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If your child attended  BELA or you follow our school you have probably heard us talk about buckets, bucket filling and the dreaded bucket dipping!!But what do we really mean when we talk about teaching our students to be bucket fillers? And why is it a focus at BELA? Our program is based on 4 “Building Blocks”. One of these is Character Development. We focus on the development of a strong sense of identity, self esteem and sense of belonging. These

Parents of young children may know what gross motor skills are, because of the awareness of milestones children achieve as they grow. Other times, people may not be exactly sure what we mean when we mention the importance of gross motor/ large motor skills. I like to tell people that gross motor gets you to where you need to go and fine motor helps you do what you need to do, once you get there. For instance, if your child

The BELA team has evolved immensely and learned a great deal over the last 5 years! One of the most important lessons we’ve learned is that we can never tire of continuing to promote and educate our fellow community members about the importance of early childhood education! This year, I have had the unique experience of becoming a BELA parent, in addition to being a part time staff member, and let me tell you I can now undoubtedly see the

“ I did it! I did it! Look how I drawed myself!”  “That’s awesome! I see your eyes, and nose and mouth, and look at the shirt you’re wearing.  Way to go!  I’m proud of you for working so hard!”    Is there anything better than sharing the excitement of a child who has discovered success as a learner?  Most Early Childhood researchers and educators agree, “Play is the work of children.”  Research in the field of early learning in Canada, is frequently

Let’s Pretend! I don’t know about you, but some of my favorite memories from my childhood, are of pretending with my brothers, and my cousins! Little did we know, as we explored and searched for adventure, we were honing a wide variety of skills and knowledge, which would serve us well in our adult worlds later on in life. For us, pretend play encompassed so many ideas and scenarios.  In a matter of about 10 creative minutes, we could design