2024 Call for Nominations for Emmanuel at Brighton Child Care Centre Board of Directors

Emmanuel at Brighton Child Care Centre provides quality child care and early learning through forest-based education, embracing the whole child, nurturing a connection to nature, and inspiring a love of lifelong learning.  

The Board of Directors consists of parents (past and present) and community members who are passionate about forest and nature-based early learning. We’re looking for new members with diverse backgrounds and experiences who are excited about our mission and values to join us on the Board of Directors in 2024-2025. 

The call 

Nominations are open for the Board of Directors at Emmanuel at Brighton Child Care Centre. Parents (past and present) and community members are encouraged to apply.  

In support of our strategic plan and Board operations, we are seeking applicants with skills in the following areas:  

• Legal 

• Accounting and finance 

In particular, we are seeking applicants with skills, experience, and interest in serving on our Board’s Finance Committee.  

What can an Emmanuel Board experience provide you? 

Our members have the opportunity to learn and grow in leadership skills, which may include: board governance; strategic planning; recruitment and nominations; finance; equity, diversity, inclusion, and Indigeneity; non-profit management; and early childhood education. It also offers members the opportunity to network and build community connections. 

What’s involved?  

Board members are expected to: 

• Attend the Annual General Meeting (April 30, 2024) 

• Attend Board meetings (8-10 per year). 

• Participate in one or more committees, which may include monthly meetings.

• Attend any supplementary Board meetings as needed. 

• Attend or support events in the centre when possible. 

• Serve for a term of two years. Board members may renew their terms twice if desired, for a total of six years on the Board. 

• Contribute approximately 5-10 hours per month. 

Please complete and submit your application form to Carly Greco, Chair of the Recruitment & Nominations Committee at carlyg@eabchildcare.com, by Monday, March 4, 2024. We’ll contact candidates for interviews by March 21, 2024. More information on the current Board membership can be found at emmanuelchildcare.ca/board. 

If you have any questions about the Board of Directors or the application process, please contact Carly Greco at carlyg@eabchildcare.com. 

Download the application form here. 

Happy Indigenous Peoples Day!

June 21 is National Indigenous Peoples Day, a day for all Canadians to recognize and celebrate the unique heritage, diverse cultures, and outstanding contributions of First Nations, Inuit, and Métis Nations to the World.

National Indigenous Peoples Day was announced in 1996. June 21. The Summer Solstice, was selected in consultation with Indigenous Leaders, due to its cultural significance for many Indigenous Nations and communities.

We encourage all members of our community to take the time to engage with Indigenous cultural celebrations, be willing to learn, be willing to stand up for positive change, as well as reflect on the issues faced by Indigenous communities.

Media Release- $43,000 Ontario Trillium Foundation Grant Gives Child Care Centre a Lift

Waterloo, ON – On November 18th the Emmanuel at Brighton Child Care Centre team gathered to celebrate the $43,000 Resilient Communities Fund grant received from the Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF). The funding was used to make the facility a more accessible space by upgrading the restroom facilities.

"I am thrilled that the Emmanuel at Brighton Child Care Centre received funding from the Ontario Trillium Foundation to install a wheelchair accessible entrance and create a child-friendly washroom facility - inclusion matters," said Catherine Fife, MPP Waterloo. "The children will benefit from these improvements, which help ensure the space remains accessible for all."

The grant was used to create a child-friendly washroom and install a wheel-chair accessible entrance. The project was completed in October 2022 and will enhance the accessibility of the childcare centre for years to come. Thanks to OTF, people of all abilities can access the childcare centre more easily.

"The impact of this Ontario Trillium Foundation grant cannot be overstated,” said Dana Bernhardt, Executive Director of Emmanuel at Brighton Child Care Centre. “This grant has allowed needed enhancements to be made. The children benefit from having a more accessible classroom environment and we can now accommodate everyone with mobility issues and serve our community better.”

Emmanuel at Brighton Child Care Centre was established in 1964 and is an integral part of the Uptown Waterloo community. The childcare centre is licensed by the Ministry of Education and is a certified Forest and Nature School. They offer programs for children 18 months to five years of age and summer camp for children 4 to 10. A dedicated team of more than 30 educators continue to empower each child to reach their potential in environments which allow children to explore and make discoveries using their natural sense of curiosity. Emmanuel at Brighton is committed to preserving this space and ensuring that it remains accessible for as many children and families as possible for years to come. For more information, please visit: emmanuelchildcare.ca.

The Ontario Trillium Foundation (OTF), an agency of the Government of Ontario, and one of Canada’s leading granting foundations celebrates 40 years of grantmaking in Ontario and making a lasting impact in communities. Last year, OTF invested nearly $209M into 2,042 community projects and partnerships, which included funding for the Government of Ontario’s Community Building Fund. Visit otf.ca to learn more.

2022 Call for Nominations for Emmanuel at Brighton Child Care Centre Board of Directors

Emmanuel at Brighton Child Care Centre provides quality child care and early learning through forest-based education, embracing the whole child, nurturing a connection to nature, and inspiring a love of lifelong learning.

The Board of Directors consists of parents (past and present) and community members who are passionate about forest and nature-based early learning. We’re looking for new members with diverse backgrounds and experiences who are excited about our mission and values to join us on the Board of Directors in 2022-2023.

