Having Genius

Hello Families,

I have had many conversations over the last few weeks with new-to-Creative-Minds families and with  current families about the process and meaning of knowing and knowledge.  There is too much to say in a short blog such as this but I would like to share a poem and a TED link with you to consider.  We have also put up a wonderful poem in the entrance of the room about our relationship with our children that we'd like you to consider.

Each day we work to create spaces where your children are awakened to their genie/genius.

Here's the poem by the late John O'Donohue

• For Presence

Awaken to the mystery of being here 

and enter the quiet immensity of your own presence.

Have joy and peace in the temple of your senses.

Receive encouragement when new frontiers beckon.

Respond to the call of your gift and the courage to follow 

its path.

Let the flame of anger free you of all falsity.

May warmth of heart keep your presence aflame.

May anxiety never linger about you.

May your outer dignity mirror an inner dignity of 

soul.

Take time to celebrate the quiet miracles that seek

no attention.

Be consoled in the secret symmetry of your soul.

May you experience each day as a sacred gift woven

around the heart of wonder.

Here's the TED talk worth seeing/hearing:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=86x-u-tz0MA

Eat, Pray, Love" Author Elizabeth Gilbert muses on the impossible things we expect from artists and geniuses -- and shares the radical idea that, instead of the rare person "being" a genius, all of us "have" a genius. It's a funny, personal and surprisingly moving talk.

Thank you for entrusting your children to our care

In this month of pink hearts and chocolate we want to thank you parents for entrusting your children to our care.

The act of being truly present with ourselves and with the children creates awareness of what is happening in this moment, with loving and open attention.

As often happens in our days, we can get caught up in the busy-ness of multitasking and completing checklists.  Doing this can keep us thinking in the future or dwelling on the past.  In true presence we are are in only one place, the present.

One small way that we each help one another and the children to be present is to become aware of the breath.  Just reminding each other to be aware of breath can make such a difference toward being present.

We are committed to child and youth protection and to that end we have had training through the Plan to Protect group.

We want to take this time to wish you warmth from the sun and from the hugs of your wonderful children.

With care,

Kate, Wendy, Mary, Kathryn, Deb and Anamaria

Celebration of Health

Hello Families,

Over the past month various children have been unwell with common childhood diseases.  One of the children who was away for several weeks is back with us and feeling much better.  This was cause for celebration.

We decided to celebrate with a picnic and this was a perfect connection to our Unit of Inquiry about Where We Are In Place and Time (for a full definition please check the IB wall).

A long time ago when people came to Canada and wanted to settle here they had to build houses, farm and do all manner of tasks from dawn to dusk.  It was very hard work and there was not much time for play.  Even the children had very important roles to play.  Everyone's work counted.  Once houses were built, and especially in today's times, there was more time for play and picnics together with friends and family.

Many of the children offered some of their lunch (fruit and veggies) as part of the communal plate.  The teachers made bread and jam and fresh butter with the help of the children.  We all sat around the blankets and chatted about times gone by.

A long time ago, and even today, people put special objects up in their homes to bring them good luck or ward off evil spirits. We decided to make our own special object and some of the children helped make a string of cranberries which now hangs over the entrance door.  Please have a look at it tonight when you come in and know that it carries blessings for a healthy year to you all.

If you have special sayings to share with us we'd love to hear about them.  If you know some superstitions share that too.  Yesterday we saw Wendy throw salt over her shoulder after some salt was spilt.  Do you know where that superstition came from?  Apparently, it helps ward off the evil spirit that would surely come after her for wasting the salt!  Salt has been so important throughout history.  Maybe this is something the children might decide to learn more about.

I marvelled once again at the level or respect the children showed one another at the picnic and at the concentration they displayed when stringing the cranberries.  There are many children who like to sew.  Maybe there will be room to make some corn dolls or even some sleeping mats with straw.  Does anyone have access to some straw for us?

The children showed that they were feeling open-minded when they tried the raw cranberries and found them much less sweet than the kind some of them have dried in their lunch (does anyone have a fruit drier for us to use for the Inquiry?)

Have a wonderful week.

Authentic play

The teachers and I have been reflecting on the way children play in the forest.  

When we talk about it the one word that stands out for us is:

Authentic

These photos say it all don't they?

Decorating the Forest

Hi Families,

It's not that the forest needs any decoration as it's amazingly beautiful all by itself.  However, since we are learning about decoration and the children are thinking of all the amazing colours, shapes and purposes of decorations it was wonderful to bring our inquiry outside.

If you could have seen the careful planning of colour and line you
would have been in awe.

And there were shouts of pure joy and beaming smiles when a plan produced amazing effects.

We left the design up for the afternoon with a sign to say we'd come back to clean up later.  I wonder what the trail walkers thought of the children's creation.

The children told me today that they want to do it again!  I can't wait for the New Year.

Congratulations on winning the award!

Hi Everyone,

I can't believe the time has gone by so quickly.  I didn't get the photos up onto the blog after that wonderful celebration you all planned for the teachers here at Creative Minds.  It was thoughtful of you to honour all the teachers along with the Prime Minister's Award winners.  Everyone appreciated the gorgeous flowers.

We send our thanks to all the organizers and sorry that we don't have all their photos here.  Missing are Robin, Henry, and Cheryl and so many others who pitched in to help set up and clean up.

 

We also want to thank Monika Naus again for the amazing work she did to create the nomination letter and them to present the awards to Wendy, Kathryn and Mary.

And finally, it was wonderful hearing the children sing and then watching them use the library is such considerate ways.  Thanks to Kim (principal) for the use of the library in the school.  What a nice way to build the child care-school connections.

Sorry that not all the children are in this photo.

Contour Lines

The children have been continuing with their study of lines by focusing on contour lines.  

     

Contour lines are lines that follow the outline of the object.  Cross-contour lines cross through an object and connect to contour lines.  They help to make an object appear three-dimensional.

     

This connected to patterns in math and in nature that the children have been studying.

They traced leaves that we found just outside our building and there were a wide variety, which really supported the children's developing ability to make observations and share their thinking.