BriarPatch Childcare Cottage

We know caterpillars aren't very popular around these parts at the moment, but look at what's been happening at the BriarPatch!

Our little guys from just a couple weeks ago are already getting so big and mature, soon they'll be leaving home. 🥲 They grow up so fast.

May we interest you in some freshly-baked banana bread with your morning coffee?

This, and other freshly-baked snacks, are found regularly at The BriarPatch Childcare Cottage.

Always improving, always thinking, always creative. Our educators are always cognizant of the development and growth of all of our students.

Good afternoon BriarPatch Families. We are excited to share that we are in the final stretch of launching our BriarPatch Out of School Care Program. This program will support children in school, starting with Grade 1. OSC programming will include PD Days, November Break, Christmas Break, Spring Break and Summer Break.

The location will be our current BriarPatch Community Preschool space, located on the main floor - , 50 Brentwood Boulevard in Sherwood Park. Launch date will be end of August, before school starts. Bussing will be beside our building as well. If you have a child heading into Grade 1 in the Fall and haven't yet had a chance to secure OSC programming, do let us know. We have chosen 30 children as our maximum number but know that will take time to get to that number for this new program. For any littles who are starting Kindergarten in the Fall, they can remain here on site at the Cottage until they begin Grade 1. Bussing is also available here for those littles as they begin "big school."

Please share if you know of any families in our community who are searching for OSC or Kinder Care. For more information or to register, please email us at [email protected]. Thank you!

We'll be taking a look at some important reading skills over the next few weeks. Follow along to learn, or remember, some important skills for young readers.

Once young readers have the automaticity to recognize words quickly, their young minds can focus on understanding what they are reading.

Looking for something (free!) to do with the family this weekend? Here's some suggestions of events happening in our neighbourhood.

Plant the Three Sisters (corn, beans and squash) in the traditional way of working with the land. Chantelle Gray of Mâskwa Medicine will lead us in both ceremony and planting. Learn about companion gardening the Indigenous way, and find out more about the ARAS - Ardrossan Recreation & Agricultural Society Community Growing Patch. This is a hands-on program - come prepared to play in the dirt!

Kick off your weekend with a lively program filled with stories, songs and rhymes at Strathcona County Library. For ages birth - 5 with an adult, siblings of other ages welcome. Drop-in, no registration required.

Organized by the Strathcona County Diversity Committee, Strathcona County's Pride Flag raising will be at Volunteer Plaza, just outside the library.

Let's hope we finally see the sun this weekend. Have a good one!

Read any good books lately? We need some good road trip, summer-read suggestions.

Thank you to our neighbours, ATB Financial - Wye Road for allowing our childcare centre (BriarPatch Childcare Cottage) to have a table setup in their branch this June!

We'll be taking a look at some important reading skills over the next few weeks. Follow along to learn, or remember, some important skills for young readers.

Some would call comprehension the cornerstone of reading. Understanding meaning and connecting it to what we already know is an essential reading skill.