Island Parent Celebrating
25 Years
The Resource Publication for Vancouver Island Parents
August 2013
Nature Playgrounds The Magic of the Stage Preserving Summer’s Bounty Exploring Eelgrass 10 Things to Do Before Summer Ends
Education
Schools & educational Services
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Saanich Preschool Programs Y N
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Is there enough space for children to play both indoors and outside? Is there time for both adult-led and free play activities? Is there enough equipment for all children to play at the same time? Are children with a disability included in all activites? Is there an emphasis on the process of creating and having fun exploring? Will the program help children achieve
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STUDY SKILLS
M AT H
S AT / AC T P R E P
WRITING
READING
HOMEWORK HELP
Michael T. AGE 8
I love to read now. I can’t wait to go to school every day.
from the start! G E T T H I S Y E A R ’ S B E S T B A C K - T O - S C H O O L S U P P LY Forget those new jeans and superhero lunchbox. Confidence is the best school supply you can give your kids to set them up for school success. So start this year strong with a personal learning plan from Sylvan that includes: • Our proven approach that blends amazing teachers with SylvanSync™ technology on the iPad® for a truly engaging learning experience. • A wide range of tutoring programs including back-to-school camps, study skills and homework help. • Programs to fit your family’s busy back-to-school schedule – and budget. Don’t wait until it’s too late. Start now. Sylvan Victoria & Sidney
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www.IslandParent.ca
August 2013 1
SYLVANLEARNING.COM
Contents: August 2013 Articles Exploring Eelgrass........................................................................................... 8 Coal Dust & Ice Cream................................................................................. 10 Being Three Again......................................................................................... 11 Memory Making........................................................................................... 12 Nature Playgrounds...................................................................................... 14 The Magic of the Stage.................................................................................. 16 Preserving Summer’s Bounty.......................................................................... 18 Sports & School Performance....................................................................... 20 Schools & Educational Services..................................................................... 22 Hockey & Handwriting................................................................................ 33 10 Things to Do Before Summer Ends........................................................... 46
Columns Editor’s Note................................................................................................... 3 Healthy Families; Happy Families................................................................. 50 Dadspeak...................................................................................................... 52 Just Eat It!..................................................................................................... 54 Book Nook................................................................................................... 58 Is There an App for This?.............................................................................. 60 New Parent Pages.......................................................................................... 64 Maternity & Beyond..................................................................................... 68 Nature Notes................................................................................................ 70 Cut It Out..................................................................................................... 72
Departments IPM Notes....................................................................................................... 4 Party Directory........................................................................................ 34, 35 Family Calendar............................................................................................ 36 Around the Island......................................................................................... 44 Family Services Directory........................................................................ 62, 63 Preschool & Child Care Directory........................................................... 66, 67 Island Business & Professional Directory...................................................... 69 Island Parent Magazine, produced by Island Parent Group Enterprises Ltd., is a monthly publication that honours and supports parents by providing information on resources and businesses for families, and a forum for the exchange of ideas and opinions. Views expressed are not necessarily those of the publisher. Letters (max 250 words) should be emailed to the Editor at editor@islandparent.ca. No material herein may be reproduced without the permission of the Editor. Unsolicited manuscripts are welcome and should be emailed to editor@islandparent.ca. Island Parent Magazine is distributed free in selected areas. Subscriptions can be obtained by sending $28.00 (HST included) with your name and address to the address below. Canada Post: Canadian Publications Mail Sales Product Agreement 40051398.
Island Parent Magazine
Suite A-10, 830 Pembroke St, Victoria, BC V8T 1H9 Tel: 250-388-6905 Toll Free: 1-888-372-0862 Websites: www.islandparent.ca, www.kidsinvictoria.com
On the Cover: Photo by Beth Hayhurst, www.bethhayhurstblog.com
2 Island Parent Magazine
President, Publisher: Paul Abra Vice-President: Anna Abra Director, Production Manager: Mada Moilliet Editor: Sue Fast Sales & Marketing: RaeLeigh Buchanan Publisher’s Assistant: Linda Frear Bookkeeping: Elaine Francis Distribution: Anna Abra, Ted Dawe (Mid-Island) Founders: Jim Holland & Selinde Krayenhoff Production: Eacrett Graphic Design Printed at Island Publishers Cover printed at Hillside Printing ISSN 0838-5505
www.kidsinvictoria.com
Kickin’ It at the Kool-Aid Stand
I
t’s a beautiful summer afternoon—all blue sky and sunshine and barely a breeze—and outside, a few houses down, three girls are setting up a lemonade stand. The neighbourhood is quiet except for the occasional sound of birds chirping and the girls’ excited chatter. Seeing them arranging their stand, stacking plastic cups, setting up their chairs, and stirring the pitcher of lemonade, reminds me of when my three kids did the same thing with their friends years ago. Back then, it was more a make-work project than one to make money—at least, in the start up years, anyway—and would take up the better part of a day. ‘Better’ in the best sense of the word. They always had fun, despite their profits or, on occasion, their losses. The venture usually started with the sign—the cost, “$1…no…75¢…no 50¢…oh, okay…25¢.” Then it would proceed to the product. If they were lucky, we’d have frozen lemonade concentrate on hand and they’d use that. If they were even luckier, I’d agree to spring for an actual packet of Kool-Aid—something we seldom kept in stock— and we’d walk to the store in search of flavours like Kickin’ Kiwi-Lime or Solar Strawberry Star Fruit. Along their walk home, they’d be gleeful and giddy, passing the packet back and forth between them, pressing it up to their noses, and arguing about who got to carry it the rest of the way home. Once we got there, we’d all marvel at how, when they added the water, it turned Day-Glo green or pink or orange or purple or blue. When they added the cup of sugar, I’d close my eyes and pretend not to notice. On most days, on our quiet street, the kids would be lucky to attract 10 customers over the course of two or three hours. They never lasted much longer than that, tiring themselves out with an active marketing campaign that included a curbside can-can placard waving tactic, hooting,
hollering, and, during desperate times—three hours in business and only one sale—going door to door. Some people would stop and buy one or two cups, paying more than the set price. Some people would buy a cup for themselves and their dog. Some people would tap their empty pockets and shrug. And some would pay what was asked but then carry on as though the paper cup filled with radioactive-looking liquid was the best thing they’d ever tasted—their kind words, judging by the kids’ expressions, meaning just as much to them as the big tips. One thing I vowed in those start-up years was that once my kids were grown and in a different line of work, I would remember to spread the Kool-Aid kindness that was afforded to my kids when they were young. Kind of like Kool-Aid karma. So now, anytime I see kids selling lemonade, I try to stop and buy a cup. If I can, I tip big. If I can’t, I blather on like a wine critic who’s just drank from a $160,000 bottle of 1787 Chateau Lafite. “Exquisite! It’s light and interesting, with tartness and sweetness, then layers of fruit flavours—somewhere between citrus and green apple—with a long, juicy finish.” When my husband, Barry, and I see the three girls a few hours later—lolling about on their front lawn, not a customer in sight—we automatically search our pockets for change. With a fistful of coins, we walk up the block to the lemonade stand. “Two, please,” I say to the youngest of the three girls, the one tasked with filling the cups. The eldest of the three steps forward, lifts a plastic bag from the table, and holds it out for us to see. “Want to try a homemade tayberry marshmallow? They’re from Scotland.” “We’d love to!” I exclaim, eyeing the sticky pink confections. Barry looks at me sideways. I shrug and then
smile at the youngest girl who, now that she has poured our cups of lemonade, reaches into the bag of marshmallows and despite the nearby tongs and small bags, pulls out two of the sunwarmed sweets with her fingers and plunks them in my hand.
Editor’s Note Sue Fast “Mmm, they look delicious!” I manage. I am impressed by the girls’ business sense, stocking complementary inventory, and remember my kids coming up with similar sales strategies, the most successful one being when they dragged their stand two blocks away and set up on a nearby busy street—right outside a corner store. The girls watch while Barry and I sip our lemonade. We pour on the praise. And right before we turn to leave, we tip big, sure we are two of only a few transactions today. But just as we are leaving, a garbage truck pulls up alongside their stand and out jump four garbage men, sweaty on this hot day and, judging by their enthusiasm at the sight of homemade lemonade, thirsty. “Four refills, please.” Refills? The youngest girl is just starting to fill the first cup when her mother comes outside. “Make sure you fill them up all the way up this time.” She drops some clean cups onto the table and takes away the dirty ones, teasing the garbage men about having to come back twice in order to get a full cup. But the men don’t seem to notice how much lemonade is in their cups, or if they do, don’t mind. “Brilliant strategy,” I whisper to Barry as one of the men drops a $5 tip on the table. “Yeah,” Barry nods, watching the youngest girl slip the bill in with a bunch of others. “And it looks like it works.”
Learning, skills and confidence… your launch-pad to future knowledge!
Registration for READ fall classes starts August 22nd Classes available in: Colwood, Sidney, Victoria Call: 250-388-7225 for information about our services
Check out the website: www.readsociety.bc.ca www.IslandParent.ca
August 2013 3
IPM Notes Momstown Milestones
Youth Pass! BC Transit offers a special pass for youth throughout the year. The BC Transit Youth Pass gives riders ages 6 to 18 unlimited travel throughout the Victoria Regional Transit System. Just $35 per month for a minimum of six months. For details visit www.bctransit.com and click Victoria – fares.
