Core Education and Fine Arts is Canada’s first Junior Kindergarten School.  It was begun by Natacha Beim, a vibrant and brilliant teacher who saw a need to prepare children more thoroughly for kindergarten.  Internationally (in France, England, China, Japan and many other countries), pre-kindergarten programs are standardized and children are given essential tools that set them in good stead for future education.  The CEFA program is unique in Canada because it follows the international standard for pre-kindergarten learning.  Parents have the choice of enrolling their preschoolers from 2-5 days per week, and classes run from 7:30 – 6pm.  It is highly recognized for its leading academic program, as well as its excellent curriculum in the fine arts and athletics, designed to develop and challenge young children intellectually and physically.  The well-rounded and flexible offerings enable a child to acquire knowledge in many different ways, as no child learns in exactly the same way as another.

“The decision to participate is the child’s, which emphasizes one of CEFA’s  goals: to give the child autonomy and responsibility over his or her education ( I learn because I like to learn ). Creating a passion for learning in life is an essential step in your child’s learning path.”

UrbanMommies toured one facility (there are currently 9 in BC) and we were super-impressed.  Arts are explored, languages are learned, and children are taught at their own pace but within a beautiful structure that apparently results in the exceptional behaviour I witnessed in the elevator.

Drama, Yoga, French. Culture Immersion (who wouldn’t want to try on clothes from all over the world?)..  The school also includes a a gym painted to resemble a circus, a cinema, art room and library.  A resident chef prepares breakfast and lunch for teachers and students, and a fitness trainer is also on hand.  Despite the uniforms, chef and excellence, the place is not in the least bit snooty – just in case you’re wondering.

“Each child has a schedule, drawn to reflect his or her unique abilities and made up by CEFA in consultation with parents. The schedule is broken up by play times, family time, project time, relaxation, naps and movies as well as breakfast and lunch. Every week, the children can also look forward to field trips.”

One of the great things about CEFA is that because it is an educational program, working parents are able to deduct tuition expenses to a maximum of $7000 per year, per child. This amount is directly deducted from the earnings of the lower income-earner in the household when filing your taxes.

Creating Renaissance-kids, exposure to fitness, languages, arts, an international learning standard, a chef and naptime too.  Heaven.  If only every child throughout Canada could have the opportunity to develop in such a special environment!  We’ll cross our fingers for more expansion and keep you posted.  In the meantime, I’m off to yoga.  Must not be eclipsed by my preschooler.

www.cefa.ca

Photo features Ms. Natacha Beim and was provided by CEFA.

For other approaches on schooling, check our Waldorf and Montessori articles.

The Toronto office, located at 2 Bloor Street West, is headed up by Director of Operations Karen Black. Along with over fifteen years of childcare experience (including having been one of Kelsey’s original on call nannies back in 2001), Black brings an extensive background in business development, multimedia production and grassroots PR to the company. “We’re building the Nannies on Call brand towards a national presence – Karen brings a distinctly creative edge to Nannies on
Call.”

Hmm. What does that mean?

Kelsey laughs. “It means we’re working very hard on all sorts of exciting things! We can’t wait to kick everything off next week -
we’ve been meeting the most fantastic nannies.”

Nannies on Call is an upscale boutique childcare placement agency based in Vancouver, BC since 2001 – with branches in Whistler, Victoria, Calgary and Toronto. The agency provides on call, full-time, part-time and temporary nanny services at an exceptional standard of quality and reliability to top hotels, film industry clients and private families in every city they service.

Nannies on Call. Extraordinary Nannies. Toronto: 647-776-0911 / www.nanniesoncall.com

In 1992 the Canadian government passed the Live-in Caregiver Program legislation to allow foreign workers to enter Canada to address the shortage of childcare workers in Canada.  While this creates opportunities for employers and caregivers, there are many things that people do not realize when hiring a nanny.  Some of them include:

1.       Hiring a part-time, full-time, live-in, live-out nanny makes you a full-time employer.

2.       You must register for a business number.

3.       You must remit payroll withholding taxes, which includes the nanny’s income tax, CPP (Canada Pension Plan), EI, (Employment Insurance) and the employer’s portion of CPP and EI.

4.       You must provide an accurate T4 to your nanny and file your T4 summary to the
Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) on time.  If it is late, the late fee is $25 per day.

5.       You have to follow all the Labour standards which includes: vacation pay, statutory holidays, paying the nanny at least twice a month and providing the nanny with a pay stub which has to state the number of hours worked, the pay rate, etc.

