Preschool? Whaat? Where has the time gone?
My son is going to be three years old in just a few months. And to make things *worse he’s going to preschool in September which means he’s that much closer to starting ‘traditional’ school. Just when I thought I had the parenting game figured out it all changes. Again.
Currently, he’s enrolled in an excellent program at our hyper-local community centre and he’s very happy. Ultimately though, the most important thing is for my son to not only be happy but to thrive in the environment he is in.
Without anything to compare it to he seems to be getting all he needs. For the most part he looks forward to ‘daycare days’ and comes home happy and content. We have a great relationship with his teachers and they keep us informed as to how our son is doing. It feels good to know he’s with people who care.
Every parent will say this I know, but my child is exceptional is so many ways. He’s not even three and yet his ability to articulate his feelings and communicate in full, grammatically correct sentences is astounding to me. He sings on key and recites songs and books we read. He has entirely complete conversations with us and himself. It’s a joy to see but as I always do, I wonder if his experience could be better. Is it possible that he may be missing out on something? Is he reaching his maximum potential?
That leads me to tell you about a brand new preschool about to open in September that seems to be stepping out from the traditional model with the highest teacher to student ratio (1:5) in Vancouver. It has me seriously considering the alternatives in how to educate my son.
*Worse simply means I’m getting older and the time is going by so fast I can hardly believe it.
Little Sunshine Academy
Little Sunshine Academy is set to open its doors in Kerrisdale, Vancouver in September 2013. With elements of Montessori and Reggio Emilia and its one to five teacher to student ratio, it’s unique year-round curriculum naturally fosters a childs’ inquisitiveness, creativity and confidence.
‘At Little Sunshine Academy learning is a lifestyle. We encourage children’s natural inquisitiveness and creativity in a structured environment to enable exploration and free-thinking. This approach instills a love of knowledge, producing innovative, confident thinkers.
Children test their boundaries, express their emotions, exercise their gross and fine motor skills, interact, and learn through play. At Little Sunshine play is structured for optimal learning… language, analytical and creative skills. Combined with social and emotional learning, Little Sunshine will propel children towards academic and lifelong success.’
History of Little Sunshine Academy
“It’s not just about academic achievement, but a celebration of each individual child, the whole child,” says founder, Peggy Lee.
Talk to Peggy and you will see the passion she has. And if you ask her what prompted her to start on this laborious journey of opening a preschool, she would say to you, with whole hearted honesty: Fear. Fear not for her mortality, but fear for the opportunities being taken away from our children. Fear that they are growing up in this digital age immersed in communication, and yet losing the human connection. Fear that our popular culture is having more relevance to our children than the intangible qualities of compassion, honesty, and courage.
Individualized and Technology-Free Learning
Peggy believes in giving children a structured and nurturing environment, laying the foundational skills to propel them towards excellence. She believes in going back to a natural childhood without today’s distractions of TV, video games, and cell phones.
She also believes in the emergent negotiated curriculum. The teachers at Little Sunshine Academy are “researchers”, collaborating with the children to arrive at a curriculum that is highly individualized, guiding them towards excellence in both life and academics.
Little Sunshine Academy is Unique ~ Stay tuned for updates. Due to an overwhelming response the language programs are expanding.
What it makes Little Sunshine Academy even more unique is the option of Half-day Mandarin Immersion Preschool on Saturdays (this immersion program will follow the regular preschool format, but will be conducted exclusively in Mandarin).
Classes run 5 Days a Week
- Morning Class ~ 8am – Noon
- Afternoon Class ~ 1pm – 5pm
To find out how to start the interview process to register your child, and information on tuition, the teachers and curriculum please call or visit their website.
208 – 2031 West 41st Avenue
Vancouver, BC V6M 1Y7
604-263-3877
What kind of learning environment do your children excel in? Is technology a big part of it?
Thank you for reading.
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This is a sponsored post. I was paid to write it but the opinions are, as always, my own.
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