A Month of Meaningful Connections, Fall Adventures & Learning Through Play!

What a wonderful and busy month it has been in the Eagles room! Our days have been filled with laughter, creativity, exploration, and meaningful learning experiences. From recognizing Orange Shirt Day and exploring the Seven Grandfather Teachings to harvesting our community garden, cooking delicious treats, and discovering the beauty of fall, the Eagles have been busy learning, growing, and making memories together!

Here's a little peek at some of our favourite moments from the past month!

 Orange Shirt Day – Every Child Matters

Orange Shirt Day provided our Eagles with a meaningful opportunity to begin learning about kindness, belonging, respect, and the importance of remembering the past.

We began our morning with smudging and reading The Orange Shirt Story by Phyllis Webstad. Together, we explored feelings through gentle, age-appropriate conversations. We talked about how it might feel to lose a favourite toy or to be away from the grown-ups we love.

The children shared thoughtful responses, expressing that they would feel sad if they lost something special or missed their families. These conversations encouraged empathy and helped the children begin to understand the importance of feeling safe, loved, and connected.

Later, we visited a neighbourhood park, where the children tied memory ribbons in remembrance of the children who never returned home from residential schools.

These meaningful experiences help lay the foundation for understanding empathy, fairness, inclusion, and respect for others. By introducing these important conversations in ways young children can understand, we are helping nurture a generation of compassionate and thoughtful individuals who recognize that Every Child Matters.

Growing Together Through the Seven Grandfather Teachings

Our gathering times continue to be some of our favourite moments together! Through music, dancing, felt stories, songs, and cultural storytelling, the Eagles are learning to listen, participate, express themselves, and connect with one another.

One of our favourite experiences this month has been exploring the Seven Grandfather Teachings using stuffed animals. The children love meeting the animals associated with each teaching and interacting with them as we explore important values such as love, respect, courage, honesty, wisdom, humility, and truth.

Having hands-on props brings these teachings to life, making the learning meaningful, interactive, and engaging for our young Eagles.

We have also been learning the Seven Teachings Song, written and introduced by Elder Grandmother Tree during Forest School. Through music and repetition, the children are becoming familiar with the animals and the special teachings they represent.

It has been wonderful to see the children's excitement as they recognize the animals, participate in the songs, and begin making connections between the teachings and their everyday experiences.

 From Garden to Table – Our Final Harvest!

Our Eagles made one final visit to the community garden to gather the last of the vegetables we planted and cared for throughout the summer.

And what a harvest it was! The children were amazed to discover how much had grown and how many vegetables were still waiting to be picked! Together, we harvested tomatoes, cabbage, green onions, shallots, and parsley. Little hands were busy picking, collecting, and helping clear the garden beds as we prepared them for the winter months. Back at the centre, the learning continued as the children helped sort our freshly harvested vegetables and package them into smaller bags to share.This experience was a wonderful opportunity to explore where our food comes from, the changing seasons, teamwork, and the importance of caring for our environment.

Throughout the summer, the children watched their garden grow, and now they were able to experience the excitement and satisfaction of harvesting the food they helped nurture.

There is something extra special about enjoying food that you helped grow yourself!

  Little Chefs, Big Learning!

If there is one thing our Eagles love, it's getting busy in the kitchen!

This month, our little chefs have been measuring, mixing, chopping, pouring, and tasting their way through some delicious recipes.

Some of our favourites included:

• Berry oat bars

• Baked oatmeal squares

• Banana date granola bars

• Homemade granola

• Cinnamon loaf

• Hong Kong-style borscht

One of our most exciting cooking adventures was preparing Hong Kong-style borscht using some of the vegetables from our very own garden harvest!

The children were eager to help wash, prepare, and chop the vegetables. With educator guidance, they explored using child-safe knives and vegetable peelers while learning important kitchen safety skills.Some children focused on carefully cutting vegetables, practising patience, coordination, and keeping their fingers safely positioned. Others were ready for the added challenge of using a vegetable peeler, learning how to hold and guide it safely. Once everything was prepared, our soup went into the Instant Pot and was ready just in time for snack! For many children, this was an opportunity to experience new flavours and textures. Some discovered a new favourite, while others proudly gave something unfamiliar a try. Cooking together offers so much more than a tasty snack! It builds independence, confidence, fine motor skills, early math concepts, problem-solving, and a willingness to explore new experiences.

Our Eagles are becoming quite the little chefs!

 The Eagles Are Making a Difference!

This past month, the Eagles participated in a community clean-up! This meaningful experience helped the children learn about caring for our Earth, keeping our neighbourhood clean, and being responsible members of our community.

The clean-up also sparked wonderful conversations about how we can care for our surroundings, including our homes, daycare, and neighbourhood. The children explored the importance of recycling, putting garbage in its proper place, and working together to keep our environment clean.

Through this hands-on experience, the Eagles discovered that even small actions can make a big difference. We are proud of their efforts to help make our local community a cleaner, happier place for everyone!

 Looking Ahead – More Fall Fun!

It's hard to believe how quickly this month has flown by! We have shared so many wonderful experiences, and we are excited for all the adventures still to come.

 Halloween Celebration – Friday, October 30

Get ready for a little spooky fun! Our Eagles will be celebrating Halloween on October 30!

Children are welcome to wear their favourite costumes, a fun Halloween shirt, or whatever makes them feel comfortable. Dressing up is completely optional. We want everyone to feel included and enjoy the celebration in their own way!

 Remembrance Day

As Remembrance Day approaches, we will be having gentle, age-appropriate conversations about peace, kindness, and remembering those who have served.

The Eagles will also be creating something special to share with our local Legion as a thoughtful gesture of remembrance and appreciation.

 Dressing for Fall Adventures

The mornings are getting cooler, but that won't stop our Eagles from enjoying the outdoors!

As the weather changes, please remember to send a warmer jacket, hat, and mittens to help keep your child cozy and comfortable during our outdoor adventures.

We also ask that families ensure their child has extra clothing and socks at the centre. Rainy walks, puddle jumping, and messy outdoor discoveries are all part of the fun, and having dry clothes available makes a big difference!

 Until Next Month!

What a beautiful month of learning, laughter, friendship, and discovery!

From meaningful gatherings and cultural learning to garden harvests, kitchen adventures, and exploring the changing seasons, every experience has offered our Eagles opportunities to explore, connect, and grow. We are so proud of the curiosity, kindness, independence, and enthusiasm the children bring to our room each day.Thank you, Eagles families, for being part of our learning journey and for sharing your wonderful children with us. Here's to another month of big discoveries, little adventures, and wonderful memories together!