It is great to read all the comments from the parents and to catch up a little bit. Dropping off and picking up our kids is often very hectic. Play groups and time for the parents to interact outside of school is such a wonderful idea. Nisha your tradition Holi to welcome Spring sounds very inviting and we would love to participate.
Keep us posted and if there is anything I could, please ask.

Lise (Nathan’s mum)

Hannah is now back at Reggio after our time in England and she is so glad to be back with her reggio family. She missed them so much, but the time away was made easier by our e-mail communications and the wonderful hand and foot print project that was sent to England. Nisha, I think the idea of celebrating the coming of spring with different traditions is excellent. We have a tradition in England ( and I believe in other European countires) of the May pole dance. This involves holding onto brightly coloured ribbons that are tied to the top of a pole and then dancing whilst holding the ribbons. Bells can be worn on the ankles and wrists to make noise. Maybe we need to organise a spring courtyard celebration of culture and diversity in the community. I am sure we would all have a lot of great ideas and the children would love it.

Sarah ( Hannah’s mum )

After seeing the preschool kids spontaneously planning playdates this afternoon and inviting themselves over to each other’s homes, I thought it would be fun for them to get together outside of school time with their families. Now that it is supposedly getting warmer, I was wondering if you would like to do something together for a Spring celebration. In India, there is a colours festival (“Holi”) in which everyone squirts each other with coloured water to celebrate the coming of spring. It’s lots of messy fun – could make for a lovely courtyard activity when it gets warmer (or at our place), and give our kids exposure to different traditions. We could follow up with an outdoor lunch once everyone is changed and dry again. What do you think?

Nisha (Anousha’s mom)

As some of you know, I have spent a lot of time at school lately. It has been a gratifying experience. I had the opportunity to spend time with my daughter Anousha, but also made new friends! I hope to get to know more of the parents in the coming weeks as well and if you were thinking of volunteering a couple of hours to the school… well starting next week I am thinking of coming in and read french stories to the kids (they grew on me ). Any help with the reading or simply being around is welcome!

Cheers!

Jérôme

My husband, Adrian and I (Natasha) have just enrolled Emery (2 1/2) into the part time pre-school program. We are new to Ottawa, having just moved here from The Netherlands. Emery seems to love school and from what I can gather from him, he has made a new friend, Alex. They ride their bikes together in the gym, he tells me.

Emery is the little blonde boy with brown eyes and black Vans shoes, probably most often seen riding a bike or a car in the gym.

Emery also speaks Dutch fluently and understands French at a 2 year old level (you know, biscuit, NON! that sort of thing). If any other parents have children who speak these languages and want more exposure and practice for their kids, please feel free to contact me (natasha.herman@gmail.com) to discuss ways of facilitating this. I especially want Emery to find a french-speaking playmate and would be happy to host a French play afternoon or something along those lines.

So far, we are really very pleased with how the school is caring for and stimulating Emery. I have never seen my child so animated as after his first day of school. The staff is kind and relaxed, and indeed, the Reggio philosophy is apparent in how I see the staff interact with the children, observing and facilitating rather than ordering and herding them.

And, this online community – what a great idea! I hope more parents write in, introducing their children and themselves so that we get a clearer picture of who our son spends his days with. The newsletter, the photos, all great ways of offering us a glimpse of our child’s days. Thanks for all the effort!

Warm regards from Emery’s parents (Adrian and Natasha)

Our youngest daughter has been in the toddler program at Reggio for about four months and she is extremely happy. We really appreciate all the comments the teachers provide for us in the “Ask Me” book. At least a couple of times each week, we can read about what the children did in the class and specifically what our daughter enjoyed and how she participated in the activities. They also include details about how long she napped and how well she ate. When I read that she was learning the hand gestures for the “itsy-bitsy spider”, I tried it at home and she gave me a big smile and proudly attempted to do the hand gestures.

We are very pleased with Reggio and their commitment to continuously improving our children’s educational experience and the energy with which they do so. They provide a great learning environment for our daughters and the teachers are very dedicated to the children. Most importantly, our daughters really enjoy attending Reggio and are very happy there. I would like to say a big thank you to all the staff at Reggio for their excellent care and dedication.

From very satisfied Reggio Parents.

Decorating pumpkins was a great idea. We did some more at home. Elizabeth now has a whole family of pumpkins and she has lots of fun “feeding” them. We enjoyed the Halloween party very much. The children looked so adorable in their costumes. The Halloween-themed snacks and activities were very thoughtful and fun! We look forward to our next get-together.

Cheers,

Xiaobei (Elizabeth C-B’s mom)

Look forward to celebrating the GRC at the upcoming Courtyard Celebration (Saturday October 18); hope to see many of you there as we encourage community members to pop in and learn more about the Reggio Centre.

Cheers,
Cassie (Zoë’s mum)