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Why does momstown.ca celebrate its birthday every year with a huge party across the country? A national organization, momstown.ca is focused on connecting Canadian moms both online and within their own communities. Momstown is much more than your average mom group or website, with over 400 monthly events geared to moms with tots aged newborn to six years, a teacherdeveloped educational curriculum with six key program pillars, and proven community and health benefits. A recent independent study at the University of Waterloo found that momstown is a prescription for mothers’ mental health. Momstown is a “matchmaker” and “community builder,” providing mothers with “mental health support” and “support beyond the baby shower.” Momstown has strategic partnerships with leading Canadian companies who share its values, including Today’s Parent, Kids’ CBC, Scholastic Canada and the Canadian Red Cross. Celebrate with momstown on Saturday, August 10 from 10am-1pm at Pearkes Arena. The momstown 6th Birthday Bash is a free family-focused event open to the public. Enjoy live entertainment, crafts, kindergym, bouncy castle, balloon animals, prizes, toy demos, and of course birthday cake! The first 100 families to arrive will receive a loot bag. For more information visit www.victoria.momstown.ca.
Stock the Lockers Stock the Lockers for local students in need. Help vulnerable students in Nanaimo and Ladysmith start the year with proper school supplies. From August 15-September 5, help raise $50,000 for urgently needed school supplies. With your help we can ensure students have the tools to succeed. Your donation is an investment in local kids in need. Donate through the NanaimoLadysmith Schools Foundation office at 250-753-4074 or www.nlsf.ca. Or make a donation at the two Nanaimo Staples locations, the Coastal Community Credit Union Branches and the Ladysmith Credit Union Branch.
Victoria Conservatory Open House Bring the whole family down to the Victoria Conservatory of Music for a special www.kidsinvictoria.com
day. The Conservatory’s 5th Annual Open House on Saturday, September 7, from 10am to 3pm, is the perfect time for everyone in the community to discover how music can be a part of their lives. The Open House is free for the entire family and includes a free concert with Rick Scott. You casn also sign up for free mini-lessons, visit practice rooms and performance halls, enjoy live entertainment, meet the instructors, take part in the “instrument petting zoo,” and bounce in the bouncy castle. Visit the Children’s Music Department and participate in a variety of music classes. Providing a child with a foundation in music is one of the most valuable things a parent can do. The VCM’s Open House is a great way to learn more about the wonderfully creative and innovative collection of music classes that can be the start of your child’s lifelong journey with music. The VCM offers something for everyone—all ages and all abilities. For more information visit www. vcm.bc.ca or phone 250-386-5311.
EARLY CHILDHOOD EDUCATION PROGRAM BASIC & POST BASIC - Ministry of Children & Family Development approved - Continuous intakes - classes start monthly - Become an entrepreneur - open your own daycare - Qualified students can obtain their ECE Assistant Certificate by taking only one course
Summer Season at Butchart Gardens Butchart Gardens kicked off the 2013 Summer Season with the launch of youth and child 12-month passes. For less than 34 cents per day, a family of four with two children under 12 can enjoy all the Gardens has to offer—from colour-filled walks, to picnics, to great summer entertainment. A leisurely walk through the Gardens is a great way for families to have fun and enjoy the beauty of nature, and the family dog is welcome to join in. In addition to the regular 12-month pass, adults, youth and children can purchase a 12-month Firework Pass, allowing them to view one of 10 spectacular firework shows at a discounted rate. Rates for a regular 12-month pass range from $55.65 for adults, $27.83 for youth ages 13-17 and $6 for children ages 5-12; children under 5 are free. Firework passes are $81.85, $40.93 and $8.60 respectively. The Gardens marks the summer season with Night Illuminations—a subtle play of light and shadow showcasing the gardens in a totally different way. Night Illuminations runs nightly until September 15. For more information visit www.butchartgardens.com.
In-School Mentors Needed Big Brothers Big Sisters of Victoria and area is currently seeking mentors for the InSchool Mentoring program, which provides students at local elementary schools with a www.IslandParent.ca
CALL VICTORIA:
250.384.8121 FINANCIAL AID MAY BE AVAILABLE
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August 2013 5
IPM Notes role model and a friend to talk to. For one hour each week, mentors meet with their Little Brother or Little Sister on the school grounds at the child’s elementary school to engage in activities such as board games, arts and crafts, sports, baking, playing on the playground, and just talking together. The program focuses on building healthy relationships, self-confidence, leadership skills, and above all, making a difference in the life of a child while having fun. The In-School Mentoring program requires a commitment of one hour each week, during school hours, for the duration of the school year. The program is currently running at the following Elementary Schools: Cloverdale Traditional School, Quadra, George Jay, Victoria West, Tillicum, Ruth King, Savory and Salt Spring Elementary. This program offers great volunteer experience and the opportunity to “Start Something Big” in the life of a child. To apply, visit www.bbbsvictoria.com, phone 250-475-1117 ext. 40, or email main. victoria@bigbrothersbigsisters.ca. You can also support Big Brothers Big Sisters programs by donating your used clothing and
household goods. To arrange a free pick up, call 250-385-7226.
The Lighthouse Parent: A Forever Journey Whether we realize it or not, we have learned how to parent from our parents and grandparents or extended family. And since yesterday’s techniques are not necessarily the most enlightened for today’s child, you can find yourself dealing with unanticipated and unnecessary conflict with your children. The Lighthouse Parent: A Forever Journey is a three- to eight-week (depending upon the age groups covered) parenting program to help parents understand how to hold and be the light for their family. Your light will shine brightly or dimly depending on how connected you feel to your own and your family’s physical, emotional, mental and spiritual growth. The Lighthouse Parent will help parents to regain and rebalance their energy and parenting wisdom in line with their child’s age, and developmental milestones. In a confidential, small group format parents will learn about: • theories of attachment (working with healthy attachment and releasing unhealthy attachment)
• biological and neurological child development stages (toddler, youngster, tween and teen) • historical parenting traps and how to get unhooked from them • realistic stress management strategies that work In The Now • the paths to finding and sharing times of joy, and spirituality in parenting • peer support and facilitator guidance, and more. The next session—for parents and caregivers of children newborn to five years—starts on September 18 and runs on Wednedays from 6:45-9:15pm until October 9. For information, visit www. singleparentvictoria.ca.
Lightweb Darkweb: Three Reasons to Reform Social Media In response to the October, 2012 suicide of Vancouver teen Amanda Todd, singer and author Raffi Cavoukian has written a book dedicated to Amanda titled Lightweb Darkweb: Three Reasons To Reform Social Media Before It Re-forms Us. In the book, Raffi advocates systemic changes to make Internet use safe, intelligent and sustainable. Raffi writes about what he sees as “an opportunity and crisis of epochal propor-
Play Paves the Way at Carrot Seed Preschool! Discover a place where children can
Wonder • Discover Imagine • Construct and Learn…through Play! www.carrotseedpreschool.com 6 Island Parent Magazine
813 Claremont Ave, Victoria 250 658 2331
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tions: a chance to optimize the social and environmental benefits of a digitally connected global village by acting quickly to subdue the perils of InfoTech’s shadow.” He puts the onus for social media safety on the companies that created the ongoing security risks, especially for young users. He tackles the bully culture that targets kids for profit. After the Amanda Todd tragedy, Raffi’s Centre For Child Honouring co-founded the Red Hood Project (redhoodproject.com), a grassroots movement for social media safety for young users. Its open letter to Facebook COO Sheryl Sandberg demanding “safety by design” has a list of notable signatories including Carol Todd, Amanda’s mother. For more information, visit www. childhonouring.org.
Kaleidoscope Theatre’s 2013-2014 Season Kaleidoscope Theatre continues to produce high quality professional theatre for audiences of all ages. The dynamic 2013-2014 theatre season begins with the spectacular theatrical adaptation of Michael Ende’s The Neverending Story. Join Kaleidoscope on a thrilling epic adventure, in the spirit of The Lord of the Rings, which reveals—and revels in—the glory and wonder of imagination. Fantastica, a land of stories and imagination, is in danger; The Nothing threatens to engulf everything in its path. The Childlike Empress chooses an unlikely hero, Atreyu, a young boy, to go on a quest to save their world. Atreyu’s adventure takes him through the Swamps of Sadness, to Morla the Turtle, Ygramul the Many, and the maze of the Southern Oracle. May 2014 sees the return of our Family Theatre Festival returns for its second season with four more dynamic world premiere presentations by Kaleidoscope Theatre, SNAFU Dance Theatre, Giggling Iguana Productions, and Theatre SKAM. The curtain goes down with the production of Robinson and Crusoe. Amidst the raging of guns and exploding bombs of war, two unlucky men from opposing sides find themselves stranded on a roof of a house adrift on the sea. Together they must overcome their heightened suspicions, and previous feelings about their enemy if they are to make it out of this ordeal alive. Separated by cultures, language and beliefs, can they find a deeper means of understanding and work together to survive? For more information, please visit www. kaleidoscope.bc.ca. www.IslandParent.ca
The South Island Distance Education School (SIDES) is a K -12 public school specializing in distributed learning. SIDES offers BC curriculum to students through a variety of courses, on-site activities and outings. Parents of elementary students partner with SIDES teachers to support students as they learn at home. Secondary students may supplement their in-school course schedules with one or two online classes or choose SIDES for their entire learning experience. Please join us this fall as we celebrate our 25th anniversary as an innovative leader of distributed learning in BC. For more information, check our website (www.sides.ca) or call us at 250-479-7125.
www.sides.ca • 250-479-7125
Vivace Violins Louise Reid B.Mus. M.Mus. 250-884-9574 www.vivaceviolins.ca vivaceviolins@yahoo.ca August 2013 7
Tina Kelly
It’s In Our Nature.
