Chelsea Cooperative Nursery School

Jeepers Peepers!

admin — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 13:34:57 +0000

The signs of spring have come earlier than usual this year. And our kids can hear this spring favorite if you just listen for it. In the early evening, the chirping that can be heard on spring nights are not from birds but frogs and treefrogs. The following are the stars of spring that are easy to identify:

The spring peepers (Speudacris crucifer), who are tiny frogs with an “x” on their back, sounds like a high pitched “peep, peep, peep, peep.”

The gray treefrog (Hyla versicolor), is a small mottled treefrog that has a high pitched trill.

Check out the following link to identify the frogs by their calls for our area.

http://www.naturewatch.ca/english/frogwatch/learn_frogs.asp?Province=pq

Looking to try a new kind of outdoor adventure with your kids? Try a pajama adventure evening walk. To do this, you get the kids ready for bed with pajamas and teeth brushed but then outfit them with splash pants, coats and flashlights. Just take them outside and listen for the sounds of spring that can only be heard on spring nights!

It’s almost that time of year!!

admin — Mon, 26 Mar 2012 01:26:05 +0000

As the snow melts and our outdoor education programs shifts to longer time spent outside, it’s also time to start thinking about next year! The registrar is gearing up to start accepting registration packages for the 2012/2013 school year. As usual we will start with returning students on April 1st, and new students registration will begin on April 15th.

If you are new to CCNS, be sure to have your child’s name placed on our waiting list, and our registrar with contact you when a space has opened up! You can find the waiting list link here:

http://www.chelseacoop.ca/register/for-parents/

Travelling the World ~ CCNS

admin — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 01:57:02 +0000

What a month for all the kids, parents and teachers at CCNS! Our teachers did an amazing job organizing an around the world trip for all of the classes, and it all started with the kids creating their very own passports! They created their own passports, with their own “pictures” and even got a stamp for every country they visited along the way, what a great memory for them.

The idea for visiting the world started with the Guatemala project (http://guatemala-nursingproject.webnode.com/) who invited the teachers at CCNS to participate by helping create puppets to send to the children of Guatemala. It grew from there and so with a slight focus on Guatemala, the kids learned about Children all over the world. They visited: Kenya, India, Italy, and China. In Africa, they made African necklaces, and got to see and hold lots of African artifacts (drums, thumb piano, hand carved boat, etc) courtesy of Sharlene (Kieran’s mom) and Katie.

In Italy, the classes got to make real pasta and here is what Stefanny (Mäel and Tess’ Mom) had to say “Viva Italia! The senior class left Africa to fly to Rome this morning. They enjoyed a little bowl of Shreddies while watching a movie on the plane. After a bumpy ride, the class landed just in time to make pasta. Who knew we had gourmet chefs in the class. Arriverci Roma”

After Italy they flew to China and ate with chopsticks, made Chinese peasant hats and tried writing Chinese characters. Michelle read the wonderful story “Stone Soup” with the sr. class and they were really engrossed in the story!

In India they decorated their faces with bindi and henna decorations. The girls dressed in the sari head scarves.

After it all, my daughter was talking about Guatemala, and making pasta for days, so it was an amazing month for the kids, which will probably plant a seed for travel in future years!

Thanks Michelle, Michelle, Katie and Pamela!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

admin — Mon, 02 Jan 2012 01:52:55 +0000

Merry Christmas to all and Happy New Year!!

We hope that you are all enjoying your Christmas Break this year! Thankfully the snow arrived just in time for a white Christmas and to get in some sliding in with the little ones, I know my girls were very excited to finally get some snow and they have been outside everyday since!

Christmas Recitals

The 2011 school session ended with three fabulous Christmas recitals, organized and directed by our wonderful teachers, Michelle H., Michelle G., Katie and Pamela.

The Senior and Mixed afternoon classes performed “Crocodile Beat”. The story goes like this: There is a party going on down by the river! All the animals are there–ducks and elephants, monkeys and birds, even bears and a snake. They’re all dancing, singing, and stomping their feet, with King Lion himself leading the song! But they’d better watch out. Old croc’s waking up and he’s hungry! Luckily, King Lion is very brave. He’ll save his friends without missing a beat! Lying in wait in the water, Crocodile hears a multitude of animal sounds and plans on having a tasty dinner, but he is bested by Lion.

