What To Do If Full-Day Kindergarten Isn't Right For Your Child
/This is a post from our sponsor Bells Corners Cooperative Nursery School. I've heard amazing things about their school, so check them out! September will mark the final year of Ontario’s roll out for full day junior and senior kindergarten, meaning kids as young as three will be heading off to school for at least 6 hours a day, 5 days a week. Though this new programming may feel like a financial and logistical blessing for dual income families, a vast majority of parents are left feeling uncomfortable with their children’s ability or readiness to cope with institutional care for such long hours in their young life.
While the actual benefits of full day kindergarden are being publicly and feverishly debated, these parents are still left on the sidelines scrambling to find alternatives - alternatives that will not only meet (or better, exceed) the educational milestones of the mainstream kindergarten curriculum, but nurture their child’s innate curiosity, instil a love of learning and celebrate their unique little personalities.
Bells Corners Co-operative Nursery School (BCCNS) provides an exceptional alternative or supplement to full-day kindergarten. Based on a core belief that every child and family has a right to a quality early years education and experience, BCCNS provides a unique and caring program that fosters hands on “learning through play” experiences specifically focused on developing self confident, life-long learners.
The program is staffed by experienced, passionate and educated teachers. “We maintain a cap of 16 students per 2 teachers to ensure adequate one on one time with each of the students on a daily basis.” says Chelsea Coe, Program Director at BCCNS. “The small class sizes also allows us to conduct special projects, exercises and experiments that would otherwise not be possible with a larger group of students. This means we are not only able to fulfill the curriculum standards set by the Ontario Ministry of Education, but we go above and beyond those requirements.”
If you live in the area and are looking at alternative care, contact BCCNS today!
When I was young and when we went on road trips, we had to walk barefoot uphill both ways in the snow. Wait. I mean, we had to entertain ourselves with nothing more than the radio to listen to and the other passengers to entertain us. (But. But. I don't LIKE THAT SONG!) I've always gotten sick really easily if I read or wrote or coloured in the car, so when I was a kid, when were weren't listening to the limited radio stations available to us (and I swear, I feel like our first car didn't even HAVE a radio) we were singing songs and playing games. We have a lot more options at hand for the kids on road trips now. For one, they don't get car sick (knock on wood) so they colour and write stories and read books. We also have the plethora of electronics we throw into the back to keep them entertained. But sometimes we kick it old school when we're in the car, and it reminds us how much fun car games can be. We often pull out the car games in moments of desperation - like when they're about to fall asleep with only an hour left to go. That nap you know will make everything quiet in the car/van but if they sleep they'll be up until midnight. And you don't want them up until midnight!!