Exploring Eelgrass What is eelgrass? Zostera marina may sound like an oceanic form of the chickenpox virus, but it’s actually the scientific name for one of the most important marine species on the planet. Often mistaken for green algae, Zostera marina, or eelgrass, is in fact a true vascular flowering plant. Unlike seaweeds, eelgrass has roots—albeit short roots—and
have the critical role of acting as the ocean’s nurseries. It is estimated that more than 80 per cent of commercially important fish and invertebrate species rely on eelgrass; Pacific herring, dungeness crab, Pacific sandlance and many other species depend on eelgrass for the early stages of their lifecycle. Commercial importance shouldn’t be the only measure of value; eelgrass also pro-
Stay on the trails to keep our regional parks lush and thriving with life. Find more ways to nurture nature by visiting www.crd.bc.ca/parks.
PROUDLY SUPPORTED BY:
www.crd.bc.ca
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Volunteers Needed!
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Fa Intae on No! 8 Island Parent Magazine
rhizomes that spread into a sandy or muddy substrate. Dense concentrations of eelgrass are referred to as beds, or meadows, and are usually found in sheltered bays or estuaries.
Why is eelgrass important? Take a deep breath—filling your lungs— exhale and then thank eelgrass. Seagrasses, like eelgrass, help produce the oxygen we breathe. And if giving us the gift of oxygen isn’t enough, give thanks for your family’s salmon dinner. Eelgrass habitat plays an integral role in the salmon lifecycle. Salmon youngsters hide among eelgrass, avoiding predation from large predators and allowing them to grow bigger before they’re ready to risk the gauntlet of the open sea. Salmon aren’t the only species seeking refuge in eelgrass as juveniles; eelgrass meadows
tects species integral to coastal food webs including that of the endangered resident killer whale. Marine birds—ducks, herons, and gulls—find a smorgasbord of prey in eelgrass, and Brant geese feed directly on the grass itself. Other species calling eelgrass home include snails, shrimp, nudibranchs (sea slugs), seastars, isopods, sea anemones, and a variety of fish—sticklebacks, perch, flatfish, gunnels and pipefish. If providing us with oxygen and food wasn’t enough, eelgrass also decreases shoreline erosion and filters out pollutants.
Where to find eelgrass? The need for eelgrass to photosynthesize means it grows in relatively shallow water (less than six metres), making it easy to access during a good low tide. When considering www.kidsinvictoria.com
eelgrass locations, remember its connection to salmon; eelgrass is common at the mouth of spawning rivers. One notable meadow not directly associated with a river is on Sidney Island—a 20-minute ferry ride from downtown Sidney. Eelgrass can also be found at Portage Inlet/Gorge Waterway, Esquimalt Lagoon and Patricia Bay.
Commercial importance shouldn’t be the only measure of value; eelgrass also protects species integral to coastal food webs including that of the endangered resident killer whale. Eelgrass etiquette By following the rules below you’ll not only protect this critical habitat, but you’ll also maintain your law-abiding citizen status. Eelgrass is protected by the Federal Fisheries Act—“No person shall carry on any work or undertaking that results in the harmful alteration, disruption or destruction of fish habitat.” 1) Watch your step—don’t walk directly on or through eelgrass; doing so can disrupt and damage the root system or injure hiding animals. 2) Carefully and gently move eelgrass aside with your hands to look for creatures among the blades. Be sure to place eelgrass back as you found it—remember it’s critical for the protection of its inhabitants. 3) If you find eelgrass washed up on the beach, leave it; it’s food for a variety of animals and will decompose, returning nutrients to the system. 4) Just like your feet, kayaks and dinghies should not be dragged through eelgrass. 5) Boaters best be cautious of their propeller while in shallow water and never anchor in eelgrass. 6) Tell at least two people about the importance of eelgrass and how to safely explore it. Enjoy exploring eelgrass this summer while keeping in mind future salmon barbecues!
St. Joseph’s Early Learning Center is now open and accepting applications for 3 and 4 year-old licensed Group Day Care and morning-only preschool. Located at
785 West Burnside Road (adjacent to St. Joseph’s Elementary School) Call
250-479-1237
Tina Kelly is the Visitor Experience Director at the Shaw Ocean Discovery Centre in Sidney. www.IslandParent.ca
August 2013 9
Kim Bannerman
Coal Dust & Ice Cream
C
hunks of gritty coal crunch into dust under my boots. Through the gloom, I hear the sounds of mining: the sharp ping of picks against stone, murmurs of men’s voices, distant explosions at the coal face. The darkness has weight, made heavier by the low ceiling and black walls. I squint, trying to identify iron tools along the edge of the path that we follow. My two-year-old son reaches up to hold my hand, saying, “Have ice cream, please?” We aren’t 400 feet below ground, but in the basement of the Cumberland Museum, where a replica coal mine gives visitors a taste of what life must have been like, working for a colliery at the beginning of the twentieth century. Coal mining was a large part of Vancouver Island’s history, and in Cumberland this engaging exhibit reflects this industry’s importance to the town’s early years. “Our replica coal mine is by far the most popular exhibit with kids,” says Toni Gore, Internal Director at the Cumberland Museum and Archives.
10 Island Parent Magazine
But there are other facets of Cumberland’s rich history on display here, too, from Chinatown relics and 19th century photos of Japanese residents to a working gramophone. “The Cumberland Museum is proud to be a ‘hands-on’ museum,” says Gore. “This engages kids and piques their curiosity about history in a way that traditional ‘look but don’t touch’ museums aren’t necessarily able to achieve.” The museum opened in 1981, and since then, has provided guests with interpretations of the area’s fascinating history. After its incorporation in 1897, Cumberland rapidly grew into a rollicking frontier town, complete with mine explosions, devastating fires, labour strife, and intercultural clashes. After the last mine closed in 1966, Cumberland seemed destined to become a ghost town, but a revival in the early 21st century brought new tourism opportunities, like mountain biking and hiking. The town now boasts funky shops, quirky cafes, music events, festivals, and many growing families.
The museum is responding to this influx of tourists and locals, offering free weekly after-school programing with a focus on history. “We also have both standard and custom tours available for school groups. The customized tour option is the most popular as we incorporate hands-on learning with historical kits and learning activities for all ages.” The Cumberland Museum—a three-hour drive from Victoria—is located at 2680 Dunsmuir Avenue in Cumberland, one of the three major towns which form the Comox Valley. It’s open every day during the summer season, from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information, visit www.cumberlandmuseum.ca. As for that ice cream? We headed to nearby Comox Lake to buy a cone and paddle our feet in the freezing lake to wash the coal dust from our toes. Kim Bannerman’s work has appeared in 100 Stories for Queensland (eMergent Press, 2010) and the Paraspheres Anthology (Omnidawn Press, 2006). Her most recent novel, Bucket of Blood (Fox&Bee, 2011), is a Vancouver Island-based murder mystery. Visit www.foxandbee.com or www.kbannerman.com.
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Paula Steele
Being Three Again
M
y three-year-old son can turn anything into a train. At home, he stands on the window seat, clicks the decorative pottery bells above him and pulls the imaginary train whistle “Toot toooot.” Sometimes he perches on the edge of the our couch, or crowds into a little round pillow bed beside my tolerant little Shih Tzu who looks up at me with imploring eyes. At the pool, my son even ducks into the front of a long row of lockers to “drive the engine.” Wherever he is, when the conductor cries out, “All Aboard,” that is my cue to drop everything and settle in beside him for a ride. It is time for me to become three again. Often when I join him, he busies himself as the train engineer first, prepping our ride, providing a full commentary of his actions. He inevitably wanders over to an imaginary cupboard to collect “snacks” for us to take with us, gesturing with certainty as he passes some into my open cupped hands. And then, we are off! I try to stay in the moment as long as I can, I really do! If I let him guide the play, he might tell us we’re going “left, then right, then straight…then across the ferry water to Nana and Bumpa’s house.” But, if I’m in a hurry to get back to my tasks, he will graciously allow my adult self some influence on the play and “drive me to the washing machine or kitchen sink” and allow me to disengage. Though there is always adult work to get done, there are also many moments throughout the week when I choose to slow down and see the world through his eyes. In creating a safe but rich learning experience for my son, I am doing the same for myself. More than before he was born, I now investigate the small details, like every berry that is growing in our newly planted strawberry patch. I take the time to help him move all the lost caterpillars off our path back to the safety of the grass. I allow myself to play and dream and imagine a limitless future, where I can be a pirate, a fire fighter, a marching drummer in a band or an astronaut in a rocket ship. In the place of my listening to talk radio, filled with stories of the darkest side of human nature, comes sing-a-longs to songs of love, friendship, and even faith. My new books are filled with bright, colourful visions of talking turtles, bouncing tigers and rhym-
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ing couplets about the jungle and the sea. Yes, I play with him, but I also find myself playing more in my own life, too, letting my inner child shine through. Where once there was cynicism and mockery of garden gnomes, for example, now I have a collection of garden animals peeking out to surprise us in our little garden ecosystem. I am wearing more pretty jewelry and even colourful undies daily rather than waiting for some special event, dressing for me and
not for others. I am connecting with likeminded souls more often, to share ideas and creativity. Together we are engaged in shared self-expression, co-creating meaning in a world that, I hope, will be as inviting and inspiring for my son to journey through as his own imaginary trains are now. I look forward to sharing the ride! Paula is a single mom to a dynamic threeyear-old and little Shih Tzu puppy. She can typically be seen on the playground climbers, going for an imaginary train ride with her son. August 2013 11
Selinde Krayenhoff
Memory Making
W
hen our sons were both preschool aged, I discovered the world of scrapbooking and took to it with great enthusiasm. I poured my love and creativity into designing photo album pages I hoped would evoke wonderful memories for my children as they grew up. Then I read Susan Sontag’s 1977 collection of essays called On Photography. One of Sontag’s views on the role of photography particularly jumped out at me, and remains with me to this day—the idea that the person taking a photo decides what is worth committing to memory, and in that decision, influences what other people remember. This idea fascinated me and I wondered if the photos I took of our family outings, gatherings and trips fairly represented what our sons thought were the highlights of those same events. I decided to find out. When we headed out on one of our welltravelled journeys from Victoria to Kalispell, Montana to visit my husband’s family, I gave each son a disposable camera. For my own use, I had the family camera loaded with film.