6.       You must purchase Worker’s Compensation for your nanny.

7.       The risk of not having these things in place is that after your nanny contract ends, the nanny can possibly file a lawsuit against you.  In many cases the nanny wins because the Canadian legal system primarily protects the employee and they expect the employer to know the standards. In most of these cases the employers simply did not know the requirements in the first place.  They did not do anything wrong on purpose, but they ended up paying for that mistake.

8.       It is a big adjustment on the entire family, as there is another person added to your family.  Plan for an adjustment period.

9.       You should spend time with the nanny and get to know the nanny. It is the same as having an employee under them at their work place.  Regular reviews, two-way communications, etc. are the key to a successful employer/employee relationship.

- Linh Tsiu is the owner/operator of the business. Linh is a professional accountant (CGA) with 15 years of experience in accounting and business development.  Her knowledge, strategies and dedication have helped her past clients to expand their market shares by over 50%. She is creative and flexible individual with excellent interpersonal and communication skills. Linh Tsiu has a Commerce Degree majoring in Marketing and Human Resources.

Linh Tsiu, CGA
604-786-2566
www.caregivertax.ca

The wooden toys from Natural Pod, imagination-inspiring costumes, fabric fruits and wooden trucks will keep them busy for hours (or certainly long enough to down a latte with a little leaf design on top). There is no cover charge, and the organic food that’s high on taste will ensure their behaviour issues aren’t from Red Dye #40.

With wireless internet, a Parisian patio and ultra-low plumbed toilet for the toddler make the experience perfect.  And the truffle cream pasta doesn’t hurt either.  Oh – not that we seek it out or anything… but did we mention that you can now order wine and beer?  And if you still can’t handle the stress, it’s time for plan C.  On Fridays and Saturday nights all summer long, Nannies on Call will provide care for special dinners on the patio.  (Check our summer childcare article here).

If the north shore is too far (or the bridge is backed up), check Little Nest off Commercial Drive for brunch and lunch.  The retro décor combined with the tasty food and heirloom playthings will keep them busy for hours.

WHAT (Again): Priorities? What are yours?  Here’s a list of possible priorities to think about; Hours needed, days needed, what you can afford, whether a nanny drives, location of the camp, is a Male or Female nanny better for your kids, do you need someone who is happy to do light housekeeping, or willing to do a nanny share, who has their ECE, an ability to swim, to teach a skill,  or a certain number of years experience/in business, etc.

HOW: Will you use a professional agency? Will you look on craigslist? Will you find someone through referrals from friends or word of mouth? Will you post a notice at a family place or at your child’s daycare? How will you go about finding your summer solution? An agency will do a lot of the work for you and make the process much easier and more streamlined.  It will cost you a finding fee though. Find out when and how much different agencies charge and then decide if the convenience and time saved is worth the cost.

WHO: Who will you entrust you children too? Be sure to get written references, to verify those references, check all credentials, do the leg work. Make sure CPR/First aid is in place and up to date. Ask for more information if you need to…and trust your instincts.
WHY: Why should you have a written contract…it’s a job. Whether this is a summer nanny or a summer camp…Be sure to clarify expectations on both ends with regards to sick days, holidays, rate of pay, additional duties/costs, etc.  Be as specific, and detailed as possible.  If you start earlier you will have plenty of time to hammer out ALL the details.

WHERE: Where can you go to look for resources, ideas, answers? Check out local reputable placement and on call nanny agencies, inquire at your local family place, check your preschool notice board. Look in parenting magazines (print and online) for advice, Google, Craigslist, talk to other families in the same situation with similarly aged children…what has worked for them.

WHY: Why think about it now? More time means more choice. If the goal is to create a summer experience that is enjoyable, affordable, inspiring… and makes your life easier, now is the time to start to thinking about what exactly that means to you and your family. Maybe you can rig your work week so you only need a nanny two days a week…or only for three weeks. Maybe you can then afford to have a nanny who can plan excursions and make her time with your kids an adventure. The bottom line is…start early…finish ahead.

Leanne Hume is first and foremost a Mum. She has also worked as  a live in, live out and on call nanny as well as  a teacher in Vancouver, Northern Canada, Saudi Arabia, Thailand, and Fiji. Leanne now works as the Vancouver Nanny Recruiter for Nannies on Call …The West Coast’s premiere Nanny Agency.  www.nanniesoncall.com.  Photo:  Leanne Hume.

For drivers: Slow your speed. A child hit by a car traveling at 50 km/h has an 80 percent chance of being killed. Yet a child hit by a car traveling at 30 km/h has a 95 percent chance of surviving.For parents:            

• Walk with your children and teach them the pedestrian safety rules every single time.
• Teach them to look left, look straight into the intersection, look right and repeat before crossing the street.
• Encourage your child to cross at the intersection.
• Teach your child that parked cars can block a driver’s view.

