Weekly Recap

Hello friends and families!

It’s finally the end of May, which means there is only one more month of school before summer vacation. I am hoping to see many of you in our summer program because we will be having some awesome out-trips! The temperature is consistently rising week by week. With that in mind, please make sure to pack a reusable water bottle and sunscreen for your child. It is very important for us to make sure they stay hydrated and safe from the sun.  I have already seen a couple red faces this week so if we can avoid any other sunburns from now on, that would be great!

Jumping back in time to last week, we had an in-day on Friday when our school district had a professional day. We had an interesting day planned out and had some good feedback. One of the challenges that day was we had a list of words nobody could say such as “can”, “I”, “me”, “what”, and 12 other words. It was interesting to see how they found ways to communicate with each other without using any of the words. Each child started with two clothespins and when someone caught another using any of the words, the offender would forfeit one of their pins. The point of the game was to see who could achieve the most pins. Another game we played as “life-sized Chupacabra”, which is an adaptation of a board game that we have at OSC. Children were given a die each and we split them into four different groups to battle it out.

I hope the weather continues to bring us sunshine and heat without any rain. Once again, please help us keep your children hydrated and protected by the harsh UV rays. Be sure to enjoy the amazing weather on the weekends!

Best wishes,

Sonny

Piñata cookies

Piñata cookies, yes they do have a treat inside if you bite them. Piñata cookies is a 3 layered cookie with a candy in the middle.

What you will need:A sugar cookie recipe, A icing recipe, any shape cookie cutter and a smaller one that fits inside the other one, And a treat to put inside we used mini M&Ms

After the sugar cookie dough has been chilled for some time we rolled out the dough to an approximate thickness of 1/4”. We taught the younger children about strategic cookie cutting so we could fit the max amount of cookies in that sheet. The sugar cookie dough gets super sticky the more you handle it, so less times you have to roll it out the better. Using the Larger cookie cutter cut as many shapes or “full cookies” out in your rolled out dough. With the smaller cookie cutter cut the shape out in the middle of every 3rd shape of the larger shape. Take the smaller shape out of the larger
shape, this will me your middle piece of the cookie and where you will hide your treat later. Lay out all your cut out cookies on the sheet. 1/3 of your cookies should look like a “picture frame” (has a missing shape in the middle). Bake your cookies so they are golden brown and let them cool for a little. While the cookies are baking you can make the icing. We unfortunately ran out of power sugar, fortunately Monica and Ryanne collaborated and made powered sugar from normal table sugar. The secret is to grind the sugar using a blender and add a teaspoon of corn starch. NOW we are ready to assemble out Piñata cookies!!!!!!!!! First take a “full cookies” and put a layer of icing on it. Second place a “picture frame” on the bottom layer. Next fill your “picture frame” cookie with your desired treat, mini M&Ms. Then lastly spread a layer of icing on the bottom another “full cookie” and place it on the “picture frame” cookie.

Now you can enjoy your Piñata cookies, Blind folds and bats are optional for eating them.
you can use your imagination to alter this basic Piñata cookies, you can colour the dough and change the shape.
Here are some pictures of what other people have done  to make their Piñata cookies




***REMINDER*** do not build the cookies then put them in the over to bake, this will melt the candy and make a mess in your oven
Thanks,

Katharyn

Knox Knox, Summer’s Here

As summer approaches, the weather is looking better than ever.  The sign up board to play outside is always full of kids looking to run around in the sun.  Lately, Fort Knox has been the most popular game.  Led by Jason Ng and Ryan, a few rounds of Fort Knox always gets the heart pounding and the blood flowing. 

Played on the grassy fields at Gilmore, the kids are divided into two teams.  With rules similar to “Capture the Flag”, the objective of the game is to prevent the other team from getting your dodge-balls while trying to steal the other teams dodge-balls.  But if you cross the midpoint line into the other teams side, you better start running or you’ll get caught!  This game gives the kids a great chance to show their speed and encourages teamwork as well.  The chasing and throwing involved always results in tired (and usually really sweaty) but satisfied kids.  This playfully competitive game has been the popular request of kids who go outside.

Besides Fort Knox, softball, basketball and soccer are just few of the numerous activities kids are starting to participate in now that the days are hotter.  It’s fantastic that kids will always have fun outside, being active and having fun.

Good luck to all our athletes at track and field!

Cheers,

Jason Lee

The Settlers of Catan

I’ve always known there was a board game called “Settlers of Catan”  but never really knew what it was about. Recently OSC got this board game and it has been very popular. I’ve seen large hoards of kids crowded around tables watching and playing the game. This week I got the opportunity to play because I was swapping out with a child who wanted to do something else, so I dove in half way through the game. Tyler (my opponent) gave me a crash course in the rules.  He told me that Settlers of Catan is a multiplayer board game, where players assume the roles of settlers, each attempting to build and develop holdings while trading and acquiring resources. Then Players are rewarded with points as their settlements grow.  The first to reach a set number of points is the winner.

