I distinctly remember the first cookbook that was my very own – I received it in the 6th grade from a book order and I could not wait to try out the recipes. They were all very easy and could be done on my own, yet made me feel like a chef in a fancy restaurant. I would peel, chop, and mix, all the while talking out loud to myself the way I had seen chefs on TV do as they explained their culinary masterpieces. The finished result left me with a huge sense...
Happy March! During these colder months it can be tricky to get children excited to be outside and active. When snow is freshly falling, children may delight in building snowmen and sledding or making footprints like Peter in The Snowy Day. When the cold snaps arrive, however, getting fresh air and exercise may not be on the top of everyone’s list. Growing up in snowy New England, many of us enjoyed countless hours outside sledding, skiing, skating, snow shoeing, ice fishing, and...
In this fast paced world of cell phones, iPads, tablets, computers, and the constant stream of news and information, it can be helpful to create a practice of being in the moment and going inward. I embraced the snow day today, which created unexpected time for me to write this blog.
As a working mother, I know the inconvenience of snow days—all the challenges of juggling childcare and work commitments, rescheduling meetings, and attempting to manage the many...
One of the things I think about a great deal as an educator, is “how do children learn best?”
While I think there is no “right” answer to this question, I see that some children learn intuitively by observing the world around them, but most children (and adults for that matter) learn by “doing”.
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Friendship in Preschool
“I want my child to learn to be part of a group; I hope my child will make friends”. That statement reflects one of the top reasons that parents choose to send their child to preschool. Now that the process of “settling in” is well underway the children are beginning to open their eyes and minds to the process and experience of developing new relationships. Often during the first weeks of school children play independently, seek out...
One of the many things that drew me to the LEAP School almost 14 years ago was the sense of supportive community. Over the years, I have been a part of it in many different ways – as a teacher building classroom community, as a parent connecting with other parents and now as a Director. My biggest goal coming into this role 3 years ago was to continue to support, build and sustain connecting parents with each other and our staff. As a parent, I live the...
Each fall I spend time in every classroom observing children and teachers to support goal setting for the upcoming school year. I am always impressed with how the small class size and low child/teacher ratio allows each child to be seen and valued. Teachers have the luxury of truly teaching and not just managing behavior. This is something that is foundational at LEAP because as...
October 06, 2019
February 04, 2019
