Some sweet Easter celebrations were held April 17; an Easter Luncheon at Daycare started at 11:30am, and an Easter Formal Dance and activities at Biidaaban capped off the afternoon starting at 1:45. It was a great way to start off the Easter long-weekend break and get everyone in a celebratory mood. Staff from both locations put a lot of thought and effort into preparing activities and treats for students. Chi miigwech to our Daycare and Biidaaban leadership and staff! Your amazing, kind, and steadfast contributions to creating these meaningful opportunities for the children and their families/caregivers do not go unnoticed.
Over at the Daycare, the day was sunny and bright. We saw the first glimpse of spring warmth and promise of new, fresh growth cycles – the snowpack melting just in time for the Easter Bunny to hide some treats outdoors. Family/caregivers were invited to the Daycare for a family Easter Luncheon social event, with a child and caregiver craft and scavenger hunt prior to dining. A make-and-take Easter bucket was the interactive craft of the day. The tiny tots and their family members were encouraged to decorate their bucket with an assortment of seasonal stickers provided. This type of activity encourages children to make choices, selecting the appealing stickers and placement, and developing fine motor skills due to the coordination involved with peeling off the sticker backing and sticking it in place. The development of autonomy – choosing for oneself and creating something uniquely yours – encourages confidence and a sense of accomplishment. The decorated Easter buckets were used to gather items for the Scavenger Hunt. A game card was created by staff, and each child/family was tasked with searching to find the items in the outdoor play yard. Once children were bundled up in jackets and boots, everyone headed outside to the welcoming spring day. Brightly coloured foil eggs were scattered around the two play areas – the smaller encapsulated yard was available for the toddlers (13-24 months) with the bigger yard for the pre-schoolers (2-4 years). Fun and recognizable items were included on the check list, such as juice box, cheese string, stuffed toy, plastic eggs, and cars/toys. Children/caregivers bustled around the game zones excitedly searching for items on their game card. They filled their cards with check marks as soon as they located each item in the grass, behind push toys, under outdoor play structures, in the sand box…you get the idea! Fun, interactive and egg-citing!
A full hot luncheon was prepared by Priscilla in the onsite kitchen. Captivating smells of bacon and scrambled eggs, salads, meats, hashbrowns, pancakes and syrup, fruit cups, Peep cupcakes and Jello, juices, milk, and yogurt permeated the senses. Guests hungrily devoured their food following the exhilarating outdoor excursion. This Daycare community sit-down gathering was a nice, social opportunity for families to engage with each other in anticipation of Easter holidays and celebrations. Chi miigwech to everyone involved in making this a success.
The morning at Biidaaban offered senior students an opportunity to play specialized ‘Indigenous Games’ in the gym, organized by Kevin Lester (Physical Education Teacher) and Michael Abitong (Land-Based Lead). Students could choose to participate in various sport circuits including: tomahawk target, Ring & Pin Toss, tug-of-war, and Plinko! with prizes and Anishinaabemowin fortune eggs (like a fortune cookie only the message inside was in Nish and the cookie was an Easter egg) supported by Kara Abitong, Land-Based Assistant. The students had a lot of fun challenging themselves and their peers at the various stations and competing against the teaching staff as well! It was quite a surprise for some to realize just how strong Ms. Jeanette is when she has her feet firmly planted in a game of tug-of-war! And it was no surprise that Mike’s traditional game of Ring & Pin toss would be so interesting, frustrating but appealing at the same time, with students driven to succeed at snaring the hoop over the pole tip. The afternoon at Biidaaban was filled with excited students hopping around the school, giggling and getting ‘dressed up’ for the Easter Formal Dance. Some wore suits, frilly dresses, high heels, ties and dress shirts, fun boas, up-do’s, makeup, and smiles as big as their confidence! The Grade 8’s held a fundraising canteen in the hallway with lots of tasty treat options, and various classrooms/teachers were responsible for activities, including:
- movie room - one for primary and one for intermediate grades
- games room - one for each level as well
- arts/crafts room - students decorated eggs that transformed into an Easter greeting card that ‘cracked open’ once assembled
The main event – a disco-light dance party -- took place in the gym for everyone to come and go from. Along with the colourful strobe lights flashing and floor fogging, the gym was decorated with a photo booth station, complete with balloon arch and streamers. Students had a blast posing for pictures with friends and siblings. The energy was high; everyone was enjoying whatever activity they chose to take part in. An impromptu visit from the life-sized Easter Bunny also put big smiles on students’ faces as they greeted the Bunny in their classrooms and received chocolate treats or candies from his basket.
This was a great social opportunity for students to mix and mingle; it offered a nice change from lessons/instructing/classroom walls for staff. Based on the egg-cited shrieks and smiles, the Easter Formal Dance and Activities Day was a great success! What a fun way for staff and students to celebrate together prior to the Easter break. Chi miigwech to Biidaaban leadership and staff for supporting the students with these engaging endeavours, and for providing positive role modelling to plan, implement, and manage these memorable events for the school.