ESTEVAN - It was another year to remember for the Mary’s Little Lambs preschool in Estevan.
They had 51 children this school year who were three or four years old, and 26 of them will move onto kindergarten in 2022-23.
Mary Lawrence said this year was a big difference from the previous two, and while they still had to follow COVID-19 mandates, the situation was still improved.
A graduation ceremony was held on May 12. They had to shift it indoors because the weather didn’t co-operate, but it was still a good day. Their spring concert was coupled with the celebration.
“We had a program in the morning for our four-year-old morning class, and then the four-year-old afternoon class had the same program in the afternoon,” said Lawrence.
A typical day will see the children arrive in the morning and be greeted by instructor Patty Ksenych. Children get to enjoy individual toy boxes – a concept that started during COVID-19.
“Patty has them set out at their spots, their assigned spots, and so they start with that. Then once everybody’s here, she brings them over for what she calls her guitar time. Patty plays the guitar, and she teaches them little songs and chants, and they have, on the wall behind them, Mary’s Little Lambs preschool rhymes.”
Among other things, they learned the songs that they will perform for graduation.
Ksenych will also teach stories using their felt board.
“She has a couple of puppets that come out. There’s George the Mouse, he comes out and he usually gives the children hugs. And then they have a little prayer time where they pray for their grandmother or their mom or somebody. And they also have a French fuzzy bear puppet that comes out and they learn a few words in French and sing a French song.”
Students typically have at least two worksheets. One has them learning letters of the alphabet, including how the letter is shaped and words that might start with the letter. Or they might learn about numbers and how they’re drawn, or the days of the week. There is usually a colouring project involved.
An art project might also be involved.
A snack will be served, and parents arrive to pick up their children.
Lawrence noted this was their 25th graduating class, so they now have second-generation children attend the preschool. She also recalled that an adult who was part of an early graduating class approached Ksenych at the 麻豆传媒AVern Plains Co-op’s service station about fond memories of the preschool.
“Patty said it’s amazing what a bond the children have with the people that they’ve gone to school with, and she said it lasts right through high school lots of times. She thought it was because she starts the year off by teaching them some really good social skills, how to be a good friend and how to treat your friends.”
Ksenych makes a DVD with memories to treasure. It includes a compilation of pictures she has taken throughout the year, and Teresa Stovin applies music to the background. Lawrence said she has been told former preschool students will look back on the video even when they’re in high school.
She also puts up a list of where the children are attending kindergarten, so they can see if they will be joined by their friends.
“I think it also helps make that transition to kindergarten easier for the parents as well as the child, because Patty has taught in a lot of kindergarten classes or assisted in them, so she knows a lot of the kindergarten teachers, and she can also talk to the parents about who the kindergarten teacher … that her son or daughter might have for a class.”