Players build settlements, cities, and roads to connect them as they settle the island. The game board representing the island is composed of hexagonal tiles of different land types (resources) which are laid out randomly at the beginning of each game. Players build by spending resources (brick, lumber, wool, grain, and ore), represented by resource cards. Each land type, with the exception of the unproductive desert, produces a specific resource. This game is all about strategy because players have to plan out where is the best place to build settlements and roads to maximize their probability to get their desired resources on any given roll. While at the same time try to handicap or restrict your opponent from getting their resources by moving the robber token onto an opponent's resources hexagon. They can then take away any and all chance for them to get that resource on a roll. Over all I found this game to be very fun and a great activity for strengthening the minds of everyone who plays. There are also other expansion pack that let you play other versions of the game.

Thanks,
Katharyn

Summer is Right Around the Corner!

Hello Parents!


It’s hard to believe that the month of April is over and we are nearing the last stretch of the school year. With about eight weeks left, we hope to end the year in the best way possible. This time of year is always filled with the excitement of the summer months, and the anticipation of what the next school year may bring. Personally, I’m looking forward to graduating in the next couple of months as I move on to further my post education at university.

With summer just ahead of us the kids are particularly spirited and lively. Staff is encouraging kids to go outside and enjoy the warm spring weather. However, because of the temperature and sun exposure we are experiencing, we would like to remind you all to bring a water bottle and some sunscreen for your child. With the majority of the children wishing to go outside, we need to ensure our children are well hydrated and protected from the sun!

There has been some new activities around OSC in the past few weeks. The Music club, instructed by James, has started and is a way the kids can hang out together and share their love for music and singing. We are also starting to play a variety of new outdoor games such as frisbee golf and baseball. However, the classic games of Monopoly Millionaire and the always-popular rainbow looms continue to entertain the children (I finally learned how to make the “double fishtail” bracelet :P) Regardless of the activity, the children are enjoying themselves to the fullest!

A quick reminder that Senior and Junior OSC will be closed on Friday June 6th, 2014 as OSC staff will be attending workshops for professional and program development.


Alicia

Check Out Our Earth Day Activities and New Bulletin Boards at OSC!

Hello friends & families!

We hope you enjoyed the Easter long weekend via a little relaxation, a little family time, and a whole lot of chocolate! This week at Sr. OSC was just the kind of action-packed week the kids needed to burn off their post-Easter weekend sugar highs, starting with tree planting on Tuesday by the new bike path at Pendlebury and Railway. Our staff and participating Gilmore students planted a total of 6 trees, and learned first-hand about the whole tree planting process, including the importance of root placement and de-tangling in order for the young saplings to survive. The kids loved the experience, and even named their own trees, whether after their own initials, or with a name that harnesses a sense of community, such as, "The Giving Tree". A few memorable quotes from the day include, “I wish I could live forever to watch my tree grow”, “We found diamonds!” and, after some strenuous physical activity, “I feel like a man! ” One thing is for sure: The kids did lots of good that day - for themselves, for the community, and for the Earth!

Aside from the activeness and excitement of planting and getting their hands dirty, the kids also got to give their brains a boost by challenging their human anatomy knowledge, becoming fascinated by weird facts, and giggling at this week's "Classic Wednesday Joke” with Ryan and Sonny’s new “Body Facts True or False” and “Wow That’s Random” board. On top of that, they can also now show their appreciation for each other in a new way by dropping off personalized compliments into the drop box on Stuart’s updated “Compliment Board”! Feel free to take a peek at the new boards the next time you come in; test your own body knowledge, or drop a compliment or two off for some special kids… But, for now, enjoy this week’s classic joke: “Why is Peter Pan always flying? …Because he Neverlands!!”

Cheers,
Kylie

Here Comes the Sun!

Greetings friends and families!

The Spring weather is starting to make a turn for the better. The weather is finally good enough for us to take the kids out to the park. Most of the little ones have not been able to enjoy the sun’s rays for quite a while. This week we were able to play many of the classic playground games such as Grounders and Tag. We even played a big game of Camouflage at the park.

Lego Penguins

We have noticed some of the kids were starting to get tired of the same routine of only having the gym available for physical activity. The sunshine came just in time to keep everybody happy. On the other hand, be wary of the deceiving weather because the temperature is not quite high enough for shorts and T-shirts. It is at the awkward phase where it is hard to decide whether to use sunscreen or wear a jacket…

On the other hand, we had some interesting crafts indoors for the children who opted to stay inside. There are many unique Lego structures being built every day. We also gave the option to paint some pots and plant stringless green beans. Monica and Katie joined together to do their activity for the upcoming Earth Day. They provided small pots for them to paint on Thursday. On Friday, they had the opportunity to plant the seeds in their on personalized pots to bring home.

Monica and Katie's Earth Day Pots!

Hopefully the weather keeps the rain away and continues to bring us heat and sunshine. I hope everybody has a chance to enjoy the weather!

Best wishes,

Sonny