The Dialogue Circles

“You can’t use up creativity; the more you use, the more you have.” ~Maya Angelou

Learning with our minds, hearts and hands, from the classroom and into an art studio for our Pro D Day today. We played together and it was a wonderful way to connect with each other.

We are grateful for the professional development opportunities integrated into our work, embodying the image of educators committed to continuous learning and growth. To extend this ethos across the early years field, we must address the challenge of ECEs dedicating weekends to professional learning. By advocating for accessible weekday training, incentivizing employer-supported development, and fostering a culture of lifelong learning, we can influence and catalyze systemic change, ensuring all early childhood educators have equitable access to ongoing growth opportunities.

New!!!!!
Come join a variety of educators from different sectors of the field as they discuss their experience and build community together.
This invitation is an ode to the stories that shape us, our work and ignite the spark of connections among educators. We invite you to join in the conversation in this 4- part series of discussions designed to unravel the tapestry of diverse voices. We understand that the heartbeat of the early childhood and learning is the unique experiences, challenges and triumphs of the educators doing the work. Come celebrate the rich experiences that unite us and let your voice be a beacon of inspiration!

This event consists of 4 separate meetings, 3 on zoom and one in person on a Saturday. Each meeting will have speakers that will speak to a different aspect of Early Childhood Education offer questions or statements to engage discussion.

Professional Development Certificates will be offered

Dates, times and speakers

Zoom: Thursday, February 29, 7:00- 8: 30 pm, Sharon Gregson and Ann Silberman

Zoom: Tuesday, March 26, 7:00- 8: 30 pm, Kaila Papalia and Ilam Muralidharan and Ashleigh Davies

Zoom: Thursday, April 25, 2024, 7:00- 8: 30 pm, Misty Paterson, Janice Novakowski and Annie Simard

IN PERSON (Location TBA) Saturday, May 11, 10:00 am – 12:00 pm, Daniel Lindskog-Wilson and Greg Wilcox

Registration link or QR code in flyer!
See you there!

There is always something happening in the kitchen area, and without fail, I experience children’s sense of belonging, ownership and knowledge every time. It starts with being offered some sort of tea followed by food, and more tea….
But you always have to prepared for more: ⚖️, play dough, more foods and a dialogue around “weighing 100”.

Wanted to share this wonderful exhibit happening now at the Art Gallery: Rooted Here: Woven from the Land celebrating the work of four prominent local Salish weavers: qʷənat, Angela George (səlilwətaɬ/Tsleil-Waututh); Chepximiya Siyam’ Chief Janice George (Sḵwx̱wú7mesh/Squamish); Skwetsimeltxw Willard “Buddy” Joseph (Sḵwx̱wú7mesh/Squamish); and Qwasen, Debra Sparrow (xʷməθkʷəy̓əm/Musqueam).

Meet blue! There’s a beautiful rhythm to children’s process – a dance of curiosity and discoveries. For a few weeks now, our group of children took time working with blue.
This unhurried engagement allowed for a deep connection with concepts, and a sense of wonder.
But time did not always feel like it was flowing. Taking time with blue, opened our hearts to feeling both stuck and in flow with the color blue. Blue, it seemed, served as a silent companion in the reflective process and feeling stuck eventually transformed into a state of creative flow. How do you embrace the stillness when ideas seem elusive?

Happy Friday! May you all find time to be out in nature reconnecting to wonder of trees 🌲

Play dough is such a flexible material; it can moulded, rolled, squished and it can represent so many things. We made a fresh batch and the children decided to colour it, we gave them each their own ball of play dough and food colouring. After making their own colour, we rolled them all together and voila, these beautiful offerings were created.

Our story continued today using the beautiful peg dolls made by . It was about a “Mama and babies”, and food and being together. The play effortlessly moved from the light table to our dramatic play area where we all assumed our roles; we both became “mama’s” and helped care for our “babies”.

“Perhaps play would be more respected if we called it something like “self-motivated practice of life skills,” but that would remove the lightheartedness from it and thereby reduce its effectiveness. So we are stuck with the paradox. We must accept play’s triviality in order to realize its profundity.”

~ Dr. Peter Gray

The story telling continued today as D set her family up in various areas on the light table. S joined the play and put her family under a blanket for story time 🥰

“Play is often talked about as if it were a relief from serious learning. But for children, play is serious learning” — Fred Rogers.

For children learning language happens naturally through interactions; between peers, with their educators, with the environment and with the materials.

Story telling has become a critical part of engaging with materials, even when there is limited language. In these pictures O was quietly playing with the peg dolls, when I sat with her she looked up pointed to one and said, “Mama” with a big smile on her face. She proceeded to “name” everyone in her family, she could not elaborate more but still, she was sharing a story with me ♥️

Observing children’s play, we are reminded of being inventive, engaged, delighted and determined! It is always a good day when we end with a full table.