excitement. Having our families reach out to each other to discuss childhood memories of spending time outdoors and sharing stories from previous outdoor playgroups has been the encouragement many new families needed to join us in our exploration of the natural world.

A reflection by Jody Corbett- Community Connector, Family Centre Fox Hollow

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Please click the image to the right to read this letter from Sue Bruyns, Principal of Sir Arthur Currie.

This letter outlines some important information regarding the school, child care, before and after program and Family Centre.

Parents can find more information, including construction updates, at the following sources:
Website: www.tvdsb.ca/SirArthurCurrie
Twitter: https://twitter.com/SACTVDSB
Facebook: www.facebook.com/SACTVDSB
Remind: www.remind.com ( enter the code: @sirart )
Smartphone App: www.bit.ly/sactvdsb

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As well, we will be the lead agency for the Family Centre being built at this same location. At this time it is anticipated that the before and after school will begin the first day of school, September 2017, followed by the child care on October 10th, 2017 and finally the Family Centre. These time frames could shift as construction progresses. The child care will accommodate 88 children, infant to pre-schooler as well as a before and after program for children kindergarten to age 12 years. If you are interested in enrolling your child in our Northwest program please follow the London & Middlesex Child Care Waitlist link and complete an on-line application.

This project is generously funded by the Ministry of Education, in support of the Early Years Vision and in partnership with Thames Valley District School Board and the City of London.

Please Note: If you are applying for a child care space, please use October 10th, 2017 or later as your start date. If you are applying for a before and after space, please use September 5th, 2017 or later as your start date. For more information please contact Stephanie or Sarah at 519-471-1640.

“This is such an amazing opportunity for our organization to expand in a meaningful way in the Northwest London community and this new location will be central to all the programs we currently operate. This addition to our organization gives us the ability to serve our families and our communities in an expanded way, offer opportunities to staff and to work closely with multiple community partners including the school. Whitehills has provided child care services in Northwest London for 41 years. We are very excited to now have the opportunity to expand our child care services as well as to further support children, families and the community in the Family Centre. As lead of the Family Centre, in conjunction with the various community partners, we will provide coordinated services for families including parenting and early learning, early childhood education, public health and wellness, recreation, sports and leisure, youth services, referral, resources, information and awareness.”

– Diane Gordon, Executive Director

The post Whitehills Childcare Announcement appeared first on Whitehills Childcare.

Liam and Cassidy then joined R and together they laid down on the mat to inspect the snail, talking about the slime trail it left behind. Not wanting anything to happen to it, they moved it off of the mat into the grass and covered it with the longer grass. Then Jack appeared with another snail and placed it next to first snail. Wondering what was happening, the other children came to have a look. Seeing the snails, Kaden suggested making a home for them. They spotted the clear, sectioned tray we had in the fort and quickly removed its contents and placed the snails inside. A few of the children ripped up some grass and added it to the tray while the other children began a search through the mini forest for more snails. I suggested they add some dirt to the home as well, so Blake found a good chunk of dirt and began sprinkling it into the tray. While the children continued to look for more snails, I googled ‘what do snails eat?’ I informed the children that they eat fruits and vegetables and asked them if they would like to collect some to add to the home. “Yeah!” they shouted…

So we ran inside, bringing the snail home with us, to see what we had for fruits and vegetables. With groceries not arriving yet, our only options were craisins and oranges. We chose to cut up the craisins into smaller pieces to sprinkle inside the home. After we added the craisins, R asked everyone if they wanted to do a “Snail Club”. He then made a list of participants, naming himself Captain. When we got back outside, R instructed everyone on what to do – he had some of the children continue their search for more snails, while the others guarded the home. It was awesome to observe the children working as a team and to hear them complimenting one another when they would find a snail. Working together, they discovered that they found more snails in dark, moist areas, such as under the pine trees or deep in the bushes. Before heading back inside to cool off, the children placed the snail home inside the mini tent to help keep the home safe… The following morning, the children were extremely eager to get outside to see if the snails were still in their home. The second we were out the door, the children ran full speed to the fort where the mini tent was sheltered under a sheet. Only one snail remained!

