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May 2013

Volume 10 Issue 9

CROW 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. 2 3 4 5

Inside this issue:

Providers Page Literacy Page Parenting Page Parenting Page

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 celebrating its 25th year Anniversary. Over the last 25 years, CROW has been fortunate to have volunteers 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 or available 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 research 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 oclock news. 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. We dont 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 present volunteers!
Diane Bennett, Volunteer Coordinator, Childrens Resources on Wheels

Songs/fingerplays 6 Playgroups Workshops 7 8

www.crowoeyc.com

Childrens Resources on Wheels (CROW) programs include : Ontario Early Years Centre Licensed Home Child Care CROW is dedicated to supporting and strengthening childcare, family life, child development and community links in Lanark County We Believe: That programs and services for families should be open to everyone

Cooperative Nursery School of Almonte is having a Registration Night for 20132014 on May 7 5:30-7p.m. 106 Elgin Street, Almonte. For more information call 613256-0286 or www.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

Look At The Bright Side of Life

Recently, Martin Seligman, president-elect of the American Psychological Association said children can and should be immunized against depression by teaching them to be optimistic instead of pessimistic. This is good advice, given the fact depression is a growing problem in our society. Some call depression a major epidemic. 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 attitude 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 formative years during which basic characteristics and attitudes are developed and reinforced. Following 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 children to not be satisfied with failures, 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 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 achievement. 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 competently complete school work. Being successful in school leads to success in life and a positive attitude. Help children think positively 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 another chance. Rather then encouraging children to give up, we can help children learn from their mistakes and make plans 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 responsibilities and are responsible 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 characteristics of success and achievement. Making children responsible for their actions helps promote a life -view of success, accomplishment, 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 attitudes after parents and other adults they spend time with and value. Children turn to adults to receive affirmation and confirmation of their actions. For many children, what they see is literally what they are, and what they become. We can all help children improve their lives day by day by helping them look at life from the positive side.
adapted from www.earlychildhoodnews.com

Instill in children a desire to try, try again.

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Literacy Page
Early Literacy is the learning that needs to occur before a child is able to read, write and understand numbers. This includes: speech and language development 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 who touches the lives of babies and young children. Raising Readers: Early Literacy Tips Babies and Books Share books with your baby to have fun and to start him/her on the road to becoming a reader. What you will need Cardboard 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 periods of time everyday. Bedtime is always a good time, but you can do it at other times toowhile in the park or on the bus. As you read, point out things that are fun to do in the pictures. Name them as you point to them. Give your baby sturdy books to look at, touch, and hold. Allow them to peek through the holes or lift the flaps to discover the surprises. Babies soon recognize the faces and voices of those who care for them. As you read to your baby he/ she will form a link between books and what your baby loves most your voice and closeness. months of age (goo-goo). First words are spoken around 10-12 months. What can you do to help?

Dont be shy! Talk to babies in that sing-songy way we all use with babies. We do this naturally, it helps babies learn the sounds of language. Encourage your baby to babble. Talk back and/or imitate babbling Did you Know? There are six key elements for atten- enthusiastically! Lots of babbling tion, memory and brain friendly practice helps babies learn to produce up to 30 sounds by 18 months learning: of age. movement Become the newscaster of your barepetition bys everyday life. Talk with your novelty baby about everything you do toemotion gether. These interactions help bacontrast bies learn new words and the link context between actions to words. Use puppets or small toys to emphaAn Early Literacy Specialist prosize the action in the story. Lift-the-flap books are intriguing vides: because the flap moves and surpris- Workshops and training for parents, caregivers, early years es are behind it. Use sticky notes to staff and community groups. turn any book into lift-the-flap. early literacy resources and inColourful and clear illustrations are formation for parents and provery appealing to young children grams for young children. and adults alike. As you read a pic early literacy promotion to inture, talk about the illustrations with crease the awareness of child your child. development and strategies to Children love funny things (usually support school readiness. slapstick). When a book or rhyme opportunities for collaboration creates a happy response in children, with organizations serving famithey are more likely to remember. lies and children, speech and Did you know at 2-4 months of age, language programs, health units, babies begin to make vowel sounds, libraries, schools, parent groups (ooh, eeh and ahh often come first). and adult literacy services. Babies usually begin babbling conIn Lanark, our Literacy sonants blended with vowels at 7-8 Specialist is Kathy Boelsma.

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Parenting Page
Resiliency The new buzzword
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 obstacles 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 people 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 ability 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) ability to analyze a problem and see the root cause. Empathy: being able to understand 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 process that we work on throughout our lives. Our children learn these skills from watching 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 situations. Reach out and do something nice for or with someone else. Find the positives in daily events and make a list of things that make you feel good. Now take the time to choose one and do it. Let your child make age appropriate choices. We all need to be successful when we try things but dont be too quick to jump in and help. Confidence also comes from failing , trying again (and again) and then succeeding. Failing and finding out that were still okay is empowering. 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 together, 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 will be offering a Bounce Back and Thrive workshop, something I recommend highly for all parents.

