or the children at Bytown Cooperative, the most obvious incarnation of the 'co-operative' nature of the centre is duty day. A number of times a year, each child brings along a duty mum or dad or grandparent or caregiver to share the Bytown experience.
The duty parent gets an up-close look at how their child spends their time at the pre-school and gets to know the other children in the class. Best of all, duty parents usually get a chance to play with the toys - not taking a child's turn - no, never -- but I'd have to say the huge Thomas the Train set is lots of fun for all ages. Parents help with putting names on artwork, smocks on kids, and other activities where an extra pair of adult hands is needed.
The child on duty also gets to bring a snack for everyone. Snack is usually nutritious and always fun. Some kids have been known to share cupcakes on birthdays and other, seasonal treats like ghost cookies at Hallowe'en.
Lacking in imagination, some parents, myself included, have brought the same snack for each and every duty day. The kids rave about Bernard's Banana Bread and as my son will be graduating to junior kindergarten in the fall, I'll share the recipe for the next round of duty days.
As the school year comes to a close, I'd also like to thank the staff at Bytown for their on-going dedication and energy on behalf of all parents. Very few spaces remain for Bytown for September 2000. If you are interested in a spot call Cathy Brown at 730-4384
In a large bowl, mash three ripe bananas, add 3/4 cup sugar, one egg and 4 Tablespoons melted butter.
In another bowl, mix 11/2 cups whole-wheat flour, 1 teaspoon baking soda and 1 teaspoon salt. Add flour mixture to banana mixture and stir.
Pour batter into greased loaf pan. Bake for about one-hour at 325ºF or until inserted knife comes out clean.