I have been enjoying slowing down my days this month, sleeping a little later, walking everywhere, swimming in the ocean most mornings, listening to audio books and working in my garden. I have been doing a lot of cooking and inviting friends over for lingering lunches to taste test my new recipes. I am feeling rested and healthy and like many teachers, starting to think about school, my new group of learners and setting up our classroom.  I always minimally set up the room so that lots is left for the children and I to co-construct together. I plan to bring in fresh flowers from the garden, twinkle lights, lots of books and set up a few learning centres. I find that  being intentional and waiting for the children accelerates our classroom community as we choose what to put up on the walls and what additional resources to add to our collections. Do we need more art material; clay, playdoh? Or do we need more construction materials; cardboard, blocks, magnet tiles? Are there enough tabl...

I have been doing a little inservice for teachers this summer on the transition to Kindergarten and it reminded me that families may appreciate a few tips to help with their child's transition to Kindergarten. Starting kindergarten is an exciting and important time and parents naturally want their children to have a terrific first experience at school. There is so much to learn in school — how to make new friends, how to function in a class of 20 students, how to open lunch containers, where to sit, how to walk in line in the hall, and on and on!   While teachers will be getting to know your child, introducing routines and  establishing expectations, the first couple of weeks will go smoother if your child has some practice to help him envision what school looks like.  Students who are entering kindergarten should be able to do some of the following. These tips are not in any special order and are intended to support your family transition to kindergarten. 1.      Recognize and pr...