Programs
Pre-K - > 5 years old
Ratio of 1 educator: 13 children
We call our Pre-K students The Trailblazers, aged 5 to 6 years old.
At kindergarten entry, children differ not only in their cognitive knowledge and skills but also in their approaches to learning behaviors, such as their ability to pay attention in class, follow classroom rules, complete tasks independently, and show eagerness to learn. Our Trailblazers are even more curious about their surroundings, and as the children's attention span increases, they are interested in answers to questions such as "how …" and "why…."? We foster an environment of openness and curiosity about new tasks and challenges and always meet these questions with investigative and experiential responses to improve understanding. The Trailblazers’ room fosters an environment where our educators will learn more about the complexity of each child and deepen the child’s learning and experiences as they look at and listen to the children from different perspectives. Our educators guide the children as they develop self-awareness of their emotions and feelings and self-regulation skills to manage their emotions and behaviors. Also, children at this age develop self and social awareness to understand others' feelings and build empathy to maintain healthy relationships. The educators guide and facilitate the children’s skill development in autonomy and self-regulation while laying the foundations for the structure and pace in preparation for their eventual move to elementary school.
Our Kindergarten classrooms are thoughtfully organized into various areas, each strategically equipped with resources to allow the classroom to function as a third teacher. The rooms are furnished with age-appropriate tools and resources that cater to different areas of learning, such as puzzles, art, music, letter and word recognition, physical play, imaginative play, reading and writing stations, physical activity, wellness, well-being, scientific observation, and experimentation.
We take great care in implementing structured routines that help the children feel more competent and confident in transitioning to the learning style of elementary school. Free play is still encouraged at different times of the day. The children are encouraged to identify and engage in their own interests, and our educators will observe, engage, facilitate, support, and challenge them as appropriate.
Our Trailblazers have access to our STEM lab, designed to spark curiosity and promote self-led discovery with the assistance of their educators.
We communicate with the children in English and French, integrating our bilingual program to encourage ease and confidence in speaking and understanding both official languages. The schedules include specific times for "Parlons Francais" periods (for our English-speaking students) and "Let's Talk" periods (for our French-speaking students). Our educators guide the children through the respective language exercises to improve their understanding and use of the languages.
Our little friends will receive a warm welcome from their room community and our staff each day. The children will have access to a wide range of tools and toys, intentionally and thoughtfully placed for ease of use, enjoyment, and learning indoors and outdoors. Then follows various activities to identify and relate to their age group's most critical learning and development outcomes. Some of these are language and numeracy skills, social interactions, self-help and self-regulation, hand/eye coordination and motor skills (fine and gross).
Our learning and exploratory experience do not remain in the classroom. The educators have a curated program for safe nature walks on the grounds and to take the classroom outdoors. Our yard has an area with a garden for the children to investigate and play with.
We also incorporate activities which promote wellness and well-being into our day, such as child-friendly stretching, yoga and breathing exercises. Physical education is vital for our health and well-being, so we also plan fun outdoor activities for the day to get our bodies moving (yard games, hula-hoops, skipping, and ball games).
The learning continues to the kitchen! Our Educators will guide them in creating a meal using one of our more uncomplicated item recipes. They share their insights on and learn from their teachers about food groups and where the food comes from.
The children will rest for a maximum of 2hrs a day after lunch and enjoy at least 2 hours of outdoor play per day (weather permitting).
Nutrition
So much fun! So much accomplished. Our little friends will be hungry! Each day, The Anchor will serve nutritious, delicious meals prepared and served by our highly experienced, diligent and committed partner, Pur Catering who is careful to source the best ingredients, locally grown (without added additives and preservatives). We honour the diversity in our community and also serve some ethnically diverse foods so the children can expand their pallets and, by so doing, enhance their exploratory experiences. The children also receive two snacks during the day. Our menu and some recipes can be found here.
Communication with Parents
To enhance our program to meet the needs of the children, our educators will prioritize engagement with families to get to know them and their children better. Using our Brightwheel child management system, the parents will receive daily reports on their child’s day. This report will include what and how much they ate when they napped and were changed and updates on other milestones. Parents will also receive videos and pictures of the highlights of their children’s day via the Brightwheel app.
