Culture

A collage of children playing bells alongside Adriana and playing ukeleles

Family Day Event!

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In celebration of Family Day, the families of Simcoe Place were invited to an exciting music class with Adriana! The children were able to proudly showcase their musical talents with songs and instruments, demonstrating their lovely singing voices, as well as playing the ukulele and Montessori bells. In celebrating family, we were able to express the love, devotion and happiness that we share each day at our school and in our Casa program! (Please click for more information).

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A collage of a child exploring a whole pineapple, a slice, and tasting it

Taste Testing for Lunar New Year!

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To celebrate the Lunar New Year, we explored a lucky fruit – pineapple! The children were invited to touch and explore the pineapple. Then we removed the skin, cut it into pieces, and tasted the sweet fruit. These types of sensorial activities give us a chance to come together and build social skills such as parallel play and taking turns, as well as enrich language, fine motor development, and tactile discrimination. (Please click for full photos and information.)

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A collage of children scooping red rice from bowl to bowl, children parading in a dragon costume, and a child exploring velcro sushi

Lunar New Year!

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This is the year of the dragon! The Casa children paraded around the school and our classroom with a drum and musical instruments. We also engaged in activities inspired by the new year. We recognized the Lunar new year celebration, did art and sensory activities, and listened to traditional music. (Please click for full photos.)

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A collage of children placing coloured pony beads inside metal cookie cutters and spining a dreidel

Holiday Fun

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Please click view to see videos of children spinning a dreidel and making 3D pony bead art, as well as full photos and more information about the holidays they explored and the fun they had!

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A collage of children lighting/snuffing menorahs with a teacher, working with a menorah and laatke set, and doing superimposition of shapes onto a menorah outline

Hanukkah

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We learned how to play the Dreidel game and what each Hebrew symbol represents. We read stories and learned about the traditions, foods, and meanings involved. We used the shamash (middle candle) on our menorah to light one candle on each of the 8 days of Hanukkah. (Please click for full photos and more information.)

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A collage of children placing items on the medicine wheel and children tapping on an indigenous drum

National Indigenous History Month

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In honour of this special month, the children have been learning about the Anishnaabe Medicine Wheel and its symbolism. Learning about the medicine wheel helps young children understand the cycles and balance of life, the Earth, seasons, and time. We also enjoyed playing rhythms on our Indigenous drum together. Please click to find out what the items on the medicine wheel represent and for more photos!

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Rock Cycle and Fossil Excavation

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We learned how fossils are made over thousands of years through the same pressure and time it takes as the rock cycle. We used a fossil digging kit to carefully uncover and dust off 15 different types of fossils such as shark teeth and coral. (Please click for the full information and photos.)

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A collage of children celebrating the Lunar New Year

Lunar New Year Celebration

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The Under 3 class celebrated the Year of the Rabbit by painting with chopsticks, dressing in traditional clothing from East Asia, and having both Casa classes parade through our class. We read books about the Lunar New Year and practiced saying “Kung Hei Fat Choy!” (Please click for more information and the full photos.)

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A family holding their heart art

Family Day Celebration

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The children enjoyed having a snack with their families and making heart-themed crafts. It’s so wonderful getting to spend time with our DTMS families and building a sense of community while promoting parent involvement in our programs. (Please click for more information.)

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Children making and presenting valentine art

Valentine’s Day!

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In honour of Valentine’s Day, we participated in process-oriented valentine art. We took turns pulling names from a hat, then set to work to craft a one-of-a-kind valentine. We presented each other with our special gift on Valentine’s Day during our sharing circle. The children looked proud and pleased to both give and receive these keepsakes. (Please click for full photos.)

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