A note from Jen Coordinator...
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| Sunflower Room Mural |
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| Pre-Math Skills are gained by sorting, pattering, and sequencing. |
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| Marion: our own pot of gold at the end of the rainbow! |
We are so honoured that you made the choice to have your precious children attend St. Catherine's Preschool and we will strive to make your time here as positive as possible. We are proud to provide a safe, inclusive, nurturing environment in which your children can make friends, explore, create and imagine all while doing what children do best - PLAY!
Important Upcoming dates
Monday October 13 Thanksgiving - Preschool closed
Thursday October 16 Messy Church 5-6:30pm in the gym
Tues/Wed October 21/22 Elmer the Safety Elephant (3's and 4's)
Wed/Thurs/Fri October 29/30/31 Classroom Halloween Parties
For general information please contact Tina or Jen in the office:
Tel: 604-980-1326
Fax: 604-982-3277
Email: stcpre@telus.net
Website: www.stcatherinespreschool.com
Please 'like' our Facebook page St. Catherine's Childcare Society.
Important Upcoming dates
Monday October 13 Thanksgiving - Preschool closed
Thursday October 16 Messy Church 5-6:30pm in the gym
Tues/Wed October 21/22 Elmer the Safety Elephant (3's and 4's)
Wed/Thurs/Fri October 29/30/31 Classroom Halloween Parties
For general information please contact Tina or Jen in the office:
Tel: 604-980-1326
Fax: 604-982-3277
Email: stcpre@telus.net
Website: www.stcatherinespreschool.com
Please 'like' our Facebook page St. Catherine's Childcare Society.
Our Team!
Jen McEneany Coordinator
10 things about me!
1. I have lived in 4 different countries.
2. I have 2 daughters - Ayla who is 11 and Kaitlyn who is 7.
3. I love to read and always have a book with me wherever I go.
4. When I like a song I listen to it on repeat (and sometimes make
up a dance to go along with it!)
5. I wanted to become a preschool teacher because when I was little my preschool teacher in England was MEAN and I wanted to be a kind and caring first teacher for children.
6. I have been making healthy juices and smoothies for over a year now and I always try and convince people to try them (ask Marion how she liked the juice I made for her!!!)
7. I love hiking around the North Shore and I have a whole album of pictures of interesting tree roots!
8. My favourite TV show of all time is Gilmore Girls.
9. I am obsessed with the online sites Pinterest and Etsy.
10. I just started taking guitar lessons and I can now play "Oh my darling Clementine" and "What Shall we do with the Drunken Sailor?"
This is my fifth year at St. Catherine's Preschool, and I really enjoy being here. My job consists of all the registration, licensing issues and grants as well as serving on the board for several ECE related committees in the community. In addition to this I run a small business called Little Giant in which I teach felt board story workshops.
I have lived and worked on the North Shore for 46 years, I have two sons Spencer and Jack and I love to spend my spare time playing baseball, camping and taking photographs.
Marion Porter (Developmental Resource Teacher)
Hi I’m Marion Porter. I have been at St.Catherine’s
for 17 years, first as a Support Worker with Supported Child Development and
then I took on the position of Co-ordinator for a year in 2002. I have
been the Developmental Resource Teacher since then and am responsible for the
children who require extra support and I oversee their Support Workers. I
am a liason for any community services which the families require, such as NS
Supported Child Development, Speech & Language, Occupational Therapy and
Physio Therapy. I am considered a .5 teacher for all the classrooms and
am available for the teachers as a resource person. If you have any
questions or concerns please speak with your teachers or come down to my office
to talk.Laura Kaario (Music teacher)
My time at St. Catherine’s started when I came here for preschool as a child, and 17 years later – I’m back! I’m currently a third year music student at Capilano University, majoring in voice. I plan to finish my Bachelor of Music in the education stream and may pursue further education in music history. I’ve been teaching piano and voice for a few years and last year I took my first Kodaly-Orff methodology class. I believe that teaching children music is extremely important – I could not imagine my childhood without being surrounded by music; it is a skill and appreciation that can be enjoyed throughout life.
