Inspiring Minds Early Learning Centre
1129 Henry Street N0B 2T0 Wellesley, ON, Canada

Extra kits available until 2pm at the Wellesley library

With ever Provincial announcement, there is a teeny tiny hope that early learning and child care will be recognized for our essential contribution during this pandemic. Admittedly, there would also be a feeling of shock if that actually happened! It's time for all essential workers to be vaccinated, including the dedicated professionals in the early learning sector.

Our phone lines are down. Please email us today instead of calling. We will keep you posted when our phone lines become available.

Inspiring Minds Forest and Nature School is researching ways we can share our knowledge and passion for outdoor learning with the Wellesley community. One way we are considering is offering mini-sessions for families to participate together, when it is safe to do so. Please take about 5 minutes to complete this survey. Your honest response is very much appreciated!

With the Ministry of Education decision to extend the in school closure, Inspiring Minds is looking at offering emergency child care for those who meet the criteria. Should we be approved, we will contact families who show interest. To help us determine the need, please contact us at [email protected] Official registration will take place through OneList Waterloo Region.

Engaging in outdoor play is an integral part of the children's day at Inspiring Minds. We spend as much time outside as we can and see the benefits in the children. What is your family's favourite way to play outdoors together?

Over the past several months the Curious Explorers have been very interested in moving and climbing. Amanda and Jessica set up an obstacle course and tweaked it as needed to offer a variety of opportunity for risk and height. The course was made up of different sized planks, skids, ladders, and tires and the children would crawl, walk or bum scoot across different parts. Amanda and Jessica were always there to lend a hand, offer lots of encouraging words and support as the ch...ildren climbed. Their perseverance and determination was amazing when they got stuck or needed help navigating different parts of the course. Sometimes the children would help each other by saying, You can do it!, I’ll help you!, or Take my hand. Recently, the Curious Explorers discovered they could use the planks as a ramp for cars as well as the small wheels. They observed both the cars and wheels roll down the plank and watch to see how far they went. There are a several benefits of obstacle courses. The physical benefits of strength, balance, motor skills and coordination are fairly obvious, but confidence, problem solving skills and risk assessment also are benefits. The Curious Explorers used strength as they lifted their whole body onto the planks and skids, all while using core strength balance themselves in the process. We also saw the children assess the risk involved by asking for help when needed or choosing to complete only portions of the course. As their confidence and skill increased, they challenged themselves more by completing the full obstacle course, changing how they approached sections and increasing their speed. When educators engage in exploring new ideas and adjusting practices, they achieve the best outcomes for children, families, and themselves. How Does Learning Happen? The obstacle course provided full engagement, as well as enhancing the children’s overall well-being. The course was designed to build upon the children’s current skill level ensuring the children succeeded while still offering a challenge as they navigated the changes offered. We can’t wait to see how the children use their new confidence and physical skills in the snowy playground! See more

As we move into tougher restrictions and the upcoming holidays, caring for your and your family's mental health continues to be important. Register for this webinar and find strategies to address concerns you have about your child’s mental health relating to the pandemic, holidays and winter.

It's National Child Day! As early childhood educators, we spend our days with society’s youngest citizens and we view those members of our society in a very particular way. To us, children are strong and capable. They are mighty learners. And we see firsthand what happens when we make children’s learning visible and truly embrace all that they have to offer. Read more... Children, no matter their age, have the capacity to be thoughtful, engaged, contributing members of society. Some quietly within their own families and communities, and others more publicly. Children like Malala Yousafzai and Greta Thunberg, and so many more, are standing up and speaking out. #seenandheard

Being active is so important for physical and mental well-being. The City of Kitchener has a site with lots of ways to stay active at home - including a link for bathtub swimming lessons!

On now!! Check out the Wellesley and District Lions Club online auction!! There are a ton of awesome items to be won! Even better - the proceeds go to Wellesley Township youth sports and recreation activities!

The Wilderness Adventurers have taken full advantage of the beautiful November weather we have had. Every week we have ventured out to our forest playground to investigate and explore all that nature offers us. - We have used our senses to make observations and try to predict what the forest will be like the next time we go out. - We used our eyes to see the fungi, the brilliant colours of the leaves, and the creepy crawlers. - We used our ears to hear the birds sing, t...he farmer driving his tractor when harvesting the corn, and the crackling of the fire. - We tasted hot chocolate, and healthy snacks. - We felt the rough bark of the trees, the crumpling of the fallen leaves in our hands as we gathered them, the movement of our teeter totter made from logs we found, and we smelled the wood burning in the fire pit and the mud under our boots. When we gather for our closing circle, we talk about all of the experiences and our observations and we wonder what will be the same and what will be different next time we visit. See more

Remember to wear blue on Friday to recognize #NationalChildDay! This year's theme is #seenandheard - ensuring children's well-being is a meaningful way to ensure our children are seen AND heard!

