Kiddy Junction Academy

Made by the class of 2020-21

Our in-class Pumpkin Patch has been a huge hit! Hopefully next year we will be able to go on our annual field trip :) #KJApumpkinpatch2020 -Mrs. Ekins

Student portfolios are up! Have a look and watch your child's progress through the year Mrs. Ekins

Global News visited us to learn more about access to quality child care in Vancouver, a difficult and well-known issue in the City. Though there is progress, the vast majority of people still can't find space for their children in the City at all, let alone in the specific centre they hope for. http://globalnews.ca///from-crisis-to-chaos-daycare-in-b-c

Orange Shirt Day Every Child Matters Thanks to everyone who showed their support!

All set for the new school year. Stay safe, be kind. Mrs. Ekins

We had a perfect Covid-Safe Graduation for our students heading into Kindergarten this year. Thanks for all your support everyone, and congrats to the class of 2020!

Just a little update :) At KJA, parents who enter the classroom are required to wear a mask during drop-off and pick-up. Only one parent per family. Please try to have your own reusable masks so we can reduce our waste/ ecological footprint. ... Mrs. Ekins

Look what we harvested today

Good Morning Graduating Families! Please be sure to check your email for this Invitation and further details. The RSVP deadline has been extended to August 17, 2020 Stay safe! <3 Mrs. Ekins

We love it when parents join in the fun...it's really does take a village!

Our Division 1 bunny, Roxy, has spent some time at Division 2 (where we discovered that the Division 2 bunny is not fond of other bunnies) Mrs. Ekins has had Roxy in her home for a few weeks now, but due to several circumstances is unable to continue with this. Roxy is very sociable, friendly with other people and pets, and fairly low maintenance. She is also "potty trained". ... Would any of our KJA families be interested in giving Roxy a temporary home for a while? Please email Mrs. Ekins!

Good Morning, Just a friendly update that we have *2* spaces remaining for Covid-19 Operations. Please feel free to email me if you have any questions! [email protected] Note that if we receive multiple requests for the spaces at the same time, before they are filled, we will be required to utilize the 3-Tier Priority system as directed by the West Coast Childcare Resource Centre (WCCRC) & BC Government. ... Hope everyone is doing well and staying safe. We sure do miss all of your beautiful children! <3 Mrs. Ekins

Ms. Mondia came for a visit today! It was hard to get the children off her, they were so excited!

For those in need, KJA Tax receipts were prepared and ready for pick-up at the end of March 2020, however, due to COVID-19 we were not able to distribute in class. If you require your Tax receipt, it is here at Division 2! Please contact me if you would like to arrange (1) pick-up, (2) mail through Canada Post, or (3) Email Scan. <3 Mrs. Ekins

**EDIT** There has been no actual changes or updates to spaces since we began operating for COVID-19 in April, so this is why no formal announcement has been made. All Division 2 spaces remain "saved and secure" for when our province ceases COVID-19 operations. I was simply reminding families, as a fellow parent, that we are unsure of when this could end, and if you foresee needing care in the near future, you will be referred elsewhere if we are full. :/ Good Morning KJA ...Families, We miss you so much! There seems to be some misinformation floating around so I thought I would provide a mini/informal update to everyone. 1. Daycares in BC were never ordered to close, and in fact were encouraged to remain open as we were deemed an essential service. As such, KJA has been fully operational with enhanced Policies and Protocols specific to COVID-19, since April 6, 2020. 2. Until Recently, daycares were ordered to reserve the original spaces for families who choose not to attend due to COVID-19, free of charge. However, most recently, we were told that we are to still prioritize essential service workers, and once we are at full capacity, if original families decide to return, we have been orderd to direct you to the WCCRC for a referral to a new daycare. (Information is not always clear and is still rapidly changing. But it should be noted that we could remain operating under COVID-19 Measures for upwards of 6 mos.-2 years depending on government orders. ) 3. Currently, KJA has 4 children in attendance (3 families), all of which are original KJA families. Since moving to "Stage two" of opening the economy and lifting restrictions, we have had significant amounts of inquiries from both KJA families AND outside/new families. We have been directed prioritize childcare spaces using a 3-Tier System. I'm happy to email you a digital copy of our enhanced COVID-19 Policies to help you better understand our operations., and also explain the 3-tier system. My goal in providing you with this mini/informal update, is to provide you the opportunity to re-enroll if you anticipate childcare being a need for your family, *before we are full*. Please email me or leave a comment below if you have any questions. Leaving a question in the comments below may help benefit other KJA families who have similar questions. Stay safe <3 -Mrs. Ekins

I cherish and admire our team of teachers. This new announcement melts my heart. Sending love to you all! <3 Mrs. Ekins

May is child care month in BC and an opportunity to recognize the vital role that early learning and child care professionals have in our lives every day and ...especially during the COVID-19 pandemic. They're making sure essential workers have the care they need, so they can provide the services and goods people need to stay home and stay safe. To all early learning and child care professionals in BC thank you for all the work you do especially during this difficult time.

