Kids say the Darndest Things: Happy Father’s Day

At preschool we love to do dictations with the children. This is a process where we ask the children to tell us about something, them we write it down verbatim, and then read it back to the child, which promotes literacy.

This week we have been asking the children about their dads on honor of Father’s Day, and the adage seems to be true that kids say the darndest things:

My Daddy was born in the ocean. He swimmed and fell on the rocks.

My Dad was born in Bakersfield. He played a game called staring at the floor. It’s a good game.

My Daddy kisses Mommy.

My Daddy met my Mommy at my house.

Daddy and Mommy met at the hospitol cause her sick. Just married, no date.

Daddy was born in Las Vegas. He got stiches. He met Mommy when she was working down the street.

Daddy married Mommy at Chuck E Cheese.

Happy Fathers day:)

What to look for in a Preschool: The 4 E’s

When looking for a private preschool the choices can be confusing. There are different philosophies of early childhood education, with many time schedules, tuition costs, and fees. Here is what you need to consider when looking for a preschool we will call the Four E’s.

Energy: what is the energy of the school say? Are there lots of rules, is it quiet or loud, does it feel open or closed?Spend a few minutes observing the feelings you get.

Education: What is the education of the staff, as well as the director of the preschool? Some directors have a Masters degree while some have taken as few as 12 units in early childhood education.

Environment: It has been said that environment dictates behavior. Are children allowed lots of freedom, are they moving freely though a relaxed setting, are there lots of materials? Observe the environment quietly for a few minutes.

Eyes: look in the eyes of the children. Are they engaged, connected and communicating?

Energy, education, environment and eyes of the children. That is a good place to start:)

Last Day of School June 16

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Please note that Wednesday June 16 is our last day of preschool for the school year. We will begin our summer fum program Monday June 21. Thank you to all our families for a great year filled with happy memories, joyful moments, and a rich experiance that will stay with us all:)

I love a Parade !

We marched yesterday in the La Canada Memorial Day Parade as a preschool group and it was enlightening on many levels. First, I was able to really take in what an amazing community we are a part of. With each step we marched we were met with cheers from alumni, smiles and waves that brought a smile to each child’s face, as well as the adults. Secondly we took in a rich exercise in community spirit, something that cannot be taught in a classroom.

Who knew that walking down the street in La Canada could evoke such feelings of belonging to a community, being part of something bigger. Parents were able to feel that their being a part of our school is also being a part of a neighborhood where we all all accepted for who we are, with their beautiful young families looking to make sense of the world we live in.

As I marched in the parade for the thirteenth year I was reminded how blessed I feel to be here, in the moment, with each family, seeing there smiles and hearing the excitement amongst the children that we, La Canada Preschool, were part of a parade.