It’s back to school time and we are ready to get things rolling.
We hope that you all had a wonderful summer and made lasting memories.
It was great to see some of our families at local parks and touch base with the children. Funny how surprised they are to see us outside preschool time!
We are excited to see all our returning families and we welcome all our new families to Parkcrest Preschool! We hope to see you all at the drop in on Friday, September 5 from 11-12:30.
Below is a list of important information for the start of preschool…
Newsletter:
Every month we will be emailing you a newsletter to let you know what is happening, activities we have planned and important dates to remember.
Please make sure we have your email address on file. You may need to check your “Junk” box and look for INFO as the sender. Monthly newsletters will also be posted on our website www.parkcrestchildcaresociety.ca. Please subscribe to “Up to” so that you can get reminders for special days. If you have any questions, please let us know.
Class Start Date and Times:
Preschool starts on Monday, September 8th from 9:30am-11:30am. Only children registered in 5 days or the Monday, Wednesday and Friday class should attend.
This will be a shorter day to offer a gradual entry, collect outstanding information from families and to go over the new routine with the children. All children are required to complete an emergency card with a small current photo of your child/children. If we have one from last year, a new one is not required. Families are requested to update addresses, phone numbers and doctor information.
Full classes will begin on Tuesday, September 9th. Children in the 5 day class or Tuesday, Thursday class will attend from 9:30-1:30. New families who wish to pick up early on this day, may arrange that via email.
Tip: Start talking through the process of coming to school. Let your child know that the teachers are excited for story time and play time. Also, reassure your child that you will be right back to pick them up and it’s ok to stay with the teachers for a short while. This process will help minimize anxiety around separation. Be on time to pick up your child. This will ensure they can trust that you will return.
Backpacks and clothing:
Please send your child to school in comfortable clothing, rubber sole-closed toe shoes and one lunch bag and one backpack. We kindly ask that lunch bags remain separate from your child’s backpack.
Easy open ideas:
When children are focused on play, accidents may occur. We are always available to help each child with bathroom routines. If your child is still in pull ups, please send 2 in a Ziploc bag with your child’s name written on it to keep at the preschool. Spare clothing can be kept in your child’s backpack. Remember to update the clothing every few months as seasons change and children grow. Please label all items.
***NEW -Snack:
We will be serving fresh fruit at 10:30 daily. Please bring 1-2 whole fruit at the beginning of each week. We will select the fruits of the day, wash them, cut them and enjoy them as a group.
***NEW -Lunch:
We will be having lunch at noon each day. Please send a healthy lunch with some fresh fruit or vegetables. Parkcrest Children’s Centre has a strict nut & tree-nut free policy. Packaged snacks should come with the peanut free label. Please ensure that breads, spreads, buns, noodles/rice and bars do not contain nuts or nut oils.
According to Fraser Health, children under 4 years of age should have grapes/cherry tomatoes cut in half to prevent choking.
Chips, chocolate, popcorn and candies may be returned home for consumption.
If your child has allergies, please make sure you indicate this on your registration form so we can discuss with you in detail. If new allergies develop please let us know.
Birthdays:
Birthdays are all celebrated the same. We sing happy birthday and the children put felt candles on a felt cake. Children also receive a certificate to take home. We have a special day in June when we celebrate the children who have birthdays in the summer.
Treats or goodie-bags will be handed out at the end of the class. All prepackaged food items must be peanut and tree nut free. Please help your child write his/her name on a little tag. Individual names are not recommended.
Playground:
When we take the children outside, we only use half the climber as it has been deemed safe to use for children under 5 years, by the City and Fraser Health Child Care Licensing.
We have been given a designated time for playground use during preschool class hours. Please feel free to use playground when not in used by school children. Parkcrest staff will not be held responsible for any incident that occurs outside of your child’s preschool hours. We encourage all families to be aware of what is happening outside.
Parking:
Please respect all parking signs and no stopping times. A traffic officer may ticket you. Avoid all U-turns or blocking driveways. Park on the correct side of the street! Take the extra time to walk a few feet further for the safety of all children. Keep the area open and visible.
• Families should not park in front of the stairs leading to the preschool entrance.
• Families should not block driveways within 5 feet on either sides.
• Families should respect the staff parking signs at ALL times.
• Families will respect city parking/no stopping signs.
Arrival and Pick-up:
Please arrive promptly at 9:30 am. We share the drop off zone and playground with Parkcrest Elementary School. In order for the preschool to continue running safely, we should all follow safety measures to ensure the health and safety for all the children using the outdoor space.
From time to time, the school district maintenance team will be working on or around preschool grounds. As they work on completing our second facility, please follow all instructions. Out walkway by the stairs is currently loose and uneven. Please use the pathway past the playground for drop off and pickup until further notice.
I am pleased to introduce our teachers for 2025-2026
Miss Tahira is our Lead Preschool Teacher and oversees a majority of the programming. She is a licensed Early Childhood Educator, has been with us for 8 years, and has been a lead example for young children. She is energetic, fun and passionate. She is dedicated to enriching the lives of young children through reading, music, and engaging activities. She will be your first point of contact should you have any questions or concerns about your child or the preschool program. Miss Tahira is available by phone (604-294-2664) between 8:30am and 3:30pm Monday to Friday.
Miss Kelly is our new preschool teacher. She has year of experience working at Deer Lake Early Learning Centre. Unfortunately, they closed their doors in 2024 which gave her time for long walks, gardening and moments with her husband and 3 children. Miss Kelly sees children as capable and feels that visual learning is the most memorable and easy way for them to learn. She will do her best to provide play-based experiences, be supportive and listen to their ideas as they work together as a team.