The call

Nominations are open for the Board of Directors at Emmanuel at Brighton Child Care Centre. Parents (past and present) and community members are encouraged to apply.

In support of our strategic plan, we're looking for people with diverse backgrounds and skills. Some of the specific skills we’re interested in include: 

• Legal

• Accounting and finance

• Fundraising

• Human resources

• Facilities and property management

This list is not exhaustive! Our Board benefits from a wide variety of skills and experiences, and we’d love to hear from anyone interested in volunteering.

What can an Emmanuel Board experience provide you?

Our members have the opportunity to learn and grow in leadership skills, which may include: board governance; recruitment and nominations; finance; equity, diversity, inclusion, and Indigeneity; property management; non-profit management; and early childhood education. It also offers members the opportunity to network and build community connections.

What’s involved?

Board members are expected to:

• Attend the Annual General Meeting

• Attend board meetings on the second Tuesday of each month, either in person or by Teams.

• Participate in one or more committees, which may include monthly meetings. (Learn more about our Board Committees)

• Attend any supplementary board meetings as needed.

• Attend or support events in the centre when possible.

• Serve for a term of two years. Board members may renew their terms twice, for a total of six years on the Board.

• Contribute approximately 5-10 hours per month.

Please complete and submit your application form to Carly Greco, Chair of the Nominations Committee at carlyg@eabchildcare.com, by Tuesday, October 11. We’ll contact candidates for interviews by October 24. More information on the current Board membership can be found at emmanuelchildcare.ca/board.

If you have any questions about the Board of Directors, please contact Carly Greco at carlyg@eabchildcare.com.

Download the application form.

Eyes on The Forest and The Pond

Luscious greenery welcomed us at the Forest at Woodside National Historic Site with endless hews of green inviting the imagination. We entered the magical worlds of the woods and the pond with the respectful guidance of Dewe’igan. Imaginations soared among the giant trees taking us on journeys to the small worlds of grubs and caterpillars, and to the gigantic world of dinosaurs roaming among the bushes.

The Forest provided us with ample loose materials and the children gathered in groups engaging their creativity in creating complex shelters, problem solving as a group as their projects emerged. There were many questions about the new plants growing, about the shadows the growing, and the movement of the shadows as the wind caressed the leaves.

A group of children observed the pond wondering what we will see, and hear as we calmly gathered around. We spent some time calmly observing the Water Lillies, Duck Weeds and the tiny aquatic life hiding among the plants. Wonderment created poetic discussions about the movements, the colours, and the shapes of this tiny living ecosystem.

Being immersed in nature, taking care of our gardens provided us with opportunities to expand on our previous knowledge and our curiosity lead us to new inquiries to research. A group of children wondered about the connection among beetles and “juicy grubs”, thus we used technology to help us research the answer to the two year life cycle of the insects.

Plant recognition apps helped us in finding out names of plants as well as their origin, culinary and medicinal use, thus expanding on our Indigenous learning about Medicinal Plants. The children asked many questions about “toxic and non-toxic plants”.

As the group observed the tiny nymphs swimming among the Duck Weed they reflected on how “plants protect tiny beings, kind of like a camouflage”. We pondered as to what kind of insects will the water nymphs grow or morph into.

As we returned from our adventures in the Forest and by the Pond, we worked hard on taking care of the plants we planted around the Museum. It was inspiring to see how independent and knowledgeable the gardeners were.

The gardens and Tiny Fairy Worlds at Woodside are our way of creating safe and inviting spaces for our community. Inviting other visitors to experience belonging, wonderment, and well-being in the landscape we nurture. Please come and enjoy the beauty we created.

We are looking forward to hearing your stories. Perhaps you could create a small world, or add tiny beings, plants to our gardens and our Fairy Worlds.

É.M.

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Planting our Three Sisters Garden at Woodside National Historic Site

Planting our Three Sisters Garden at Woodside National Historic Site

The gardens at Woodside National Historic Site have been the focus of the children’s inquiries and interests. We have been reviewing our knowledge and experiences regarding the Three Sisters Garden we planted, nurtured and tasted last year. To add to the authenticity of our Spring Planting, Éva visited the Mohawk Seedkeepers Gardens’ Seed Exchange, lead by Terrylynn Brant. She carried seeds from our garden to the seed exchange event in Ohsweken Ontario and invited the Three Sisters Seeds from the exchange to come and grow with us.

Dewe’igan lead the children through the planting and offered Asemaa or Oién:kwa’ (Mohawk), tobacco, to each seed, to honour the seeds through reciprocity. We talked about the lifecycle of the plants, the reciprocal relationship among the Three Sisters: Corn, Bean and Squash. The children described ways the Three Sisters support each other and Mother Earth. We reflected on ways we support each other and the Earth as discussions emerged.

We continue our fantasy play explorations, by adding loose materials to our environments. The children continued building Small Worlds and continued writing and drawing stories about Fairies in their journals. We visited the fairy logs we graced with our Fairy Homes last week, and we added the little house we found broken and repaired as a community. “Now the Magic will return to the Fairy House!”- the children concluded smiling.