We know how awesome and amazing the Lions in Wellesley are! Their wide reaching support of organizations and people is inspiring! Consider donating to their online auction.

It's not too late - buy your tickets today!!

Family movie night for a great cause!

Learn about coronavirus (COVID-19) cases in Ontario schools and what happens if an outbreak is confirmed at your school. Data is published weekdays at 10:30 a.m. Please note: Unlike schools where an outbreak is confirmed when 2 or more cases have an epidemiological link, a child care centre is considered in outbreak when there is one confirmed case of Covid-19 (child, staff or parent).

Our team finds ways to do just about everything, regardless of the restrictions! Team building in Covid times... Outdoors on the golf course! Lots of laughs and fun!

This past week we have welcomed some new faces into our program. Their transition to Inspiring Minds couldnt have gone any better! Amanda and Jessica have already made connections with these new children and look forward to building on their relationships! Along with some new faces, we have some familiar faces in Toddlerville, as well! These children been helpful, welcoming and very thoughtful! Giving them toys when they are sad, saying , It will be ok! and patting them on... the shoulders. It is so heartwarming to witness the empathy the children have toward each other! Our week has been busy! Creating new relationship, figuring out routines but mostly just having fun -even the weather didn't stopped us! We played in the rain, jumped in puddles, slid down the wet slide, built with different types of blocks and danced to some music! Making relationships and creating bonds with each of the children is very important to us. When children can trust their educators it helps them remain calm and adjust to their new routine. Lifelong memories are created here at Inspiring Minds and we hope the children are creating those memories here in Toddlerville! We cant wait to continue our relationship with the children as we learn and grow with them! Over the next few weeks, we will be welcoming more children and are excited to meet them and see what they bring to our program!

Inspiring Minds is very happy to introduce our newest team member, Maya! Maya will be working with Rhi in our kindergarten and school age program. In order to get to know Maya better, we asked her a few questions: IMELC: What is your favourite children's book? Maya: The Whale's Song by Dyan Sheldon and Gary Blythe IMELC: What do you like to do to relax? Maya: Listen to relaxing music, stretch, spend time alone. ... IMELC: What is one thing you like about Inspiring Minds? Maya: I love that IMELC is offering outdoor learning more and more. IMELC: What actor would you choose to play you in a movie about your life? Maya: Joan Crawford :) IMELC: What is your favourite quote? Maya: "Love the life you live. Live the life you love." Bob Marley IMELC: What is a random fact about you? Maya: I am a mom to two! IMELC: We would like to add - Maya is in the process of becoming a Forest and Nature School Practitioner!! Please help us in welcoming Maya!

It looks like summer vacation is extended for one week!

It all started one sunny afternoon while the toddlers were outside. Amanda began to sing, Lets go to the beach, beach, lets go get away! And then, Go to beach. Beach. I go to beach. is what Janet and Amanda heard. So with some creativity and thought, Beach Day in Toddlerville was presented. The children came prepared - some already wearing their beach gear while others brought theirs along. Our day started off by making our own fruit in a cup, topped with little b...each umbrellas.The excitement grew stronger and stronger as Janet helped the children put on their bathing suits! When we were finally ready to go outside, we laid out our beach towels and sat on them. We all enjoyed our little picnic as we ate our fruit. As we ate our snack, Amanda read us a beach book, Sea, Sand, Me. When the story was over, it was time for more fun! Music was turned on loudly, the sprinkler was hooked up, our play took us all in different places and our imaginations took us to the beach!

Tomorrow from 10am - 2pm at Wellesley Public Library! Fingers crossed the weather cooperates

September is just around the corner and Schmidtsville Restaurant & Gift Shop's new menu will begin. Be sure to check out their **New selection of puzzles **Fall napkins... **Children and adult masks **Purses and bags (on sale!) ** Lang & Thomas Kinkade 2021 Calendars Available starting September 1st call to order Pumpkin pies, pumpkin muffins and pumpkin whoopee pies.

We have been awed by the resiliency in the children who have returned to Inspiring Minds already!

Inspiring Minds ELC will be working on a plan for the children registered in our before and after school program to accommodate for the staggered start. Watch for more details in your inbox! https://wel.wrdsb.ca//staggered-start-for-elementary-scho/

The love of reading starts early!