Each child worked on the background scenery, their masks and even their bells for the singing of the Christmas songs following the plan. They were nervous, excited and ready to perform. And they all did such a wonderful job! Thank you Michelle H. and Michelle G. for all your planning and hard work with the kids!

The Junior class did a fantastic job for their very first Christmas recital. They were focused as they sang their songs holding the beautiful art work they had done in class. And they all took a bow like professionals at the end. Everybody enjoyed the snack the parents had provided and as soon as the sugar kicked in, children became themselves again. It was nice to see all the new friendships that were born this fall. Thank you Katie and Pamela for all your hard work.

We all hope that the new year brings heath, happiness and joy! We look forward to the remainder of the year with CCNS and all the fun and adventure to come!

Thank You!! ~ Bids4Kids

admin — Sun, 20 Nov 2011 13:12:59 +0000

We’d like to extend a HUGE thank you to all of those who came out last Saturday in support of our annual Bids4Kids Auction!! With over 200 in attendance and more than $25,000 raised, we met our goals and look forward to adding to our tuition bursary, a new swing set and more! We also want to extend a special thank you to all the parent volunteers, the auction would not be a success without you, and also to our generous Sponsors, your support is valued and appreciated more thank we can express in a blog post!!

See you all next year at Camp Fortune on November 17th,2012.

Free Gift for first 100 ~ Bids4Kids

admin — Fri, 11 Nov 2011 14:34:10 +0000

Did you know? The first 100 people to arrive will receive a free gift bag full of goodies!!

Thank You! To our gift bag donors:

Pharmacie Isabelle Ménard ~   Fabric bag & pack of tissue
Desjardins ~   To-go coffee mugs + pens
Daya Organic Spa ~   Éminence product sample
Camp Fortune ~   2 for 1 ski ticket at Mont Ste. Marie
Confiserie Aux Bons Temps ~   Bag of sweet treats!
St. John Ambulance ~   Bandaid
Arbonne ~   Product sample
Partylite ~   Tealights
Monte Crista Productions ~   Chelsea area map
Ste. Anne’s spa ~   $25 gift certificate
Pampered Chef ~   Twixit! Clip

Our Local Supporters – The Foodie Edition! ~ Bids4Kids

admin — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 19:18:08 +0000

Oh Chelsea, we do be a hungry people! Thankfully, our little 10 kilometre triangle possesses the key to our happiness and importantly satisfaction: cookies from Demi Lune; maple smoked shrimp from the Smokehouse; I’m addicted to the Quattro Stagioni from Luigi’s; I crave London Fog’s from Les Saisons; raspberry & champagne sorbet from La Cigale; cold beer and tapas from the Chelsea Pub; Chicken Marbella (frozen – take away) or the classic Salade Fougères from Les Fougères, the perfect tucked away feel when you sit down for a winter dinner at L’Orée du Bois and a good ol’ fashion candy fix is solved at Bons Temps. I think that one would be hard pressed to find such variety and choice, but more importantly, such quality. Now I’m not speaking solely about quality of food and treats but simply the quality of people and their generosity ~ thank you all for giving to the Bids4Kids Auction!

Our Local Donors – The Sports Edition ~ Bids4Kids

admin — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 14:30:17 +0000

When are asked to describe Chelsea and the Gatineau Hills often included in the description are references to downhill skiing, cross-country skiing, hiking, swimming, paddling and basically anything sporty and outdoors. That is why our Nursery School is dedicated to outdoor education and healthy living, because it reflects our local community. This blog post is to feature the local businesses who have supported us for many years who are dedicated to the Chelsea lifestyle of health and exercise.

Shaver Sports

Located at the corner of Scott Road and Old Chelsea Road in the heart of Old Chelsea, Shaver Sports has been a Chelsea institution and regular contributor to the Bids4Kids Auction for many years. Shaver Sports is the place to go to be outfitted to hit the hills this winter, with a full range of skis, boots and clothing to keep fit on the slopes. And for the summer, Shaver Sports is there to equip you with all your soccer needs!

