Outdoor Kindergarten

In our class, we talked about how Indigenous children send to residential school might have felt, and how school should be a welcoming, safe, happy place for all children.

The week ahead: September 28-October 2

• Monday – at the park. We’ll be starting Nature Journals.
• Tuesday – at FLE. Remember to wear your orange shirt for Truth and Reconciliation Day. There’s an assembly at 10:10 AM.
• Wednesday – No School. Truth and Reconciliation Stat Holiday.
• Thursday – at FLE. Bake Sale for Terry Fox. If parents want their child to participate, they can donate on School Cash Online (or send a cash donation in a labeled envelope). *
• Friday – at FLE. Library, Terry Fox Run (9:15) and Challenges (1:00). Thank you for your donations to the Terry Fox Foundation!

*LEAP Parent Info Session: Thursday evening at 5:00 in the library. If you registered without attending this session yet, please attend. You can also help our program grow by sharing an invitation to anyone who might be interested in joining us for the 2027-2028 school year.

Looking ahead: We have a Teacher Candidate from UFV starting her practicum in our class on Monday. Please join me in helping her feel welcome in the LEAP and FLE community.

We’ll be entering the Fort Langley Scarecrow Showcase this fall. If anyone can supply a bale of hay or straw to the undercover area by the school garden/gym on Thursday or Friday, that would be much appreciated!

 

Here we go! I’m looking forward to being out in the park and we’re so lucky with the warm weather. It should ease the transition. Everyone practiced learning outdoors on Friday with some acorn collecting, buddy reading and parachute play on school grounds.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Rain pants are not necessary this week but it’s a good idea to dress kids in long pants for protection against scratchy plants and insects. Please remember to carefully go over the Student Verification Forms, make any changes needed, and sign them before returning them on Wednesday or Thursday.

The week ahead: September 21-25

• Monday & Tuesday – At the park. The plan is to get used to routines and explore the park.
• Wednesday –  At FLE. Please send verification forms and indoor shoes.
• Thursday –  At FLE. Who was Terry Fox and what makes a hero?
• Friday – School Improvement Day – Students do not attend.

 

The first week of kindergarten went so smoothly! I’m happy to see the children are eager to learn, make friends, and join in all our school activities.

I look forward to meeting all the families in our interviews this week.

Please send indoor shoes, a change of clothes and a snack and water this Monday.

Gradual entry times for the week of September 14-18

• Monday and Tuesday 8:23-10:30
• Wednesday 8:23-11:30
• Thursday 8:23-12:30
• Friday 8:23-1:30

 

Our babies have grown up! We released the ladybugs on Friday at our garden. We learned an unexpected fact about ladybugs – they eat their own kind! Hopefully the remaining ones can spread out and eat aphids instead.

 

 

 

 

 

The week ahead: June 15-19

Monday – at FLE and the water park. Send sandals, towel, change of clothes.

Tuesday – Beach day

Wednesday – at FLE. Grad walk. K students will present a rose to a returning FLE student who is graduating Grade 12.

Thursday – at FLE. Indigenous language games day. We’re very fortunate to get to learn this endangered language with the help of Sesmalot and her student leaders. Potato harvest.

Friday – at FLE. Sports Day. Wear either your house team colour or your favourite soccer team jersey. Come ready for a sporty outdoor day, rain or shine. Don’t forget to pre-order a hot dog (or bring a lunch). Parents/grandparents welcome to come watch/cheer/help!

 

The week ahead: June 7-11

• Monday – at the park. We’ll work on making a toy that moves out of nature materials and a few added items from school. Students can bring one other item if they wish (i.e. string, wheels…)
• Tuesday – at the park. Story walk and picnic snack provided by the LEAP teachers.
• Wednesday – at FLE. Send back all books for inventory. Let’s see if more of our ladybugs and caterpillars have completed their life cycles and are ready for release! PAC Treat Day.
• Thursday – at FLE. Learning about Brazil, our World Cup Sports Day country.
• Friday – at FLE. Community walk and/or gardening. June/July/August birthday treats at 2:00pm.

At last week’s outdoor location, students enjoyed some risky play at the creek and investigating the clues left by a beaver.