I live in North Vancouver with my mum, dad, yorky-poo, and budgie. Apart from music, I love to relax in the sun or with some tea and read, eat and cook, craft, travel, enjoy nature and, of course, spend time with my family and friends. So far I’ve really enjoyed teaching the children: it’s wonderful to see them enjoying music and creativity – and I can dance however I like and fit in perfectly!
Personal:
My name is Sali Chippett. I was born in
England and have lived in Canada for 22 years. I have two children, a son aged 16 and a
daughter aged 19, who both attended St. Catherine's preschool! I have lived near Edgemont village for 18
years and very much enjoy being part of the community. My hobbies are reading, hiking, camping,
swimming and hanging out with my kids. I also love to cook and bake. An interesting fact about me is that I have
a pet bunny who is litter trained and runs free around my house!
Professional:
I have worked in the field of Early
Childhood Education for over 20 years. I have my Early Childhood Educator licence
and Infant/ Toddler licence. I have also had experience supporting
children with differing abilities. I started working at St. Catherine's in the
Spring of 2012 and am very happy to be back for another school year. St.
Catherine's is a great place to work, the teachers are a great support to each
other and there is always a lot of fun and laughter. This year, I am teaching 201 (Mon, Wed Two
year old class) and 202 (Tue, Thurs Two year old class). I look forward to getting to know you and
your children over the course of the year.
I
live in North Vancouver with my husband Arbi and our two children. My daughter,
Lara, is 8 years old and very spunky and my son, Luca, is 2 and very energetic.
They keep us busy and I wouldn't have it any other way!
I
did my Early Childhood Education course at Capilano College (now University)
and worked at a daycare in the Infant/Toddler program for four years before
joining the lovely team at St.Catherine's in the 4's program.
When
I have some free time, I love getting my nails done, listening to music, and catching up with my friends! A Weird
thing about me: I don't like spiders and if I see one, I feel like they're all
over me!!!!
Danielle Moore (201 and 402)
My name is Danielle and I was born in Perth, Western Australia. Twenty years ago I traveled to Vancouver and fell in love with Vancouver and my husband Rick. We now have three lovely children Alyssa who is 17 (and recently headed off to Australia to travel and study) Rhys who is 15 and Haylee who is 11. We love to go for walks in the North Shore mountains with our dog Shadow. My spare time is consumed with my children's activities especially soccer, as it is a big part of our weekend. We also love to watch movies and go swimming.
I have been working at St Catherine's for over 8 years now in the Discovery Two's Program and have taken on the challenge of running the extended Four Year Old Program with Arsi this year. I look forward to working with our littlest preschoolers and our biggest ones over the next year!
Permjit Kaur (301 and 403)
Danielle Moore (201 and 402)
Permjit Kaur (301 and 403)
My family emigrated to Canada 15 years ago from London (UK). We have three children. Our oldest daughter went to Queens University and now lives in London where she works in Corporate Responsibility. Our son went to UCL (in London where he studied Genetics) and he is just about to head off to do some travelling. Our youngest daughter attends the Sauder School of Business at UBC where she has a full scholarship and she also had the opportunity to study abroad over this past year at the University of Hong Kong. She and my husband will talk for hours about anything business related! I do feel very lucky and blessed to have such an awesome family and I find that family life is definitely a lot easier now the teenage years are over!
At St .Catherine's I get to interact with fantastic parents and staff and of course the wonderful children. I go home with so many funny stories and my husband looks forward to hearing the funniest thing that was said that day! It just fills your heart with so much love and appreciation to be a part of a child's first steps into education.
My biggest achievement this year has been learning to ride a bike! Yes I can finally do it! I had a very patient fella who held on to the back while I practiced and practiced, until his back gave way!! Up hill is still a work in progress!
I look forward to meeting you all and teaching your children over this next year. I'm sure we will have a few laughs and a lot of fun!