We stopped often on that 16-hour trip and when we did, I would say, “I’m taking my camera.” That’s all I said. Sometimes both boys grabbed their cameras, sometimes just one of them, other times neither did. I noticed how I was determined to capture any memorable moment or scene whereas the boys were more interested in the moment. They didn’t seem to want to document the journey sequentially, or systematically. The next thing I noticed was that the boys most often focused their cameras on specific, close-at-hand objects: a bug, a chipmunk, a rock, something drawn in the dust of a car. The large panoramic views didn’t seem to grab their interest, or at least not their desire to capture it for all time. When we returned home I took the cameras in to be developed. In those days you had to wait a week or so for film to be developed. The day arrived and the boys were excited to open the envelopes. Interrupting each other, they pointed enthusiastically to each photo. In one photo we saw the blurry tail of a chipmunk disappear-
K-9 Distributed Learning
ing out of the frame. The boys remembered feeding the chipmunks. They talked about the man who showed them how to sit still patiently with a nut resting on an outstretched hand. I thought the next photo had been a mistake. To my eye, there was nothing in it. “No,” my son explained, “can’t you see the bug on the car bumper?” Sure enough, when I looked very closely, I could. He remembered the rest stop where he had taken the photo. Our other son held up a series of blurry scenes taken from a moving car. “What are these pictures of?” I asked. He had no idea and put them down. The excitement of opening a new package of photos was over. The boys moved on to other activities. I must confess I didn’t include any of their photos in my album. Why? Because the experience revealed to me that photo album making must be done for my own pleasure. I had no idea if anyone else would enjoy my albums, or if the finished product even remotely reflected other family members’ experiences. The joy and motivation had to be mine alone. And if others chose to look, that was a bonus. Travel ahead in time. Our children have left home. My mother dies in 2008, seven years after my father. All my parents’ belongings are divided between their five children and
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numerous grandchildren. I take home over 60 photo albums that chronicle my parents’ lives in Holland, Indonesia and Canada. A year after our mother’s death, my younger sister came for a visit. For that week, we took apart 30 of the albums. The ones easiest to disassemble were the albums of photos from my parents’ lives after their children had grown and left home. Most of those photos went in the garbage. If one or both of my parents or any other family member was featured in a photo, we kept it and divided the photos between interested family members. My mother was an artist and an accomplished photographer. Her photos were beautifully shot. I found it hard to throw the photos away. One morning, my sister said, “Last night as I was drifting off to sleep, it was as if I heard Ima (our mother) saying, ‘Don’t linger over my memories—go out and live your own lives.’” That message helped us both. Still, at the end of one long day of dismantling albums, after everyone had gone to bed, I went downstairs and rescued a stack of photos from the garbage. To this day I continue to make greeting cards out of those photos. My mother’s art continues to delight others. A couple dozen of my parents’ photo albums have been kept intact, ready to be shared when we gather as family. Those albums fill two big, heavy tubs. But those memories are worth the space. In my own memory making, I’ve slowed down on my photo taking. Today I have digital albums that take up no space at all. But they do take time to upload, edit and organize. I continue to make real, large, heavy photo albums we can leaf through when our boys come home to visit. I restrict myself to laying out a full year of photos onto a small number of pages. It’s my way of documenting the passage of my life, and the life of my family. I know that I am creating a personal document; my perspective on what has been important in my life. At the same time I understand that one day our sons may very well pull apart the books I so lovingly created. That’s the creative process—to create and let go. One life is so immense and it can become a burden when the attempt to document it fills tubs and tubs of space. The best memories live on in our hearts and inform the lives we lead. These are the 3-D memories that take no space at all and are unique to each person.
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Selinde Krayenhoff is the cofounder of Island Parent Magazine and the parent of two grown sons. She gives workshop and talks on Nonviolent Communication, Parenting, Spirituality and Midlife Transition. www.IslandParent.ca
Your Package Includes: • One or more night's stay in a Family Friendly accommodation • $5 Breakfast credit per Adult in the Cedar Room • FREE Laser Bumper Tag at Riptide Lagoon • FREE Kids Welcome Amenity • FREE Kids Club Recreation Program Drop In (ages 5 & up) • Plus more... * Maximum of 4 children per room, with 2 paying adults.
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Children’s Music Classes Birth - 12 years
FACT: Music makes us smarter and improves our social skills ... plus it’s lots of fun! Registration now open for September.
vcm.bc.ca/departments/childrens-music August 2013 13
Jessica Pfeffer
Nature Playgrounds
Royal Oak Shopping Centre 250 479 0803
S
ince I returned from a family trip to Scandinavia, nature playgrounds have been on my mind. Scandinavians, it seems, are able to unite the natural environment and play structures. In every city we visited in Sweden, Denmark and Norway, we experienced urban play spaces that blended natural materials, art, music and adventure. These spaces provided information on the natural world, and integrated everything from moss, grass, trees, plants, rocks, earth, sand and natural water features. In Oskarshamn, Sweden we visited a
When we visited Tivoli Gardens in Copenhagen, Denmark, I was surprised to see a nature music playground. There it was, right in the middle of this urban environment. What an interesting idea. Children played on nature instruments in the forms of drums, gongs and xylophones, which were all made of natural materials in organic settings. Copenhagen had several impressive parks for children that defied the conventional North American mould where we try and create the safest play environments. Not to say that the playgrounds were dangerous,
beautiful playground in the center of town. The central playground consisted of several traditional-style wood adventure structures with a water play structure and a free play space that included a child-sized sod-roof picnic hut built into the ground, and several wooden balancing pegs made to look like mushrooms. The play area was beside a little thicket and the grass was mounded to create play areas from the earth. My son Jasper jumped onto the little mushrooms right away. Everything about the softer play spaces was exciting for him.
but children were expected to balance on log poles and test out their amazing kid skills in sand, dirt, sticks and on stone. Norway also offered lovely nature playgrounds with large hollowed out stumps made to look like little play houses, curious little sod bumps and wooden balances and play areas that required energy and imagination to navigate. As a girl growing up in Southern Ontario, my playground was not designed to be natural; it was nature. I remember climbing up the escarpment—a big hill or little
www.BelliesInBloomMaternity.com
It’s hard to believe, but we’re in our 7th year! We’ve seen the business grow, thanks to our customers and a lot of hard work! Running a business like this, quite frankly, takes a lot of energy and time. So, while we love our customers and the business, it’s time to pass the reins to someone else. If you are interested, or know someone who might be a good fit to lead Bellies going forward, visit us and see what has made us Victoria’s go-to store for maternity and nursing wear. Get familiar with our brands and philosophy. It’s business as usual at the store, staff will not be discussing details about the sale. Any and all queries should be sent to
SuccessfulShopInVictoria@shaw.ca 14 Island Parent Magazine
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mountain—with my friend after school. We would clamber through the brush and look out through the clearing to our little town below. We played beside the rocky creek for hours, imagining, dreaming, singing and play-acting. We had no idea how fortunate we were to have access to a
natural playground. I shudder at the image of myself sipping the creek water. But I did it, and I am here to tell you the story today. Of course, I am not advocating drinking from streams and creeks. I am saying that natural playscapes are pivotal in childhood learning and development. A natural creek can teach children about the water system, fish and insects that depend on the creek. The creek may be dry in the summer and come to life during fall rains. The frozen creek provides incredible opportunities to see life in suspended animation. Slowly playgrounds have changed, we have paved over grass, used concrete, plastic and metal to shape a play space. What children need, and have always needed, are natural areas to play. The playgrounds don’t have to be expensive or be designed by top designers. People need greater access to nature. We need play spaces that not only enrich the play experience, but teach lessons, provide insight into natural systems, and build on the environment rather than compromise it. For more information on Nature Playgrounds and Nature Instruments visit www. naturalplaygrounds.ca.
Stay in Richmond
Play for FREE* in Metro Vancouver! Get a FREE Vancouver Attraction Access Pass* and see the best of Vancouver by staying 25-minutes away in Richmond. Visit the Capilano Suspension Bridge Park, Science World at Telus World of Science, the Vancouver Art Gallery, the Vancouver Lookout and much more. With a value of over $800 for a family of four, it might just be the best summer getaway yet! Visit richmondplayforfree.com/Island or call 1-877-247-0777 for details. *Valid on new bookings for stays between June 15 and September 15, 2013 of three consecutive nights or more. No cash value. One Attraction Access Pass per person.
