crow may 2013 newsletter

7/30/2019 CROW May 2013 Newsletter

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Childrens Resources on

Wheels (CROW)

programs include :

Ontario Early YearsCentre

Licensed Home Child

Care

CROW is dedicated to sup-porting and strengtheningchildcare, family life, child

development and

community links in LanarkCounty

We Believe:That programs and servicesfor families should be open

to everyone

Providers Page 2

Literacy Page 3

Parenting Page 4Parenting Page 5

Songs/fingerplays 6

Playgroups 7

Workshops 8

Inside this issue:

NewsletterCROW Comments

CROW FACT:In 1988, CROW had two staff and the office was located in the basement of the township

hall in Middleville; we served 60 adults and 111 children.

Volunteer Appreciation:We would like to recognize and say thank you to our volunteers who give their energy,skills, and time freely to Childrens Resources on Wheels. This year, CROW is celebrat-

ing its 25th

year Anniversary. Over the last 25 years, CROW has been fortunate to havevolunteers in many and varied capacities. Since we are celebrating CROWs birthday,we thought it would be appropriate to look at what has happened or changed in the last 25

years or quarter century. Many things we take for granted today were not invented oravailable 25 years ago and have changed our world considerably. For instance:

We can communicate with people on the other side of the world in real time from

practically anywhere. We can write something and communicate it to billions of people by using text

messages, facebook, or twitter; we do not have to rely on the mail.

If we want to learn something or find out about something, we dont have to re-search it in books at our local library; we can do a google search and find out

more information than we know what to do with.

Watch world events unfold in real time rather than waiting for the 6 oclocknews. We can view products, shop, and compare prices without leaving our house or

chair.

We can surf the web, download music, and watch movies all via the internet. Wedont need to have a television anymore.

However, the list we just provided does not include: the face to face conversations

the personal contact with people

the expressions on people faces whether they be smiles, frowns, or concern or the sounds of laughter and compassion

This is why we feel it is so very important to recognize and pay tribute to the people who

serve and volunteer at CROW now and over the last 25 years. Thank you past and pre-sent volunteers!Diane Bennett, Volunteer Coordinator, Childrens Resources on Wheels

Cooperative Nursery School of Almonte is having a Registration Night for 2013-2014 on May 7 5:30-7p.m. 106 Elgin Street, Almonte. For more information call 613-256-0286 orwww.almontenurseryschool.ca

Early Childhood Screening Clinics: for children birthfive years of age

Almonte at Holy Name of Mary School, May 22 9:30-11:30 a.m.

Perth at Perth Union Library, May 30, 2013 9:30-11:30 a.m.We offer parents and their children a 15-20 minute visit with an Early Childhood professional to

talk about their questions and concerns. For information call 613-257-7121 ext 247

Volume 10 Issue 9May 2013

www.crowoeyc.com

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Page 2

Look At The Bright Side of Life

they need to try again. Sadly,

some children are allowed to

think one attempt or a series

of halfhearted attempts are

sufficient. Such thinking can

lead to failure, feelings of

pessimism, and a diminished

sense of self worth.

Help children succeed and

be successful. Positivism is

built on success and achieve-

ment. This mean parents and

teachers have to help children

develop skills that lead to

success. Children need to

learn and master the basic

skills of reading, writing and

arithmetic which enable them

to confidently and competent-

ly complete school work.

Being successful in school

leads to success in life and a

positive attitude.

Help children think posi-

tively about life and life

events. We can help children

to learn the glass is half full

rather than half empty, there

is always another time and

another tomorrow, and anoth-

er chance. Rather then en-

couraging children to give up,

we can help children learn

from their mistakes and makeplans for trying again.

Help children learn from

their mistakes rather than

blame themselves for their

mistakes. Self blame can lead

to feelings of worthlessness

and pessimism. Children who

know mistakes are acceptable

and are a part of learning are

much more willing to attempt a

task again. Children can learn

from their mistakes and grow

from these experiences.

Make sure children have re-

sponsibilities and are responsi-

ble for what they do. Having

responsibilities for helping at

home with chores, completing

homework/school assignments,

caring for a pet, taking care of

themselves/possessions, and

caring for and about others are

good ways to instill characteris-

tics of success and achievement.

