Love My Job

Friday was the last day prior to the May long weekend, what we call the Victoria Day Weekend, when we celebrate the Queen's birthday. I'm not a monarchist, but I just had to get back into the swing of things with the kids. So many of my students are new immigrants and their families don't know that Monday is a holiday, nor why, so I got totally into it.

For Share and Tell this week I had the children explain what they would do on their birthday if they were a king or queen (I really got a kick out of these little guys explaining what they would do and what their servants would do) Then I had the children decorate a triangle we'd cut out of white construction paper to be strung on yarn to create a decorative swag. Then as a culmination of the week, we had a tea party after lunch.

As I would never truly want to make hot tea for 6 and 7 year olds, and they'd wouldn't really want to drink it, I purchased Ice Tea and some cookies clearly labeled 'peanut free'. I found animal crackers and rice crispy squares and then I found maple flavoured cookies, perfect.

I decided this was a perfect time to teach some etiquette to the children around taking food at a party. I put the cookies onto trays and I explained how they take the cookie closest to them and the first one they touch (at any other party this year we've had out the treats to the children ourselves), and most importantly we wait until everyone has been served. It is amazing how quickly they got into the act and reminded each other of how to help themselves.

As soon as everyone had treats we all stood to sing 'God Save the Queen', okay, I sang and they repeated the line, and then we all sang 'O'Canada'. It was a wonderful time, over 40 children so well behaved sitting and talking and enjoying tea and cookies.

The best part of the day was at home time listening to the children telling their parents all about Queen Victoria and Queen Elizabeth and why we have the holiday. Lessons should be fun, interesting and memorable.

Welcome to Kindergarten

Denis starts Junior Kindergarten in September, so this evening the school he'll attend held their Welcome to Kindergarten program. The program was from 6:30 to about 8. The idea is to introduce the children to the school and tell the parents what they need to do to get the children ready for school. I was at my school's event last week with the almost identical program (only it ran from 5 to 6:30, a much better time if you ask me, but no one did).  Needless to say I didn't need to 'hear' the information, and pedagogically I totally disagree with some of the information I was told this evening, but I was there for Denis to help him get the idea that soon he'll be starting school.

What was so strange was the feeling I had walking into the school this evening. I was so upset with the idea of him going to school, but at the same time so excited for him. The weird thing is Denis is already attending the school, he daycare is in one of the rooms of the school. And as I walked through the door I use to take Denis to and from daycare I realized he has only been home for 15 months. Wow, is that all, it feels so natural and as if he's been here forever. But I'm not ready for him to go to school yet, he's just my baby.