Greg Christies Ski and Cycle Works

Greg Christies, located at 148 Old Chelsea Road has been another regular donor to the Bids4Kids Auction. While Greg boasts having a small boutique – big on Products and Experience, we know that Greg has been a HUGE part of the Chelsea Community for over 20 years. He specializes in cycling in the summer, and cross-country skiing in the winter and has a wealth of knowledge about the racing world in both sports. We’d like to thank Greg for helping the CCNS over the past few years and encourage all visitors to stop by the shop at near exit 12 on HW5 and say hi!!

Samantha Warskett – Personal Training

If you live in Chelsea and think of Fitness, you automatically think of Samantha! Again, another huge supporter of the CCNS, Sam has such incredible spirit, dedication to fitness and experience you can’t go wrong with a few hours with her to whip you into shape! Samantha has formerly been a competitive runner, rower, cyclist and a recreational equestrian. She is a level 2 cycling coach in training and a director sportif for an elite women’s cycling team. She has 15yrs experience coaching cyclists and runners and 15yrs experience personal training. At Ottawa U in the Human Kinetics department, she specialized in exercise physiology and the the effects of exercise in aging and disease as well as sports psychology. She is also a spinning and aqua instructor. Contact Samantha for a personal training session and she will be sure to set you on the right path to health and well being.

Paddlefit

Paddlefit is owned and operated by Jodi Bigelow and is based in the Ottawa\Gatineau region. Jodi has been a competitive adventure athlete for over 10 years.He has become one of the top adventure athletes in Canada, competing in sprint to multi-day adventure races. He is also an avid kayaker, specializing in Downriver (Wildwater) and Marathon Kayaking events. He has been a member of the Canadian Wildwater team since 1994, has competed in several World Championships and has earned the title of Canadian Wildwater Champion in 2006.His training in the winter focuses primarily on developing strength and base fitness using x-country skiing. He is certified as an instructor and coach in both x-country and alpine skiing as well as kayaking.Paddlefit offers a wide range of training courses focused to meet your needs. They have instructional courses for the beginner to the advenced paddler. Sessions are designed to help beginners establish a base set of skills; intermediate paddlers to gain strength and efficiency in their expanding skill set; and the advanced paddler to immerse themselves in perfecting various paddling techniques. Visit Paddlefit.com to get more information on what programs they have to offer.

Larrimac Golf Club

Larrimac has been a regular sponsor to the CCNS Bids4Kids Auction for years now. Before Bids out grew the space, the annual charity auction was hosted at the Larrimac Golf Clubhouse. For those of you who are not familiar with the club, it is located in the most beautifull setting, nestled between the Gatineau hills and the Gatineau River. Larrimac Golf Club offers high-quality, environmentally friendly golf, tennis and social activities at a reasonable cost. Larrimac has a well maintained and challenging 9-hole course. It offers a friendly atmosphere that is welcoming to families, members, their guests and the general public.

Larrimac Golf Club – in Chelsea a 15 minute drive from Parliament Hill – is a place to meet old friends and to make new ones.

Cyclefit Chicks

CycleFitCHICKS was founded in 2008 by Sylvie D’Aoust, an Chelsea/Ottawa area cyclist. The club is a place where women and girls can share their love for cycling in a safe, friendly, encouraging environment.

Sylvie has made it her mandate to provide avenues for women to be introduced to cycling, whether it is for sport or recreational purposes. “We need more women to feel comfortable on the bike and gain the confidence through skills clinics to be successful and comfortable competing in their first road race”.

The club focuses on fun, recreational riding, with the opportunity to attend cycling skills and general fitness clinics to improve riding and overall fitness. There are scheduled rides for all level of riders from beginners, recreational riders, and racers. They have nearly 100 members from the greater Ottawa/Gatineau area. Where BEGINNERS are WANTED and EXPERIENCED cyclist are CHALLENGED. They’re taking cycling to a whole new level for women cyclist of all fitness levels. Find them on the web at www.cyclefitchicks.ca and on Facebook too!