Making children responsible for

their actions helps promote a life

-view of success, accomplish-

ment, and positive behaviour.

Be positive yourself. Children

learn to be positive when they

have family members, teachers,

caregivers who look on the

bright side of life. Children

model their behaviour and atti-

tudes after parents and other

adults they spend time with and

value. Children turn to adults to

receive affirmation and confir-

mation of their actions. For

many children, what they see is

literally what they are, and whatthey become.

We can all help children im-

prove their lives day by day by

helping them look at life from

the positive side.

adapted from

www.earlychildhoodnews.com

Recently, Martin Seligman,

president-elect of the American

Psychological Association said

children can and should be

immunized against depression

by teaching them to be opti-

mistic instead of pessimistic.

This is good advice, given the

fact depression is a growing

problem in our society. Some

call depression a major epi-

demic. It is estimated one in

five, or 20 percent of the adult

population will suffer from this

illness. Immunization against

this widespread illness begins

with developing the right atti-

tude early in life.

The early childhood years,

from birth to age eight, are the

best time to help children look

on the bright side of life. The

early years are critically forma-

tive years during which basic

characteristics and attitudes are

developed and reinforced. Fol-

lowing are tips we can do to

help children think and act in a

positive manner. We can:

Instill in children a desire to

try, try and try again. We all

know life is full of failures.

However, we can teach chil-

dren to not be satisfied withfailures, and that one path to

success is following the old

adage, if at first you dont

succeed, try and try again.

Too often, parents and other

adults provide children with

neither the encouragement, the

support, or self-confidence

Instill in children a

desire to try, try again.
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Page 3

Literacy Page

Early Literacy is the learning thatneeds to occur before a child is ableto read, write and understand num-

bers. This includes:

speech and language develop-ment

reading and storytelling rhymes, word and sound play

scribbling and drawing

counting and understanding

quantity

Early literacy involves: parents and families caregivers

childcare and support agencies

communities

In other words, everyone whotouches the lives of babies andyoung children.

Raising Readers: Early Literacy

Tips

Babies and Books

Share books with your baby to havefun and to start him/her on the road

to becoming a reader.

What you will needCardboard or cloth books with large,simple pictures of things that are

familiar to babies. Lift-the-flap,touch-and-feel, or peek-through

books.

What to do

Read to your baby for short periodsof time everyday. Bedtime is alwaysa good time, but you can do it atother times toowhile in the park

or on the bus. As you read, pointout things that are fun to do in the

pictures. Name them as you point to

them. Give your baby sturdy booksto look at, touch, and hold. Allowthem to peek through the holes or

lift the flaps to discover the surpris-es. Babies soon recognize the facesand voices of those who care forthem. As you read to your baby he/

she will form a link between booksand what your baby loves mostyour voice and closeness.

Did you Know?

There are six key elements for atten-tion, memory and brain friendlylearning:movementrepetition

noveltyemotioncontrastcontext

Use puppets or small toys to empha-

size the action in the story.

Lift-the-flap books are intriguingbecause the flap moves and surpris-

es are behind it. Use sticky notes toturn any book into lift-the-flap.Colourful and clear illustrations are

very appealing to young childrenand adults alike. As you read a pic-

ture, talk about the illustrations withyour child.Children love funny things (usually

slapstick). When a book or rhyme

creates a happy response in children,they are more likely to remember.Did you know at 2-4 months of age,

babies begin to make vowel sounds,(ooh, eeh and ahh often come first).Babies usually begin babbling con-

sonants blended with vowels at 7-8

months of age (goo-goo).First words are spoken around 10-12months.

What can you do to help?

Dont be shy! Talk to babies in that

sing-songy way we all use with ba-bies. We do this naturally, it helps

babies learn the sounds of language.Encourage your baby to babble.

Talk back and/or imitate babblingenthusiastically! Lots of babbling

practice helps babies learn to pro-

duce up to 30 sounds by 18 monthsof age.

Become the newscaster of your ba-

bys everyday life. Talk with yourbaby about everything you do to-

gether. These interactions help ba-bies learn new words and the linkbetween actions to words.

