What a wonderful start to our preschool year! As the children arrived, they were welcomed with warm smiles, gentle words, and encouragement as they became familiar with their new teachers, friends, and classroom.
During circle time, educator Jenn read “Welcome to Our Classroom”, which sparked a meaningful conversation about feelings. The children shared how they were feeling. Elise said, “I feel happy,” while Joshua shared, “I feel a little sad. I miss my Mommy and Daddy.” Jenn acknowledged their feelings and reminded everyone that it is okay to experience different emotions when starting somewhere new.
The following day since the preschool children enjoyed reading “Welcome to Our Classroom”, which sparked a discussion about feelings, Jenn introduced the stories “A Little Scribble Spot” and “The Colour Monster”. Helping the children recognize and talk about emotions such as happiness, sadness, anger, fear, and calmness gave them all a sense of wellbeing and belonging as they felt seen and heard.
While reading, the children shared their ideas. “Green means calm,” Abilene said. Jenn also introduced the Scribble Spot plush toys, providing a fun, hands-on way for the children to connect emotions with visual supports.
Building on their interest, Jenn provided a tuff tray activity where the children sorted colourful pom poms into the corresponding monster jars using plastic tweezers.
The children confidently identified colours and made connections to emotions. “Pink is happy!” Nathan shared, while Abilene excitedly said, “Yellow means happy!” Theo noticed that although he was filling the red jar, he was feeling good rather than angry. Josh shared that he simply liked the yellow colour, while Adelyn connected the green pom poms to her green shirt, saying, “I’m getting green like me.” The experience provided opportunities for the children to recognize, discuss, and express their emotions in meaningful ways. It was wonderful to see the children extending their learning from “The Colour Monster” into their play and using colours to explore and communicate their feelings.
These experiences created a safe space for children to express their feelings, listen to others, and begin developing strategies for emotional regulation. Through exploration and play, the children are beginning to build relationships, develop confidence, make choices, and discover their new surroundings. We look forward to supporting each child as they grow, connect, express themselves, and feel a strong sense of belonging.
Welcome to Preschool, we are so happy you’re here!
