Like many of you I have begun to think about the changes to our day that will best support my learners. This means that conveying the sense of wellness, belonging and safety will be my most important consideration. I intend to use the kindergarten curriculum, an outdoor setting and a Reggio Inspired program to achieve these three goals. PLAY This may look quite different with the changes in the room and expectations due to COVID 19 as some of the children may not be comfortable being close to others depending on their experiences during the last five months. This means that I will create multiple play areas in the classroom for the children.  OUTDOOR We always spend part of our mornings offsite but this year I will be outdoors earlier this fall and for longer periods of time. Because I have been a nature teacher for many years I am comfortable in transferring my curriculum outdoors. However, I will prioritize outdoor play as I know this will support the three goals; wellness, belongi...

Nature Kindergarten by its very nature is exposed to the elements. Parents should expect that their children will be outdoors in all forms of weather as a core part of the program. Therefore, please ensure that your child is suitably dressed for all types of weather.  Because this is a locally developed program the school district does not provide additional staff to support the program. Parents choosing to be a parent supervisor often sign up for a month of days i.e. Tuesday mornings. We require two parents supervisors to be offsite during the first half of the year. Expect your child to be offsite four mornings each week. Please send them to school prepared for the outdoor sessions.   Every child must bring: a hiking backpack which fits your child comfortably and should be water resistant. We often hike for more than one kilometre each day. MEC has a range of children's backpack. We will provide a loaner pack for a short term or the entire school year...