Toddler Community

SMS Toddler Program

Children 12-36 months old

The Toddler “Beginning to walk when entering community which means standing and cruising or taking a few steps not walking well.”

What happens in a Toddler Community?

“help me do it myself.”
Children naturally want to do things for themselves. With practice, they can learn to do many things which leads to independence through care for self, environment and food preparation.

  • Dressing frames

    Folding

    Washing linens

    Washing tables

    Colouring, chalking, gluing

    Activities for fine motor skills

    Sweeping and mopping

    Hand washing

    Care of plants

  • Once the child is walking well and has adjusted to the environment, we ask that you provide waffle fabric undies or some other cloth trainers. The child will still wear diapers for naps until they begin to stay dry. Please provide the classroom with a dry bag and lots of easy to put on and off changes of clothes.

  • We use Transparent Classroom to track daily records of each child in the classroom. We provide daily info about food, sleep, toileting and as a place to record anything else that the parents need to know such as if anything from home is needed.

    Parents can leave messages for us if we need to know something, for example: “had a bad night or a change in the home environment.”

  • Saying goodbye in the morning can be hard for parents and children alike. A quick goodbye is best as it helps the child feel secure in transition. With that in mind, we ask that anytime a parent comes to the classroom for birthdays to observe or other events that they take their child home with them if goodbye is hard for the child. Observations or birthday celebrations are not required in the Toddler Community but will be welcomed. We will host a children’s afternoon in the Spring, which will give you the opportunity to come in with your child and see what they have been working on.

  • We will be asking parents to provide food and flowers for our food preparation and flower arrangements each week. This is part of the children’s work as well as sharing practice when they eat the food together each day. A list will be sent out Friday afternoon to the family who will be bringing groceries on Monday. Lunch is eaten all together with dishes and utensils. We will not be feeding the children, they will be feeding themselves, however, we will help them to get their food out. Please keep this in mind when packing a lunch. Anything meant to be eaten warm should come in a thermos already warmed up.

  • Please provide a blanket or an item from home for naps, ideally something that can stay so it doesn’t get forgotten one day.

“There are different periods in life when we can acquire different abilities. Little children can do things that older ones are no longer capable of. Children from birth to six years have a power that we no longer have, for they are at the age of creation.”

— Maria Montessori