Happy New Year! It’s time to kick off 2021 by highlighting even more members of our incredible Clover School team with our first Teacher Tuesday of this new year! This week, we will be exploring…drumroll please…..our amazing Toddler Oak Class!
The Oak Class is home to a dynamic duo of educators known to their students (their beloved “Oaklings”) as Ms. Lo and Ms. Sophia. We are so excited for you to learn more about this amazing team and for you to get a glimpse into all the exciting things happening in their classroom!
Ms. Lo is new to our team but her transition has been so seamless, it’s hard to believe she hasn’t been with us for longer. She loves the welcoming environment and the strong sense of community she has experienced while at The Clover School. Ms. Lo went to the University of Ottawa and graduated with an honours Bachelor of Arts degree, with a major in Second-Language Teaching and a minor in Spanish. She attended the Newborough Teacher Training Institute, where she was trained in Early Childhood Montessori Education. She brings a wealth of knowledge and experience to the role of head teacher in our Toddler Program. Ms. Lo’s sweet nature and calm demeanour shine through in all that she does. The Oak Class is a peaceful and inspiring space where her Oaklings are able to learn, play, and grow.
During her free time, Ms. Lo loves to read and enjoys doing puzzles (which are both amazing ways to keep busy throughout the stay-at-home orders). She also loves to stay active through bouldering and practicing yoga. For those who are unsure what bouldering is, it is a form of free climbing that is performed on small rock formations or artificial rock walls without the use of ropes or harnesses. Ms. Lo is a music lover who appreciates, listens to, and loves all different genres and artists. Her favourite cuisine is Japanese, and she is a coffee enthusiast! She currently doesn’t have any pets but is an animal lover who dreams of getting a dog one day.
The other half of this dream team is Ms. Sophia. Ms. Sophia joined our Clover family at the beginning of this school year in the role of Oak classroom assistant. She is beloved by her students, which is evident by how their eyes light up and their faces break into a huge smile when she greets them at the front door each morning. Ms. Sophia has a Social Service Worker diploma from Georgian College, a diploma in Early Childhood Education from Centennial College, and she is currently enrolled in a bridging program with Seneca College working towards an honours bachelor’s degree in Child Development.
When Ms. Sophia isn’t doting on her darling little Oaklings, she loves to spend time with her family, listen to music, dance, and exercise. She is eager and excited for when gyms are able to safely re-open. Her favourite cuisine is Italian and her favourite meal is pasta. She unwinds by watching her favourite television shows. She absolutely loves reality tv! Her favourite sport is basketball and she is a big fan of the Toronto Raptors!
The Oak Class students are always busy as bees – their days are filled with laughter and learning. They love to follow their daily classroom routine and they can always tell Ms. Lo and Ms. Sophia what is coming up next on their schedule. With each day that passes, the Oaklings become more and more independent. They enjoy assisting in cleaning up after lunch and snack, and are able to scrape their own bowls after their meals and put their used dishes in the bin to be washed.
In the classroom, the children love all activities that have to do with shapes, colours, and animals, and they enjoy the practical life area of their classroom where they can practice their pouring skills. They absolutely love music! Oftentimes, when you walk by their classroom, you can see them having a dance party! Circle time and story time are cherished times of the day for the Oaklings.
The classroom theme for the month of January was winter. The students loved getting outdoors to play in the snow at recess and going on walks in the community. Their classroom discussions about the winter weather included language lessons related to winter clothing, and they were able to build their independence by trying to get dressed in their seasonal apparel all on their own! A big hit in the month of January was the melted snowman gluing craft – the Oaklings all loved it!
For the month of February, the themes they will be focusing on are family, friends, and kindness. They will be learning more about shapes – including hearts – especially for the “month of love”. The Oaklings love doing art, so we can expect some amazing crafts coming up this month!
We hope you enjoyed your glimpse into the wonderful world of our Oak Class. Check back next week, as we introduce you to our Urban Farming Specialist, Ms. Vesna Bosnar, and our Outdoor Education and French Specialist, Mme. Alejandra Aguilera.