I'm just going to leave this right here, incase anyone needs it! Stay well <3 Mrs. Ekins

A wonderful reminder that our little ones are also experiencing the stress of COVID-19, and how we can help them. "Recognize the regression as a sign of stress and increase your support, even if it seems like babying them or caving in to childish demands." <3 Mrs. Ekins

Good Afternoon KJA Families! We have received confirmation that we will open our doors at our KJA Division 2 location for Essential Service workers in need. In order to ensure an organized, and safe environment for our teachers and children, we will be taking the remainder of this week to prepare the classroom, documents, and Policies specific to this COVID-19 Pandemic. Our doors will open to families in need on Monday, April 6, 2020. ... If you are an essential service worker, please email me right away so we can reserve a space for your child, as well as outlining your Essential Service employment. A few important notes: -We will maintain our limited hours at this time @ 8:00am-5:00pm. -We will be providing snacks only, so children will be required to bring a packed lunch each day. -We will be limiting our enrollment to help facilitate physical distancing within the classroom to a maximum of 16 children. Thank you, <3 Mrs. Ekins

Evening Friends & Family of KJA! I wanted to share some very special and helpful information with you; Our very own KJA Director is the President of of a Relief Society developed during this COVID-19 Pandemic to help those in the GVRD areas. ... I encourage you to give it a try! Submit a grocery list or a request for medication pick-up, and see a familiar face upon delivery! And please share! We sure do miss all of you and hope you are well at this time :) <3 Mrs. Ekins http://www.ersv.ca

Hi Everyone! Ms. Atkinson here! During this time where we are physically divided, I think it’s important to find ways to come together and feel that sense of community and togetherness!... I started a YouTube channel where I post a Circle Time video each day! This is to bring that connection and familiarity of school to our KJA children while they are having to be away from the classroom for an extended period of time. I hope they enjoy the circle times and can sing along and help me tell the stories! The teachers miss you all very much and are looking forward to all being together again soon! -Love from Ms. Atkinson https://youtu.be/Y_WCOozdPFI

Good Evening KJA Families, I hope you are all coping ok. We are eager to have you all back and get things back to normal! As you know, daycares have not yet been mandated to close. It is Dr. Henry's recommendation that you keep your child home if at all possible, and BC daycares will continue to provide childcare to essential service workers at this time. A few notes:... -Uniforms are not currently required Our limited hours are still in effect -Any family requiring service must maintain clear communication prior to the day of care so we know how many children to expect for planning purposes -Any child presenting with symptoms will be sent home immediately for a 10-day isolation -Care for Mon-Wed will take place at Division 1. We will be transitioning care to our Division 2 location as of Thursday. I want to extend a heartwarming thank-you to the teachers who are pushing through to provide care to those in need, as well as to those who are being reaponsibly cautious by self-isolating at the onset of potential symptoms. **PHOTO - our whole class at lunch time on Friday! Making the best of a tough situation ...

Good Evening KJA Families, We hope you are doing well during this difficult period of social-distancing and isolation. We know that during this COVID-19 chapter, things are rapidly evolving. I will continue to update (here on facebook) periodically, as best I can. All current families are welcome to text me (Mrs. Ekins) with any questions.... Currently, it has been advised that children stay home if possible. We are requesting that only those who require childcare as an essential service bring their child to school. We are limiting our hours to 8am-5pm, and we have moved all services to our Division 1 location, for now. We require that you maintain communication with us as it relates to your child's attendance the day before each day, for planning purposes. Division 1 families should communicate this with Ms. Atkinson. Division 2 families should communicate this with Ms. Lee. Any students or teachers displaying any symptoms of illness will be sent home for a 10 day isolation, as is mandated by VCH. On this topic, it should noted that majority of our teachers are also self-isolating with symptoms at this time, limiting our available teachers. I want to extend my utmost gratitude to all of our Early Childhood Educators, as well as those not associated with KJA. We are often overlooked and underappreciated, and yet so many of us continue to push through to support those who are essential to our society at this time. We will get through this, and hopefully soon we will be back to some sense of normalcy with all our our little munchkins back in our class and in our arms. :) I also want to extend a profound thank you to our current families/parents who have been extremely supportive. We will do everything we can to get us through this. Love, Mrs. Ekins