An Early Literacy Specialist pro-vides:

Workshops and training for par-

ents, caregivers, early yearsstaff and community groups.

early literacy resources and in-formation for parents and pro-grams for young children.

early literacy promotion to in-crease the awareness of child

development and strategies tosupport school readiness.

opportunities for collaborationwith organizations serving fami-lies and children, speech and

language programs, health units,libraries, schools, parent groupsand adult literacy services.

In Lanark, our LiteracySpecialist is Kathy Boelsma.


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Page 4

ity to analyze a problem and

see the root cause.

Empathy: being able to un-

derstand the feelings and

needs of another person.

Realistic Optimism: keeping

a positive outlook without

denying reality.

Self-efficacy: (say that 3

times fast) believing you can

solve problems, handle stress

because what you do makes a

difference in the world.

Reaching out: embracing

new opportunities and being

able to reach out to others for

support.

We all have the ability to be

resilient. Its an ongoing pro-

cess that we work on through-

out our lives. Our children

learn these skills from watch-

ing us work on them every

day. These are skills and like

other skills they can be taught

and get better with practice.

We wouldnt expect to walk

onto a basketball court and be

really good at it the first time

we try. We need to practice

resiliency skills and see it

around us to get good at it.

Some ideas to get started:

Talk out loud, using positive

language, as you work

through daily choices and

situations (Its really hard

waiting for my turn to see the

dentist. Maybe Ill read a

book while Im waiting. Or,

Im really upset. Maybe Ill

take 2 big breaths and then decide

what to do.). Encourage empathy

by naming feelings and talking

about feelings in books or situa-

tions. Reach out and do something

nice for or with someone else. Fin

the positives in daily events and

make a list of things that make yo

feel good. Now take the time to

choose one and do it. Let yourchild make age appropriate choic-

es. We all need to be successful

when we try things but dont be

too quick to jump in and help.

Confidence also comes from fail-

ing , trying again (and again) and

then succeeding. Failing and find-

ing out that were still okay is em

powering. When we do need to

help, try to encourage team work

(Ill start the zipper and you can

pull it up!). Praise progress (You

kept trying to put the puzzle to-

gether, and look, you only have a

few pieces left!).

I have simplified things here. To

learn more check out

www.reachinginreachingout.com

click on resources and go to

Parent Website. This fall we wi

be offering a Bounce Back and

Thrive workshop, something I

recommend highly for all parents.

by Jane Paul, Parent Education

Coordinator

I was privileged to take some

training called Bounce Back and

Thrive. Its all about helping to

build resilience in parents and

young children. Resiliency is a

word you may hear a lot over the

next few years. As you build your

resilience, you learn to handle

lifes challenges without feeling

so overwhelmed. You can move

forward in life despite the obsta-

cles you encounter. In short, you

cope better and life is better in

response.

When you have a resilient view in

life you use accurate and flexible

thinking. You can see other points

of view and you can challenge

your own view of things. You

learn to calm yourself and focus

on whats happening right now

and figure out what options are

available for you.

Why does it seem that some peo-

ple are better at this than others?

The research from Reaching In

Reaching Out shows that people

who have certain critical abilities

tend to be more resilient.

Emotional Regulation: the abil-

ity to keep calm under pressure

and express emotions in a way

that helps the situation.

Impulse control : The ability to

stop and choose whether to act ;

the ability to wait for what you

want.

Causal analysis: (big word) abil-

As you build your

resilience, you learn to

handle lifes challenges

without feeling so

overwhelmed.

Parenting PageResiliency The new buzzword
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Page 5

etiquette, such as where to

walk. Later, they learn the

consequences of good (or

poor) care: watering, weed-

ing, cultivating.

Moreover, both kids and

adults learn patience in the

garden. We have to wait for

nature to take its course.

You should keep kids gar-dens simple and a managea-

ble size, about 6 by 10 feet.

Choose a site with as much

sun as possible. Dig the

earth to loosen the soil. Add

some compost to enrich it

and rake it smooth. To begin

with choose only a few vari-

eties of plants. Add others as

you and your young garden-

er learn how much space andhow much attention your

garden requires. Choose

good quality tools that fit

your childs hands. Plastic

toy tools are not adequate.

For safetys sake never leave

a rake, shovel or hoe with its

working side up.

Stand or lean it securely

against a vertical surface,

such as a fence or building.Or lay it down, turning the

blade/tines toward the

ground.

