The Yummiest Vegetable Soup ~ Cooking in The Classroom

In October, our little yellow school community visited a local farm.  We came back from our farm visit with lots of different vegetables that the children helped harvest.  We had so many vegetables that we decided to make some vegetable soup!

The children helped to cut the vegetables for the soup.   We were surprised that the red-skinned potatoes also had red flesh.  They were very colourful. 

Cutting Potatoes

Cutting Potatoes

We cut potatoes, celery, carrots and cauliflower for our soup.  We read the story Stone Soup.  A small potato stood in for the 'stone'.  

Our Ingredients

The children helped to pour the ingredients into the slow cooker.

Cauliflower

Potatoes

Celery

Carrots

The Vegetables

We filled the slow cooker with water and added four vegetable broth cubes.

Our vegetable soup cooked on high for five hours.  Each child took home some soup to share with their families.  It smelled and tasted good!

Our Yummy Vegetable Soup

Our Very Simple Recipe

Cooking is a Practical Life skill.  Through our cooking activities, the children are learning how to follow a recipe, chop ingredients, measure liquids and mix substances.  They are also strengthening their fine motor skills and eye-hand coordination.  The pride evident when they took home their yummy soup is lovely to see.  We have more food activities planned for our school year!

A Farm Visit

Earlier in October, our little yellow school community went on a field trip to a local farm.  Although the day was cool, we were all thankful that it was dry.

Our first activity at the farm was a wagon ride.

 

We passed through some corn fields.  Our driver stopped to pick some ornamental corn cobs for us to see.  We were given some cobs to take back to our school.

Ornamental Corn

 
We also passed through some vegetable fields.

We were very excited to visit with the animals and spend some time with them.  Back at school, the children have been learning the names of farm animals in both English and French.

Getting up close and personal with a sheep.

Visiting With the Goats and Llamas

A Calf

A Pig Eating a Pumpkin

We were quite fascinated by the white turkeys.  Have you ever seen a white turkey?  They were so beautiful.

 

We were all surprised by the new addition to our group!

A hen joined our group.

We spent some time in the indoor classroom learning about pumpkins.

A Variety of Pumpkins and Gourds

The Indoor Classroom

Our next stop was the amazing vegetable garden!

Entering the Vegetable Garden

The children helped harvest some potatoes, carrots, celery, fennel, cabbage and brussels sprouts.  We took them back to school with us.  The children will be making something with them soon.

 

 

We each chose a pumpkin and some gourds to take home.

Sadly, our time at the farm had some to an end and it was time to board the bus.

We had a wonderful morning at the farm.  Thank you to everyone who joined us for this lovely morning.

Happy Thanksgiving 2018

In our little corner of the world, it is the Thanksgiving weekend.  It is a time to celebrate the blessings in our lives.

   

In the days leading up to Thanksgiving we read books and spoke to the children about what it means to be thankful.  At our little yellow school, we are continually thankful for the support of so many wonderful families - past and present- and the delightful days spent with our lovely students.  We asked the children what they are thankful for.  Here are some of their responses.


Three year old G. told us "I am thankful I have a big bed now!"

Three Year Old G.

Three year old E. is thankful for her new friend S.

E. (on the right) with her friend S.

Four and a half year old A. said "I am thankful for art.  I make art.  It makes me happy."

Four and a half year old A.

Four year old A. told us "I am thankful for my school because I love it!"

Four year old A.

Five and a half year old J. said " I am thankful for my mom and dad."

Five and a half year old J.

Four year old M. said "I am thankful that I have toys and things to share with my friends." 

Four year old M. holding books he brought to share with his classmates.

Here is a song we sing at school.

I Am Thankful

I am thankful for the trees.

I am thankful for the grass.

I am thankful for my hands,

my eyes, my ears, my knees.

I am thankful for the sun and the rain too,

but today I want to say that

I am thankful for you!

Our Pine Cone Turkeys

Happy Thanksgiving!

Oh, What a Night! ~ Our Concert and Graduation

We recently held our annual concert and graduation.  The evening marks the crowning glory of our time together and one that our school community looks forward to. 

There was much excitement as our concert venue began filling up with family and friends.  

The children were happy to see one another outside of our school. 

When everyone had arrived, the children took their places on the stage.  After a few words of encouragement, we were ready for our audience!

Backstage Before the Concert

  

Welcome Everyone!

Each year, the children are involved in the selection of the songs they would like to sing for their parents.  The show began with some of the songs we sing during Friday Kindermusik classes with Mrs. L.

The children sang some of their favourite French songs led by Madame D.

The children sang so beautifully!  We ended the concert portion of our evening with This Little Light of Mine.  This is a perennial favourite at our school. Did you know that this song was sung by the choir at the recent wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex?  Our little students knew!  It was sung at the end of the ceremony when the Duke and Duchess emerged from the church and boarded their carriage.  The students at our little yellow school were so taken with the wedding.  In the weeks following, it was not unusual for 'princesses' to be among us at school.

Some of our Little Princesses

The time had come to celebrate our graduates.

Getting Ready

Our 2018 graduates!

Seeing our lovely graduates on stage, it is hard to believe our time together is over.  Thank you to all of our wonderful families for allowing us to share in these precious early years.  Thinking back to the first day of school, the children (and some parents) experienced separation anxiety.  It was a time for the staff of our little yellow school to build trust with both the children and the parents.  Over time, we built a relationship with a united goal - to provide the children with what they needed to develop and grow.  Together we formed a community that enabled them to grow both personally and academically.  Now that we are at the end of our journey together, it is the teachers who have separation anxiety.  We don't want to let go of our graduates, yet we know they are ready to face all that lies ahead.  May they always let their lights shine!

After the concert, it was wonderful to see children and families celebrating together.    One of our families shared their snow cone machine with us.  The snow cones were a huge hit!

Yummy!

It was also nice to see some former graduates in the audience.

A. (left, 2017 graduate) with his little brother.

K. (left, graduate 2016) with her little sister.

l to r - E. (graduate 2015 ) and M. (graduate  2012)

Current Student M. (in centre) was very happy to reunite with two of last year's graduates.

Thank you to all of our families for their continuous support throughout the years.  We have truly enjoyed getting to know your children and your families.  We have so many beautiful memories of our time together which we will cherish for years to come.

Sometimes you will never know the value of a moment, until it becomes a memory.

~ Dr. Seuss