Jessica R. Pfeffer, MEM. When she is not playing with her two-year-old son Jasper, Jessica works at the BC Ministry of Environment, writes children’s literature and enjoys nature. www.IslandParent.ca
August 2013 15
Tim Collins
The Magic of the Stage R
andi peeks from behind the doorway, clutching her princess doll and giggling with anticipation. “You have to say the words, Papa!” she urges in a stage whisper. My granddaughter has summoned us all to the living room to watch her new show, or rather her doll’s new show, and it’s important to set the scene properly. I pretend to hold a microphone and make the introduction. “Ladies and gentlemen…” I begin. I see Randi’s lips move silently as she says “the words” with me. “Coming to you direct from her award-winning run at the Fantasy Room in beautiful downtown Las Vegas… it’s CINDERELLA!” We all cheer and applaud madly and Randi steps out with her 8-inch Cinderella doll to begin the
16 Island Parent Magazine
performance. Neither Randi nor the doll seems nervous. They are both consummate performers, after all. The shows vary. Sometimes the dolls dance along with Randi. Other times she sings in an appropriate four-year-old falsetto. But the entertainment is anything but random. The shows are practiced, yet freewheeling—a marvelous bit of four-yearold imagination brought to life. It’s all part of the legacy that we’ve given Randi and it’s a gift that every parent can grant their child as the festival season continues throughout the summer in Victoria. It’s the love of live performance and the knowledge that we can all find the magic of fun and entertainment in our souls. In an era of touch screens and apps, and the myriad of canned entertainment options
with which we’re constantly bombarded, the chance for live entertainment is, thankfully, still with us. And it’s an opportunity that shouldn’t be missed. Victoria’s summer festivals give parents the opportunity to grant their children a truly transformative experience. Some of this month’s performances include the Filberg Festival on from August 2 to 5; Symphony Splash on August 4; and Young Fringers Fest from August 22 to September 1. Anyone who has experienced a live performance knows that there’s something very special about such an event. The potential is always there for the audience and performers to share a sort of synergy that, while difficult to define, is felt at a visceral level. The feeling is always amplified in the small venue format of local festivals and one that children feel with the fresh exuberance of discovery. At a live performance children are allowed to see adults at play. They become a part of an intimately shared adult world where grown-ups still have a sense of adventure and where the serious side of being grownup is suspended, if only for a short while. They can join mom and dad in a journey of imagination in a community setting. Children also have the occasion to learn
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that we can all connect to others by sharing our own particular talents and abilities. We can bring our imaginations to life, create magic, and share that gift with an audience. They see it through example, so close that they truly become part of the experience. And once they’re part of the show, watch out! They’ll want to feel that way again. Last year, Randi was chosen, along with a group of other spectators, to help a busker during his show. Her role was to simply hold a soccer ball for a young, exuberant entertainer who would ultimately juggle nine of those balls. She was thrilled, and after the show she repeatedly spoke of how she was a part of the show and how she could probably practice and do a show like that. She had a similar experience a few weeks later when we took in the International Chalk Art Festival. After marveling at the amazing artwork that had transformed Government Street into an urban art gallery, she was invited by one of the artists to get down on her knees and join in the creative process. She worked hard on her tiny part of a mural, and when she was finished, the mural was as much hers as it was the dozens of others who had helped in the creative process. Since then, she’s created countless works of chalk art on our driveway, always inviting others to help bring the pictures to life. Sometimes, of course, that kind of direct, hands-on involvement with the artists isn’t possible, but that doesn’t mean that the experience isn’t important. For years, I’ve taken my granddaughter to the Inner Harbour to listen to buskers like Dave Harris, the one-man band. Randi has watched and listened and sometimes she’s been moved to dance. Once she asked Dave how he knew so many songs and he told her that everyone has all the songs in the world inside them and that they just have to want to let them out. And maybe, in the end, that’s the lesson that the live performances of the summer festivals provide for our children. All of us have an artist, a juggler or a musician within us. All our children need is the selfconfidence to value those creative abilities and to share them with others. Seeing others do exactly that, and sharing in their joy, is the first step to allowing our children to maintain the magic of childhood in their lives long after childhood has passed. Tim Collins is a writer and freelance journalist living and working in Victoria.
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At SMUS, we provide a safe, nurturing environment that supports discovery and learning. We’re committed to academic excellence, and also expose our students to exceptional athletics, performing arts, outdoor education and extracurricular programs. Together, we can help your child thrive and go on to achieve great things.
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August 2013 17
If children are struggling at school, they’ve missed some basics, some foundational ideas. It’s no good to keep adding more and more complex information for them to learn on top of what they already don’t understand. It doesn’t work. Karen helps them learn the basics they have somehow missed. She also focuses on review, review, review. Her students get a little bit of practice over a long period of time until it’s well established in the long term memory. She doesn’t drop things like they do at school. Her students achieve mastery. Therapeutic tutoring is very much like children learning a sport. If a child is in grade 4 and he’s learning soccer, we don’t put him on a team of kids who are already good at soccer. We put him on a team of children, close to his age, who are learning how to play soccer and they start at the beginning. Once they have mastered the basics, they catch up with the other children their age very quickly. The beauty of therapeutic tutoring is that one-on-one, Karen can create an experience for each child that works for them, just them. For many students, that means a multi-sensory learning experience. Children who struggle at school have different learning needs than the school is able to address. Karen is able to help them learn precisely the way they learn best. If your child is struggling at school, call Karen for a complimentary assessment lesson to determine if she is the right tutor for your child.
Karen Murdoch Therapeutic Tutor Parenting Coach
Phone 778-430-3183 Email info@karenmurdoch.ca Web www.karenmurdoch.ca
18 Island Parent Magazine
Rachel Dunstan Muller
Preserving Summer’s Bounty A
ugust is the season of plenty on our temperate Island, which makes it a great time to shift to a more local diet. If you’re lucky, you have your own backyard garden to supply your table. The rest of us can visit farmers’ markets and roadside stands to find a wide variety of fruits and vegetables in season. Many Island grocers are also making an effort to stock local produce, as well as dairy products, meat and seafood. And for those really committed to a 100-mile diet, it’s now possible to find locally grown grain. Shifting to locally sourced food has many benefits. There’s the satisfaction of supporting food producers in our own region, and the pleasure of getting to know some of them personally. There are the considerable environmental benefits of a reduced food footprint. And let’s not forget the joy of serving our families great, super-fresh food. But while it’s relatively easy to find local fruits and veggies during the summer, it takes some planning to continue through the fall and into the depths of winter. One answer is to do what our ancestors have always done: preserve some of this season’s bounty for the colder, leaner months that are coming. Food preservation can range from simple and free, to labour- and energy-intensive. My own efforts tend to be focused at the easy end of the spectrum, but I’m hoping to work my way up as I gain experience. Drying is one of the oldest forms of food preservation. Properly dried foods keep well, retain much of their nutrients, and take up less storage space than frozen or canned foods. Unfortunately our climate doesn’t always supply the ideal conditions for solar dehydration. Successful natural drying requires about three to five days of uninterrupted high temperatures coupled with low humidity. You can significantly reduce the amount of time required to dry food in the sun by building a solar dryer. Builditsolar.com has links to plans for a number of DIY solar dryers. Alternatively, you could use an electric food dehydrator, or dry foods at a low temperature in the oven. These are more energy-intensive methods,
but they may give more reliable results. There are many easy-to-follow fruit leather recipes on the web to get you started. Root cellaring is another traditional method for keeping summer-harvested produce good through the winter months. Most root vegetables, many members of the cabbage family, and even some fruits will keep well for months when stored at the right temperature and humidity. But successful root cellaring is a little more complicated than merely piling bags of potatoes or boxes of apples in the coldest corner of your basement. Motherearthnews. com has some great introductory articles on every aspect of root cellaring if this form of food storage appeals to you. Fermentation is another low or no-energy preservation method that has been practiced all over the world for millennia. Fermentation not only preserves many foods—it transforms them entirely. Yogurt, wine, and cheese are among the more familiar fermented products in our culture, but the possibilities for fermenting fruits and vegetables are almost endless. Sandor Katz’s Wild Fermentation (Chelsea Green, 2003) is the go-to book on this subject. Freezing is at the high-energy end of the spectrum—but if your freezer is going to be plugged in anyway, it might as well be full of summer’s bounty. Blackberries are my favurite freezer fillers. They’re packed with antioxidants, perfect for using in winter smoothies—and free for the picking. To keep berries from freezing in solid clumps, freeze them first in a single layer on a tray, and then transfer them into ice cream pails or other suitable containers. Blueberries also freeze easily, and should still be available in August. Some local farms may have everbearing strawberries through late summer. To find a u-pick farm in your area, try www. pickyourown.org. Check for special instructions before freezing produce from your garden, since some vegetables require blanching or other preparation.
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Rachel Dunstan Muller is the mother of five, and a children’s author. Her previous articles can be found at www.kidsinvictoria.com.
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S T A G E S Su m mer Pro g ra ms 2013 33rd A n nual
Da nce I ntensive Aug ust 19 th - 30 th
Part-day program for dancers 10 years old & up in Jazz, Ballet, Hip Hop & Lyrical
Plus Week-long, part day
Youth Da nce Ca mps Throughout July & August for dancers 6-12 years old in Jazz, Hip Hop & Musical Theatre
A nd Week-long, morning
Preschool Dance Camps Throughout July & August for 3-5 years olds in Ballet, Jazz, Musical Theatre & Tap plus
Little Dancers Classes are running through the summer for those 15 months to 3 years old
photos by D Haggart
Canning can be as simple as putting up a few jars of homemade jam, or as complicated as making and preserving your own relishes, salsas and pickles. Canning is probably the most labour-intensive and potentially intimidating preservation method, but the payoff can be considerable. The library has a number of good books for novices and experienced canners alike. Canning For A New Generation (Stewart, Tabori and Chang, 2010) by Liana Krissoff is a good one to check out. Definitely follow the instructions to the letter when preserving food this way. Improperly canned foods provide the ideal breeding ground for botulism—a rare foodborne illness that can be fatal. A winter garden is a fabulous way to supply your family with fresh vegetables right through the spring. Depending on when you read this, it might not be too late to plant one. The book Year-Around Harvest (New Society Publishers, 2011) by Salt Spring Islander Linda Gilkeson is an excellent resource for West Coast green thumbs. Still looking for sources of local food? The following websites might be helpful: For guides to farms and farm fresh products for Greater Victoria, the Gulf Islands, the Cowichan Valley, and the central Island north to Parksville, try www.islandfarmfresh.com. The “Get Fresh Guide” available online at www.getfreshguide.com offers information on growers, producers and suppliers from the Saanich Peninsula to Victoria. Salt Spring Islanders can find a wealth of information at www.saltspringmarket.com/ salt_spring_island_farmers/farm_directory. htm. For Sooke area farms, check out the Farm Guide at sookefoodchi.ca. The Cowichan Valley Green Community puts out its own wonderful guide for area residents and visitors, at www.cowichangreencommunity.org/foodmap. For inspiration and more general information, visit www.slowisland.ca—the home of Vancouver Island’s “Slow Food” movement, or www.vancouverislanddiet.com. If you don’t have the time or energy for food preservation this year, don’t despair. Local fall produce should be available for at least a few more months, and local honey, cheese, milk, meat, seafood, and many specialty products are available year-round. Bon appétit!