For more information on child pedestrian safety, including brochures and fact sheets visit http://www.safekidscanada.ca/ or call the safe tips line at 1-888-SAFE-TIPS (723-3847).

The first Waldorf school was founded in 1919; there are now about 1000 independent Waldorf schools and 1400 independent Waldorf kindergartens located in approximately sixty countries throughout the world, making up one of the world’s largest independent educational systems; there are also Waldorf-based public and charter schools, homeschooling environments, and schools for special education. Waldorf methods have also been adopted by numerous educators teaching in other state and private schools.

The early childhood teacher in a Waldorf school works with the young child first by creating a warm, beautiful and loving home-like environment, which is protective and secure and where things happen in a predictable, regular manner. Here she responds to the developing child in two basic ways.

Firstly, the teacher engages in domestic, practical and artistic activities that the children can readily imitate (for example, baking, painting, gardening and handicrafts), adapting the work to the changing seasons and festivals of the year.

Secondly, the teacher nurtures the children’s power of imagination particular to the age. She does so by telling carefully selected stories and by encouraging free play. This free or fantasy play, in which children act out scenarios of their own creation, helps them to experience many aspects of life more deeply. When toys are used, they are made of natural materials. Pine cones, wood, cotton, silk, shells, stones and other objects from nature that the children themselves have collected are used in play and to beautify the room.

Sequencing, sensory integration, eye-hand coordination tracking, appreciating the beauty of language and other basic skills necessary for the foundation of academic excellence are fostered in the Kindergarten. In this truly natural, loving and creative environment, the children are given a range of activities and the structure that help them prepare for the next phase of school life.

See also our article on the Montessori Method of Schooling.

The method is characterized by an emphasis on self-directed activity on the part of the child and clinical observation on the part of the teacher (often called a “director”, “directress”, or “guide”). It stresses the importance of adapting the child’s learning environment to his or her developmental level, and of the role of physical activity in absorbing academic concepts and practical skills.

Although there are many schools which use the name “Montessori,” the word itself is not recognized as a trademark, nor is it associated with a single specific organization. Thus it is legally possible to use the term “Montessori” without necessary adherence to a particular training or teaching method. This is why it is imperative for parents to know which type of school their children attend, and to ask questions of the schools as well as do research in order to distinguish between a school that can legally use the Montessori name and those that actually use Montessori teaching methods.

Nonetheless, schools identifying themselves as “Montessori schools” generally apply this method in their teaching.

The premises of a Montessori approach to teaching and learning include the following:

• A view of children as competent beings capable of self-directed learning.
• That children learn in a distinctly different way from adults.
• The ultimate importance of observation of the child interacting with her or his environment as the basis for ongoing curriculum development. Presentation of subsequent exercises for skill development and information accumulation are based on the teacher’s observation that the child has mastered the current exercise(s).
• Delineation of sensitive periods of development, during which a child’s mind is particularly open to learning specific skills or knowledge, including language development, sensorial experimentation and refinement, and various levels of social interaction.
• A belief in the “absorbent mind”, that children from birth to around age 6 possess limitless motivation to achieve competence within their environment and to perfect skills and understandings. This phenomenon is characterized by the young child’s capacity for repetition of activities within sensitive period categories, such as exhaustive babbling as language practice leading to language competence.
• That children are masters of their environment, which has been specifically prepared for them to be academic, comfortable, and allow a maximum amount of independence.
• That children learn through discovery, so didactic materials that are self-correcting are used as much as possible.

Montessori is a highly hands-on approach to learning. It encourages children to develop their observation skills by doing many types of activities. These activities include use of the five senses, kinetic movement, spatial refinement, small and large motor skill concrete knowledge that leads to later abstraction. coordination, and concrete knowledge that leads to later abstraction.

Montessori classrooms provide an atmosphere that is pleasant and attractive to allow children to learn at their own pace and interact with others in a natural and peaceful environment. In the ideal classroom, children would have unfettered access to the outdoors, but this is frequently not possible given modern day space considerations (and cost thereof).

In response, Montessori teachers stock their classrooms with nature shelves, living plants and small pets, or perhaps a window sill garden, allowing children to experience as much of the natural world as possible given modern constraints.

In the elementary, middle, and upper school years, Montessori schools ideally adhere to the three-year age range of pupils to encourage an interactive social and learning environment. This system allows flexibility in learning pace and allowing older children to become teachers by sharing what they have learned.

See also our article on Waldorf Schooling.