Story time with Brianne

Hello,

For this month's blog I thought I'd give the children a chance to use their imagination and build a story of their own.

Here it is: 

Once upon a time there was a girl named Anna. One afternoon Anna decided she wanted to go for a walk in the forest. On her walk she found a beautiful unicorn named Samantha. Anna and Samantha the unicorn both started walking together, when all of a sudden Anna bumps into a girl named Chloe. "OUCH!" said Chloe and she fell on her head. Anna said "sorry" and they both became friends and started on their journey through the forest. On their walk they started to hear something in the sky. It was an airplane!

A pilot named Matthew flew over the forest and spotted a monster heading straight for a group of people. That's when Matthew lands the plane straight onto the monster, not knowing that the monster was actually a boy named Myles. Myles then picks up the plane with his super strength powers and throws the plane into the trees. Myles shouts "I'M NOT A MONSTER!" "Sorry!"says Matthew and they all become friends.

Now that everyone is together they decided to throw a party.  They invite Jakota, Keira and Shreya. Keira baked a beautiful unicorn cake and brought it to the party. Samantha the unicorn saw the cake and gobbled it all up! Samantha got a tummy ache because unicorns don't eat cake. 

Then everyone said "Silly unicorn.... cake is for kids."

I hope you liked the story,

Thanks for reading!

Yours truly,
Brianne

Family Fun Night

Hello OSC families,

It’s hard to believe that we have just wrapped up the holiday season, and yet another year. It feels just like yesterday that we were entering 2018, ready to tackle another year of adventure, and now here we are again. I‘ve enjoyed looking back on the year, and remembering all that was completed, experienced, and explored in our program.

It was just over a month ago, that we had our Family Fun Night at West Richmond. This event has taken place annually, for a few years now, and has been a great way for the staff in both our JR and SR programs, to get together with our amazing families, and celebrate the holiday season.

It’s always exciting being able to spend time with the children and their families outside of program hours. It was definitely a great evening, full of fun and challenging games, holiday crafts, and yummy snacks.

I really enjoyed this event, so thank you to all the families who joined us for it. I wish you all the best in the year ahead, and hope you’re ready for all it has in-store!



Erin

Our Fall season by Ericka

Hello OSC Families,

My name is Ericka, and I just started working at OSC Program this School Year! I’ve volunteered at West Richmond Summer Program when I was in High School, 4 years ago. I’m so glad to be back in this Community as part of the OSC staff team! It has always been a wonderful experience for me, working with children and being surrounded by people who share the same passion with me. Working at OSC always excites me and gives joy to my day! So let me share you some highlights of OSC this month.

November was a high peak of Fall, so the children spent the few dry days outside, before the snowy and cold season! We did some fun scavenger hunts around the park and of course the usual favorite, Ball tag!

The children also enjoyed making some sweet treats as they make their own Do It Yourself Caramelized Apples! They definitely enjoyed enjoying these sweet treats!

A lot more of fun and and exciting days are coming up as we approach the Winter season and we can’t wait to share all of them with you!

Ericka

Belated Happy Halloween!

 Hello OSC Families, 

I hope you all had a wonderful and safe Halloween! The month of October has flown by and I can’t believe another Halloween has come and gone in the blink of an eye. This past week has been filled with fun festivities such as pumpkin carvings, reading spooky Halloween themed books, and eating lots of sweets! Our week began with our Sr OSC program joining us in an afternoon filled with pumpkins guts and oh so spooky jack-o-lanterns! It is always so amazing to see both our Junior and Senior Program collaborate with one another in fun activities such as this. 

Our room was filled with so many amazing costumes on Halloween day such as unicorns, ninjas, witches and so much more! Our staff embraced the Halloween spirit with this years theme of Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Pearlena was Doc, Kevin was Sleepy, Dustin was Snow White which got quite the reaction from many kids, Zach was Sneezy, Nicola was Dopey, Ericka was Bashful, Erin was Grumpy and Brianne was Happy. I hope everyone had a great time trick-or-treating! Until next time!

Cheers,

Sarah A

All About Erin

Hello OSC Families,

I would like to take this opportunity to share a little bit about myself, and what it is that I love so much about working in the Out of School program. First off, my name is Erin Waterman and this is my fourth year working in the OSC program. I joined the West Richmond family in my first year out of high school, and I could not be more happy that I did.

There is something so special about watching children grow and develop over the years that they are with us. Most children who join us when they are in kindergarten start off a little shy and hesitant to try new things. It’s amazing how quickly they gain confidence in themselves, and an understanding of their likes and dislikes.

All Being able to to be apart of a child’s development, and help them learn new skills, and overcome challenges is incredibly rewarding. I have enjoyed getting to know the children individually over the years, as they all have so much to offer the world. Their individuality, quirks, and creativity continue to amaze me everyday. I look forward to many more enjoyable experiences with the wonderful children who attend our program!


Erin

Friday Yoga

Hello OSC families,

Afternoons here at Jr OSC can often get a little crazy, and especially when it’s a Friday. It’s always fun to change it up and bring in a new activity, which is why I have recently begun leading yoga on Friday afternoons. I was nervous at first to try something new with the kids but they ended up really enjoying our afternoon meditation sessions.

A couple different activities have been incorporated into our relaxation time, which include stretching, deep breathing exercises, different yoga poses, massage circles, and show and tell, where the kids take turns showing the rest of the group a new pose, stretch, or skill. As a group we have spoken about how we can use these exercises in our everyday lives, when we feel frustrated, upset, or stressed. The kids have enjoyed creating a happy place in their minds where they can go when they are feeling these emotions.

Valentina: My favourite part of yoga is the part where we do show and tell.

Lily: That is also my favourite part.

Evani: My favourite part is the massage train.

I have really enjoyed seeing the kids support one another and help each other learn new skills. The children in Grades 1 and 2 have done a great job of looking out for their younger friends, whether it be learning to do a somersault, get into a pose, or staying balanced.

I’m looking forward to our next yoga session!


Erin

Fluffly Unicorn Slime Frenzy!!

This art led by leader Mackenzie was a huge hit with the kids this week so here’s the recipe for fluffy unicorn slime:

Ingredients:

2/3 cup of Elmer’s white glue

1 tsp baking soda

1/4 cup water

2-3 cups of shaving cream

1.5 tbsp contact solution (1 tbsp in mix, ½ tbsp. for kneading)

Food Coloring

Directions:

1. Add glue to bowl
2. Add water & baking soda, mix together
3. Add shaving cream and mix till it is blended in
4. Add food coloring and mix again
5. Slowly add contact solution and knead with hands

The final product can be very sticky, but the more you play with it the more it will stay together. To save it, you can put it in a plastic sealable bag and save it for later!

 

Enjoy!

Pearlena