ASCY

06/23/2026

Earlier this month, we celebrated leadership, literacy, and the incredible impact of early childhood educators at the Learning Connections Hamilton Leaders in Learning Breakfast.

Congratulations to Marianne McKay of La Garderie Le Petit Navire, recipient of the CIBC Murphy Investment Group Individual Early Literacy Education Award, nominated by Julie Trapasso for her dedication to fostering a love of literacy in young children.

Congratulations as well to Lucky Day Nursery, recipient of the ASCY-sponsored Agency Early Literacy Education Award, recognizing their commitment to creating rich literacy experiences for children and families.

Thank you to Learning Connections Hamilton for bringing our community together to recognize the educators and organizations making a lasting difference in the lives of children every day.

05/26/2026

Recently, our Montessori-Inspired Community of Practice gathered at Dundas Valley Montessori to explore math concepts and discover the many ways Montessori materials are used to support and deepen children’s math learning. It was an inspiring evening of collaboration, reflection, and shared passion for meaningful learning experiences.

05/25/2026

04/28/2026

Dans l’épisode d’aujourd’hui, Nancy Baverstock d’ASCY est jointe par sa collègue et collaboratrice de longue date Anna Minniti, leader pédagogique au Little Peoples Daycare à Hamilton, pour une conversation réfléchie sur la transformation des réunions du personnel en espaces intentionnels et significatifs pour la connexion, la collaboration et la pratique réflexive.

Ensemble, elles explorent comment s’éloigner des réunions guidées par des listes de contrôle et se tourner vers des « moments de rassemblement » intentionnels peut renforcer les relations, valoriser les voix des éducateurs et aligner les équipes autour de valeurs et d’une vision partagées. S'appuyant sur des années d'expérience, elles discutent des moyens pratiques pour que les dirigeants puissent créer des réunions qui deviennent respectueuses, engageantes et pertinentes, des espaces où les éducateurs se sentent vus, entendus et valorisés.

Cette conversation invite les auditeurs à faire une pause et à réfléchir à une question importante : Pourquoi nous réunissons-nous ? Et comment pouvons-nous nous assurer que notre temps ensemble soutient réellement la croissance, le bien-être et l'apprentissage professionnel? https://open.spotify.com/episode/24WMpWd0JgW1oQ1tLYYAuW?si=1cf06ce677eb49b7

Can We Talk?: Conversations In The Early Years · Episode

04/28/2026

In this episode, ASCY’s Nancy Baverstock is joined by colleague and long‑time collaborator Anna Minniti, pedagogical leader at Little Peoples Daycare in Hamilton, for a thoughtful conversation about transforming staff meetings into intentional, meaningful spaces for connection, collaboration, and reflective practice.

Together, they explore how shifting away from checklist‑driven meetings and moving towards purposeful “gathering times” can strengthen relationships, elevate educator voices, and align teams around shared values and vision. Drawing from years of experience, they discuss practical ways leaders can create meetings that feel respectful, engaging, and relevant, spaces where educators feel seen, heard, and valued.

This conversation invites listeners to pause and reflect on an important question: Why do we gather? And how can we ensure our time together truly supports growth, wellbeing, and professional learning?
https://open.spotify.com/episode/5PhLhDPGRDhXintqfo4o17?si=57f10300afa64826

Can We Talk?: Conversations In The Early Years · Episode

04/23/2026

This week we had the pleasure of holding our Toddler Infant Preschool (TIPs) Community of Practice session at Paramount Family Centre.

During our time together, educators in the preschool/kindergarten classroom generously opened their doors and their thinking, sharing how they approach planning and documentation with such care and intentionality. We explored how environments are thoughtfully set up to invite curiosity, how documentation becomes a living, reflective process, and how children’s voices are centered as a powerful guide for both planning and daily reflection.

What stood out most was the deeply personal and meaningful ways educators capture learning alongside children, using their words, ideas, and questions to shape the environment and inform what comes next.

Here are a few glimpses of the inspiring spaces and the thoughtful questions embedded within them.

A heartfelt thank you to the incredible team at Paramount Family Centre for your openness, reflection, and leadership 💛

04/14/2026

In this episode, ASCY’s Nicole Colterman is joined by Aaron Bailey, Aaron is a certified ADHD Life Coach, educator, and advocate with both professional and lived experience in ADHD and neurodiversity. With over a decade of work across education, mental health, and coaching, including running his own practice, Aaron brings deep insight and practical support to the ADHD community

Together, Nicole and Aaron explore what ADHD truly is: a neurodevelopmental difference, not a behavioural choice or a character flaw. Aaron clearly explains how differences in brain chemistry, particularly dopamine, impact attention regulation, impulsivity, emotional expression, time perception, working memory, and executive functioning. The conversation reframes behaviour as communication, encouraging educators and caregivers to shift from asking “what’s wrong?” to “what’s happening in the brain?”

Aaron also shares practical, developmentally appropriate strategies that support children in early learning settings, such as visual supports, movement, predictability, novelty, interest‑based approaches, and reducing cognitive load. Many of these approaches benefit all children, which is especially important given that ADHD is often undiagnosed in the early years and children may not yet have the language to describe their needs.

This episode is a strengths‑based, compassionate conversation that reminds us: when children struggle, it’s not because they won’t, it’s because they can’t yet. With understanding, empathy, and brain‑based support, we can remove barriers and help children show us who they really

are.https://open.spotify.com/episode/2iFryvCP2AUGsk6oEUX9zg?si=2b1e2b37f17c4899

Can We Talk?: Conversations In The Early Years · Episode

04/10/2026

In this episode, ASCY’s Sue Lepore is joined by Dr. Peter Rosenbaum, internationally respected pediatrician, researcher, educator, and co‑founder of the CanChild Centre for Childhood‑Onset Disability Research at McMaster University. For over five decades, Dr. Rosenbaum has been a leading voice in childhood disability research, shaping innovative ways of understanding children’s development. His most influential contribution, the F‑words in Childhood Disability, has become a globally used strengths‑based framework, translated into more than 35 languages and downloaded over 100,000 times. In 2025, he was appointed an Officer of the Order of Canada for his lifetime of contributions.

Joining him is Elizabeth Chambers, a certified teacher, caregiver, and strong advocate for family‑centred, strengths‑based practice. Elizabeth brings both professional expertise and meaningful lived experience supporting aging parents and a medically complex child. Her insights add depth, compassion, and real‑world connection to this conversation.

Together, Dr. Rosenbaum and Elizabeth explore the six F‑words, function, family, fitness, fun, friends, and future, and how these concepts help us see and support “the whole child.” Through stories, examples, and reflection, they discuss how the F‑words shift our focus from deficits to strengths, from limitations to possibilities, and from “fixing” children to truly partnering with them and their families. They highlight the importance of inclusive environments, family partnerships, and supporting children in ways that honour their interests, relationships, and unique ways of being.

Can We Talk?: Conversations In The Early Years · Episode