We explored the Forest on this rainy day saying our thanks to the May Apples, Trout Lillies, Bloodroots, Wild Onions, Trilliums and other amazing Plants, fungi, and animals. The children incorporated the plants into their fantasy play, imagining how the Fairies used the “tiny umbrella plants” (May Apples) to protect them as they flew from flower to flower.

The Forest and Nature School approach to learning encourages us to reflect on ourselves as important members of the natural world. We reflected on the important roles and responsibilities we bring to these complex symbiotic relationships. When we interacted with the gardens and the Forest we reflected on how much we as human beings depended on the plants, fungi, animals, and microbial life forms. Building relationships with Nature deepened our understanding of complexities, synergies, and symbiotic relationships thus building our understanding of diversity.

Éva M.

Seasonal Projects at Woodside National Historic Site with The Cedar A Explorers

Seasonal Projects at Woodside National Historic Site

The changing weather provided us with opportunities to explore nature through drizzle and sunshine. The children continued exploring the trees and the moss covered ground for signs of Spring. To our surprise we found germinating Maple and Chestnut seeds which prompted long discussions about the lifecycle of trees. Examining the Mother Maple, the children noticed moth egg sacks, and cocoons under the tree bark. We reviewed our previous knowledge and expanded our learning about the lifecycle of insects.

The children worked hard on building the fire, and were busy collecting and whittling sticks for roasting Marshmallows.

A group of children decided to engage in a research project focusing on birds, the group discovered a unique book that followed a variety of bird species mapping their movements through landscapes and we shared the story with the whole group.

The Cedar A children continued their project wondering about the Universe and the Solar System. A group shared four different ways of drawing Stars and several children observed a creative peer while he drew the solar system. A group of children worked on a large Solar System Puzzle. The children practiced the names of the planets expanding our vocabularies. The children wondered about the meaning of the names of planets, we discovered that they were named after Ancient Roman Gods.

It was inspiring to see the focused engagement of the children with the natural world, their eager curiosity and amazing wealth of ideas and knowledge.

Please let us know if you could enhance the children's ongoing projects with your expertise.

Eva M.

Dancing in The Wind at Woodside National Historic Site

Dancing in The Wind at Woodside National Historic Site

A funfair of swirling leaves welcomed the forest school explorers at Woodside. The children observed the galloping clouds and encouraged us educators to use our imagination in describing what magical creatures we saw in the ever changing silhouettes. The children were exploring and welcoming seasonal changes through intentionally focused senses. The children challenged us with questions such as: What does Spring smell like, sound like, look like, feel like and taste like?

We explored the power of wind using textiles and sticks. The children observed that the textiles “made winds visible” giving colour and movement to transparency. Inspired by this deep observation we observed the movements of natural loose materials such as leaves and grass strands moving through the air. To our surprise we had to move with the wind constantly as the direction of the wind changed constantly. We decided to research this phenomenon. The children’s question was: “What makes the wind turn around?”

We explored the meadow trails and gardens looking and smelling the new season. The children gently knelt by carpets of Snowdrops gently observing and marvelling at the flowers. We stopped at the museum and read books about the life of flowers, and our relationship with flowers. We recognized many edible and aromatic flowers in the books. The children remembered several blossoms we use in our diet such as Camomiles, Pansies, Cloves, Saffron, Elderberry and many more. Dina and Alana brewed aromatic tea for us to help us “taste Spring”. We gathered around our Three Sisters Garden with Dewe’igan who led us in exploring the garden and discovering new growth and precious seeds that lay dormant under the snow. We discovered that the brave little Strawberry Plants were already growing strong.

The warm temperatures encouraged the children to take off their heavy coats and run with the new sensation of lightness. The children incorporated the Museum building into their dramatic play, ghosts appeared for “Spring Trick-or-treat!”. We learned as a community and formulated new research questions which will encourage us to learn more. Please share your new discoveries about Spring to enrich our explorations.

Éva M.

Medicine for The Trees at Woodside National Historic Site

The Cedar A children have been experimenting with sidewalk art, using chalk, coals, sticks and other art media to expand on their creative projects. A group requested coals from our fire pit with a specific plan in mind. The children remembered from their previous explorations and research that coal enriches soil. They worked as a team on pulverizing the coal pieces with the help of rocks and created “Medicine” for the trees. The group visited each tree within our boundaries and poured the medicine on each tree discussing how the liquid will help the trees and soil stay healthy and grow.

Fall’s gifts were incorporated into the children’s repertoire of loose parts. The children used their imagination in creating with textures and colours of the leaves. The children tossed armfuls of colourful foliage into the air testing the strength and direction of the wind. The Leaves were used to create a variety of sounds. Brilliant Leaves were arranged to create fires for “leaf kebabs”.

The educators invited the children on a storytelling walk, finding pages of the story along the path in the Forest. Looking for the next page of the story invited the children to engage with the ground level of the Forest, noticing acorns, plants, insects, diverse leaf shapes and colours under their feet.

The children created a Fall Thank You card for our mentor, Parks Canada Ranger, Dan, who enriches our learning experiences throughout the Seasons.

Marcia, Jessica and Faye invited the children to gather around the fire and roasted “spider dogs”. The children engaged in interactive Anishinaabeg story telling, singing, philosophy and language learning with Dewe’igan.

