Team

2016
The Kindergarten Program Document states:

Educators play an important role in promoting the well-being of children and youth by creating, fostering, and sustaining a learning environment that is healthy, caring, safe, inclusive, and accepting. A learning environment of this kind will support not only children’s cognitive, emotional, social, and physical development but also their mental health, their resilience, and their overall state of well-being. All this will help them achieve their full potential in school and in life. (p.5)

I must begin by sharing how truly blessed I am to have had the opportunity to work and grow professionally with incredible teachers, educators, an administrator , and board.

The following quote shared and written for our website by  Dr. Charles Pascal is one that my teaching partner,  Shirley Silva and I are most proud of!  This quote speaks to the importance of team and the professional practice that is essential to the success of the Full Day Kindergarten Program.

“Your website reflects the kind of teamwork expected of the ECE/Teacher partnership. Founded on mutual respect for the equal and complementary gifts that each of you brings to the sandbox, you are creating something bigger than the the sum of these gifts for the sake of the kids. Your understanding of genuine play-based, curiosity driven pedagogy is also critical to the future success of the children. Your leadership is inspiring”

Charles E. Pascal
Professor
Applied Psychology & Human Development

We are also so pleased to share this message from Dr.Stuart Shanker:

“Thanks for the invite to look at your work. I just loved the site and the photos are a must-see for everyone” (quote shared on our Twitter account: @FDKSandbox-Journey Together FDK)

*2014-Website and blog sited and shared as 1 of 10 top resources for Educators and parents embracing Full Day Kindergarten.

The journey  begins…

I would like to take a moment to tell you a little bit about who I am, and my experience in Full Day Kindergarten.  My name is Caroline Thornton, for 18 years I worked in the role of the Early Childhood Educator in a variety of settings. In 2017, I entered into the role of Educational Resource Worker with the school board. Prior to working with a school board in Southern Ontario in FDK, I I worked along a team of dedicated staff who upheld best practice, and strived for excellence, The Copper House. The Copper House was a private childcare centre in Bolton, geared to providing quality care to the employees and their children at Husky Injection Molding. Over the past several years I have worked hard to enter into the role of the Registered Teacher. In 2020, I obtained an undergraduate degree in Early Years Studies at Ryerson University. Following this I earned a Master of Science in Education at Medaille College in Buffalo, NY. Today I am loving my new role working as a Primary/Junior teacher.

This is the lovely, the fabulous  Shirley Silva.   She  was my first teaching partner in FDK (4 years).  Together, alongside our Principal Patricia Peroni we helped to unpack the program alongside our board.  Together we  created the website (www.journeytogetherfdk.com) that shares our journey into Full Day Kindergarten.  She has been teaching in the primary division for 28 years.  Shirley has taught Kindergarten, Grade 1, and Grade 3 as well as Special Ed., and English as a Second Language. She also enjoyed a brief stint as a Literacy coach.

This is the amazing Jane Posa (1 year), she became my second FDK co-teaching partner!  Together we created an amazing environment where the little people in our care could learn and grow. She has taught almost every grade, and she teaches with so much heart.

So blessed to have this wonderful teaching partner, Lara Stott (2 years).  She became my third teaching partner.  We spent most days laughing at all the joy 3-5  year olds bring each day. Amazing how much fun you can have just listening to the little voices around you each day, kids say the darndness things! 😀

This fabulous lady is our now retired former Principal, Patricia Peroni.  She was the heart behind our school! She is our biggest supporter.  Her ability to trust, believe and bring out the best in her staff is inspiring. The families and staff within our school community are so blessed to have her watching over us all.  <3

Tom Condotta was our tech savvy Vice Principal, today is shares his leadership gifts with another school as a Principal .  Since he started at our school he has not only been supportive, but hared his interest and knowledge of technology and some much more.   This new learning has helped us to better serve the 21st century learner, and add another element to our professional practice in the classroom.

The  team approach is key to the overall success of your program. Each educator brings very different skills, experiences and ideas to the classroom; although different, complementary to each other and the program overall. Throughout this story of learning together, we will continue to share our passion for this program and how every aspect of FDK comes right back to the fact that the team is the key to success.

In 2014, Shirley and I were honoured to be nominated by our Board for the Frances Poleschuk Award, and WON!!! This was a message written by our Administrator, Patricia Peroni;
“Council Of Associated Primary Educators honoured Shirley Silva and Caroline Thornton
On Friday April 11, 2014, The Council of Associated Primary Educators presented Shirley Silva and Caroline Thornton (St. Monica School; MBC Family) with the Frances Poleschuk award as an exemplary educator team.  This award (first initiated in 1989) is presented to educators who have made exemplary contributions to practice in primary education in Ontario.

Shirley Silva and Caroline Thornton have been leaders as co-educators since the beginning of FDK. We are so proud of them for their co-educator approach, their research, sharing of best practices, their initiative, continued learning, support and leadership in primary education.

They have been instrumental with many inquiries within our board and across boards. Their openness and willingness to invite educators into their rooms, meeting with educators after school, their presentations at summer institutes and after school sessions is highly commendable. Their flexibility and availability is a best practice to be shared.
Their website is also outstanding, journeytogetherfdk.com

This award is an outstanding honour. The Council Of Associated Primary Educators holds this award close to their heart. Please join me in congratulating Shirley and Caroline for their pioneering growth mindset and inquiry work while working through the entire Play-Based Inquiry Learning philosophy.
BRAVO—so proud and so well deserved! CONGRATULATIONS!”

Today, I am so pretty us to say I am part of the fabulous executive team with CAPE!