Gabi Pasek (301, 302 and 304)
My name is Gabriella Pasek (Gabi) and I was born and raised in Hungary and lived in Austria for a year before I moved to Canada more than 15 years ago. I have a 15 year old daughter Rebecca who is also my fashion adviser, language pathologist and event planner! E.C.E. is my new field, although I took courses in teaching before the adventure of moving over to this side of the world. I spent the 5 years prior to taking my E.C.E. working in the financial sector, before faith helped me to realize that I should be doing something that makes me happy. I have always enjoyed the company of young children. I love to watch how smart, independent, lovable and unique each of them is. I like to observe the interaction between them; some of their conversations are priceless! I admire their simple (and if not hungry or tired!!) usually happy outlook on life. I feel lucky and privileged to be part of the St. Catherine’s community, to have the opportunity to get to know our great children and their families, teaching with some amazing ladies. In my spare time I like reading, hiking, biking and snowboarding. I also enjoy spending time with all age groups when I volunteer my time at folk-dance events, swim meets or theatrical performances.
Karen Hamfeldt (302 and 401)
All three of my children have attended St. Catherine's (Connor 11, Alexis 10 and Amanda 6) and so it is a very comfortable place for me to be. I am so privileged to work with such caring, wonderful and knowledgeable people so much so that my 'job' does not feel like work.
I will continue to do my support, nurture and care for your children as if they were my own!
e with my family and friends. I also enjoy taking myout f
I have been an Early Childhood Educator since 1991. I completed my basic ECE in ’93 and my Infant/Toddler and Special Needs in ’04. I’ve been at St. Catherine’s since 2005. I have two children Angelique is eight and Liliana is five years old and has just started kindergarten. I look forward to working with your children in the 2’s program and getting to know you as well. I look forward to a fun filled year and to see how the two’s will blossom and grow in the coming year. In my spare time, I like to knit, go to the park with my children and read.Narine Kazanchyan 401 and 302
I studied Early Childhood Education (ECE) at MTI Community College. I really enjoy being around children - they are an unlimited source of positive energy and joy. I feel that “every child comes with the message that God is not yet discouraged of man.” (R.Tagore)
I am originally from Armenia and while I was there I studied at the American University of Armenia and received a certificate in "Teaching English as a Foreign Language". I also studied at the Yerevan State Foreign Language Institute and received a Diploma in "Teaching German & English".
In my spare time I enjoy hiking, riding a bicycle, listening to classical music, watching old Hollywood movies, reading, and spending time with my family and friends.
Sousan Hakimy Kashany (301 and 302)
I am so honoured to be working at St. Catherine’s Preschool this year. I love working with children, discovering their choices and encouraging them to learn positive behaviour. I believe that each child is unique and an individual with the potential to learn in a comfortable atmosphere where they can develop their personality and impact the world around them now and in the years to come. My desire is to help each child grow to their greatest potential in an atmosphere of love and support. I have experience working as an ECE teacher in childcare centres and preschools since 2003. Originally from Iran, I graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Nutrition and Dietitian. I enjoy walking, jogging, yoga, and gathering with my friends and family.
Vibha Sisodraker (201, 202 and 304)
I was born and raised in the Fiji Islands and moved with my family to Toronto in 1985. I completed my Early Childhood Education Program in Toronto before moving to Vancouver in 1995. I have one daughter; Ria who is 12 years old. Yoga, Hiking and Cooking are my favourite hobbies. I joined St.Catherine's Preschool in 2006. I am looking forward to a fun filled year getting to know the children and families. Stephanie Mah (202, 304, 401 and 403)
I completed my Early Childhood Education, Infant and Toddler, and Special Needs programs at Capilano University. Once I finished the ECE program, I had the pleasure of working here at St.Catherine's Preschool. This is going to be my ninth year at the preschool. I am very excited for this upcoming year as I am working in the 2's, 3's, and 4's programs. I am looking forward to another great year with all of the children and their families!
During my spare time I like to bake, rollerblade, and spend time with my family and friends. I also enjoy taking my dog out for walks.
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| L-R Amy, Lauren and Caroline |
Our new Board Moms!
I completed my Early Childhood Education, Infant and Toddler, and Special Needs programs at Capilano University. Once I finished the ECE program, I had the pleasure of working here at St.Catherine's Preschol. This is going to be my ninth year at the preschool. I am very excitfor this upcoming year as I am working in the 2's, 3's, and 4's programs. I am looking forward to aner great year with a of the children and their familn my spare time I like to bake, rollerblade, a spend tim
Leslie our returning board mom!
