ESTEVAN - The young people at Mary's Little Lambs Preschool in Estevan continue to have many reasons to be thankful.
This week's edition of the Mercury features our annual Thanksgiving Kids promotion with young people from Mary's Little Lambs. Twenty kids in the four-year-old class gave their answers on why they are thankful; their answers appear throughout the paper and are sponsored by local businesses.
"This 'being thankful' edition of the Mercury aligns with our first monthly theme, which for September is I am Special, and this helps set the scene for being thankful, as there is a lot of discussion about why all the children are special, what they like and what their special favourite things are, as well as who is in their family and other people who love them," said Mary's Little Lambs' owner Mary Lawrence.
This ties in nicely with one of the puppets teacher Patti Ksenych uses daily. Lawrence pointed out George the Mouse comes out to help them with who they would like to pray for during the daily prayer time. It helps them reflect on who they are thankful for.
"Patti said this is one of her favourite times, as the children are so sweet and loving about who or what they love. It's a real joy to be able to be with them during Thanksgiving time and hear what they are thankful for."
October is a fun and colourful month at the preschool, she said, thanks to fall decorating. The children make balloon turkeys with eyes and feathers, and they make hand turkeys in which Ksenych paints the children's hands and fingers in different colours to put on paper, then adds the eyes.
Ksenych takes pictures daily of the children doing an activity and sends these to the parents so they can feel more involved in what is happening.
"Each child is so special, and we feel blessed to have them in Mary's Little Lambs Preschool."
This year's answers provided lots of entertainment for Lawrence and Ksenych. Some were very sweet, Lawrence said, and others made them laugh. She noted one child was thankful for laying in mud puddles.
"This year there was a lot of being thankful for food items, mostly fruit, but one little boy was thankful for sausages. You just never know what they will say."
Lawrence and Ksenych thanked parents for enrolling their children, the Mercury for running this promotion every year and the businesses that support Thanksgiving Kids.
"We know as a small business that everyone is feeling the effects of the slowing economy right now and we appreciate that our preschool children can still be featured this way. The children and their families and extended families are always excited to see the children's pictures in the Mercury and see what their child is grateful for."