As you begin to plant, offer

reasonable instruction, but

do not be too particular.

Seeds do not need to be

planted in a straight row.

You should wait until the

soil is moist before you try

weeding. Then pull each

weed gently, from its base,

to remove the whole root.

Though success is relative in

the world of gardening, posi-

tive experiences do help sus-

tain interest for kids. One

child learns that worms are

not just slimy and gross, theyare garden friends. Another

masters the art of measuring

the growing cornstalk. A

third extends garden learning

at the computer. A fourth

pulls a carrot, brushes it off,

and eats it. All have had suc-

cessful experiences. You can

guide a child to have his/her

own successful gardening

experience, but you mustexplore yourself. You and

the must learn from your

mistakes. Celebrate wonder.

The key to success and sus-

tained interest lies within

you and the little gardener(s)

with whom you plant the

seeds of hope, which is, of

course, what a seed is and

what a garden isa promise

of what will come.

Suggestions to plant: beans,

beets, corn, lettuce, peas,

pumpkins, spinach.

adapted from

www.organicgardening.com

Gardening is fun and

can be full of surprises.

Parenting PageGardening With Kids

Gardens are magical, fun and

always full of surprises. Watch

a child pull a carrot from the

earth, brush off the soil, and

take a bite, or see the anticipa-

tion in the eyes of a youngster

creating a bouquet of flowers

he/she grew. There is a natural

magnetic attraction between

children and the earth, whetherits making mud or discovering

a germinating seed emerge

from the earth. Gardening with

children, from toddlers to ado-

lescents, opens new windows

in a world dominated by tech-

nology. Dont worry about

achieving horticultural perfec-

tion. Just dig in and grow

something beautiful or good to

eat. Your garden is your treas-ure chest; you and your young

gardener, exploring together

can discover its priceless boun-

ty for an afternoons delight or

for a lifetime.

Memories last longer than one

season. Adults who fondly

remember a childhood spent in

a garden often recall a parent,

grandparent, or neighbour who

guided and encouraged them toexplore the natural world.

When you incorporate planting

and play, kids become more

comfortable. We can teach

even the youngest child garden
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Page 6

Mothers Day is May

12.

Songs, fingerplays and crafts

Matching Game

Collect pictures of family members. For durability mactac the

pictures and attach masking tape strip on the back of the pic-

ture. Have the children match up the family members. To ex-

tend the matching game, add farm animals- mother and babies.

Hand Print Poem (for Mothers Day and special ladies in your life)

You need: foil pie plate, tempera paint, paper plate, basin with warm soapy water.

Print the poem below onto the back of the paper plate.

Pour some paint into the foil pie plate. Help your child dip his hand into the paint and

then press it onto the paper plate.

POEM

I know you wipe some away

But these prints were made to stay.

So keep them forever, a treasure theyll be.

A special I love you for you from me.

Books To Read:

Are You My Mother? Just Grandma and Me, The Runaway Bunny, 5 Minutes

Piece, The Kissing Hand, Is your Mama a Llama?

The night before read a fun book about being a mom or grandma and talk about what a

mom does in the family.

Mothers Day Tea Party

Weather permitting you can do this outside.

You need: paper plates and cups, plastic utensils, cookie cutters, nap-

kins, bread, cream cheese, cucumbers, jam, favourite spread, chocolate

milk, white milk to be used as cream, favourite treats. Give each per-

son a paper plate and let them choose what they would like to put on

their sandwiches. They can take a cookie cutter and cut the bread into

the shape they would like. Talk about favourite meals, what the fami-

ly likes and dislikes.