Miss Vicki is our One to One Support Teacher. She has been a part of the preschool team for 5 years. She believes that all children should be included and that each child learns at their own pace. She will be supporting the Monday, Wednesday and Friday class.
Miss Nelufar is joining us for her third year. She is a certified Early Childhood Educator and has training in Applied Behaviour Analysis and Picture Exchange System. Nelufar will be working as one to one support on Monday, Wednesday and Friday.
Miss Farhana is our Executive Director. She runs the day to day operations of both the Out of School Care Program and the Preschool Program. She has been with Parkcrest Children’s Centre for 7 years and loves spending time getting to know each individual child. She is a certified Early Childhood Educator with additional training around Infants & Toddlers, and Special Needs. Farhana recently completed a one year program at Douglas College where she obtained her certification as a Behaviour Interventionist. She will support all classes as needed and is available to provide resources for you and your child. Miss Farhana will be working closely with all staff to ensure the Centre maintains high health, safety and programming standards. Please feel free to connect with her for detailed conversations regarding any questions or concerns you may have
Parkcrest Children’s Centre also cares for children attending Parkcrest Elementary and Aubrey Elementary. From time to time, you may see our Out of School Care Staff, Miss Vivian, Miss. Maria and Miss Jessica.
All staff are required to perform a daily self-health assessment prior to arriving at the Centre. On days where staff may be required to stay home, we may need to close the program due to insufficient ratios. We will do our best to fill in the gaps with our current staff however, not all staff are fully certified to cover the positions. We thank you in advance for your understanding and cooperation.
Parent Board of Directors:
Our Centre is run by a parent board. These parents have children attending our programs and dedicate 1-2 hours a month reviewing program needs, marketing and finances. They are the dedicated team that makes informed decisions to keep our Centre running for years to come.
We are always looking for new members and encourage you to join our wonderful team as long standing members prepare to retire. You are welcome to participate in one or two meetings prior to joining. As always, we will be voting in new members in November during our Annual General Meeting.
If you are interested in joining, please see Miss Farhana.
Fundraising:
Our program offers children many on site experiences. We look forward to that one special field trip in April or May. In previous years, we have been bowling and to Maplewood Farms. Last year, we welcomed Urban Safari Resue to the preschool. This year, we would love to book something different! To support our goal, the following fundraisers are open for your participation throughout the year. All proceeds will be used to enhance the program and cover a portion of our field trip.
Bottle Drive
The aftermath of the worldwide pandemic left us with empty spaces over the past two years. This has greatly impacted our financial situation. We have set up an account with the Return-It Depot at Kensington Plaza. Proceeds will be used to support all our programs, retain staff and ongoing operational costs. A little goes a long way!
Please consider dropping off your empty beverage containers to the Centre, or directly to the bottle depot. For easy drop offs, please use the self-help kiosk at the depot to print labels using our telephone number (604-294-6224), and attached them directly to your blue bag. You can then drop the bag off in the large blue containers past the cashier.
Mabel’s Labels
We are happy to announce that we have partnered up with Mabel’s Labels to fundraise for Parkcrest Preschool. Mabel’s Labels offers custom name labels for the stuff kids lose. Labels are laundry and dishwasher safe, and they are easy to apply. These labels make a perfect gift and are ideal for school supplies, clothing and containers.
Go to www.campaigns.mabelslabels.com and search for Parkcrest Child Care Society and shop your personalized labels! We receive 20% in funds from your order!
Scholastic Book Club:
Scholastic Canada offers a fantastic selection of books at affordable prices for home reading and gifts. We have been a part of this book club for many years. For every purchase, we receive a credit and use it towards the purchase of new books and art supplies for our Centre.
Families who chose to order books can view the Digi-flyer at https://classroomessentials.scholastic.ca/s/cec-ca/en/digital-catalogues
There is an easy Pay online system. All paid orders will be forwarded to the preschool and combined for one shipment. Upon delivery, teachers will hand you or your child the order. Please use our class code when placing your order RC174102.
There is absolutely no obligation to order books – just an opportunity if you wish.
Professional Days:
Parkcrest Children’s Centre offers both Preschool and Out of School Care. In order for Parkcrest to offer both programs, we are required to offer a full day of care for school age children of Parkcrest and Aubrey on all Pro D Days. There is typically one Pro D day per month as per the Burnaby School District (sometimes 2). Preschool will be closed on all Pro D Days.
We will give you plenty of notice through emails, newsletters and our website.
To date, we have: September 19 & 22 / October 24 / November 21 / February 27 /
April 27 / June 1 & 15
Preschool will be closed from Monday, December 22 for the winter holiday and will reopen on Monday, January 5.
Preschool will be closed for only one week during Spring Break. March 23 to March 27 and will reopen on March 30.
Important Dates to Remember:
Drop in – Friday, Sept. 5th 11-12:30 (All children and families welcome)
Gradual Entry (2hr only) - Mon. Sept. 9th for Monday, Wednesday and Friday class
Full Class (9:30-1:30) - Tues. Sept. 10th for Tuesday and Thursday class
Scholastic Book Orders - Please submit online order by Monday Sept. 22nd
Pro D Days (No Preschool) - Fri. Sept. 19th & Mon. Sept. 22nd
Reconciliation Day (Closed) - Tuesday, Sept. 30th
All notices will be available on our website. info@parkcrestchildcaresociety.ca
Subscribe to” Up to” on our events page and get reminders and notifications for important dates