October 2025
Overall, September went well. We have had some germs floating around, some tears, lots of laughs and even more fun. It was the usual September start to the year for us!
There are items to update you on:
School Pictures are Wednesday and Thursday next week. Lists are posted on the white message board as a reminder of your child’s day. Please be sure to return the order forms prior to picture day.
The school is closed on Monday, October 13th for Thanksgiving.
We will be closed on Tuesday, November 11th, to observe Remembrance Day (for future reference). We are open all that week; however, most school districts are closed either 3 or 5 days that week.
Planning even further ahead for Christmas. The school will operate normal hours until Tuesday December 23rd,2025 then close for the holidays on December 24th, re-opening on Monday January 5th, 2026.
Please call or text if your child is sick so we can keep on top of illness. As a reminder, all children and staff need to stay out for a minimum of 48 hours once symptoms subside. If you are keeping 1 child home because they are ill, other siblings MUST stay at home too. This will help to reduce transmission and clear sickness up faster. We have done well in September and if we all work together, October will be even better!! It is imperative that the staff stay healthy because if we are in a position that too many staff are ill, we will be forced to close until we can meet staff:child ratios.
Speech professionals are beginning to come on a regular basis for the children on their caseload. If you are unsure of your child’s speech day, please ask and we will get that confirmed for you. I will be sending a confirmation text as soon as the days are set to give parents the day and time of services.
SD#76 aide for 2025-2026 is Dixie Onheliger
This is a hungry growing group of children. They are busy during the day both physically and mentally, so having a full, well-balanced lunch is key to a successful day. I will be posting lunch ideas shortly on Instagram.
Please keep the following in mind for lunches:
· Lunches are not refrigerated and need ice packs in them to keep food cold
· Everyone needs a zippered, labelled lunchbox. The Bento boxes do pop open from time to time, which means your child’s lunch is spilt onto the floor or table
· Label, label, label-water bottles, thermos, lunch kits etc. we can not return items or account for them if they are lost and unlabelled.
· No peanuts, cashews or pistachio products (may contain tree nuts are OK in granola bars, but no trail mixes with actual nuts)
· Cut up foods that are choking hazards: grapes, tomatoes, carrots, huge blueberries etc.
The kindergarten program is underway, and we have had a month to establish a routine and get accustomed to one another. We are starting to figure out a balance. This routine gets easier as the weather gets colder, and we are inside. We are moving along nicely!
Likewise, the toddlers are establishing a routine. Miss Danika and Miss Zilkie would like to encourage toddler drop-offs at the front door in October. One of them, or both (if necessary) will greet toddler parents at the front in the morning. They have observed that older siblings are having a more challenging time returning to their classrooms from ‘helping’ in the toddler room to settle siblings. At the end of the day, once we are inside more frequently, parents can come to the back to gather their children and talk to the teachers. This is something we did a few years ago and it started everyone’s day off on a successful note.
Our extra activities:
· Monday- Music for everyone 9:00am
· Tuesday-Social Thinkers (4–5-year-olds) 9:15-10:15am (2 groups)
· Thursday - SACA Kickboxing 9:15am (Leave the school at 9:00am)
All children need ONLY 1 pair of inside shoes for the classroom. It is important to have footwear that fits and is appropriate for inside. We discourage flip-flops, big-headed slippers, or clunky/heeled shoes because the children trip, slip or step on other toes or fingers and hurt one another (by accident). Please label them for easy identification. Changing footwear in the morning is an easy transition to the day as well as an independent skill that all these children do during the day (even toddlers) so please support and encourage your child to change their footwear in the morning.
Make sure your child has appropriate outdoor wear for the coming months. We plan to be outside as long as we can, and they need proper coats, hats and mittens for walks or playing in the playground. It is best to keep a pair of little (thin) mittens and a toque at school for the cooler days. Please label items. The girls may want to keep a pair of leggings at school for cooler days if they are wearing a dress or skirt and everyone may want a hoodie or sweater for cooler mornings in the school.
We appreciate the little girls in their dresses, but they need shorts underneath whether they are wearing underwear or pull-ups. This is for privacy and sanitary reasons. We have not been letting the girls swing on the climber unless they have shorts underneath that their dress can be somewhat tucked into.
If you are going to be having someone else pick up your child, please let a staff member know prior to them arriving. This makes it easier when your child is being picked up. We like to get to know your extended family, so they feel welcome when they arrive.
We are working on a plan for Halloween at the end of the month. Tentatively, we will pumpkin carve on Friday October 31st, and the children can wear their costumes that day. The toddlers will do pumpkin painting that morning (please send clothes for them to paint in so their costume stays clean and paint free). We will have a parent sign-up form up shortly for carving volunteers.
We are also working on field trips. Once they are confirmed then formal permission slips will be required to be filled out. If any parents have ideas or careers that allow field trips or be brought into the preschool, please pass along the information to any of the staff.
The preschool children will be taking home a folder each Friday with their art collections in it. Please return the folder the following Monday to be refilled with their wonderful creations.
October will also be started off with file updates. Each child will have their information profile sent home. If anything needs to be changed, such as address or emergency contacts then we need this information to be updated. All forms are due back October 18th.
I am sure there will be other additions as the month progresses. Please check Instagram to keep up to date with us.