A note from Marion our Developmental Resource Teacher
Welcome everyone to a new school year. I have been
busy helping the children with gradual entry and everyone seems to be settling
into their new classes. I am enjoying spending time with your children
and look forward to getting to know you better. Please do not hesitate to
call me or come down to my office if you have any questions or concerns.
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| Self Portraits Class 402 |
There are many resources available for parents and
caregivers. We have a great parent/child resource library outside the
Rainbow Room. You can sign out adult resource books and children’s books
and games.
I am available to meet or talk on the phone with any private
therapists you might have for your child. Often it is helpful for them to come
and visit the preschool setting. Looking forward to a fun, fantastic year!
A note from our Music Teacher Laura
During our classes this year I plan to teach the children the basic fundamentals of music (high-low, long-short, loud-soft, slow-fast) and begin – or continue! – with them what I hope to be a life-long love of music. The great childhood music education methodologist Carl Orff believed the best music education should include singing, words and poems, instruments, and movement or dance, so I will be incorporating these aspects into lessons in various ways. I also want to expose them to as much music as I can so they can appreciate and enjoy a broad range of music as they grow. We will be doing all this learning through fun and creative ways such as games, stories, songs, and music recordings. I will let them be creative and discover as much as they can for themselves in these activities.
Now at the end of September we are getting to know each other better. We are all working on our big, beautiful singing voices and we have learned a couple songs that have actions that go with them (my favourite was with the 3’s – Shake Your Sillies Out by Raffi). We also started playing instruments – shaker eggs for the 3’s and claves for the 4’s. We learned that instruments are not for hitting or putting on our faces but just for making music. We practiced loud and quiet and fast and slow, and read a story and only played our instruments on special words (it was tricky). We listened to music by the famous Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (Piano Concerto No. 25 in C major, 3rd mvt.) and avant-garde Erik Satie (Gymnopédie No. 1). We talked about the music and danced to it – free-movement dance to Mozart and mirrored group movement to Satie.
A note from the Discovery 2's - Sali, Vibha, Danielle and Stephanie
Our youngest members of St.Catherine's Preschool are beginning to
settle in nicely to the program. Most are happy to stretch their
boundaries. A few still need a little more time to feel secure with Mom
and Dad leaving. Such is the nature of two year olds. Often this is
their first experience away from family. They love to explore their
surroundings, but need to still stay close to their primary base of support and
trust. Separation anxiety is quite strong at this stage, but often it is
only the "goodbye" that is difficult. For this reason we
encourage you to make your "good-byes" short and reassuring.
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| Our "Jungle" family board! |
We setup the rooms in a way that facilitates exploration and discovery
through play. A great deal of time is spent exploring, pushing, pulling,
filling, dumping and touching. Toddlers feel secure in environments that
are familiar and for this reason you may see the same toys and equipment out
for several weeks. Two's love painting, splashing in the water table,
housekeeping, singing songs and dancing at circle time. Although, play
tends to be more solitary they enjoy being in each other's company, playing
side by side.
Halloween is going to be here in few weeks. Please keep an
eye out for emails about our Halloween parties that will be held during the
last week of October. A notice will be put in your child's
cubby, prior to the party, listing what we will need you to bring.
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| All the leaves are falling down! |
Please encourage your child to walk up and down the stairs holding
onto the railing when being brought to or leaving the preschool. Each day
we will be going outside or to the gym, therefore, it would be nice for the
children to feel comfortable with walking up and down the stairs on their
own. And it's a great way to promote gross motor skills. Also, make
sure to check your child's cubbies for beautiful art work to take home. We are
still waiting for more family photos. Please check the board outside the
classroom for a synopsis of our day and please feel free to talk to
us if you have any questions or concerns.
We look forward to an exciting year- a year of tremendous
growth in confidence and abilities. We hope that this first group
experience will be an enjoyable one for both you and your child.
A note from Class 301 - Permjit, Gabi and Sousan
A note from Class 301 - Permjit, Gabi and Sousan
Welcome to St. Catherine’s preschool, class 301!