Gatineau River Yacht Club

The islands of Gatineau River Yacht Club (GRYC) have been home to sailors on the Chelsea reservoir for over thirty years. The Club’s mission statement is “The Gatineau River Yacht Club (GRYC) is a family-oriented, volunteer-driven, co-operative, not-for-profit corporation dedicated to promoting and encouraging active participation in the sport of sailing and other water-related recreational activities. All activities at the GRYC shall respect the environment and the ability of the Club’s islands and of the Gatineau River to sustain those activities on a long term basis.”

One of the key elements of the mission statement is that the Club is volunteer-driven. Only a small staff is hired during the summer months for the instructional programs and some of the administrative and maintenance duties. In order for the members’ fees to be kept down and for the islands to maintain their beauty, all members are expected to pitch in.

The GRYC offers sailing camps during the summer months for kids as well as hosting regular races for boats of all sizes.

Please help us in thanking our local donors and support the local Chelsea community by visiting one of the above businesses or organizations today!

Our Local Donors – Beauty Edition ~ Bids4Kids

admin — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 21:30:56 +0000

Chelsea is a beautiful place, and we also can boast the most beautiful supporters around! This post is dedicated to featuring some “beauty” found right here in the Gatineau Hills – Fleuriste-Florist Avant-Garde and Euphorie Centre Santè-Beautè/Health and Beauty Center.

Fleuriste Avant-Garde is always full of the most beautiful floral creations in the form of bouquets in both fresh and silk flowers, and will soon be accompanied by a specialty gift shop. Avant-Garde is a source of beauty for weddings, and special events such as anniversary and birthday parties. But services are not limited to only flower arranging, the wonderful staff also host workshops on Saturdays, where you will learn some tricks of the trade for completing your project of beauty (currently Emilie is offering Christmas Tree Decorating workshops!!). They also offer workshops to kids, allowing parents to drop off the kids for a couple of hours to create flower projects for Mom and Dad! Call a week in advance to book a workshop and create a thing of beauty – for free (you just purchase the flowers)!

Fleuriste Avant-Garde is located at 180 Scott Road, Phone # 819-827-6308

Euphorie Health and Beauty Center recently opened it’s doors to offer Chelseaites a local place to go for all of our esthetic needs. They are a full service Beauty Center offering everything from Microdermabrasion, IPL Lazer Removal, Cellulite Treatments to manicures and pedicures. Euphorie offers Gift Certificates and has monthly specials – this month Euphorie is teaming up with Fleurist Avant-Garde by offering a dozen roses with a purchase of $125 or more in services and products.

Euphorie is located just below the florist at 180 Scott Road, Phone #819-827-8881

Call to book your next beauty treatment or floral workshop right here in beautiful Chelsea and support the wonderful people who donate to the Chelsea Cooperative Nursery School each year!

Art at the Auction! ~ Bids4Kids

admin — Thu, 03 Nov 2011 21:48:05 +0000

UPDATE! MORE ITEMS FROM THE AUCTION HAVE BEEN ADDED TO THE GALLERY.

Art and the auction… it makes us sounds so spiffy! Seriously though, this year the warehouse is practically bursting at the seams with an eclectic mix of art, from both local and ‘not so local’ artists.

In the prints and painting categories, we have our largest selection. Our most recent donation is a bright and happy piece from local artist Heather Lamorie and is the featured photo in this gallery. We have been given some lovely acrylics, oils, and special edition prints – one of which is a piece from Thomas Kinkade (‘Lamplight Manor’), and there are two prints from Chantal Poulin.

Photography has returned. Jim Rhoditis (whose work was recently shown at Les Saisons) has donated again; a black and white photo called ‘Quarry’, from his Gatineau series. Local photographer Geof Burbidge has donated the photo of the cedar-strip canoe on still water ~ already very popular amongst the Fundraising committee.

We have some lovely artisan works: wrought iron pieces from The Townsmiths/Artisan Forgeron, pottery from Maple Leaf Pottery, and this very cozy looking duvet cover from The Old Chelsea Slipcover Co.

These pieces will be available at the Live & Silent Auction on the 12th up at Camp Fortune. There are so many we’re thinking of devoting a corner just for them! Enjoy!