We reflected on our previous discussions regarding the pigments that emerge in fall leaves. We revisited our learning reflecting on our previous and new knowledge of the Season. Did you know that colours we see in fall are the tree specific pigments, “the real colours” of the leaves? The green colour is the colour of chlorophyll, “the magical energy”, plants create to feed themselves and other life forms in ecosystems.

November Story Walk and Scavenger Hunt at Woodside National Historic Site

November Story Walk and Scavenger Hunt at Woodside National Historic Site

Glorious, golden sunshine welcomed the Cedar B classroom at Woodside National Historic Site. The children noticed the long shadows of the morning and observed the unique silhouettes their costumes created. The children explored the landscape running through the colourful layer of leaves. A group sorted leaves by colour, shape, and size, and while engaging in mathematical reasoning they noticed the creative aspect of their exploration: “Look we created such a nice picture with all these colours”. We reflected on the magic of Ephemeral Art as the children arranged the leaves on one of the picnic tables and as we observed the Wind altering the artwork with swift gusts.

It was inspiring to observe how groups co-operated in designing new challenges for their play explorations with loose parts. Observing the play of shadows and magnets on vertical surfaces inspired the children to look further and test a variety of surfaces for magnetism.

We created a menu with poetic names: we grilled Butternut Squash Stakes and brewed Linden Tea with Honey. Both Butternut Squash and Linden Flowers are Indigenous Plants that share their gifts with us throughout the Seasons. Inspired by the book “The Big Pumpkin”, we saved the seeds from our Butternut Squash and planted the seeds in our Three Sisters Garden, starting a new life-cycle.

The children expanded on their inquiries regarding examples of camouflage in nature. We found a snake camouflaged among the leaves and the educators, Dina and Alana, reminded the children of their previous explorations of natural disguises.

The children requested a walk to the Fairy Garden in the middle of the park. The educators and Kelly surprised us with a Story Walk featuring the book: “The Big Pumpkin” as well as an Anishinaabemowin scavenger hunt where the children looked for familiar words they have practiced throughout the Fall months with Dewe’igan.  

We will continue observing examples of camouflage in nature, if you find some examples you would like to share with the group, please let us know.

Loose Materials in The Rain at Woodside National Historic Site

Loose Materials in The Rain at Woodside National Historic Site

The invitations of loose parts and intelligent materials inspired us on this rainy late October day at Woodside. As soon as the Cedar A group arrived learning adventures, discussions, inquiries, creative expressions, deep contemplation, and learning emerged in our beautiful natural space.

As Simon Nicholson highlights in the Theory of Loose Parts:

‘In any environment, both the degree of inventiveness and creativity, and the possibility of discovery, are directly proportional to the number and kind of variables in it.” Simon Nicholson

https://creativestarlearning.co.uk/early-years-outdoors/simon-nicholson-and-the-theory-of-loose-parts-1-million-thanks/

The children requested to visit the Three Sisters Garden looking “for seeds to save for Spring”. Exploring the natural loose parts of the garden the children noticed some “silly beans” that started growing already. “They forgot that they need to wait till Spring time” – the children noted giggling.

Seasonal pedagogy focuses on exploring lifecycles throughout the seasons, our garden has been a marvelous Third Teacher in supporting our learning throughout the year. Natural loose parts such as seeds, leaves, sticks etc. engage us as a learning community in building systemic awareness of cyclical, and seasonal growth cycles. Seeing natural loose materials in the context of the seasons, the ecosystems, and the weather encourage us to think in terms of complex systemic interactions.

To refer to The Theory of Loose Parts, the degree of inventiveness, creativity, and the possibility of discovery energized by the creativity of the children took us on myriads of learning journeys. Several groups worked together on creating “gardens” and “towers” using gems, shells, gourds, and wood pieces. As the “magical worlds” appeared, discussions emerged regarding balancing, measuring, and space for the three dimensional projects. The children used wood pieces to measure the height and width of the towers, and used the wood pieces as “levels”, to ensure the tower remained “straight and balanced”. The projects created parallels between mathematical reasoning and phantasy play.

Other groups explored the properties of water and the interactions among loose parts and water. The children measured rain water into containers, and observed the water level rising as the rain fell. Loose materials were tested for buoyancy. The children observed that some objects floated, some sank and some natural materials such as leaves “levitated” in the water.

The wind as the carrier of loose parts was a focus of observation throughout the day, some children tested their umbrellas in the wind and described the force of the wind: “The wind is pulling me hard, it filled my umbrella!”.

Meegwetch to Dewe’igan, for her amazing story and song about water, and the beautiful parallels she drew among life, our health, our wellbeing, and water. Her teachings reminded us of the power of rapids, fast moving rivers that return to calmness as they join the sea. Thinking of the journey of water will remind us that hard times are followed by calm and soothing times. She warmed our bodies and hearts with Cedar Tea and stories about the cyclical movement of Water in Mother Nature.

Please visit the link above and explore the Theory of Loose Parts, by Simon Nicholson. Try to observe your family, your day at work, and pay attention to the loose materials you use in your daily routines, and in your professional life. How do loose materials enrich your life-long learning journey? 

Insect Exploration at Woodside National Historic Site

Insect Exploration at Woodside National Historic Site

We meet amazing more than human visitors each time we arrive at Woodside National Historic Site. Today a curious Cicada welcomed us observing us with five eyes. Five eyes you wonder? We learned that Cicadas have two compound eyes and three Ocelli in between, five in total.

