First, layer some soil. Next, layer some food scraps. Use fruit, veggies, egg shells, coffee grounds, dried plants/leaves and bread. Meats, bones, plastics, Styrofoam, pet waste and dairy, among many other items, are a no, no! Now, add some shredded newspaper and a little more soil. Spray with water once in a while, add your worms, wait, and see! In a few weeks, you will notice all the scraps eaten up by those busy worms!
Through March, the children have been busy caring for our compost “aquarium.” They have been gently mixing it and giving it light sprays of water to help keep it healthy. We are excited to watch and see what happens as it changes over time!
FWhile we wait, we have been exploring plants together. The children have been learning about the parts of a plant, such as roots, stems, and leaves, and talking about what plants need to grow.
FWe explored different seeds, noticing how they look and feel. The children shared their ideas about what the seeds might grow into, sparking lots of curiosity and conversation.
FOur learning has also included:
• Measuring, sorting and classifyingThrough these hands-on experiences, the children are learning to observe, ask questions, and care for the world around them.
After spring break, we will shift our focus to imaginative play and incorporate one of our all-time favourite books; The Very Hungry Caterpillar by Eric Carle. Stay tuned for details.
Imaginative Play encourages:
Social and Emotional Skills: When a child engages in pretend play, he/she is actively experimenting with the social and emotional roles of life. Children learn to take turns, experience “walking in someone else’s shoes,” which taps into moral development while also building self-esteem upon realizing he/she can be anything when playing pretend.
Language Skills: Pretend play helps with the development of language. Children learn to understand the power of language. When playing with others, children learn that words provide the means to reenact a story, which ultimately helps your child make the connection between spoken and written word.
Thinking Skills: Children are provided with a variety of problems to solve in pretend play. Using his/her imagination helps develop important cognitive thinking skills. From imagining the perfect companions to play with to designing the ultimate playhouse, pretend play keeps children on their toes.
PRESCHOOL FEES
In February, a notice was circulated informing our families of a minimal fee increase anywhere from $5.00 to $13.00 depending on how many days your child attends per month. This increase has been approved by the Child Care Operating Funding Program and is effective starting April 1, 2026.
If you have any questions or would like clarification about how this change applies to your schedule, please don’t hesitate to reach out.
Thank you for your continued support.
SNACKS
Sharing nutritious snacks not only helps fuel the children’s bodies for a busy day of learning and play, but also creates meaningful opportunities for them to explore new foods, develop positive attitudes toward healthy eating, and practice important social skills during group snack times.
Your contributions make a big difference in creating a positive and inclusive food environment where children feel excited to try new things and learn from one another. These shared experiences help build lifelong healthy habits and foster a strong sense of community within our classroom.Thank you for being such an important part of our preschool community and for supporting the health and well-being of all our children.
SPRING BOTTLE DRIVE
Parkcrest Children’s Centre is a non-profit organization that has been providing quality child care for 30 years to families in the North Burnaby community as well as nearby communities such as Coquitlam and Vancouver. We rely on fundraising to run our programs and seek fundraising opportunities with the least amount of pressure on our families.
In October, we hosted the first bottle drive for this school year. With your support, we collected over 600 empty beverage containers. From our Spring Bottle Drive, we’ve collected 63 bottles so far toward our goal of 1,000—a great start!
To help us reach our target, we are extending our bottle drive. Every contribution brings us closer to funding an exciting Science Made Fun presentation happening this May.
Please continue to donate your bottles and spread the word. Your support makes a difference—thank you!
Additional bottles are always welcome! Bring your RINSED and UNFLATTENED empties to the preschool, and place them in or around our blue bin or, drop them off to the Kensington Return It Depot. They have an easy drop off system. At the kiosk near the entrance, type in 604-294-6224. You can attach the printed labels to each bag and drop them in the large blue bins just past the cashier. They will do all the sorting and deposit the funds directly into our account.
GIFT CARDS FOR SALE THROUGH FUNDSCRIP
Back in November, we introduced a new fundraiser through FUNDSCRIP, and thanks to your incredible support, it was a great success! Families received the full-face value of their gift cards, while the Centre earned a small rebate from each purchase. With your participation, we not only reached our goal of $600, but exceeded it by an additional $400!
All proceeds have gone directly back into supporting our preschool programs and resources, helping us continue to provide meaningful experiences for the children.We are excited to announce that we will be running a second FundScrip fundraiser!
When you purchase gift cards through our dedicated FundScrip order forms, you’ll still receive the full-face value of your cards, and our preschool will earn between 2%–10% from each purchase. All ordering details and instructions are included on the forms, which will be handed out during the second week of April. Feel free to request extra copies to share with friends, family, and coworkers—near or far! Payments must be submitted with each order form and can be made by cash, cheque, or card (at the preschool).
It’s a simple way to give twice—use gift card for your daily purchases such as gas, groceries, shoes, clothing, dining, and purchase the gifts you already plan to buy while helping our preschool grow and thrive. It’s also a good time to purchase gift cards for coaches, birthdays and for those special occasions.
DONATE TO VARIETY-THE CHILDREN’S CHARITY
Parkcrest Children’s Centre is committed to the ongoing involvement in the community. It has been a longstanding tradition for Parkcrest Children’s Centre to participate in, and collect donations for Variety- the Children’s Charity. Many children who have been in our program have benefited from Variety’s support. Equipment such as walkers, specialized chairs and feeding tools have been loaned through this organization.
To date, we have collected $52.00, which is 5% of our target. There is still time to contribute. To make your donation, please click on the following link and select ‘donate’ at the bottom of the page. http://tccbc.convio.net/parkcrestchildrenscentre2026
Our preschool Balloon Toss will be taking place during regular class times on April 9th & 10th, 2026. Please send your child to preschool in a red or white shirt on these days.
ILLNESSES
We kindly remind families to remain vigilant and keep children at home when they are unwell. Bringing a sick child to preschool can lead to the spread of germs and increases the risk of illness for other children and staff.
Please continue to assess your child daily for symptoms such as sore throat, cough, green or yellow discharge, fever, headache, difficulty breathing, vomiting, or diarrhea. Children may return to preschool once their symptoms have fully resolved. We also encourage families to review our general illness policy.
For more information, please visit our website at www.parkcrestchildcaresociety.ca and click on the Parent Package section. If your child will be absent, please be sure to notify the teachers.
Thank you for your cooperation and for helping us maintain a healthy environment for everyone in our preschool community.
PRO D DAY - Monday, April 27th is a district pro d day. There will be no classes on this day.
SCHOLASTIC BOOK ORDERS
Scholastic Canada offers a fantastic selection of books at affordable prices for home reading and gifts. We have been a part of this book club for many years. For every purchase, we receive a credit and use it towards the purchase of new books and art supplies for our Centre.
Families who wish to order books can view the Digi-flyer at https://classroomessentials.scholastic.ca/s/cec-ca/en/digital-catalogues
Please use our class code when placing your order RC174102.
There is absolutely no obligation to order books – just an opportunity if you wish.
PRESCHOOL SUMMER SESSION
We are pleased to announce that Parkcrest Children’s Center will run a 4 week summer session for children ages 3 to under 6 years of age from July 6-31. Class times are Monday to Friday from 9:30am to 1:30pm. All children will need a lunch and dress in appropriate summer attire.
Registration is first come, first serve and will open on Tuesday, April 6 at 9am.
Please visit www.parkcrestchildcaresociety.ca for registration information (under ‘programs’). Children requiring additional supports will be waitlisted.
All notices will be available on our website. info@parkcrestchildcaresociety.ca
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