 I was so excited this weekend to see that local strawberry season is here! There’s nothing quite like a fresh, juicy berry still warm from the sun, and sharing them with loved ones makes it even sweeter. This week, we’ll go on a berry walk, guided by a beautiful story by an Indigenous author about feeling connected to nature and family through the tradition of berry picking.

 The week ahead: June 1-5

• Monday & Tuesday – at the park. Berry story walk and art in the park.
• Wednesday – at FLE. Book exchanges.
• Thursday – at FLE.
• Friday – at FLE. Community Walk.

The week ahead: May 25-29

Due to the Gr.5 Swim lessons and Gr. field trip, this week’s outdoor days are a bit different! I am away Tuesday and Thursday but have experienced teachers stepping in for me.

Monday – meet at the picnic shelter for City Park beside Al Alderson pool.

Tuesday – Drop off and Pick up at FLE. Students will walk to Brae Island for the day.

Wednesday – FLE. Fun lunch.

Thursday – FLE

Friday – FLE. Community People and Places Walk.

 

 

 

 

 

We were lucky last week to get to see cute and threatened Western Painted Turtles, as well as taste homemade sourdough and visit the library. Be sure to return the FVRL library book to an FVRL location, not the school!

In case you’re interested, the turtles are nesting now at Aldergrove Regional Park, in the bowl area. Apparently, they come out of the pond to lay eggs in the sand around dusk.

The week ahead: May 19-22

• Tuesday – at the new park location. Meet at the picnic shelter building.
• Wednesday – at FLE. Early dismissal at 11:35. Students won’t be eating lunch at school. Welcome to K event. No library this week but please return ALL home reading books.
• Thursday – at FLE. Hawk Virtue Assembly – Patience.
• Friday – at FLE.
• *Note next Monday, we are at City Park, Langley City to accommodate the Gr.5 swim program. (Ks are not using the pool.)

Happy Mother’s Day to all the Moms! I hope you get extra hugs and treats.

There’s been some passionate play around slugs at the park! It’s great to see the teamwork and love of slimy creatures. Students are excited to be able to write more using their knowledge of letter sounds. Nature perfume-making was a fun way to get to know more about plants.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The week ahead: May 11-15

• Monday – at the park. We’ll learn about forces that act on objects in motion, and go on a story walk to see how capacity can be used to measure for a recipe.
• Tuesday – at the park. Teddy Bear picnic day. Students will learn about Bear Witness Day (Jordon’s Principle) and use our teddy bears for measurement activities as well as a snuggle and snack partner. Western Painted Turtle biologist Andrea Gielens with Wildlife Preservation Canada will visit us to talk about her career and of course, turtles!! Hopefully, she’ll bring along a special guest!
• Wednesday – at FLE. Treat day. Bring back library and home reading books. Career talk with Mrs. Epp.
• Thursday – at FLE. Walking field trip to Fort Langley Library at Salishan Place 10:00-11:30.
• Friday – No school for students. Professional Development Day.

I love sunshiny weather but this heat is a bit intense already! We’ll be sure to stay in the shady forest more, drink lots and refill our water bottles and wear sun hats. Rain pants are not necessary with the hot weather but extra socks are still nice to send in the backpack as the grass is dewy in the morning.

The big excitement last week was all about caterpillars! There seems to have a big population boom this year! Our terrarium tank is now housing at least 7. We’ll see if any turn into cocoons this week! I’m using the student’s interest to spur learning about metamorphosis and patience, our HAWK virtue this month. As we get closer to summer break and birthday season for many, patience is harder to come by!

Students re-created the story of The Very Hungry Caterpillar in playdough.

The week ahead: May 4-8

• Monday/Tuesday – at the park.
• Wednesday – at FLE. Send back library and home reading books, and FVRL library card application forms. I absolutely must submit these on Wednesday for the cards to be ready for our field trip on May 14.
• Thursday – at FLE. FLE Movie Night (optional).
• Friday – at FLE. Community Walk or Gardening.

So far, I only have heard from 1 parent about career sharing. It would be great to have a few more volunteers!