A Typical Day at Creative Minds

(seasonal and COVID-19 changes apply)

Guidance

At Creative Minds, our guidance objective is to help children acquire the skills they need to resolve conflicts in socially acceptable ways, to the child’s own satisfaction and without loss of pride. We want to facilitate children’s self-control, self-confidence, and self-discipline. We actively encourage children to share their feelings, thoughts, and needs. Teachers employ strategies that support a caring community of learners. Word choice, well-planned activities and consistently kind actions support children to become the best they can be.

Learn more about Creative Minds Guidance Policies.

 Units of Inquiry

• Inquirers
• Knowledgeable
• Communicators
• Thinkers
• ​Caring​
• Principled
• Open-Minded
• Courageous
• Balanced
• Reflective

Our curriculum arises with the children’s interests.  In tandem, we prepare curriculum based on the 4 moon cycles of Autumn, Winter, Spring and Summer.  We explore many Northwest Coast indigenous practices and topics that pertain to the seasons using a wide variety of books to support our learning.  Within this stream we develop “inquiries” that coincide with the changing moon cycles and Indigenous topics.  We focus on key concepts, directed by a guiding statement which is posted on our “inquiry” wall.  Inquiries begin with an exploration of what the children already know.  Next, the children generate questions and then these are answered as the process of the inquiry unfolds.

Literature and Learning

A Literature-inspired approach to learning is one of the pillars of the program. As children investigate a book’s themes, topics, characters and settings, they come to know themselves and the world in which they live. Books can support children’s developing language that often leads to a sense of empathy and the ability to describe their emotions. The repeated exposure to story helps children share what they are learning, thinking and wondering about with others. Storying helps shape our lives and brings us closer toward understanding multiple perspectives and is an enjoyable part of the learning process.

Outdoor Play and Pacific Spirit Park

Children play outside, rain or shine, and have access to an undercover area, the playground, and the gym (in the afternoons). We play in the forest each morning.

Please make sure your child has:

• a raincoat
• rain boots
• warm weather gear
• waterproof hat
• extra clothes (since puddles are so much fun!)

 Song Study

Song Study is based on the belief that singing, in the form of social play, enhances children’s learning and provides a context for attaining respectful, attentive, social behaviours.

Song Study is deceptively simple. It rests on the knowledge that the music of certain songs flow in confluence with spoken English. By learning songs such as “The More we Get Together” and “Circle Left, Duo Duo”, the children are given an acoustic ‘mantra’ which, when accompanied by the social play of the folk song-game, establishes an architecture of oral English and a social structure for contextualizing the meaning of the words.

Repeating the songs and games over time, while at the same time re-directing the auditory focus of the players and diversifying the focus of the games, provides the oral language structure for children for moving from sound to symbol, both iconic and written. Singing uses a different brain function and children with language delays often find singing enjoyable.

Assessment

Careful and appropriate assessments of children’s abilities are completed on an ongoing basis. Assessment and evaluation takes place with the belief that children progress at their own rate and sequence. With parental permission we will take the proper steps if other professionals need to be contacted to help determine if an exhibited behaviour is in need of extended support.

“The variety of educational and fun activities at Creative Minds is great – but what I like best is the nurturing and constant attention the kids receive from the staff. They are greeted with smiles every day. I credit them with teaching my child social skills and preparing her for kindergarten. Their program introduces children to a vast array of knowledge through fun, games and interactive events. It is the best learning facility for early childhood development.”

– Creative Minds Parent