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Jack, Cassidy, and Lucie decided to look for more. Cassidy found a clever way to carry her snails, sticking them to her arm. Lucie suggested placing the snails on one of the mirrors, “I’ll carry them for you,” she offered Cassidy. Cassidy allowed Lucie to carry her snails while she searched for more. “Look at my snail,” said Jack, presenting his snail to Mary and I on another mirror. “What’s its name?” asked Mary. “Declan,” replied Jack. The three of them then sat down on the gym mats together, admiring their snails on the mirrors and discussing what they eat, “mixed salad,” said Lucie, as well as why they have slime, “so they can stick to stuff,” said Cassidy. It then appeared that the snails were racing across Cassidy and Lucie’s mirror, so I suggested using one of the markers to create racetracks and finish lines. Lucie used a purple marker to draw lines in front of each snail and then observed which snail crossed his/her line first, “Little Leah won!” her and Cassidy cheered. After the race, the girls brought the mirror over to the desk to colour the snails shells with marker, as well as the mirror around them, meanwhile Jack persistently tried to get his three snails to stick to the birdhouse. It was amazing to see the exploration, discovery, and creativity that developed over the last two days with the “Snail Club”.

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Just as I was finishing the last paint colour, Liam came over to investigate, “what are these for?” he inquired about the mirrors. I explained the concept of painting on them and cleaning them off when you are done, want to paint another picture, or if you make a mistake. Liam then sat down at the table in front of one of the mirrors, “hey, guys, come check this out!” he hollered to his friends. Nate, Blake, and Kaden then joined him at the table and began painting. It was great to observe the boys trying something new and creative, and they really liked the idea of being able to wipe away mistakes. It was interesting to see what each child painted, expressing their emotions and interests through their artwork. Liam painted a landscape with a rainbow, Kaden painted an image of him and his Mom, Blake painted his sports team logo, and Nate painted the Blue Jays logo, referencing an image from Google. The boys were quite proud of their artwork, asking me to take photographs of their paintings and then to email them to their parents. It was a great opportunity for the boys to engage in a calm activity that encouraged them to be kind to one another as they complimented each child’s artwork.

When we went outside for the morning, a few of the children requested we bring the mirrors and paint out with us and I was thrilled to see children immediately sitting down with them when we got out to the yard. I was also excited to see the boys still demonstrating an interest after they had played in the water for a bit. The children explored various painting techniques on the mirrors, splattering, squiggling, mixing, and creating abstract art. When I saw a mirror not being used, I sat down with the other children and began painting a scene of hills with a tree, flower, and sun in the corner (the same one I have been doing since I was a child). Addison then decided to replicate my painting, stating that different elements in hers were better. She then requested that I paint another one for her to try and copy. This time I painted a beach scene with a palm tree. Again, Addison compared the paintings and voiced her opinion on which parts of her painting were better and which parts of my painting were better. Addison then requested that I paint another image, but this time I suggested that she paint one for me to try and replicate. Xavier joined us and also tried to replicate Addison’s painting of shorts.

On Thursday I set up the mirrors on the craft table again, but this time I put out black paint, along with unsharpened pencils. I painted a mirror black and then used the eraser end of the pencil to etch an image onto the mirror. Cassidy and Addison soon joined me and mimicked my actions. Addison chose to use what was left of the blue/grey paint to cover her mirror, rather than the black, which I admired her freedom of expression. When we went outside for the morning, the girls requested the mirrors and paint, wanting to use them in the fort in the mini forest. I absolutely love that the children have really been enjoying the exploration of the mirrors and the endless possibilities they provide. It’s exciting to observe their creativity ignite and expand as they explore various painting techniques and styles. By Friday, the children were gathering the mirrors themselves and sitting down to paint whenever they felt inspired.

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Whitehills Childcare Association began in 1973 when a group of parents established a small pre-school in the Whitehills community. Whitehills Childcare was incorporated in 1975 and we couldn’t think of a better way to celebrate our 40th anniversary than in the community where we began. Although we serve many more communities now, we still bear the Whitehills name that we are so proud of.

Nineteen parents, 26 children and 14 staff came out to join us on the parade route and the enthusiasm and passion for this organization was evident. We really did ROCK on Saturday morning as we proceeded down Gainsborough. It was such an amazing sense of community and spirit and seeing all the smiling faces in our group and in the crowds of people warmed our hearts. We collected hats and mittens along the route and we handed out candy canes and t-shirts that displayed our “We Rock” message. The amazing live music on our float was performed by local song-writer, producer, performer and graduate of Whitehills Childcare, Niiko Soul and his team Aivi, George and Tia.

Our staff asked if we can make this an annual event and are already organizing next year’s parade.

Our photos say it all. WE ROCK!

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