School has gotten off to an excellent start. In September, we
spent time getting to know each other and the children are beginning to adjust to
the new environment, new routine, new faces and quickly learning how to take turns
or ask for help. These are very hard tasks when you are three, almost as hard
as to learn how to wait patiently for a well desired toy, how to hold the rail
walking up or down the stairs, or how to line up!
Tears might be frightening
to a parent dropping off a child, but be assured, those tears will be gone in a
few minutes, we will do our best to help any distressed child feel safe and
happy. (We do understand, we are mothers too and had our share of dropping off our
own children at preschool or kindergarten.)
We will be working
on academic skills to prepare your children for a good start at school, but our
main objective throughout the year is to see that your child is happy and
adjusting well socially.
Warning: Permjit
and Gabi are big fans of messy projects! Your child will explore art and
science hands-on, and our projects usually involve lots of paint, sparkles,
water, sand, leaves, twigs and other objects found in nature, mud, animals
(don’t worry, the plastic kind!) Please dress your children accordingly,
remember, playing is their “job”, wearing “work clothes” will make them more
comfortable to join any activities at preschool.
If you need to talk
to us about anything or if we can be of any help to you, please see us to
arrange a convenient time. We are looking forward to an exciting and enjoyable year!
A note from Class 302 - Gabi, Narine and Karen
September is always a very exciting month to open our classroom doors
to find fresh new faces, either a bit hesitant, unsure, or so ready to join the
fun! We, as teachers find it challenging, exciting and interesting to get to
know our new little friends and to find ways to help them feel safe and happy.
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| Friendship Board! |
In the first weeks of school we focused on activities to help the
children feel comfortable in their new environment, to become acquainted with
teachers and classmates, and to learn the routines and patterns of the days at
school. We sang name songs, played games in small and large groups to practice
basic social skills, such as: lining up, following directions, or taking turns.
We love “messy” activities, your children will climb, roll on the
floor, play with sand and water, and will be encouraged to explore freely with
paint, glue. Don't be surprised if the occasional bit of dirt, foliage or woodchips ends up coming home on their clothes and in their shoes from the outdoor playground! Please dress them in
comfortable, weather appropriate, washable clothing so they can be involved
in all our games, art and other activities.
A note from Class 401 - Stephanie, Narine and Karen
Welcome back to the returning families at the preschool
and welcome to the new families that are joining us this year. We have the
pleasure of being in the Sunflower Room this year. Gradual entry was a great
way to meet all of the children and their families. It went very smoothly and
now the children have gotten very familiar with the routine of the day. We have
been playing name games and songs at circle for all of the children to learn their
friends names in the classroom. We have started building relationships with
each child and learning so much about them each and every day.
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| Beautiful Autumn Trees |
We have one rule at preschool which is 'no one gets
hurt.' We discussed this rule at the circle with the children and described
different scenarios in which we can be hurt. We talked about different
strategies to use when dealing with certain situations where we don't use our
bodies or our words to hurt anyone.
We worked together to create a hand-print poster for the
classroom so we can always be reminded of our rule.
We painted people links and talked about what we like to
do with our friends, made a friendship flower, and friendship links with our
friends. We also looked in mirrors to draw a self portrait of ourselves. Then
we answered some questions about some of the things we like to give everyone a
chance to learn a bit more about the children in the class.
Each year we adopt a killer whale named Echo in
partnership with the Vancouver Aquarium. Each child decorated their own Echo
and we talked about killer whales at circle and all of the members of Echo's
family. Every Friday one child will have a chance to take Echo home for the
weekend.
If you have any questions or concerns please feel free to
speak to one of the teachers.
We are looking forward to a wonderful year with your
children!
A note from Class 402 - Arsi and Danielle
What a great start to the beginning of the
new school year. It was awesome to meet
some new faces and welcome back some familiar ones. Everyone has settled in quickly and we have spent the first few weeks getting
reacquainted with each other and our number one rule – No One Gets Hurt. We read the book “Swimmy” by Leo Leoni and
learnt how to work as a team, working togther. We have also spent some time talking about sharing with our friends and
learning our friends names.
