Our planned Hallowe’en Centres party for this week has generated a lot of excitement not just among the Kindergarten children, but for our classroom parents as well as it’s the first opportunity for them to volunteer for a classroom activity.

Most Kindergarten parents are very keen to volunteer in their child’s classroom.  They seem to have an innate sense that teaching a Kindergarten classroom can be very busy and wish to able to support their child’s teacher in any way they can, even if it’s just cleaning paints and brushes (and that is very much appreciated).  Many parents come from Parent Participation Preschool backgrounds so they are used to volunteering frequently in many capacities.  Sometimes parents wonder how their child is doing and wish to see them in action.  Although we know that everyone has different reasons for helping, what is most crystal clear to us is this:  parent volunteers can improve the quality of their child’s education, support the classroom teacher and the school, and model the importance of giving back to their community to their children.

The first time we ask for Kindergarten parent volunteers is at the end of October, although it can be later depending upon the children.  We’ve tried several times to ask for helpers in September; but the truth is, not all children are ready to have their parents come into the classroom in the early days of school.  We monitor separation issues between children and parents, and observe how the children interact with you before and after school.  We want your volunteer experience in the classroom to be positive one, and it can be hard if your child is clinging on to you and you are unable to fulfill your role.  We need to feel secure knowing that your children understand that when their mom or dad volunteers in the classroom, their parents are there to help the teacher.  The teacher is the one who is in charge and the class expectations are still to be followed.

There was a time when the classroom teacher needed parent helpers, she would post a sign-up outside the classroom.  But the problem with this method, as we found out both as teachers and working parents, was that the same parents would always get to volunteer as they would drop-off and pick-up their children so they could sign up first.  Back in our job-share days, when our children were still in elementary school, we often missed out ourselves to volunteer in the classroom because we happened to be teaching when the sign-up was posted.

We understood that the dates for classroom events might conflict with a teaching day for us; that’s just reality of the working parent.  It’s far easier for the teacher to hang up that sheet of paper, but the “first come, first served” model just doesn’t sit well with us.  We want to make volunteering more equal for all parents if we can.

When we plan a classroom event and require parent volunteers, we ask our classroom parents personally.  For each group of volunteers we have, we’re consciously trying to create a balance of new and former parents (of children we’ve taught previously), and parents with a second language to support the children who are learning English.  We try to accommodate parents’ work schedules, childcare for siblings and utilize parents’ talents, and we can only learn this through talking to them.  We try to give as much notice as we can for working parents so they can try to switch workdays if necessary.

Ridgeview, like many other elementary schools, has volunteer Room Parents for each division.  The Room Parents can support the classroom teacher in a variety of ways:  preparing teaching materials, sorting craft supplies for activities, asking for volunteers in the classroom or a field trip, or organizing the classroom parents to sponsor a school event (this last one is more for the older grades).

Because we speak to the parent volunteers ourselves, Christy and I ask our Room Parents to keep track of which parents have come in so we can be certain that each family has had at least one opportunity to volunteer for a classroom event during the school year.  Although we realize everyone would love to volunteer more, as long-time experienced professionals, we are quite accustomed to and truly enjoy planning, preparing and teaching everything ourselves.  But when we have a special activity for our students, and need more support, then we are able to provide an opportunity for parents helpers.

It’s important to remember that it’s a privilege to volunteer in your child’s classroom.  For many children, the classroom is a safe and special place, typically inhabited by just the teacher and the students.  We have our own rhythm, our own little jokes, our own way of doing things and an established set of expectations.  We’re like our own ecosystem where everything is in balance and it’s the classroom teacher’s responsibility to maintain that balance for each and every child.  But we also understand and value that parents want to, and should be, involved in the learning that happens in the classroom, and we want to include you.  

We expect that you will be involved with all the children you are working with, not just helping your own child.  It can be challenging because the teacher will probably have a task she wants you to accomplish with everyone and your child may want all your attention.  But as a classroom volunteer, your child will need to understand that you are there to assist everyone so that might be a conversation you have ahead of time at home.

Your classroom teacher is depending upon your discretion.  Sometimes the children in your group may have difficulty with their self-regulation.  Perhaps it’s hard for them to listen and follow your instructions.  Working with a small group of children in the classroom setting is not the same as having a play date at your house.  We are watching all the groups and will intervene as necessary.  But we’re trusting you not to talk about the children’s behaviour, nor their schoolwork, to the child’s parents or other parents.  

Please remember that in your role as a classroom volunteer, you are not there to compare your child to the other students.  It goes without saying that every child is unique, from a different background and a different set of early learning and parenting experiences.  As Kindergarten teachers, we love and accept every child where they are in their growth and development and try to nurture each one along from where they are through this special year in school.