The children have been observing insects and identifying species using various nature guide resources for several weeks. Today they expanded on the Insect learning project through creative expression. The children narrated a story, took roles of Insects in the dramatic play, and drew the characters with chalk on the path to the museum. Long lines represented the movements of large Ants.

To expand on our learning with our Three Sisters garden, we decided to celebrate by eating delicious Sweet Corn. The children picked green beans and tomatoes to share at snack time as well. They were delighted to see two squashes growing! The children helped with husking the corn and incorporated the Corn husk into their art explorations.

Small groups built the safety area around the fire, and built the fire independently. As the children organized the project they reviewed the safety protocols, examined the fire extinguisher and fire blanket. We focused our fire experience on tasting sweet corn cooked and roasted. Two different methods of cooking provided us with an opportunity to deepen our STEM knowledge. We used a cast-iron grill for roasting and a cooking pot for steaming. We compared the taste and smell of each recipe to add to the multi sensory learning opportunity.

The children co-operated in a large group dramatic play scenario, engaging the educators. They built a “prison”, the most beautiful prison we have ever seen, under the shady Lilac bushes, and arrested the educators. The dramatic play became an amazing opportunity for discussions. The children described what offences warranted an arrest. We discussed the value of making mistakes in learning, and we brainstormed how we could avoid making big mistakes. We posed the question: “Should people go to prison? What could we do to help each other in making better decisions?” Dramatic play is a great opportunity to expand on our understanding of the complexities we experience in our communities, shed light on our collective responsibilities, and brainstorm prevention strategies.

A group of children requested a meditation experience. The children took time to relax, observe nature with all their senses, and explore the joys of intrapersonal learning. We discussed the importance of getting in touch with our feelings, senses, and making time for self-reflection.

The children reflected on their meditation experiences:

“I saw hawks, they are here!”

“I felt relaxed.”

“I watched a big squash in the garden.”

“I was stretching and thinking about my mom.”

“I closed my eyes and rested on the grass and thought about my mom.”

We are looking forward to our next visit and adventures at Woodside National Historic Site, and sharing our adventures with You.

"Fire to Ink" at Woodside National Historic Site

"Fire to Ink" at Woodside National Historic Site

The JK Forest and Nature School campers were excited to explore the meadow and the woods on this sublime August morning. New Mushrooms emerged as others completed their Fruit Body (above ground) phase. Questions arose: "What happened to the Mushrooms that were here last week?". Fungi have a wonderfully complex lifecycle we have been learning about.

The children lead the opening discussion and territorial acknowledgement, saying thanks to Mother Nature in many languages. The children reviewed the safety reminders, and protocols as a community and welcomed new arrivals to the camp.

The children helped with creating the safety area for the fire and gathered in small groups around the fire throughout the morning to taste smoked apples with honey.

A few pieces of charcoal were left after our fire. We offered the cold charcoal as an invitation to the group. The children had previous experiences drawing with charcoal, however they took the experiment a step further. They created temporary tools and crushed the charcoal into a fine powder. They carefully added small amounts of water to the chalk powder and created "INK" for their art exploration.

Watering the grass was a welcome invitation to cool down on this hot Summer day. Some of the children noticed the slowly drifting Cumuli above us and marveled at the changing shapes of the clouds.

Mindfulness moments emerged inspired by the Sky, reminding us all that meaningful discoveries visit us when we are calm, observant, and perceptive.

Exploring The Gifts of Summer Rain at Woodside National Historic

Exploring The Gifts of Summer Rain at Woodside National Historic Site

The JK Forest Campers have been keen observers of change at Woodside National Historic Site, inspiring us adults to look carefully, engage deeply, and celebrate fully. They observed the rapid growth of the plants in their Three Sisters Garden, and the growth of the plants in the Woods. The children have observed the growth cycles of amphibians, insects and many more beings through Spring and Summer.

The group was particularly interested in the fungi growing on a great big stump near the pavilion. The children noticed that the Red-belted Bracket Fungi that have been part of their beloved stump for years started “to grow and change”. The children noted that they have been using the large woody fungi as their “stepping ladder” and they thought the fungi “weren’t alive anymore”. Surprisingly, the generous rain has revived them and new growth layers emerged.

The children built the safety zones around the fire area and built the fire with wood pieces, bark, and leaves they collected. We used the logs the children cut with bowsaws several weeks ago. We have been patiently drying the logs in the shed and finally they were ready to use. The children roasted “spider dogs” on this sunny “International Hotdog Day”. Cheerful conversations emerged around the fire as ketchup framed smiles grew broader.

Dewe’igan engaged the children in a territorial acknowledgement, a thanksgiving address, and a wonderful discussion about the Medicines of the Four Directions.

The children visited the Three Sisters Gardens with Dewe’igan and Emily and were rejoicing in the growth of the Plants. The group of gardeners noticed little tunnels and burrows, wondering what kind of little animals might have moved into the lush green garden. 

We visited the Forested area adjacent to the meadow and said hello to the Plants, Toads, Frogs, Birds, and Insects who welcomed us into their beautiful green home. Groups explored the hills, some children worked on their Parks Canada Challenge, some children rested in the hammocks and observed Nature around them listening to the gentle breezes.