This week in Preschool Express the preschoolers explored wheels. It started with a few small wooden wheels they found in the block box and rolling them across the floor. Some rolled faster than others and some fell over before they got started. With some trial and error, as well as persistence, the children managed to get them moving across the room. The next day more wheels of various sizes and types were added and the children knew exactly what to do with them. They discove...red the thicker wheels were easier to balance and fell over less often. We carried the wheels outside and tried them on different surfaces and the children used them in different ways. They laid them flat on the grass and used them like stepping stones to bridge the gap between the milk crates and the pallets to walked across them. One child held a wheel in both hands stretched out pretending it was a steering wheel. What wonderful, open ended loose parts wheels can be and we are eager to see how this will continue!

As you can imagine, there are a number of changes in how we present activities, however expanding on the children's interests and learning continues to be inherent to our program! One favourite, pre-Covid activity of the kindergarten and school agers was baking. Jamie and Rhi thought outside the box to find a way for the children to continue to have this experience. With some extra precautions, they found a way....Mug cakes! Each child had their own baking area, set of bowls..., utensils and ingredients and each child's cake was baked individually. We didn't want to waste any food, so they did not actually measure the ingredients, but we still talked about portions and amounts. Along with the math talk and conversation, the children also were engaged through mixing and pouring, which encourages bilateral coordination, hand-eye coordination, and spatial perception. (https://www.ot-mom-learning-activities.com/baking-wit-kids.) What did the group think? It was different, the cups, that was weird but it was fun. It was fun, it was yummy to eat and Id like to bake it again sometime. Its was cool and yummy. Good. Now that we've found this solution, we wonder what we will bake next! Any suggestions?

Mandatory masks for all students in public schools in Waterloo Region.

Resources for the return to 'big school', 'little school' and even 'adult school / work'!

The ABC Festival generously granted Inspiring Minds money for our very first playground update to the toddler and preschool playgrounds. How the trees have grown!!

It's no longer surprising that today's Provincial announcement about child care funding was kept quiet and made at a different time than usual. Rather, it was a re-announcement of Federal funding.

This past week Toddlerville was back into full swing! Well, it was a bit on the quieter side but still super exciting! We welcomed Beverley-Ann into our program and were excited to play and to get to know her. With fewer children this past week it was a great way to reconnect and get back into routine! The children were busy exploring the new set up in the room and exploring the toys. A couple highlights from this past week were: painting, drawing with cars, the new slide, ba...bies, the octopus, and of course building with different materials! We are excited to see how the next couple weeks unfold as more Toddlers come back! We miss seeing everyone!

The Schmidtsville Restaurant & Gift Shop is open and not just for take out! Check out this month's menu and don't forget to order any baking the day ahead by calling 519-656-2430. Restaurant and take out hours are: Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday: 7 am 2 pm Thursday and Friday: 7 am 7 pm Saturday 7 am 2 pm

The times, they are a-changing and so is the reopening of child care... again! We are hopeful the details to this announcement are released soon!

Have you seen the Waterloo Region District School Board's preliminary models for the return to school this fall? More information will be released once the Ministry of Education announces their preferred model - full return, hybrid, distance learning. What do you think is best for your child?

After a long wait, today was finally the day the Forest and Nature Preschoolers got together to say goodbye and celebrate all our successes over the past year. The last time we were in the forest, we had snowshoes on our feet, and the trees were bare. Today, the forest was full of activity as the moths fluttered about and the wind blew the leaves on the trees. We explored the forest classroom and observed the mushrooms, may apples and jack in the pulpits. We looked at the ...forts that we had built and climbed and discovered many of the sticks had fallen over and they were no longer safe to climb. We wondered where the big puddles that had iced over in the winter went. We celebrated by having a snack of peach cobbler made over the fire and read the story Youre Here for a Reason by Nancy Tillman. As difficult as it was to not be able to hug each other, we were grateful to be able to spend one last time together in one of our most favourite places and share many good memories. See more

Its been an eventful and exciting week for the children and staff at IMELC. Thanks to the crew from Quiet Nature Ltd, the natural playground has been completed. The raised garden and pallet planters are ready to be planted with herbs and vegetables. The fire pit area has been made bigger so we can all enjoy a campfire together. The structures have been constructed for the willow to grow over and create huts to crawl into for imaginary play or quiet times and apple trees have been planted with the hopes that not only can we enjoy watching them go from bud to bloom to fruit, but can taste the fruit from them. Hopefully an added bonus for the future will be to climb those trees! We all look forward spending many hours playing, learning and exploring together in our beautiful new play space. (https://www.facebook.com/quietnatureltd)

