Bowen Island Preschool
The product of parental vision and initiative, Bowen Island Preschool and Community Daycare Society at Bowen Children’s Centre began as a little preschool that first opened its doors to children in 1970. It has come a long way since those basement beginnings, thanks to the efforts of many member families and other supporters.
Over more than three decades, Bowen Island Preschool has become such an integral part of this island community that it is often known simply as ‘The Preschool’.
Through ongoing research, understanding of early childhood education has evolved and improved. The Preschool has kept pace, its program always reflecting the best of current knowledge.
The resilient Preschool grew with the community, and in the 1990’s it was the catalyst for the development of what is now Bowen Children’s Centre: a vibrant non-profit Society that’s home not only to The Preschool, but to the Community Daycare and The After School Club as well. Bowen Children’s Centre (BCC) is a resource hub for the island’s young families, and offers seminars and workshops on a wide range of relevant parenting and early childhood development topics.
The creative, joyful Preschool reflects this Centre’s philosophy of learning through guided play: a natural educational process by which children gain understanding of one another and become aware of their place in the world. The abilities that are developed through such constructive, gentle interaction benefit children tremendously as they embark on the long journey to adulthood.
The Preschool’s program is based on an emergent curriculum that incorporates aspects of the Reggio Emilia approach to early childhood education. We believe in helping children to explore and understand their community and their environment in ways that inspire a love of learning. Classes include music, art, early literacy and numeracy, problem-solving, drama and physical activity. We nurture children’s individuality and support the development of their self-confidence and the social skills that they’ll need to achieve success in school, and life.
And we believe that Preschool should be fun.