We are looking forward to exploring Woodside as Summer’s bounty and beauty surrounds us. What a glorious season to spend outdoors in wonderful company! 

Forest Camp Adventures at Woodside National Historic Site

Forest Camp Adventures at Woodside National Historic Site

Steely skies welcomed us on this quiet Summer morning. Rain clouds and sunny breaks alternated around us as we explored.

To our surprise a beautiful Toad took shelter under the pavilion next to us. We have been following the life cycle of the amphibians at the small pond for weeks, admiring the swift movements of Tadpoles, and observing each stage of the Amphibian lifecycle throughout late Spring and early Summer. Our Toad visitor was surrounded by Forest School enthusiasts ready to explore with curious hands. This moment provided us with the opportunity to review our previous knowledge of Amphibians. We reviewed why it is important to observe Amphibians with love and respect. Amphibians have sensitive skin protected by a thin mucus layer, and the chemicals on our hands are harmful for all species. Please, if you see a Frog, Toad, or a Newt admire them with you eyes, and not your hands.

The children expressed their creativity through a large variety of art, loose material, and Nature invitations. Colourful ephemeral art projects transformed into beauty in front of our eyes, demonstrating the aesthetic potential of mathematical processes; sorting, balancing, counting, measuring, comparing, estimating length and volume were part of each creative expression.

Dewe’igan engaged us in a poetic territorial acknowledgement, followed by music, creative movemen, and story telling under the shades of the towering Oak Trees.

The children noticed the subtle changes in the Forest, observing how the weather contributed to the sudden growth of plants. Discussions emerged regarding the power of rushing water and wind in altering the landscape.

The children initiated a project last week by requesting textiles and needles for creative expression. The children requested knitting supplies as an extension to the project. Divergent thinking emerged as the children devised creative applications for the child sized knitting needles. Dewe’igan introduced finger knitting to the group. The temporary conclusion to the knitting exploration was that we “need to practice…a lot”. The children discussed how practice and perseverance go “hand-in-hand”.

The children engaged their new friends in gathering materials for the safety area around the Fire and built the fire as a team. As the preparations progressed, the children shared and reviewed the Fire Safety protocols.

We are looking forward to following the children’s lead in exploring at Woodside National Historic Site throughout the Summer. The educational team of Parks Canada have graciously supported our learning for many seasons. The lawn games we explored were their Invitations. We have been engaged in a series of challenges from the Parks Canada team, where we have to guess the function of practical objects and technologies from the 19th. Century. We are looking forward to sharing our experiences with You.

É.M.

First Day of Summer Camp at Woodside National Historic Site

The EaB Forest and Nature School Camp Children’s voices mingled with birdsongs and the sounds of raindrops as we explored the woods. The children were excited to discover Banana Slugs, Snails, Butterflies, and amazing sprawling Wild Grape Vines at the Forest on the Hill.

A group marveled at the work of Woodpeckers discussing how “the birds turned the tree into an apartment building”. Someone remembered the woodpecker we spotted a few weeks ago. Listening to the children immersed in the beauty of Nature inspired us adults to look deeper, notice important details we would perhaps miss.

Éva spotted two Blue Jay feathers on the ground, the children turned the feathers around observing the patterns of blue and black lines. The children noticed that while one side had two colours, the other side only had one colour. The explorers were ready for a long discussion:

“It might be black on the bottom, that way it is hard to see the Blue Jay flying at night”.- was the first theory.

“Or maybe they ran out of blue paint.”- someone suggested with a giggle:) We looked at the feathers through the lenses of magnifying glasses noticing the phenomenal structures of the feathers.

“It looks like there are tiny feathers on each strand, WOW!”- the Children observed.

The children expressed their creativity through two and three dimensional art projects using a variety of art media. A group created enormous representations of fungi they observed in the Forest and in the mushroom nature guides.

Cities, farms, maps and castles emerged in the two and three dimensional projects. Surrounded by creativity, divergent thinking, creative expression inspired by Nature created a sense of well-being for the group.

A group of children created journals using paper, scissors and string. A group expanded their divergent thinking by creating “pillow cases” using paper and string.

I wonder what will capture our imagination and sense of curiosity next Wednesday?

É.M.

Garden Projects at Woodside National Historic Site

Our gardening projects have been unfolding due to the milder Spring weather. The children were busy planting perennials, herbs and flowers from the Victorian Era around the Museum building during our May 14th and May17th visits. In collaboration with Parks Canada we are embarking on several projects exploring the plants, games, technologies, and tools of the period.

It was inspiring to listen to the children name most of the thirty species of plants as they continued gently planting them alongside the historic building. The children were familiar with plant species such as Sage, Lavender, Salvia, Lilies, Irises, Pansies, Pearly Everlastings, Lambs Ears, and many more. Forming relationships with the plants is a joyful process, we marveled at the diverse poetic names given to plants: Lungwort for example has many names such as Twinkle Toes, Ladies Milk Drops and Pulmonaria Officinalis. Many of the children added to the creative process by sharing the names of the plants in their first languages.

We continued adding to our Three Sisters Garden, we chose plants such as Strawberries, Heritage Potatoes, Sage, Heritage Tomato Species to express our thanks to Indigenous Cultures of Turtle Island for the gifts of plants that are now grown around the World and sustain humanity. We talked about the importance of gratitude towards plants as they sustain, heal, and provide oxygen for us.