This past week an obstacle course was available for the children to try. It encouraged some of the children to step out of their comfort zones and try something new. An obstacle course is a form of risky play. Risky play allows children to try new experiences, challenge themselves, and find out just what they are capable of. This particular obstacle course was made out of skids, planks, logs and crates. The skids were put together to make a bridge for the children to climb o...ver. Some of the children walked over the bridge while others felt more comfortable crawling. As the week went on, you could see the confidence grow in all of the children; they became more confident in their abilities an they trusted themselves to do it! It was amazing to see the children overcome their fear as they mastered the obstacle course! Hand eye coordination, balancing, persistence, trial and error were just a few of the bigger components that the children needed to use as they took on the obstacle course! Not only did the obstacle course promote physical play, it also sparked imaginary play! At one point, the grass was lava! The children used their imaginations as they climbed over the structure to stay off the lava. See more

They are at it again! The wonderful crew from Quiet Nature Ltd. are working hard to complete the natural playground that was started way back in December. The trees that many generous community families helped to purchase will soon be planted and the willow huts built to provide shade and endless hours of exploration. Stay tuned for more pictures throughout the week!

Life has been busy lately. Especially for those parents that are working from home with their young children. The constant challenges of getting 5 minutes of quality focused time to complete your daily workload for your job, or attempting to chat on a zoom call with clients while your toilet learning 2 year old announces he needs to use the bathroom in his biggest outdoor voice possible can leave you exhausted and overwhelmed. Perhaps your preteen is already bored and alway...s hungry and the summer has only begun. What can you do? One of the best things to help combat the chaos in our daily lives, is to step outside into nature and take a few minutes to just sit. Taking time for a sit spot has been used in many Forest and Nature Schools and can benefit both adults and children in a variety of ways. Just a short time can boost your mood, enhance your sense of well-being, and help you regain focus. Breathe deeply as you take in all the sights, sounds and smells or perhaps write in a nature journal to connect to your feelings and the world around it. Children can write, draw or make a collection of what interests them in a nature journal as well. This can happen anywhere outside. Under a tree in the backyard, by a pond, or simply on your deck. Heres one idea of how to create a nature journal. Make it personal and fun! https://www.dragonflyfun.com/make-nature-journal/

July's resource of the month is the book, "No Matter What" by Debi Gliori We chose this book to remind children that even though their world has changed again and they may not be spending as much time with their parent, love is unconditional and never-ending! Happy reading!

Are you tired of hearing the question, "Why?" As flattering as it can be that your child sees you as their go-to expert, the number of times a child asks, can be exhausting! Change the long list of whys into a conversation instead! Engage and build your child's critical thinking skills and learn together! At Inspiring Minds, we believe we are co-learners together. Educator and child both have knowledge to share in a reciprocal relationship. Challenging their and our own thou...ght process is an important component of learning how to think, rather than what to think. The next time you child asks, "Why?", ask them what they think. You might just be surprised by the answer! https://getpocket.com//stop-answering-your-kid-s-questions

The Region of Waterloo wants to hear from YOU(th) about what life is like is Waterloo Region. Fill out the Youth Impact Survey to earn volunteer hours and a chance for prizes. PLUS tell us what you think about the survey for even MORE volunteer hours and MORE chances to win! https://childrenandyouthplanningtable.ca/youth-impact-surv/

Pre-opening staff treat! Thank you Schmidtsville Restaurant & Gift Shop!

The Ministry of Education wants your input about how the early years and child care system is meeting the needs and expectations of parents, guardians and child care stakeholders. This information will support the review of the CCEYA and help us improve the system to better meet the needs of families. Please tell us about your experience with:... - the current child care and early years system, including its strengths and opportunities for improvement - before-school, after-school and other childrens recreation programs - quality of child care and early years programs and the inclusion of all children, including those with special and/or medical needs

On Tuesday June 30th, Janet, Amanda and Bobbi-Jo walked around town to see all of the toddlers. We were very thankful the Toddlerville families were willing to have us stop by. Unfortunately, not everyone was home at the time. We were sad we missed them but look forward to seeing them again sometime soon! Seeing each other from a distance was even better than the videos and zoom chats! Each visit was different! Some of the children hung tight to their caregivers while others ...told us about their day. In each of the visits, we noticed how much they have all grown! It has been a long and tough couple of months for some of us, but we all stayed strong and are excited to re-open next week. Throughout this whole experience, we have all realized how human contact is important to us! We have and will always cherish the snuggles and hugs we received at Inspiring Minds and cant wait until reopening to have the chance to have them again!

Change is coming as we prepare to open! The kindergarten/school age program is going to look different, but different is good! We are going to use this time as a fresh start! I know not all the School Agers and Kindergartens will be returning right away but we want to hear from you! What are you looking forward to? What is something your nervous about? And what do you want to see in the room? Remember its still summer - the best season according to Jamie! Stay tuned for updates!

Parenting is not for the short term and no one is perfect!