Come Da nce With Us
For more information call (250) 384-3267 email us at stagesdance@shaw.ca or visit us at www.stagesdance.com
MONTESSORIEducare EDUCARE Montessori Two Locations Two Locations Broadmead Broadmead Morning Program Morning Program Saanichton Full Day Program Saanichton Space Available Full Day Program 7925 E. Saanich Rd, Saanichton Space Available
250 881 8666 montessorieducare@shaw.ca 7925 E. Saanich Rd, Saanichton www.montessorieducare.com 250 881 8666 montessorieducare@shaw.ca www.montessorieducare.com
OPEN HOUSE
Feb 14, 2-4 LY SAANICHTON ON August 2013 19
Dahlia Miller
Sports & School Performance Y
ou’ve heard the phrase “healthy body, healthy mind,” right? Well, it’s true, in more ways than one. Simply put, on a biological level, aerobic exercise—exercise that gets the heart pumping hard for longer than 20 minutes—pulls more oxygen into the lungs. That means that during exercise, more oxygen is drawn into the blood and pumped through the body and brain. This oxygen-rich blood sweeps “tired” blood out from the brain, allowing the mind to function more effectively. A healthy brain processes information more efficiently and memorizes with greater ease—obvious benefits for students. Another way that regular exercise contributes to a healthy mind is through the release of stress. Humans, as physical beings, interact with the world on a physical level. We often store stress in our muscles. Physical exercise
gets those muscles moving and allows them to release tension. As humans, we also tend to store stress in our minds. Being active with sports or being on a sports team can help to take our minds off our troubles and let them go on the physical level or through connecting with others. A relaxed mind is more open to learning new information and can think more clearly. One benefit of sports involvement is selfconfidence. Students who are active in sports often have a sense of self-awareness. They seem less likely to get caught up in the type of negative self-talk that can hamper a student’s performance. Have you ever heard that voice that tells you that you haven’t got a chance at accomplishing a certain task? That negative self-talk can escalate and be debilitating. Athletes are typically good at setting goals, recognizing that goals are reached one step
Early education meets the great outdoors.
at a time, and cheering themselves on as they move toward their goals. These habits are beneficial for students. The discipline of regular sports practice can transfer to schoolwork. Many athletes can recognize when they are focused and when they aren’t; they know that sports practice, like homework time, has time limits, and they are capable of pushing themselves. With schoolwork, this can mean sports players focus on homework when it’s time to focus, don’t let homework drag on all evening, and do their best to work through challenging material. Stronger self-esteem can be another benefit of involvement in sports. Being active and strong, belonging to a team, and having positive mentors and coaches all contribute to positive self-esteem in young people, especially young teens. When they feel good about themselves, kids are often more comfortable asking questions in class, seeking help when they need it, studying or working with others and being realistic about their school performance—for example, not feeling defeated after failing to reach unreasonable goals. The more opportunities we can give teens to learn new skills and progress toward goals, the more their self-esteem will grow. Giving them opportunities to become involved in various activities and develop skills is crucial.
INNOVATIVE LEARNING AT SMS: JR. & SR. KINDERGARTEN
Your daughter’s curiosity will be piqued by our natural campus. Our innovative Outdoor While Learning program takes full advantage of our incomparable west coast setting. Girls are immersed in play-based learning complimented by specialist instruction to build confidence & discover new skills. Register now.
ST. M ARGARET’S SCHOOL Confident girls. Inspiring women. SMS_July-Aug_b&w.indd 1
20 Island Parent Magazine
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7/10/2013 1:11:34 PM
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This might mean learning a new sport, an art, a new academic subject, or life skill. The challenge is to keep them engaged and to find things they can continue to be involved in. Every student is different in their interest in and ability for schoolwork. Generally speaking, though, involvement in sports sets students up for success in many ways—physically, mentally, and emotionally. They may still struggle and need support with course material, but they might be more likely to approach even this difficulty with a positive attitude. While involvement in sports offers students many positive benefits, it can also create several potential challenges for students. The major issues students on sports teams seem to encounter are to do with time. Being on a sports team, or being heavily active with sports, requires a time commitment. In the higher grades of high school, the homework load can also be demanding timewise. This can put a strain on the students if they struggle with time management. Even students who manage their time well can end up feeling overloaded if their sports team travels often or the number of practices per week is high. If a student’s schedule is too busy, it can be difficult to keep up with the challenges of course material and the pressures of exams. If there are too many practices per week, or the practices are early or late in the day, this can have a negative impact on a student. This, in turn, can create pressure as the student strives, with less time, to maintain a desired grade level. The pressure some students feel, from themselves and from their parents, to reach a certain grade level and a certain level of sports proficiency can also detract from the student’s ability to perform in the classroom and on exams. This pressure can lead to added stress and lack of focus. The goal with supporting students who are involved in sports is to cultivate the positive benefits while reducing the possible negative impacts. So, keep your eyes and ears open when your child talks about his or her feelings regarding the impact sports is having on schoolwork. Be ready to offer more encouragement or to lessen the number of commitments if there are complaints. Give your child and yourself many pats on the back for your dedication to building both a healthy body and healthy mind. Dahlia Miller is the owner of Smart Tutor Referrals, a Victoria-based tutoring agency that matches students to tutors for in-home tutoring. She can be reached at 250-544-1588.
www.IslandParent.ca
Your Local Consignment Stores Sailor Jack
Quality, brand name clothing at prices you
Family Consignment Store
can afford. That’s what we carry at Baja
• Stylish infant, kids & teen clothing • Toys & equipment • Maternity & women’s wear • New baby shoes, carriers and accessories
Rosi’s Consignment Cabana. Size 0–3x from jeans to after eight and everything in between—we have what you need for back to school, back to work or even back
424 Craigflower Rd, Victoria 250-382-5225 www.sailorjack.ca
Kinderbeez Children’s Consignment Store • New and gently used name brand children’s and maternity items • Toys, books, shoes, clothing, furniture, strollers and more • BOB, Britax, Sophie, Melissa and Doug and more 110-2763 Beverly Street, Duncan 250-748-2345 kinderbeez@shaw.ca
to the gym! Brands for women, teens and
Baja Rosi’s Consignment Cabana
are Victoria’s LARGEST and MOST FUN consignment experience! We also consign
The place to spice up your wardrobe!
will accept clothing at any time: in season,
• Victoria’s Largest and Most Fun Consignment Experience!
even a couple of racks for the guys…we
better brands in excellent condition and freshly laundered, wrinkle free and neatly hung…do YOU have cash in your closet?
• Hundreds of new arrivals…DAILY! • Clothing for women 13-93, including PLUS sizes • Casual styles for men
Abra-Kid-Abra
• Open 7 days
New & Used Toys, Clothing & Furniture
• No appt. necessary *see web for details
• Playroom for children
• Baby equipment & furniture rentals • New products include dress up, ballet clothes, rainwear, sunwear, shoes, toys, carriers, cloth diapers, and much more
103 – 797 Goldstream Ave, Victoria 250-391-6033 www.bajarosis.com
2024 Oak Bay Ave, Victoria, BC 250-595-1613 www.abra-kid-abra.com
• Track your sales online • Payouts on demand
August 2013 21
Performing Arts School since 1980
-S ch o o l e r P r e m S um l as se s C & s p m up ths and Da n c e C a for ages
15 mon
Schools & Educational Services For more information about the following schools and educational services, check out the ads in this issue.