We discovered that some of our Three Sister seeds have germinated despite the dry weather conditions. We discussed the growth cycle and anatomy of seedlings and followed the children’s lead in generously watering all the plants. It has been inspiring to observe the children exploring the soil, gently carrying the seedlings, observing the root structures, stems, flowers and discovering plant sciences through hands on and personal invitations.

The children discovered the creative potentials of gardening as well, they chose the colours and patterns to express their creativity with living art. We are looking forward to observing the ever changing, growing ephemeral art projects throughout the seasons.

We spent time observing the opening and expanding umbrellas of the May Apples, the children searched for the unique blooms of the Cobra Lilies in the forest, respectfully marveling at the unique anatomy of the plant.

Art explorations emerged through the most surprising loose materials. The children used the wooden mallets to create charcoal art on a variety of wooden surfaces. Groups used wood pieces to build a “fairy kitchen”. The most inspiring structures emerged from wooden slats as a result of co-operative play.

Our projects will emerge in collaboration with Parks Canada, we are looking forward to sharing our learning, discoveries and projects with the community. If you would like to find out more about loose materials, please explore the following publication: https://www.communityplaythings.com/.../2015/loose-parts

Szeretettel, Eva

“The Forest on The Hill” at Woodside National Historic Site

The Spring sunshine dried the forest floor at Woodside National Historic Site and we were able to explore the wooded area the children call “The Forest on The Hill”.  Observing the children moving among the trees and revisiting projects from past seasons was inspiring to see. We observed the Trout Lilies, May Apples, Trilliums, Jack-in-the-pulpits or Cobra Lilies, and many more amazing plants blooming in the forested areas. These observations of the seasonal blooming clock inform us about systemic connections: for example, flowers bloom in succession and support insect life in the forest, insects in return pollinate the plants, or in the case of the Cobra Lily provide nutrition. Some of the children carefully observed the unique shapes and colours of the Cobra Lily. Counting the leaves some children noticed the similarities between the triple-leaved structure of the Trillium and the triple-leaved structure of the Cobra Lily. The children used the nature guides to identify the spring flower species.

A group of children searched for moss and flower segments broken off by the wind to incorporate into their loose material explorations. “It looks like a Pine Forest!”- someone exclaimed looking at the Mosses with magnifying glasses. Hmmm! perhaps these explorers will take us on a journey of learning more about the fantastic life of Mosses. Did you know that Moss spores travel globally, the soft little green clump in your garden might be visitors from New Zealand?

The children requested the Story of the Three Sisters to remind them of their planting adventure last week. Dewe’igan retold the story and engaged the children in discussion about their interpretations of the story. The children were observing the garden expectantly looking for the “Three Sister Sprouts”, a group of children were working very hard and carried multiple jugs of water to the garden and lovingly watered the growing seed sisters. We are looking forward to seeing the little sprouts emerge, we hope that the squirrels are not too hungry and will leave many of them for us to grow and enjoy.

The children revisited their previous knowledge about the ethical principles of The Seven Grandfather’s Teachings, symbolized by animals. The children translated  Anishinaabemowin words independently into English with Dewe’igan. Dewe’igan spoke about the ethical principles the Sabe embodies. I am sure the children would be glad to share the story of the Sabe with you. Dewe’igan gifted us with a second story, the story of the little people, Baangi Anishnaabeg, who take care of the waters and the plants. These beautiful, nature centered stories inspire and nurture our budding ecological identities.  

The children worked very hard on building the safety area around the fire and requested Cedar tea for a treat again. They built the fire and were actively engaged in discussions as the project emerged. I was deeply touched by the independence of the children and by the kind support they showed to a child who just started in the Forest and Nature School program.  Dewe’igan introduced us to the Anishinaabe tradition of sharing the first tea with Mother Earth and enjoying the second steam as a drink. Gratitude and science met in her story: removing the surface oils from the cedar leaves enhances the health benefits and the taste of the tea.

The discussions of the Ancient Wisdom of sharing tea with Mother Earth and the scientific data supporting the nutritional benefits of the practice reminded me of Wade Davises work with National Geographic. He celebrates the leadership of Indigenous, Earth Guardian, or “Wayfinder” cultures in guiding humanity in changing the way we learn, look at science and environmental activism. Please explore “The Wayfinders: Why Ancient Wisdom Matters in the Modern World”, a wonderful book by Wade Davis.  The following lecture by Wade Davis explores his research through breath-taking images from around the World https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XuJsbjKKh3E. Enjoy!

Szeretettel, Eva

Three Sisters Planting at Woodside National Historic Site with Dewe’igan

Three Sisters Planting at Woodside National Historic Site with Dewe’igan

Forest and Nature School’s Head, Heart, Hand approach encourages us to explore, experiment, discuss, form theories, and express our creativity as we are inspired to learn outdoors. Gardening curriculum is a long term, systemic, hands on approach that encourages learners to explore, observe, plan, calculate, celebrate, engage with, and understand growth processes. Gardening connects us to science, food sovereignty and sustainability. Please explore: https://www.regionofwaterloo.ca/.../SchoolGardens....

