Aleda Patterson School

How do we begin the journey of Reconciliation with our youngest learners? We believe it starts with genuine relationships. 💛

Today, our Kindergarteners visited ᐄᓃᐤ (ÎNÎW) River Lot 11∞ Indigenous Art Park to listen to the stories of the land. For five-year-olds, honouring Treaty 6 Territory can be about a handful of peanuts and a quiet moment of reciprocity with the squirrels.

By making these offerings, children move beyond the performative, and into a deep, developmentally, appropriate understanding of what it means to be a Treaty person. We teach that an offering is a conversation, which is why our children are guided to be mindful, ensuring what we give is safe for the wildlife and respectful of the ecosystem.

It is through the small, intentional, and play inspired acts of care that foundational knowledge takes root.

Today, the children listened closely to the earth. 🌎

In the hush of a gloomy day, in the gentle threads of connection between friends, in the quiet work of small hands and wondering minds, stories unfolded. Not rushed, not directed, simply discovered.

On this Earth Day, we hold space for these gentle encounters. For the relationships children form with land, with time, with the living world around them. This is where care begins.💛

We document to preserve and to notice more deeply, to honour the hundred languages of children, and the quiet poetry of the earth.

“Look at that spot there.
There’s spots everywhere.”

The mirror is a powerful research tool, allowing children to see themselves as the protagonists of their own stories. This week, the Scribble Spot invited a beautiful moment of self-reflection. When we look in the mirror, what spots of emotion do we see?

By identifying spots everywhere, our mighty learners are practicing the vital skill of emotional awareness; learning that our feelings are a vibrant, visible part of who we are and how we see the world.

Exploring ᐄᓃᐤ (ÎNÎW) River Lot 11∞ Indigenous Art Park was a deep breath of connection, storytelling, and respect.

In our Reggio inspired community, we believe the environment is the third teacher. Guided by our nature teacher, the children listened to the land, and the voices of the artist who have shared their stories through these incredible installations.

As they moved through the park, they focused on:
💛observing how the art interacts with the natural elements of the River Valley
💛finding joy and curiosity in the textures, shapes, and stories of the sculptures
💛honouring the ancestors and the living culture of this place

We recognize that we live, love, learn, and play on Treaty 6 Territory, the traditional meeting grounds and home for many Indigenous Peoples, including the Cree, Anishinabe, Niitsitapi, Metis, Dene, and Nakota Sioux.

Reconciliation begins in the early years. By bringing our youngest citizens to this sacred space, we are fostering a lifelong relationship of stewardship and respect for the land and its original caretakers. We acknowledge the history and commit to a future of walking together in a good way.🧡

Cold hands, warm, hearts, and one million tiny diamonds.✨

Aleda‘s Bees are busy exploring the language of ice, using their whole bodies to hoist frozen giants up toward the Spring sun. They felt the weight, the sting of the cold, and the way the light danced through the translucent sheets.

Then came the music, the sharp crack and shattered as the ice melt the ground.

In our world, a broken block of ice isn’t a catastrophe; it is a brand new invitation to explore. We observed as our young researchers pivoted from lifting to archaeology, carefully sorting through the shimmering shards to find the clearest slivers and smoothest edges.

It’s a beautiful reminder that the most complex toys aren’t found in a box, they are provided by Mother Earth, waiting to be discovered, tested, and transformed.

While all Edmontonians are daydreaming of green grass and budding leaves, our mighty and capable children are busy showing that nature is a masterpiece in every season. Even the seasons that overstay their welcome!

We invite you to notice the quiet magic in the way watercolour bleeds into snow and settles into the rings of a tree cookie.

In our outdoor classroom, we offer an idea rather than a plan. When adults step back and provide the tools (watercolours, paintbrushes, snowy canvases) without a rigid end product in mind, something transformative happens.

The children stop looking to adults for a right way to create and start looking inward. By prioritizing their own inquiries over adult lead instructions, they learn to:
✨trust their instincts
✨value their unique perspectives
✨see possibilities

Spring will get here when it’s ready. Until then, we’ll be out here following the lead of our smallest, most resilient mark makers. 💛🐝

“Encouraging a child to go outside in all weather builds resilience, but more importantly it saves them from spending their life merely tolerating the ‘bad’ days in favour of a handful of good ones; a life of endless expectations and conditions were happiness hinges on sunshine.”

In Edmonton, if we waited for the ‘perfect’ day, we’d miss half the magic of childhood. Today, our outdoor classroom was a lesson in joy without conditions.

From the views from the tire swing to the grind of the climb, these explorers aren’t just tolerating the return of winter…they’re owning it. ❄️

Why walk around the puddles when you can investigate what’s inside or collaborate with friends on how to navigate the high seas?

This week‘s been all about engineering with loose parts, testing theories about how the world works, and the pure joy of being a child in nature.

We are grateful for the space to learn on and from beautiful Treaty 6 land.

Parents, please keep those extra socks and dry layers coming!

On March 11th we celebrated 100 days of curiosity, wonder, and joy through our children’s eyes💛🐝

“The child has 100 languages, 100 hands, 100 thoughts…” Loris Malaguzzi

Following provocations in the Fine Arts Studio about Lunar New Year, we watched as the children’s learning spilled over into their self-directed exploration. Without a formal prompt, they returned to the textiles, translating cultural symbols into a living, breathing dragon.

Spontaneous transfer of ideas shows the depth of their connection to their learning, using their own initiative to weave together texture, movement, and collective memory.

Our mosaic of Community

Art is a communal gift. Learning and creating are meant to be passed from hand to hand.

We are so grateful for our time with 💛