OCTOBER 2024
The month is October,
The air is turning cold.
The leaves are all changing,
To red and to gold.
I see many pumpkins
All sizes and shapes.
I can't wait to get one
And carve it a face!
Our ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING is on Wed. Oct. 9th from 6:30pm-7:30pm.
We would like to remind all families about our upcoming Annual General Meeting (AGM), which will be held as a hybrid meeting, allowing for both in-person and ZOOM attendance.
It is essential for all families to participate, as we are a non-profit organization required to adhere to specific regulations, including reaching a quorum for the meeting to proceed. Your involvement is crucial for the continued success and governance of St. Catherine's Childcare Society.
All families must PRE-REGISTER with the preschool office to let us know if you will be attending in-person or online. If you are attending online, you will be sent the link and the financial package the day before the meeting.
If you have any questions at all, please do not hesitate to call or email the office: 604-980-1326, stcpre@telus.net
St. Catherine's Preschool is excited to announce two upcoming fundraisers: Purdys Christmas Chocolate Fundraiser and our Samosa Fundraiser.
The Samosa Fundraising Company: Starting October 7th
Purdy's Christmas Chocolate Fundraiser: Starting October 15th
As a non-profit organisation, we rely on these initiatives to support the maintenance and upgrades of our play yard, ensuring a safe and enjoyable environment for our children. Your participation in these fundraisers directly contributes to enhancing our facilities and enriching the preschool experience for all our little learners. Thank you for your continued support!
KINDERGARTEN INFORMATION SESSION
Join the North Vancouver School District 44 for an informative Kindergarten Information Session tailored for parents and guardians of four-year-olds born in 2020.
This event will take place on Monday, October 7, 2024, at Carson Graham Secondary, located at 2145 Jones Ave. The presentation will begin at 7:00 PM, with doors opening at 6:30 PM.
Learn about the exciting opportunities awaiting your child as they transition to Kindergarten in September 2025.
FOOD DONATIONS NEEDED
As the Thanksgiving season approaches, we invite St. Catherine's families to join us in supporting those in need within our community. We are collecting food donations to those patrons attending the Church’s Thanksgiving dinner who may require extra assistance during the holidays.
Items of great need include:
Pasta sauce
Cereal
Jam
Noodles
Juice boxes
Please bring your donations to the baskets located at the pick-up / drop-off doors. Your generosity will make a meaningful difference in the lives of many families this Thanksgiving.
Thank you for your kind contributions.
Dental Care for Children
A Message from the Provincial Government about the new DENTAL PROGRAM for Children:
• Government dental health benefits are available. They can help eligible families pay for their children’s dental care.
• NEW The Canadian Dental Care Plan (CDCP) will help make the cost of dental care more affordable for eligible families with children under 18 years old.
Eligibility:
-Do not have access to dental insurance
-Have an adjusted family net income of less than $90,000.
-Are a Canadian resident for tax purposes- Have filed a tax return in the previous year- Children must be under 18 years old
If a child has dental insurance through a provincial, territorial or federal government social program, they can still qualify for the CDCP.
• The BC Healthy Kids Program helps eligible families cover the costs of basic dental care, eyewear, and hearing care instruments for children under 19.
Eligibility:
-Must be eligible for Medical Services Plan (MSP) Supplementary Benefits, which requires filing taxes every year
-Must have an adjusted family net income of $42,000 or less
-Children must be under 19 years old
SCHOOL CLOSURES & UPCOMING EVENTS
Please check out the important events and school closures that are coming up. The days with pictures are the days we are closed or we have a special event on that day. Click on the pictures on the Calendar for more information.
Did you hear what happened in the Classrooms last month??? Read on!
RAINBOW ROOM
Danielle (M-F), Vibha (T/W/Th), Carol (M/W/F), Mary (M/W/F), Monica (M/T), Catriona (T/Th)
Hello Rainbow Room families,
We’ve had a fun and busy month, all getting to know each other while we play.
We spent the first weeks learning about preschool and our new friends. We played a lot of name games and songs to help us learn everyone’s names, also learning our most important rule, “No one gets hurt”. We read books at circle time to help understand being kind and understanding with our friends. Our art projects for this theme illustrated teamwork and “gentle hands,” using diffusing paper to make colourful hands and our posters saying, “No one gets hurt.” Books we read on this theme included “The Grouchy Ladybug” and” Fox Makes Friends.”
We also explored stop and go, as related to our classroom rules; for instance, running in the classroom= stop, being helpful to our friends=go. This made for a fun circle time game.
During our first weeks we talked a lot about ourselves, our families and our homes. Children painted pictures of themselves, trying to be accurate as to hair colour, eye colour and their clothes. Some of our books this week were,” I’m Like You, You’re Like Me “and “The Way I Feel.”
In our second full week, we went to the music room for the first time. We will be having music classes each Wednesday and Thursday, during which we will experience music through song, instruments, and movement and dance. This is also a good space for us to practice some calming yoga poses. This month we did a yoga session inspired by our pets.
During the last week of the month, we continued the Friends and Family theme, linking it with stories and art connecting us to our Indigenous friends and neighbours and in recognition of National Day for Truth and Reconciliation. We danced and listened to music by local Musqueam, Squamish and Tsleil-Waututh Nations, made artwork inspired by B.C. landscape and animals and made friendship bracelets.
Our classroom has play areas for many different types of toys, which are usually changed weekly. We have a house corner, a train set, a science table, areas for building and construction play, and puzzles and games on the tables. We almost always have playdough and a water table; occasionally we switch these for other tactile experiences (watch this space!)