Preschools
Even the littlest angel can dance For more information call 250-384-3267 or email us at stagesdance@shaw.ca or visit us at www.stagesdance.com
FIDDLESTICKS {studio of fine arts for young children} Music, art and happy times in the life of a child
www.FiddlesticksChild.ca “I often describe walking into Fiddlesticks as walking into a fairytale... where the kids are inspired to dream, discover, imagine possibilities and become exactly who they a r e. ” - a mother
22 Island Parent Magazine
Almosthome Childcare provides a safe, nurturing environment for each child to explore, develop and grow in their individual time and style. We foster the development of a positive self image and instil confidence in our children through the joy of learning and socialization. Our wonderful group of Mature Early Childhood Educators and Infant and Toddler Specialists will guide your children in various natural settings and let them explore at their own pace. With this guidance, love and support, each child blossoms into their own self. Families and teachers collaborate to ensure that each goal, method and content in our programming is amenable to each family’s needs, while recognizing the needs of their child and validating cultural characteristics and values of the family. Our all weather facility means we can enjoy getting outside regardless of the weather; puddle jumping is our favourite activity. Our goal is to ease the transition of each child to kindergarten and prepare them for entrance into School District #62. We provide care for children aged 10 months to 5 years. Drop in anytime and watch us grow! 250-590-7666. www. almosthomecare.com. Arbutus Grove Children’s Centre has a long history of providing outstanding early learning programs to the Victoria community. We previously operated as Goosey Gander Kindergarten before moving to our new 1.4acre site in a natural setting in the Cadboro Bay/UVic area. We offer half- and full-day preschool programs for 3- and 4-year-olds and a small after school program for KGrade 1 students attending Frank Hobbs
Elementary. Children’s curiousity, sense of wonder and innate desire to learn is supported and nurtured through inquiry, exploration, play and creative expression. www.arbutusgrove.ca or 250 477-3731. ArtsCalibre Academy. There’s a reason why the first years of a child’s life are considered “formative”—they truly form the person, and profoundly influence the path and quality of the rest of their life. We believe that Fine Arts are the perfect vehicle for this formative process. Through our structured but fun program of music, dance, theatre and visual arts, children not only absorb these and all academic subjects with enthusiasm and ease, but they also develop the creativity, confidence and social skills to successfully apply them throughout their future. It’s this philosophy and comprehensive program that sets us apart from every other preschool. It’s the Art of Preschool. www.ArtsCalibre. ca or 250-382-3533. Cordova Bay Preschool is a bright and cheerful cooperative preschool that encourages and benefits from parent participation. Our excellent educators and duty parents provide a stimulating environment designed to offer a variety of learn through play opportunities, including circle time, art, library, dramatic play, creative outdoor play and more. Extended hours (9:15am-12:15pm Tues/Thurs for 3-year-olds; 9:15am-1:15pm Mon/Wed/Fri for 4-year-olds) assist with the transition to full-day kindergarten. A non-participating duty option is available for parents that require additional flexibility. Limited spaces for the 2013/14 school year are still available. www.cordovabaypreschool.org or 250-658-3441. Carrot Seed Preschool—Play Paves the Way! We provide a wonderfully rich, inclusive environment for children to play, explore and “live in the moment” so they
www.kidsinvictoria.com
can grow into independent and self-directed individuals. Children have lots of outdoor time in our large, natural play space, which gives them the room they need to engage in both big-muscle and fine-motor skill exploration. There’s lots of opportunity for imaginative play and curiosity as children are encouraged to “ask why” and are supported in their quest to solve the mystery. Our teachers are dedicated to the philosophy of play-based learning and demonstrate their love of teaching every day. www.carrotseedpreschool.com. Emmanuel Preschool is a welcoming and inclusive Christian preschool, where students with special needs have the support of an additional teacher. Our morning classes are offered either two or three days per week. Both programs are for 3- and 4-year-olds, and include stories, games, singing, arts and crafts, science activities, free play (indoors and outdoors) and some field trips. Each class is licensed for a maximum of 20 children and has two licensed and experienced early childhood educators. Our staff strives to teach and model Christian attitudes and values, and to maintain a warm, caring and safe environment. www.emmanuelvictoria. ca or 250-598-0573. Fiddlesticks Studio of Fine Arts For Young Children. Early learning through expressive artistic experience encourages children to build confidence in their own creativity and awakens a life-long connection with the arts. Lessons at Fiddlesticks are filled with wonder-inspiring activities designed to engage, delight and challenge the whole child. At Fiddlesticks, children focus, have fun and set their immeasurable talents in motion. Integrated-arts studio classes, Kodály musicianship classes, workshops and private lessons. For children 2 1/2-10. Endorsed by the National Arts Centre. Visit www.fiddlestickschild.ca for program details and open door events. fiddlesticks. studio@shaw.ca, 250-858-7034. Lambrick Park Preschool and Childcare (LPP&C) is a cooperative preschool lead by parents and two qualified early childhood educators who create a “Learning through Play” environment in our preschool. We offer a high adult to child ratio and a healthy balance of indoor and outdoor play. Morning, afternoon and all-day programs are available for children aged 30 months to 5 years. Located in the Gordon Head area since 1969. www.lambrickparkpreschool. ca or 250-477-8131.
www.IslandParent.ca
Le français au CSF, c’est bien plus qu’une langue !
Depuis sa création en 1995, le Conseil scolaire francophone de la Colombie-Britannique offre des programmes et des services éducatifs valorisant le plein épanouissement et l’identité culturelle des apprenantes et apprenants francophones de la province. Le conseil compte aujourd’hui plus de 4 600 élèves, 36 écoles publiques et dessert plus d’une centaine de communautés réparties dans l’ensemble de la province.
Inscrivez votre enfant dans une école du CSF !
Nos écoles publiques daNs l’île de VaNcouVer Campbell River École Mer-et-montagne École secondaire Phoenix École secondaire Carihi
250-923-3359 1102 South Alder 250-923-3359 400, 7th Ave. 250-923-3359 350 Dogwood St.
M-6 7-9 10 - 12
Comox Valley
École au Cœur-de-l'île
250-339-1848 566 Linshart Rd.
M - 12
Nanaimo
École Océane 250-714-0761 1951 Estevan Rd. M - 7 École secondaire de Nanaimo 250-714-0761 355 Wakesiah Ave. 8 - 12
Port Alberni
École des Grands-cèdres
250-723-5614 4645 Helen St.
M-6
Victoria
École Victor-Brodeur
250-220-6010 637 Head St.
M - 12
csf.bc.ca
August 2013
23
Lighthouse Academy of
Pure, pleasing, positive.
Photo: Andrei Fedorov
Dance
Beginner–Professional • Boys & Girls • Age 2 – Adult Ballet • Tap • Jazz • Modern • Contemporary Acro • Jazz/Hip Hop • Creative • Musical Theatre RAD & ISTD Exam & Leisure Courses
New Location!
Grand Opening & Registration:
Sat, Aug 31, 4–6pm • 934 Goldstream Ave, Langford (or register prior by website or email)
250.595.8705
lighthouseballet@gmail.com www.lighthouseacademyofdance.com
Ready Set Grow
Preschool emphasizes learning through play, has a semi-structured program and is proud to be part of Hillcrest Elementary School. Learn through Play • Social skills are emphasized • Fine and gross motor skills developed • Field trips Structured Programming • Daily circle time • Outside playground time • Star of the Week • Science activities We offer Before & After School Care for children in Kindergarten to Grade 5. Contact us at heosc@pacificcoast.net or call 250-472-1530 for more information
24 Island Parent Magazine
Miles of Smiles Nature Junior Kindergarten. Come see why learning in nature rocks! For ages 3-5. Reggio influenced philosophy, child led learning. Register now for limited spaces. An amazing opportunity for children to fall in love with nature in nature! “Tell me and I’ll forget, show me and I may remember, involve me and I’ll understand” Chinese Proverb. www.naturejuniorkindergarten.com. Montessori Educare, Saanichton. This beautiful little preschool offers a stimulating, creative and nurturing environment for children from 30 months to school age. The facility is open from 8.30am-4.30pm, and 5-day, 3-day and 2-day programs are offered. The morning program follows a Montessori curriculum, the prepared environment providing activities in Practical Life, sensorial work, art, language, math and the cultural subjects. Circle time, story and outside play round out the morning’s activities. After a pleasant and hurry-free lunch, the children move into the delightful Rainbow Room, which offers opportunity for imaginative and dramatic play, including block play and construction, games, puzzles, manipulatives and crafts. There is group time for music, story and games and an extended outdoor playtime. Two fun-time Spanish sessions have been added to the afternoon program. www.montessorieducare.com, montessorieducare@shaw.ca or 250-881-8666. Oak and Orca Pre-primary School is a new licensed facility offering bioregional programming for 3- to 5-year-olds. Founded on 10 years of experience in quality instruction for children, the pre-primary offers an early learning curriculum based on child-directed learning, individual awareness and choice. Natural learning is supported through investigation, experience and play. Relationships take priority for teaching time, where a focus on needs helps create harmony and self-awareness. Regular out trips connect youngsters with the natural world while at the school they enjoy experiences in science, math, language and more. Located in the Hillside area, the program is run by an ECE and certified teachers. www.oakandorca.ca or 250-383-6609. Ready Set Grow Preschool, in Hillcrest Elementary School (Gordon Head), provides a fun, safe and healthy environment. Our caring, qualified and experienced teachers have a calm, enthusiastic, creative, fun way of working with children. Preschools separated by age allow higher quality, age-
appropriate programming. Three-year-olds in the morning; fours in the afternoon. Children build strong relationships with peers. We are pleased to be part of Hillcrest School; we use the library and gymnasium. We offer before and after school care for children in kindergarten to Grade 5. heosc@ pacificcoast.net or 250-472-1530. Fifteen Parent Participation Preschools now exist on Vancouver Island involving hundreds of families every year. The Vancouver Island Cooperative Preschool Association (VICPA) preschools provide activities that nurture the complete development of the child—social, emotional, intellectual and physical—and encourage positive selfconcept and self-reliance. The excellent child to adult ratio and high-quality program allow for considerable individual attention. Parent participation preschools promote direct involvement of parents. This makes for a unique educational family experience. Under the guidance of a qualified early childhood educator (ECE) parents assist in the classroom. The children’s educational program emphasizes “Learning Through Play.” www.vicpa.org or 250-598-2667. The Victoria Nature School is a nonprofit organization created by local parents and educators looking to create an optimal learning environment for their children. This new full-day option, parent participation program will focus on inquiry-based activities including art, literacy and music that will take place in the forest, beach and indoor classroom. Inspiring life-long learning through play and exploration in nature! www.victorianatureschool.com.
Schools
ArtsCalibre Academy. Imagine a school… where music, dance, theatre and visual arts are infused into all aspects of an outstanding curriculum. The result is a learning process in which students experience, explore, exercise, and express themselves in order to truly understand and remember. Our structured but dynamic program consistently exceeds the B.C. Ministry of Education’s Curricula for Kindergarten to Grade 5. Dedicated, highly qualified educators, excellent facilities and central Oak Bay location, which is also home to our junior kindergarten. We also offer preschool for 3- and 4-year-olds within the Cedar Hill Recreation Centre’s beautiful new Fine Arts wing. www. ArtsCalibre.ca or 250-382-3533. Christ Church Cathedral School (CCCS) is Victoria’s Anglican preschool, elementary
www.kidsinvictoria.com
www.IslandParent.ca
GNS. Family. “GNS is, in every sense, a family school.
