Our School

What the Children Say About Miss Nicki:

The best thing about Miss Nicki is that she reads stories and today she read the craziest story about ghosts battling and skeletons rattling - ratta shaka ratta shaka!

Meet The Teacher

Nicole Liversage, or "Miss Nicki" as she is known within the school, has been at Goldstream Preschool since 1996. "I love sharing and I love working with this age group," she says. "I find it exciting to see them change and learn and get ready for the next step."

Her enthusiasm is evident every day in the classroom, where she's more than willing to get down and dirty with dozens of preschoolers. Whether it's painting little feet to make ghostly footprints for Halloween, or baking apple crisp for snack time, Miss Nicki is adept at "sliding in the educational stuff" when the kids just think they are having fun.

"The Learn Through Play philosophy has been proven: The best way for a child to learn is through hands-on experience," she says. In Miss Nicki's classroom, a four-year-old learns the meaning of the word "perimeter" by feeling the edges of a woodcut before making a print.

As a qualified Early Childhood Educator, she attends monthly professional development sessions with other ECEs from Vancouver Island Co-operative Preschool Association schools. She also participates in the association's annual Making Tomorrow Conference, and does observations in two other classrooms each year.

In 2004, she took a one-year sabbatical to teach preschool and primary children in London, England. "It was a great experience in terms of looking at what their educational program offers and comparing it to the Canadian system." The UK's heavy emphasis on literacy has "opened up" that side of the program for her - and her students. "It's good to see how someone else does things."

Although the UK experience offered Nicki new insights, she still remains committed to the Learn Through Play model. "There is such a focus today for parents to be academic and there's this whole other side to it - and that's the social side," she says. Children not only need to learn their letters and numbers, they also need to discover ways to deal with different personalities. "How do you deal with an aggressive child, or someone who is really shy?"

In her program for three-year-olds, the focus is definitely on the social side: "It's a lovely way to introduce the child to others their own age." As the year progresses, the threes go from side-by-side play to understanding a group dynamic. "By the end of the year, they are ready to go onto the fours and a whole new level."

Preschool lays the groundwork for children, so that by the time they go to Kindergarten they are comfortable interacting in a group. "It's a big jump to go from nothing to a big class," she says, adding that Kindergarten teachers are always able to tell which children went to preschool.

While the teacher is responsible for creating the classroom environment, Nicki credits parents at Goldstream Preschool for contributing their energy. "I'm always amazed at families who are willing to go the extra mile and invest in the school." The result of that investment is the sense of community created within the school. Families visit the school years later, and the children still remember things they did with her in preschool. "Our relationship has had that staying power," she says. Though she's modest, it's clear she's proud of the role she has had in so many children's early education. "This is their first experience of school and establishing a good impression is so important."

Qualifications

All educators in VICPA preschools:

are fully trained and certified Early Childhood Educators (ECE)
are licensed and registered with the Community Care Facilities Licensing Branch, Ministry of Health
are sensitive people who respect young children, relate easily to them and provide an environment which encourages all children to develop at their own pace, in their own way
actively serve as advisors and guides to the members ensuring a quality experience for your child and family
attend monthly professional development sessions to keep current in all aspects of early childhood education ensuring ongoing quality care for your child

Our History -- Over 30 Years in the Community

Goldstream Preschool was established by a group of women who attended Gordon United Church. They began organizing in the fall of 1971, and the preschool opened in January 1972. The Goldstream Preschool Association was incorporated under the Societies Act July 9, 1973. Goldstream Preschool is a member of the Vancouver Island Cooperative Preschool Association (VICPA).

Educational Philosophy

The Vancouver Island Preschool Association's educational programs:

support the development of the whole child - socially, emotionally, physically, and intellectually.
allow for the recognition of each child's unique learning style, abilities, and developmental level.
allow for hands on learning, where the curriculum can emerge from the children's interests, needs and desires; making learning concrete and meaningful.

Central to our programs is the belief that:

children thrive in an atmosphere of trust; where they are provided with support, in a safe & gentle environment.
a child's self esteem and ability to learn are interdependent. That is, children succeed when they have a strong sense of self; therefore we believe it is important to foster a sense of competency and independence in all aspects of the child's being.

Each of our VICPA preschools has a unique environment that includes an excellent adult to child ratio allowing for individual attention.

Creative Play Stations

The Vancouver Island Preschool Association offers this insight into how a play-based curriculum will benefit your child through the many play stations throughout the school:

Outdoor Play

Story Time

Block Building

Painting

Water Play and Sandbox

Play Dough and Clay

Music and Rhythm

Dramatic Play

Language communication

Table toys

Cutting and pasting

Science table

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