Submitted by Janet Wheeler Lackey


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Page 7

Playgroups

Day Location Time Staff Dates

Monday Almonte - Holy Name of Mary School morning 9:30-11:30 am Linda May 6, 13, 27

Monday Almonte - Holy Name of Mary School afternoon 1:303 pm Linda May 6, 13, 27

Monday Carleton PlaceCarambeck Community Centre 10:0011:30 am Issie May 6, 13, 27

Monday Smith Falls - Duncan J. Schoular School 9:3011:30 am Andrea May 6, 13, 27

Monday PerthDance Studio 9:3011:00 am Leanne May 6, 13, 27

Tuesday Almonte - Holy Name of Mary School morning 9:30-11:30 am Linda May 7, 14, 21, 28

Tuesday Almonte - Holy Name of Mary School evening 67 pm Linda May 7, 14, 21, 28

Tuesday Carleton Place - Arena, 75 Neelin Street 10:00 - 11:30 am Issie May 7, 14, 21, 28

Tuesday Montague Rosedale Hall 9:30 - 11:00 am Leanne May 7, 14, 21, 28

Tuesday LanarkMaple Grove School 9:30-11:00 am Andrea May 7, 14, 21, 28

Tuesday Smith Falls - OEYC 9:00-12:00 noon Lori May 7, 14, 21, 28

Wednesday Almonte - Holy Name of Mary School morning 9:30-11:30 am Linda May 1, 8, 15, 22, 29

Wednesday Almonte - Holy Name of Mary School afternoon 1:30-3 pm Linda May 1, 8, 15, 22, 29

Wednesday Carleton Place - Carambeck Community Centre 10:00 - 11:30 am Issie May 1, 8, 15, 22, 29

Wednesday LanarkMaple Grove School 9:3011:00 am Andrea May 1, 8, 15, 22, 29

Wednesday PerthPerth Library 10:0011:30 am Leanne May 1, 8, 15, 22, 29

Wednesday Smiths Falls - Trinity United Church 9:30 - 11:30 am Lori May 1, 8, 15, 22, 29

Wednesday Smiths FallsOEYC 9:00 - 11:00 am Parent run May 1, 8, 15, 22, 29

Thursday Almonte - Holy Name of Mary School morning 9:3011:30 am Linda May 2, 9, 16, 23, 30

Thursday Almonte - Holy Name of Mary School afternoon 1:30-3 pm Linda May 2, 9, 16, 23, 30

Thursday Carleton Place - Arena 10:00 - 11:30 am Issie May 2, 9, 16, 23, 30

Thursday Perth - Perth Library 10:00 - 11:30 am Leanne May 2, 9, 16, 23, 30

Thursday Smiths Falls - Trinity United Church 9:30 - 11:30 am Lori May 2, 9, 16, 23, 30

Friday Smiths Falls - OEYC 9:0011:00 am Parent Run May 3, 10, 17, 24, 31

We will be CLOSED May 20 for Victoria Day.


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Workshops

Staff Directory

Ontario Early Years Centre Ext Licensed Home Child Care ExtDiane Bennett, Executive Assistant 313 Kelli Cassidy, Director 309

Kathy Boelsma, Early Literacy Specialist 312 Sherry Harder, Accounting & Admin Support 301

Emily Cassell, Data Analysis Coordinator 316 Janice LePage, Home Visitor 306

Sue Cavanagh, Executive Director 303

Linda Cybulski, Playgroup Facilitator 304 Lanark County Child Care Programs

Licensed Home Child Care offers home based care

throughout Lanark County for children 6 weeks - 12

years.

Caregivers Needed

We are currently taking applications throughout Lanark

County. Contact us for more information http://

www.crowoeyc.com/childcare/providerpage.html

Leanne Dwyer, Playgroup Facilitator 318

Janet Wheeler Lackey, Resource 311

Jan Forsythe, Finance Manager 302

Linda Lalonde, Reception/Office Manager 300

Issie Mullen, Playgroup Facilitator 311

Jane Paul, Parent Education Coordinator 305

Andrea Snyder, Playgroup Facilitator 307

Lori Wintle, Playgroup Facilitator 310

WorkshopPre-registration is

necessary call OEYC ext 300

Date Time Location

Children and Technology May 22 6:30-8PM Algonquin College Lab Room 114 Perth

A Walk in the Park TBD Gemmill Park, Almonte

Positive Parenting May 29 6:30-8:30 PM Ontario Early Years Centre, Smiths Falls

Touch A Truck May 26 1-2:30 PM Chimo School, Smiths Falls

Childrens Resources on Wheels (CROW)

91 Cornelia Street West, Smiths Falls, ON K7A 5L3

Phone 613-283-0095 or 1-800-267-9252

Fax 613-283-3324

Website www.crowoeyc.com

For the workshops with date TBD (to be determined), please check our website for updates or call us.
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