Learning in the Spirit of Wonder and Joy!

Month: May 2020

Rain!

The rain is falling all around,

On the housetops, on the ground.

The rain is falling on my toes,

On my head, and hands, and nose.

One rainy day, I was in the forest with a preschool class.  We had gathered up a pile of leaves and a girl was laying in them, looking up at the sky.  “It’s snowing,” she said.  We all smiled and shook our heads.  It was raining, and not very cold.  I was curious though and laid down beside her.  The raindrops were coming down on our faces, but looking up at them with the cloudy sky behind them, the raindrops were white!  They very much looked like snow.

Rain walks with children have become a favorite activity for me.  Although many people choose to stay inside, proper clothing make walking in the rain a peaceful, relaxing pastime.  When you don’t have a destination or time to adhere to, a leisurely stroll can prove to be a memorable experience!  Let your child(ren) lead the way!  Try to see what they see, hear, feel and smell as you go!  You might surprise yourself with your own discoveries walking in their boots!

Children and teachers often go for walks around the community.  We’ll catch ourselves wondering what children are experiencing as we go.  We might wonder…

Why has she stopped walking?  What does she see?  Is she listening to something?

Sometimes children find puddles of unusual size!  Why walk around it?  Puddles are for jumping in (ask any child or even Pete the Cat)! What does it feel like?  Ms. Thomas knows!

Sometimes we hear stories in the rain that stick with us.

Once a child said he saw his shadow in a puddle.  Ms. Carlsen asked, “Is it a shadow we’re seeing or a reflection?”

One child answered, “You know it’s a reflection if you can see color.”

Another child said, “It’s so clear, I can see myself, but nobody will notice.”

Today, it is raining.  Tomorrow, it might be sunny.  In the meantime, look for rainbows!

Hych’ka!

Ms. Jenny

 

 

 

 

Hello from our local Librarians!

A couple of our favorite Librarians are “checking in” to share a story and connect with us all.  Both of them are missing us and wanted to share some news and stories with you!

Ms. Pang is our school librarian at Stride Ave. Community School.  She is putting together “Read-Alouds” on YouTube and will be sharing more stories with us in the coming weeks!

To listen to Ms. Pang’s Read-Aloud on YouTube: click here

Dear StrongStart Friends,

My name is Jamie and I am the Children’s Librarian at the Tommy Douglas Branch of the Burnaby Public Library (https://www.bpl.bc.ca/). Tommy Douglas is located on the corner of Edmonds and Kingsway at 7311 Kingsway (learn more about our other three locations here: https://www.bpl.bc.ca/locations-hours). Some of you might already know me from my Storytime visits to the Twelfth Avenue, Second Street, Edmonds, Morley, and Stride StrongStarts.

 

I am so happy to make a guest post on (Ms. Jenny’s) blog to talk about Burnaby Public Library and our services.  Although the Library is currently closed for visits, we are still here to help you and your family! Here are some of the services we are currently offering:

  • Need a library card? Give us a call. Having a Burnaby Public Library card will let you access all our cool online resources from home. To get a library card, just phone:  604-436-5400, Monday to Friday, 10:00 am to 5:00 pm.​ No ID is needed, and we can make cards for everyone in your family!
  • Got questions about the community, technology, books, or anything else? Call the library at 604-436-5400 or email eref@bpl.bc.ca. We love to answer your questions!
  • Need something to read? We have many e-books and e-audiobooks you can borrow from home and read on a screen, including picture books that are perfect for babies, toddlers and preschoolers: https://burnaby.overdrive.com/library/kids
    • This collection is only available for Burnaby residents. If you live in another city, make sure to ask your local library about their digital collections.
  • Looking for a book suggestion? Give us a call or look at these lists for kids: https://tinyurl.com/KidsEbooksBPL. The first booklist gives great read-aloud suggestions for having Storytime at home!
  • Searching for more stories? Check out TumbleBookLibrary, Bookflix, Indigenous Storybooks and other great options for online stories here: https://www.bpl.bc.ca/kids/online-stories .
  • Looking for support? We have now launched our online Community Resource Guide, which lists many great services and resources in Burnaby and beyond: https://www.bpl.bc.ca/community-resource-guide . Sections include resources for food, finance, health, technology, and of course children and families.

Keep visiting our website for news and announcements. For more information, visit: https://www.bpl.bc.ca/news/covid19 .

Remember, If you have any questions, please give us a call at 604-436-5400 or email us (eref@bpl.bc.ca). We look forward to seeing you again soon.

Warm regards!

Jamie

Children’s Librarian, Tommy Douglas Library

Forest Adventure!

A forest adventure with friends is always a good way to take care of ourselves and each other.  One day, I went with some StrongStart Educators into the forest, keeping physically distant we could still spend time together.  We planned to create some more friends with sticks found on the forest floor.  Here’s what we did to make stick people adventurers!

Found a few “Y” shaped sticks,

Arranged the sticks so it resembled a person…of sorts,

Used the yarn and fabric we brought with us to hold them together,

added some more personality, I mean, fabric pieces,

And then it was time to go on our adventure!

First, a swing in a vine maple to get a good look around…

Then, we danced with the Fiddleheads! 

and discovered a pink Trillium flower!!

We watched our friend Ricky free climb an old cedar tree (he’s so brave!)

and looked for bears in dark spaces! Ah! 

Then a moment quietly listening….

 we dipped our tips into a cool stream.

and watched and waited for bugs to wander by. 

Best of all, we found all our friends gathered around some painted rocks.

To say good-bye, we sang a song to the forest: a thank you for a wonderful adventure!

Hych’ka, everyone!

Jenny

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Scented Garden!

Breathing clearly these days?  Take a walk on over to Stride Ave. Community School and visit our Scented Garden!  You’ll find it near the South side of the building facing Griffiths Dr.  Tucked in a corner under a pink Dogwood Tree, there are 4 barrels that all contain herbs.  There are (in no particular order):

Peppermint, Thyme, Curry, Oregano, Rosemary, Lemon Balm

So, the next time you pass by, fill your senses and breathe deeply!   Can you guess which is which?

***Special note!  A big thank you to the members of the community who help keep the Scented Garden healthy!  Gwen, Cathy, Karen, Ms. Spence and Ms. Chan are some of the women who I know who keep an eye on the plants, often giving them water when they need it.   The water barrel is there if anyone wants to bring a container to help with this.  You are more than welcome!

Hych’ka!

Ms. Jenny

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