Learning about cyclical growth patterns, seasonal changes, companion planting, encourages us to form personal connections to the natural world. Following the growth cycles of the seeds we planted in relation to time, weather, and our input will support our systemic thinking.

Dewe’igan guided us through the Three Sisters Planting process with stories and teachings about the complex agricultural-sciences practiced by Indigenous Nations for millennia. Corn, Beans and Squashes are gifts from The Indigenous Nations of Turtle Island that support humanity all around the world. The Three Sisters are an perfect example of the principles of companion planting.

Dewe’igan introduced us to companion planting through the story of The Three Sisters and described the relationship among the plants, and the specific ways they support each other’s growth.

Nia:wen, many thanks, to Terrylynn Brant and the Mohawk Seed Keepers’ from Oshweken (https://www.facebook.com/groups/846377065399516/) the seeds we planted are their grand babies, grown in Eva’s garden for several seasons. Observing the Bean Family reminded us of the endless beauty and diversity in Nature. “They look like art!” several children exclaimed as they explored the colourful, and various seeds.

The Forest and Nature School Approach encourages learners to form personal relationships with Nature. To express and strengthen their relationships with the plants, the children created their own names for the different species of Beans. Poetic names such as “Purple Dream”, “Pink Orca”, “Brown Leopard”, “Purple Sea”, and “Black Plum” emerged. We observed and explored the beauty of Mohawk Calico Corn and Squash Seeds as we planted them side by side with the Beans. The children were excited to explore the rich soil, lovingly planted the seeds, and followed through with the steps of the project independently.

The windy weather on Friday provided invitations to explore and learn. The children explored the wind at the meadow (we stayed away from the forested areas due to strong winds). The children experimented with textiles and devised a variety of ways to “capture the power of wind”. A group noticed that when they created a tent with the large cape, the wind was strong enough to lift the branches they used as weights on the edges. Conversations lead to airplanes, we learned about lift, weight, drag, and thrust from the children:)

Each discussion, experiment, and project built on our previous knowledge and vocabulary. We discussed how we can use textiles to determine the direction of the wind.

While we explored at the Meadow, Dewe’igan made us Cedar tea with honey. We must declare, Cedar tea is the most popular tea we have tasted thus far! We learned the word for tea, Aniibiish, in Anishinaabemowin. Miigwech Dewe’igan.

What an inspiring day of learning! We found answers to many of our questions, however more questions emerged and inspired us to explore farther.

Szeretettel, Eva

“Gardening for The Butterflies and the Bees”

“Gardening for The Butterflies and the Bees”

April 20th 2021 

Dewe’igan gifted us with a heartwarming territorial acknowledgement, and an engaging poetic conversation, honouring Indigenous heritage.

Ranger Dan (Parks Canada) has been working on creating two Butterfly and Bee Gardens for us as well as a beautiful vegetable garden. Woodside National Historic Site offered us these invitations and we will plant the gardens and nurture the plants as we learn and grow with them. The plants were chosen with insects in mind and once the perennials are established the flowers will bloom in succession throughout the growing seasons to support Bees and Butterflies. Just imagine the learning opportunities ahead of us!

We started the garden with frost-resistant perennials, such as Irises, Dwarf Irises, Pearly Everlastings, Lambs Ears, Pansies, Sedums, and Wind Flowers. We will continue planting seeds, and other species of seedlings as the weather warms.

The children observed the plants with keen interest and tenderness. We looked at plant anatomy, talked about lifecycles of plants, and reflected on the connections among organisms in the soil, among root systems, among plants, and the insects who will be visiting our garden for food. “It will be a bee restaurant!” someone concluded.

We explored working with a variety of trowels, shovels, watering cans, a hose and we formed hands on connections with the soil, discussing what plants need for growth and what our responsibilities are in supporting plant life. We observed the Trilliums, Trout Lilies, May Apples, Black Cohoshes, and many more woodland plants in their natural environments and marveled at their beauty and unique anatomy.

The children were very careful at measuring the required distances among the plants using sticks as measuring devices. It was inspiring to see all the learning emerging as the children formed theories through hands on exploration, shared their extensive previous knowledge and formed hypotheses about what will happen next in our garden as a consequence of weather, growth, time, and other systemic changes.

Hands on sciences and mathematics are present in nature, learning is joyful and engages all the children and educators in the group. Forming a strong emotional connection with plants is a joyful path to science, biology, math, technology, literacy, and emerging research ideas.

We were joyfully awaiting the word of the day in Anishinaabemowin; Dewe’igan shared the words Miishke Minis, Turtle Island with us. Dewe’igan shared the story of Sky Woman and the creation of Turtle Island with the group. The wonderful story connected us to the land, to the animals, the soil, to the plants, and lovingly supported our experiences of the day.

Dewe’igan reminded us of the work of Thomas King. Thomas King in his book, The Truth About Stories: A Native Narrative, shares his perspectives on the power of the origin stories we tell, and how narratives shape our cultures, communities, our relationships to the natural world, and most importantly our relationship to ourselves. A wonderful book to explore for adults to mirror our learning. Listen to Thomas King’s CBC Massey Hall lectures on the power of stories: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wzXQoZ6pE-M

If you have a surplus of plants that support Bees and Butterflies, we have a home for them.

E.M.