Sara Lordly

Year: 2017 — Province: Nova Scotia

Certificate of Achievement Recipient

Sara Lordly

Halifax Early Childhood School
5498 Inglis Street
Halifax, Nova Scotia B3H 1J8

Telephone: 902-422-4562
Email: hecskids@eastlink.ca
Website: www.halifaxearlychildhoodschool.ca

Type of setting: Preschool, children aged 2.5 to 5 years

From jungle safaris to firefighting missions, Sara Lordly believes in working from children's interests to provide a supportive environment that will promote future success.

Philosophy of care

Lordly's approach is holistic and her program has been designed to encourage and stimulate natural curiosity. This helps her students to develop feelings of self-worth and respect for others through play-based learning experiences.

Support of child development

  • When students showed an interest in firefighting, Lordly found ways to integrate this interest into all program activities. This included visits from community role models, outings to the fire department, and stories and crafts relating to the theme.
  • Lordly uses "picture patches" as a visual tool to assist children in understanding the day's schedule in pictures.
  • Led accommodation strategies for students with special needs, including implementing a grant that allowed for a lower student to teacher ratio.

Involvement with parents, families and the community

  • Parent volunteers are encouraged to be involved through special activities, projects, outings, presentations on special skills and introducing pets.
  • Integrated the "Making Cultural Connections" and "Play Around the World" programs to recognize the diverse economic, cultural, linguistic and regional perspectives in her learning environment.
  • Organizes informative workshops for parents with local experts on issues related to their children.

Rave reviews

"Sara's integrity and adherence to confidentiality is unwavering. Her personal demeanor when interacting with families is calm and open. (…) One specific example I remember is the way she helps parents deal with separation anxiety (for both children and adults!)."

Parent and board member

"[Lordly] makes every child, and every family, feel like they are the most special child/family at the school."

Parent