As you build your resilience, you learn to handle lifes challenges without feeling so overwhelmed.

by Jane Paul, Parent Education Coordinator

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Parenting Page
Gardening 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 anticipation 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, whether its making mud or discovering a germinating seed emerge from the earth. Gardening with children, from toddlers to adolescents, opens new windows in a world dominated by technology. Dont worry about achieving horticultural perfection. Just dig in and grow something beautiful or good to eat. Your garden is your treasure chest; you and your young gardener, exploring together can discover its priceless bounty 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 to explore the natural world. When you incorporate planting and play, kids become more comfortable. We can teach even the youngest child garden etiquette, such as where to walk. Later, they learn the consequences of good (or poor) care: watering, weeding, 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 gardens simple and a manageable 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 varieties of plants. Add others as you and your young gardener learn how much space and how 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, positive experiences do help sustain interest for kids. One child learns that worms are not just slimy and gross, they are 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 successful experiences. You can guide a child to have his/her own successful gardening experience, but you must explore yourself. You and the must learn from your mistakes. Celebrate wonder. The key to success and sustained 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.

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Songs, fingerplays and crafts

Submitted by Janet Wheeler Lackey Mothers Day Tea Party Weather permitting you can do this outside. You need: paper plates and cups, plastic utensils, cookie cutters, napkins, bread, cream cheese, cucumbers, jam, favourite spread, chocolate milk, white milk to be used as cream, favourite treats. Give each person 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 family likes and dislikes.

Matching Game Collect pictures of family members. For durability mactac the pictures and attach masking tape strip on the back of the picture. Have the children match up the family members. To extend the matching game, add farm animals - mother and babies.

Mothers Day is May 12.

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.
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Playgroups
We will be CLOSED May 20 for Victoria Day.
Day
Monday Monday Monday Monday Monday Tuesday Tuesday Tuesday Tuesday Tuesday Tuesday Wednesday Wednesday Wednesday Wednesday Wednesday Wednesday Wednesday Thursday Thursday Thursday Thursday Thursday Friday

Location
Almonte - Holy Name of Mary School morning Almonte - Holy Name of Mary School afternoon Carleton PlaceCarambeck Community Centre Smith Falls - Duncan J. Schoular School PerthDance Studio Almonte - Holy Name of Mary School morning Almonte - Holy Name of Mary School evening Carleton Place - Arena, 75 Neelin Street Montague Rosedale Hall LanarkMaple Grove School Smith Falls - OEYC Almonte - Holy Name of Mary School morning Almonte - Holy Name of Mary School afternoon Carleton Place - Carambeck Community Centre LanarkMaple Grove School PerthPerth Library Smiths Falls - Trinity United Church Smiths FallsOEYC Almonte - Holy Name of Mary School morning Almonte - Holy Name of Mary School afternoon Carleton Place - Arena Perth - Perth Library Smiths Falls - Trinity United Church Smiths Falls - OEYC

Time
9:30-11:30 am 1:303 pm 10:0011:30 am 9:3011:30 am 9:3011:00 am 9:30-11:30 am 67 pm 10:00 - 11:30 am 9:30 - 11:00 am 9:30-11:00 am 9:00-12:00 noon 9:30-11:30 am 1:30-3 pm 10:00 - 11:30 am 9:3011:00 am 10:0011:30 am 9:30 - 11:30 am 9:00 - 11:00 am 9:3011:30 am 1:30-3 pm 10:00 - 11:30 am 10:00 - 11:30 am 9:30 - 11:30 am 9:0011:00 am

Staff
Linda Linda Issie Andrea Leanne Linda Linda Issie Leanne Andrea Lori Linda Linda Issie Andrea Leanne Lori Parent run Linda Linda Issie Leanne Lori Parent Run

Dates
May 6, 13, 27 May 6, 13, 27 May 6, 13, 27 May 6, 13, 27 May 6, 13, 27 May 7, 14, 21, 28 May 7, 14, 21, 28 May 7, 14, 21, 28 May 7, 14, 21, 28 May 7, 14, 21, 28 May 7, 14, 21, 28 May 1, 8, 15, 22, 29 May 1, 8, 15, 22, 29 May 1, 8, 15, 22, 29 May 1, 8, 15, 22, 29 May 1, 8, 15, 22, 29 May 1, 8, 15, 22, 29 May 1, 8, 15, 22, 29 May 2, 9, 16, 23, 30 May 2, 9, 16, 23, 30 May 2, 9, 16, 23, 30 May 2, 9, 16, 23, 30 May 2, 9, 16, 23, 30 May 3, 10, 17, 24, 31

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

WorkshopPre-registration is necessary call OEYC ext 300

Children and Technology A Walk in the Park Positive Parenting Touch A Truck

Date

Time

Location

May 22 TBD May 29 May 26

6:30-8PM

Algonquin College Lab Room 114 Perth Gemmill Park, Almonte

6:30-8:30 PM 1-2:30 PM

Ontario Early Years Centre, Smiths Falls Chimo School, Smiths Falls

Staff Directory
Ontario Early Years Centre
Diane Bennett, Executive Assistant Kathy Boelsma, Early Literacy Specialist Emily Cassell, Data Analysis Coordinator Sue Cavanagh, Executive Director Linda Cybulski, Playgroup Facilitator Leanne Dwyer, Playgroup Facilitator Janet Wheeler Lackey, Resource Jan Forsythe, Finance Manager Linda Lalonde, Reception/Office Manager Issie Mullen, Playgroup Facilitator Jane Paul, Parent Education Coordinator Andrea Snyder, Playgroup Facilitator Lori Wintle, Playgroup Facilitator

Ext
313 312 316 303 304 318 311 302 300 311 305 307 310

Licensed Home Child Care

Kelli Cassidy, Director Sherry Harder, Accounting & Admin Support Janice LePage, Home Visitor

Ext
309 301 306

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

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