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| Fall Collage! |
We just spent the week looking at
fall. How the leaves change colours, why
do they change? Exploring the many different types of leaves. We experimented with colours. We mixed orange, red and yellow water colour
onto diffusing paper and watched it spread over the paper and change
colours, just like the leaves that fall
from the trees. We also used Vinegar, powdered paint and baking soda; what
happens when you add all those things together? There was lots of noises,
bubbles and some odd colours were discovered, so we mixed it all together and
captured it on paper.
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| Autumn Leaves! |
Just a little reminder that we are here for
4 hours, so it is better to pack more food than less and please remember to place the food item for snack in a separate container so that your children can be independent and grab their own snacks with minimal assistance from teachers.
Please continue to send extra clothing as
there are some very enthusiastic painters and children who enjoy water play.
With the cold weather here, please remember to send warm coats and hats. Our
playground is shaded and tends to be cooler earlier in the day.
A note from Class 304 - Stephanie, Vibha and Gabi
We would like to welcome everyone to the Treehouse Room!
We enjoyed meeting all of the children and their families during out gradual
entry period. Gradual entry went very well and now the children are starting to
get comfortable with the classroom and daily routines of each day. We have been
getting to know each child while they play and learning so much about them.
They are also starting to learn all of their friends names. We have been
singing name songs at circle for the children to get familiar with all of their
peers in the class. It is coming together very nicely. We talked about our one
rule at preschool which is 'no one gets hurt.' We read stories about how
certain things may hurt friends and other ways we can deal with situations to
make everyone feel safe and included. We worked together to make a hand-print
poster of our rule that is now up in our classroom.
For the first few weeks we talked about friendship in the
classroom and what it looks like to be a good friend. For art we painted people
friendship links and we traced our hands and put them on a plate with a heart
we decorated to show friendly hands.
As the weather is getting colder, we would like to remind
parents to dress your child according to the weather as we will be going
outside to play if it is not raining.
Next month we will be all things Fall, Thanksgiving, and
Halloween.
If you have any questions or concerns please feel free to
speak to one of the teachers.
We are looking forward to an exciting year with the
children!
A note from Class 403 - Gabi and Permjit
Welcome to the Treehouse Room! It has been a great month
seeing some familiar faces and meeting new children and their families. Gradual
entry went very well. The children settled in quickly and are getting familiar
with the routine of each day. During the first week we really got to know each
individual child and sang a lot of songs at circle so that the children learnt
each other's names as well. On our first full day of class, we talked about our
one rule at preschool which is 'no one gets hurt.' We talked about how we can
express ourselves in a variety different situations in a way where our bodies
and our words aren't hurtful to any of our friends at preschool. We all worked
together to make a handprint poster of our rule that will always be up in our
classroom.
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| Yum, yum, apple muffins |
We painted people friendship links, talked about how
things make us feel and the different feelings people may have. We
fingerpainted with colours that made us happy. We looked into mirrors to draw
self portraits of ourselves and answered some questions so everyone had a
chance to get to know the other children better.
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| Echo our Preschool Orca! |
Each year we adopt a killer whale named Echo in
partnership with the Vancouver Aquarium. Each child decorated their own Echo
and we talked about killer whales at circle and all of the members of Echo's
family. Every Friday one child will have a chance to take Echo home for the
weekend.
If you have any questions or concerns please feel free to
speak to one of the teachers.
We are looking forward to an amazing year with your
children!
This month we used some of our fundraising money to purchase some fabulous new materials for our preschool. We think that this awesome Fire Station (pictured below) is sure to please some of our preschoolers and these "Super Sorting Pies" are so much fun to play with while practising our pre-math skills... Colour recognition, patterning, sorting and fine motor control.
We also just purchased a "Listening Station" which has 4 sets of headphones so our preschoolers can sit together and listen to a story, poetry, music or various recorded sounds. It's a great addition to our classroom materials because it allows someone who might need a break from interaction with the other children in their class to sit quietly and relax. It also allows children to practice their listening skills which are so important! We can also add another layer to our programming by playing a story which pertains to the theme we are learning about.
As the year goes on we will let you know what special items we are fundraising for and how you can get involved!
For those of you who made it down this far!! Thanks for reading our blog and have a great day!
As the year goes on we will let you know what special items we are fundraising for and how you can get involved!
For those of you who made it down this far!! Thanks for reading our blog and have a great day!
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