Each day in the Rainbow Room we have free play time, two circle times, teacher lead art, free art (the make it table) and opportunities for gross motor activities either outside or in the gym. We are learning to line up, and move safely from the classroom to other areas in the preschool.
Please remember that we play outside when it’s not raining, so send your child with appropriate outdoor wear and indoor shoes if needed. Also, please bring a spare set of clothes in your child’s backpack in case they get wet, messy or covered in paint.
In October we will be looking at the changing seasons, Thanksgiving, and of course, Hallowe’en.
If you have any questions, please feel free to talk to any of the teachers or contact the office to arrange a time to chat out of preschool hours.
The Rainbow Room Teachers
Danielle, Vibha, Carol, Mary, Monica and Catriona
TREEHOUSE ROOM
Gabi (M-F), Karen (M-F), Catriona (M/W/F), Mary (T/Th)
Dear Treehouse Families,
Welcome back to another exciting year in the Treehouse room! Whether you are joining us for the first time or are a returning family, we are so thrilled to have you here as part of our community. The new school year brings fresh beginnings, new friendships, and endless opportunities for your children to learn, grow, and thrive.
Over the past few weeks, we’ve been helping children explore their sense of self and their relationships with those around them. It’s been a joy to see them share about themselves, their likes, and the things that make them special. By doing so, we encourage confidence, self-awareness, and the development of strong social bonds.
Our primary focus is to create a safe and caring environment where kindness is at the core of everything we do. We've emphasized the importance of sharing, taking turns, being kind; our #1 rule, No One Gets Hurt. Our classroom is a place where empathy and understanding are valued, and we believe that these foundational skills will support children throughout their lives.
As part of this, we made a Friendship Salad together—a special activity that helps demonstrate the beauty of working together and celebrating everyone’s contributions. Each child brought fruit and by combining them, we created something even better—just like how our differences enrich our community.
We were also honoured to commemorate Truth and Reconciliation Day by encouraging children to wear orange shirts. This was an important opportunity to introduce the concept of inclusivity and respect for all people, acknowledging the experiences of Indigenous peoples. Together, we are planting the seeds of awareness, compassion, and understanding in even our youngest learners.
As the weather cools and the leaves begin to change, we’re excited to transition into our fall curriculum. Over the next month, we will be exploring themes of Thanksgiving, gratitude, and the beauty of the autumn season. Our activities will encourage the children to reflect on the many things they are thankful for and their appreciation for family, friends, and the world around them.
We look forward to seeing all the wonderful ways your children will continue to grow in the weeks and months ahead.
Thank you for being a part of our preschool and for entrusting us with the care and education of your precious little ones.
Here's to a fantastic year full of learning, laughter, and play.
RESOURCE ROOM
Marion (Tues-Fri), Director
Welcome to Autumn.
It has been a pleasure reconnecting with returning families and meeting new ones. Our Philosophy is that children of this age LEARN BEST THROUGH PLAY, and to that end, all our programs are designed to meet the age appropriate developmental needs of each child socially, emotionally, intellectually, spiritually and physically. Through play, children practice taking in information and organize it to solve problems, learn about themselves, others, their environment and prepare for a lifetime of the joy of learning. Our teachers are professionally trained to set the stage for children's learning by selecting appropriate materials and organizing them effectively in different play stations. Each classroom is set up with several play stations that provide the children with opportunities to play socially and learn the necessary pre reading, pre writing and pre math skills that will help them be successful in the elementary school setting. The teachers provide the guidance and questioning to help the children build confidence and self esteem, focus their attention and to help them improve their language and social skills. This is achieved by interactively playing with the children during the day.
While every child's play is unique, play typically includes the following stages:
- SOLITARY PLAY (playing alone). Children may be very content and involved in looking at a book or doing a puzzle by themselves.
PARALLEL PLAY (playing beside others). Children may sit on the floor or at a table, near a friend as they play trains, cars, or in the water/sand table.
COOPERATIVE PLAY (playing with others) Children may enjoy group play as they dig together in the sandbox or build with blocks.
COMPLEX PLAY (playing with others, as in cooperative play, but usually including more conversations and imaginary themes, playing for longer periods of time with more detailed agreements and rules). Children may adopt roles from a favorite story or theme, such as community helpers or space exploration.
Children need to learn how to carry on conversations, how to listen how to share and get along with others and how to control their own actions and emotions. This is all done in an exciting day here at preschool.
THE OFFICE
Christina (Tina) (Mon-Thurs), Manager
The first month of preschool has come to a close, and the classrooms are now running smoothly. Both children and teachers are adapting well to the daily routines, fostering a sense of stability and familiarity.
To help us maintain this rhythm, we kindly ask all families to arrive on time. When children arrive, they should wait outside with their peers, allowing parents the opportunity to connect with one another. These interactions can lead to playdates and strengthen our Preschool community, which is essential for our children's social development.
Encouraging children to enter the classroom independently contributes to their growth in self-help skills. As they take off and hang up their belongings and manage their food packs, they begin to learn responsibility and independence. By fostering this independence, children develop essential problem-solving skills that will benefit them in various aspects of life. The best support parents can provide is to step back and allow their children to handle these tasks on their own, which empowers them and nurtures their confidence.
Thank you to all parents for promptly notifying us when your child will be absent from preschool, whether due to illness or simply taking a home day. Your communication helps us maintain a safe and healthy environment for all children. If your child is experiencing illness, please inform us of their symptoms as we are required to document this for our licensing records. Additionally, we ask that you remind anyone responsible for drop-off and pick-up to review all notices and share important information with other caregivers in your family. Your cooperation is greatly appreciated in ensuring a seamless experience for everyone.