ENRICHMENT
Why Should We Teach Our Children French?
Home Sweet Home has recently introduced French language lessons into our curriculum. We believe that learning French is an extremely valuable aspect to any child’s education. Here is why…
- We have the great fortune to live in a bilingual country; our two official languages are English and French. French is offered as a mandatory course in school nation-wide beginning in grade 4 up to grade 9. Many students begin their French education in grade four, and struggle to learn it proficiently throughout the following 6 years. As a result, the trend has been to not continue with French classes. Students then lose out on a life skill that has the potential to give them an advantage later in life.
- Exposure to French in pre-school can make the transition into conventional French class much easier. Students gain a solid foundation and familiarity with the language.
- In the traditional school environment, core French classes are not typically taught in an immersion-type setting. English is often the language of instruction. This can be confusing for students, allowing them a reliance on already established language patterns rather than compelling them to form new ones. Teaching French in French compels both teacher and student to communicate in French, reinforcing vocabulary, self-expression and sentence structure in the new language.
- Learning a new language can be challenging. If it is introduced early on in a child’s cognitive development, this skill is acquired more naturally and with greater ease. Before the age of 6, language is stored in a different part of the brain, where it can leave a permanent imprint similar to that of one’s mother tongue.
- Being bilingual opens doors for young Canadians. Being able to communicate in another language means a more flexible mind, the ability to travel and work abroad (and in Canada!) with greater ease, offers opportunity in careers that depend upon bilingualism. So many professions have room for advancement if one is bilingual: teachers, politicians, government, doctors, lawyers, artists, writers, public speaking, social work, engineers, researchers, actors, sales representatives, consultants…French is spoken all over the world, including North and South America, Africa and Europe.
- Language learning is fun! Children’s minds are hungry for new information. Finding out that there is more than one word for their favourite animal, or learning a familiar song in another language is mentally stimulating and highly interactive. Home Sweet Home’s approach to language instructionaspires to have your child excited and inspired by their new-found language skills.
If you have any questions about our French curriculum at Home Sweet Home, please call us at the school. We are happy to discuss any aspect of your child’s learning with you at any time.
Your support is invaluable to making this program a continuing success. Thank you for being such a wonderful part of the Home Sweet Home family.
Our trained and certified children’s yoga instructors are equipped with a specialized program directed for children aged 18months-10years old. Our students love engaging in this unique program which has them exercise self confidence, body control and inner peace, while working out their muscles and having plain old good fun!
Student’s learn how to properly plant flowers and vegetables and how to take care for each kind of plant in its own unique way. Together as a community they support the growth of their gardens. Our Students gain a love, appreciation and respect for mother nature and the fundamentals of whole food. Students are occasionally visited by guest instructor Mrs. Filomena, a close friend, well known community member, and recently retired owner/operator of Mayfield Garden Centre.
Children discover their self expression in our Music & Movement program through dance, equilibrium exercises, and the exposure to multiple instruments such as: Piano, Bells, String and Percussion.
HOME SWEET HOME: Supporting education through whole health
The educators at Home Sweet Home are as committed to your child’s complete education as you are. We aim to support learning by providing a healthy and natural environment for children to blossom within.
Below are some of the ways we have created for this kind of environment:
- Healthy meals and snacks
Home Sweet Home offers freshly made, from scratch meals that surpass the Canadian Food Guidelines. Meals include; fresh fruits and vegetables, whole grains, legumes, fresh meats and contain no added salt or sugar. We incorporate recipes and flavours that may be unfamiliar to some children in order to expand their palates and develop adventurous, healthy eaters!
Home Sweet Home offers organic and naturally grown produce whenever possible. We use the Santevia Ozone Food Sanitizer to disinfect our produce, ensuring all pesticide residues and bacteria are eliminated. Learn more at: http://www.santevia.mybigcommerce.com/ozone-food-sanitizer/
- Healthy eating habits are learned. Home Sweet Home strives to maintain clear and frequent communication with you, our parents, to build a cooperative relationship between school and home. We believe in providing you with reliable nutritional information that can pass from our table to yours. Watch for monthly nutrition newsletters on a wide range of relevant topics.
- Practicing good nutrition means giving you and your family the tools to create fabulous, healthy meals at home. Watch for the Recipe of the Month that will inspire the inner chef in you and your children!
- What we eat and drink can have a significant impact on our health. Water is the perfect beverage, but not all water is created equal. Tap water, while certainly safe, contains many potentially harmful additives that stop our bodies from being optimally hydrated and nourished. Providing the best in-house water filtration system is a priority at Home Sweet Home. We use the Santevia water filtration system. Santevia alkaline water is known to be the closest thing to a pure Mountain Spring. Learn more at http://www.santevia.com/
- Unfortunately, we live in a rather polluted world, which is why we are taking action to make Home Sweet Home as healthy and clean as possible. This includes providing a top of the line air filtration system, which not only offers clean air but also generates negative ions. Negative ions are charged molecules similar to what you would find beside a waterfall, on top of a mountain or while lying on a beach. The result of negative ions in the atmosphere is enhanced concentration. Research proves that children benefit most from an environment enriched with negative ions.
Our goal is to make Home Sweet Home a place where your children thrive. If you have any questions about the initiatives we are taking, please speak to Miss. Ashley or any of the other teachers directly. You can also email or call us any time.
Thank you for your continued support – we couldn’t do it without you!
Once a week, we like to do a baking activity with the children. We bake bread, cakes, and also non-baked goods such as smoothies, and granola bars. The children take turns helping with measuring, pouring, and mixing. We encourage hand washing before and after baking, to instill the habit of good hygiene. A lot of the Montessori elements in the classroom indirectly assist in baking. The Practical Life and Sensorial area coincide with smelling and touching the ingredients. Math is given practical application by way of measuring, naming the spices and ingredients expands Language, and discussing the recipe, ingredients and the places from which they originate enhances Culture. The best part of a baking activity is being able to eat our delicious creations afterwards!
At any age, all children begin to develop a love and understanding for virtues. The foundation of this program allows children to gain a true understanding for respect. Respect for their environment, their friends, teachers and most of all them selves. A classroom in a Montessori environment is not property of the teacher but of the student. Children understand that if mistreatment of materials is demonstrated with their activities and other articles in the environment their actions show up as consequences in their community.
For example: Our students realize the importance of tending care to their materials, for if it is broken other friends will not have the opportunity to learn from what the activity has to offer. If an accident occurs where something is broken our students seek out solutions on how to clean up (if necessary) and then how to help fix. Within the areas of Grace and Courtesy, our children are exposed to over 200 lessons which, to name a few, allow them to express gratitude, gentleness, care, honesty, cleanliness, consideration, cooperation and determination.
ECM is proud to be partnered with MUDO Academy to bring our students a full Taekwondo class experience within their regular weekly schedule. Feel free to check out their site for more information about this program! https://www.mudoacademy.ca/
ECM is partnered with the Gellert Community Centre to bring our students weekly swimming lessons integrated within their regular day schedule. Ask us more about this program!
ECM is partnered with Fit For Fun Kids! A circuit based fitness program for kids! Created by a certified Level Two Gymnastics Coach and an AMI Certified Sports Specialist this program is jammed with fun fitness skills, sports foundations and gymnastics. Ask us more about this program!