We’re attending the Leadership Roundtable presented by the Canadian Self-Regulation Initiative, (@CSRI_SelfReg), “Building School Capacity to Support Student Success:  Creating Quality Learning Environments Through a Self-Regulation Lens,” on October 23, the Provincial Professional Day.  We’re looking forward to a day of shared learning on exploring meaningful change and the best teaching practices, supported by emerging research, in the area of self-regulated learning environments. We’ll be tweeting from @selfregteacher throughout the day to keep you informed.

Well, we’re back again to talk about garbage and waste management in the classroom.  This is an updated version of our original post, Waste Management, Kindergarten Style.

We find ourselves thinking and talking a lot about garbage because we do create some in our classrooms.  Nothing unreasonable, but certainly enough to give us pause and remind us to address this always timely topic.

For parents new to Ridgeview, here’s a brief overview of how we handle garbage at our school focusing specifically on the Kindergarten.

When we returned to school in September 2014, West Vancouver Municipality, like the rest of Metro Vancouver, had declared anything from plants and animals (and biodegradable) to be considered as organic waste and not garbage.  Therefore, organic waste must be separated from the regular garbage collection.

Similar to last year, we have 21 students in each of our Kindergarten classrooms, eating two to three times a day when you consider snacks and lunch.  However, we have increased the number of packaged hot lunches from four to five times a week this school year.  As you can imagine, we create a fair amount of waste.

As experienced teachers, Christy and I know, and greatly value, the importance of routines.  We cannot underestimate the power of how routines will affect us in our daily lives, from our organization, ability to be productive to our sense of accomplishment.  For our students, having routines provides them with a feeling of security, increases their confidence and contributes to their overall happiness and independence when they can say, “I know what to do and I can do it by myself!”  Truly, that is the sweetest song for their ears and our own.

So when we start any routines with our new class each year, we want to ensure we’ve done it right.

It is an expectation that our entire student body at Ridgeview, from Kindergarten to Grade 7, learn to separate organics, dry paper recyclables, and garbage/waste items at school.  

Under our Principal’s leadership, our school has implemented three main systems in our classrooms:  an Organic Waste can, the blue Recycling Bin and a Pack In/Pack Out Initiative for recess and lunch.

In our classroom there are two sorting bins:  

Organic Waste Can 

In the Organic Waste can, only four items can be thrown in:
•Paper towels
•Wet paper
•Pencil shavings
•Tissue

We don’t have a monitor for our Organics Garbage Can, as our children are typically checking with us first if something can go in.  They are learning this routine well,
developing independence and looking to the other students if they are uncertain about what to do.

Blue Recycling Bin for Mixed Paper 

We’ve noticed the children are very used to the blue recycling bin.  So much so that they are often asking if they can put plastic containers in it like they must do at home.  Unfortunately, we cannot do that at school.  It’s only for dry paper, paper scraps, and charts we’ve finished using in class.

Recess and Lunch–Pack In/Pack Out Initiative
This has been the most challenging of all the waste management initiatives because it’s one where all of us must work together.

Students are responsible for all food items that they bring into Ridgeview.

Essentially, any waste our students create from the food they’ve packed into school (food packaging, peelings and cores, napkins, leftover food) must be packed out at the end of each school day.  All waste must go home to be sorted.

We need you, the children’s parents, to support your child (and the classroom and school routines) by sending a ziploc, or plastic bag, everyday to school for your child’s pack out.  

Some parents have arranged with their children to simply put the food waste and packaging from the day’s food loose in the lunch kit and so far, that seems to going well.  If you do not send a lunch kit to school with your child, then you must send a ziploc or plastic bag for the food waste.

Other parents send snacks and lunch in reusable containers, thereby eliminating the food packaging, and any uneaten food stays in the container.


Here’s what your children are doing with the pack out of the food waste and packaging.


We have to say that the Kindergarten children have taken quickly to this system and are very proficient at getting their food and packaging waste into the ziploc.  They have shown considerable improvement at getting the bags “zipped” closed.

Hot Lunch
The Hot Lunch days have proven to be trickier.  There is a lot of packaging associated with this program.  

As you can see, sending your child with a large ziploc is better if he or she receives a hot lunch.

Food containers and paper wrapping are sent home everyday.

TCBY frozen yogurt and Max Frozen fruit bars, if not finished, are disposed of in the sink, and the packaging sent home.

Milk cartons, juice boxes and soup containers, if not finished, are disposed of in the sink, and the packaging sent home.

If the soup has not been open, and your child brought a ziploc bag, we try to tape the container closed and place it in the bag to go home.

We’re extremely proud of the Kindergarten.  The children know their lunch routines well; they know them as the only way to manage their food waste at school. The Kindergarten is also the only grade in the entire school which does not have to change habits of old because they are able to start fresh every year.

Change is healthy, but we all know change can be hard as well.  Therefore….we won’t comment specifically on how the teaching staff is coping with food waste and sorting in the staffroom, but let’s just say that old dogs can learn new tricks….albeit slowly.