2010 March | La Canada PreSchool

Parenting 101 Classes at LCP

March 27, 2010 By debbie bacino 1 Comment

I will be teaching a class we call Parenting 101 at La Canada Preschool for six Wednesdays beginning April 14 through May 19th from 7-8:30 p.m.

Our goal is to provide a safe and informative place where parents can share their concerns about parenting. We will share strategies for parents to use in order to develop the social and self management skills their child needs to capable and copable in our world. Topics we would like to explore are communication in the family, routines, and cooperation, as well as topics that emerge from the group.

We ask that you commit to six classes in order to build a connnective learning enviroment. The cost is $150.oo. Please contact us at : lacanadapreschool@gmail.com

Take some time for yourself to explore parenting in a supportive enviroment.

Debbie Bacino Director La Canada Preschool

Filed Under: All School, AM Pre Schoo, Parenting Class Tagged With: child development, education, Family, La Canada Preschool, parent support, parenting

Spring Break April 5-9 School is closed

March 24, 2010 By debbie bacino Leave a Comment

LCP 2008 pics 013

We will be closed from April 5-9 for our Spring Break.

Filed Under: Uncategorized

Learning through Play

March 12, 2010 By debbie bacino 1 Comment

Everyday that I sit in the yard at La Canada Preschool I believe that our children are learning best by playing and following their own curiosities, by solving real problems such as how to balance a stack of blocks or how to negotiate to have a turn holding the hose. Children need to feel it to learn it, they need to interact to feel they belong and they need to feel accepted for who they are.

When children can paint freely they are learning to develop their imagination, eye to hand coordination, relationships to space and size, and concepts of symmetry.

When we play with play dough we learn to see shape against the background of a table, which is a pre-reading skill. We see negative shapes when we use cookie cutters in the play dough, and the amount of substance remains the same even when the shape changes.

When we draw with crayons we are learning to hold a drawing implement, exercise creativity, that my ideas have value as well as concepts of color, size and shape.

Make time to play at home. Pretend you are a waiter in a restaurant and serve your child from a play menu, pretend you are the patient and your child can be the doctor, and just sit on the floor and see what happens.

Maybe if we all played a little more the world when be a better place. When was the last time you played?

Filed Under: All School, AM Pre Schoo, Notes From Debbie, Pre - K Tagged With: child development, learning, parenting, play

The Importance of Dads, Grandpas, Friends and Neighbors

March 8, 2010 By debbie bacino 3 Comments

Everywhere I look I see amazing men with children. Dads who take the time to teach their children songs, grandpas who bring their grandchildren to preschool, as well as male friends and neighbors who take an interest in children.

This past Saturday we had Donuts with Daddy Day at the preschool. It was touching to watch men who were able to get down on the floor and build Legos with their child. There was the grandpa who came to be a part of his granddaughters day. A neighbor came to support the two boys who lived next door as thier Dad had to be at work.

Gloria Steinen once said, “Most American children suffer too much mother and too little father.” There, someone said it. As an educator and a mom I must concur. What is best for children I believe is to be influenced by men as well as woman.

Men teach our children that it is okay to be strong, to say how we feel and to be loving.

We need to encourage and nurture the men who love children. They have become so rare in the busy world we live in.

I want to thank every man who made the time to be at La Canada Preschool for our special day, for turning off thier cell phones and being present with their child. When the children came to school today they spoke about how much fun it was to have Daddy with them, how fum it was to play with Daddy, and how much they liked the donuts:)

Keep loving these men, giving them praise for being the fathers they are, or the grandpas they are, or the friends they are. Children need these amazing men more they we know.

Filed Under: All School, AM Pre Schoo, Notes From Debbie, Pre - K Tagged With: Dads, La Canada Preschool

Passing the Parenting Torch

March 2, 2010 By debbie bacino 1 Comment

As a mother of three and a preschool educator for twenty five years I feel compelled to pay it forward in the parenting world. When I was a young parent there was an enclave of educated people who guided me as the new member of their tribe, giving me the support that I was yearning for. My hope is that in this blog I can create that community for you.

In passing the parenting torch I want to develop a sense in young families that while we are come to the table with a different approach, I believe we are all alike in what we want to accomplish as parents. Creating capable and copable children is at the top of my list, along with a close relationship that can stand the test of raising a child.

So here we go. My mission is to let you know that I have been on your side of parenting and come out on the other end with children that are now adults, capable, copable and human beings that I am proud of everyday. This did not happen without tears and pain, yet we all survived somehow.

Let me know what you want to hear about. I will let you know what I have learned as a preschool teacher, an administrator and a mom. See you next week. Peace.