When Kristjan and Taylor return And it’s my family’s school.” to GNS in September, they'll bring – Jean ‘71, Junior School Principal (grandmother) their rubber boots. That's because the Junior School is on the beach and, as everyone knows, when you're busy exploring inter-tidal life—shovels, buckets and boots are required items! There are a few spaces left in some classes for September 2012. Call Admissions, 250.370.6801.
Three generations of confidence in GNS.
Annie ‘97, Middle School teacher (mother)
Evie and Elise, Class of 2027
See what Evie and Elise will be doing in JK next year: http://ow.ly/hgKYY
Cathie Ferguson Photography
and middle school, welcoming students from all backgrounds. CCCS offers before and after school care, a wide range of extracurricular programs, small class sizes, high-caliber learning in math, science and technology, a strong focus on fine arts and progressive athletics programs. Weekly chapel service and seasonal performances are held in beautiful Christ Church Cathedral just a few steps away. Through focused encouragement of personal responsibility, selfdiscipline, community service and engaging learning opportunities with dedicated teachers, the school helps children realize their true potential. www.cathedralschool.ca or 250-383-5125. The Conseil scolair francophone de la Colombie-Britannique (CSF), also known as BC’s Francophone School District (SD #93) was created in 1995 to serve Francophones across the province. Since its creation, the CSF offers educational programs and services geared towards the growth and cultural promotion of the province’s Francophone learners. An active partner in the development of British Columbia’s Francophone community, the Conseil has presently in its system, and distributed across 78 communities in the province, over 4,350 students and 38 schools, which includes 21 homogeneous schools. www.csf.bc.ca, info@csf.bc.ca, 604-214-2600 or 1-888-715-2200. Discovery School. Is your child struggling in school? Does your child require an individual program with adaptations/ modifications, and deserve it to be presented by a trained, qualified teacher in a low student ratio classroom? Are you looking for a school with a quiet, nurturing, Christian atmosphere that encourages academic development, perseverance, responsibility, and organizational skills? Look no further! For 37 years Discovery School has been providing these services for struggling students. The school offers Grades 1-12, follows B.C. curriculum, is Ministry inspected, and is the only school on the Island providing this special education. www.discoveryschool.ca or 250-595-7765. Eaton Arrowsmith School is the only school in Victoria that focuses on the potential of children with learning disabilities to benefit from the brain’s ability to change itself, in order to improve cognitive functioning for life. School aged children spend three to four years rewiring weaker areas of their brains to better remember, attend, process and reason, thereby improving their ability to read, write, spell, do math, plan, prioritize and
www.mygns.ca • 250.370.6801
For Students in the Primary Grades – Fostering Numeracy* For Students in the Intermediate Grades – Fostering Numeracy For Children Ages 4 to 7 – Nurturing Growth* with Jennifer Thom *available in eBook format
The goals of the mathematics curriculum are translated into action. Activities, problems and games. Assessment strategies. Suggestions for determining and describing growth. Available from: • School House Teaching Supplies Ltd, 2014 Douglas St, Victoria, schoolhouse@shaw.ca
• UVic Bookstore • The author at dliedtke@telus.net • The publisher, www.trafford.com
August 2013
25
why choose Cordova Bay Preschool? • A warm, inviting Co-op Preschool with an ECE, ECE assistant, and a parent helper in every class • Class hours are Tues/Thurs (9:15–12:15) for 3 year olds; Mon/Wed/Fri (9:15–1:15) for 4 year olds • Extended hours assist with transition to full day kindergarten • Free parent education speakers or workshops every month • Non-participating duty option • Limited space still available in both the 3s and 4s classes
5182 Cordova Bay Road
(behind St. David’s by the Sea Anglican Church)
250-658-3441 www.cordovabaypreschool.org A member of the Vancouver Island Cooperative Preschool Association (VICPA)
Accepting Enrollment for Sept. 2013 Book now for a tour! 5575 West Saanich Rd (across from Red Barn Market) 250 592 4411 imhs@telus.net www.islandmontessori.com
•
preschool to grade 2
•
before and after school care
•
small class sizes
•
supportive and caring staff
•
excellent academic foundation
•
Kodaly music program
•
lovely rural location connecting children to nature
The Victoria School for Ideal Education • Daily meditation • Connecting children with nature • Individualized instruction • BC curriculum K – Gr. 8
2820 Belmont ave vsie@shaw.ca
250-383-6654 vsie.ca
interact socially. Our students then transfer back to typical public and private schools in the area with greatly reduced or no need for extra support. eatonarrowsmithschool. com or 250-370-0046. Glenlyon Norfolk School (GNS). As we celebrate our first 100 years, GNS is proud to be one of just eight schools in Canada to offer the International Baccalaureate (IB) curriculum for grades K-12, and the Round Square extra-curricular program of global service. Our students are musicians, athletes, artists and scholars, thriving in an independent day school that encourages individuality. Come to GNS, and develop your global perspective. We would be happy to tell you more about the community that is GNS. www.mygns.ca or 250-370-6801. Island Catholic Schools. Whether in Victoria, the Cowichan Valley or Port Alberni, you will find an Island Catholic School family ready to greet and support you and your child. Our seven schools offer dynamic, supportive and challenging learning opportunities, ranging from preschool to Grade 12. Our dedicated B.C. certified teachers and professional staff are indeed specialists. P.E., I.T., or French language instruction? We’ve got it. Activities for environmental stewardship or student athletics? You bet. Opportunities for system-wide activities or Fine Arts? No problem. Greater involvement with the local community? Of course. Lifelong and lasting friendships? Yes! Visit www.cisdv.bc.ca, or drop by one of our Open Houses. You’ll be glad you did. Island Montessori House School. Dr. Maria Montessori developed the Montessori method of education with the understanding that each child has a natural desire and ability to learn. The staff of Island Montessori is committed to providing a rich, safe, developmentally appropriate and caring environment, and to establishing rapport with each and every child. Our child-centred program promotes a sense of well-being, confidence and independence. Individual and group activities foster growth in all areas of development. We are proud to have children in our school from a variety of economic, ethnic and religious backgrounds, as well as a whole host of abilities and special needs. Our rural location at 5575 West Saanich Road is beautiful. www.islandmontessori. com or 250-592-4411. Oak and Orca Bioregional School is an affordable option for kindergarten to Grade 10 in the Hillside area. The B.C. curriculum is offered in an individualized format
W e a R e e XPan D In G – n e W S Pa ceS aVaILaBLe! 26
Island Parent Magazine
www.kidsinvictoria.com
through practical, engaging, child-directed learning. The ungraded program uses independent learning logs, conferences and workshop choices to provide children with the structure they need to learn at their own pace. Regular field trips encourage connections with the natural and cultural heritage of our home place. As part of a community of learners, children are able to communicate effectively, think and act creatively, and develop into responsible, ecological citizens. Join a unique learning community. Call if you are curious about child-directed learning and bioregional education. www. oakandorca.ca, 250-383-6609 or 1-888383-6619 outside of Victoria. Pacific Christian School nurtures students in Christ-like living, critical thinking and joyful service to be faithful citizens in God’s world. PCS is a preschool through Grade 12 Class 1 independent school serving the Greater Victoria region. With close to 900 students, it is a dynamic learning community exploring the full provincial curriculum from a Christian worldview perspective. Students regularly excel in arts, athletics and academics. You are invited to come by our Agnes Street campus and see what it’s all about. www.PacificChristian.ca or 250-479-4532.
Pre-K to Grade 12 Grammar
Reading Study Skills
Writing Homework
Math French
Reading is to learning what breathing is to living Call today, or visit oxfordlearning.com Victoria 203-1595 McKenzie Ave. Victoria, BC, V8N 1A4
250.477.5550
victoria@oxfordlearning.com
Check Out Your Place in the PCS Community Today
German Classes FOR AGES 3 AND UP
Educational Excellence to the Glory of God www.victoriagermanschool.org 250-886-1420 info@victoriagermanschool.org
www.IslandParent.ca
PacificChristian.ca 250-479-4532
August 2013 27
Island Rhythmic Gymnastics Club
Do you have a little girl who likes to dance, jump and juggle? Register her for a class at Island Rhythmics! Classes for girls 3 and up Contact us to register for our fall session
www.islandrhythmics.com 250-514-6761
Back to School Art Classes • Drawing • Painting • Sculpture • Cartooning • Portfolio Preparation
Now Registering for September Ages 5 & Up Day & Evening Classes Emphasis on Technique – Fabulous Results
Artistic Statement Gallery & School of Fine Art Call Joan at
250-383-0566
www.artisticstatementgalleryandschool.com
28 Island Parent Magazine
St. Joseph’s Elementary School is a Catholic school where children learn to love, and love to learn. We are building strong foundations for a bright future, with an expansion of our facilities at Burnside Road at McKenzie Avenue, in Victoria. The school will double in size, offering two sections for each grade, increasing the opportunities for children to experience full-spectrum education, including music, band, and French. Religious education is central to the school, where children learn in a Catholic, Christian atmosphere in which the teaching of Christ are paramount. Come learn with us—space available from kindergarten through Grade 7. www.stjosephschool.ca or 250-479-1232. St. Margaret’s School. Nestled in a quiet neighbourhood minutes from downtown Victoria, SMS is an all-girl day and boarding school where learning is a highly personalized experience. Teachers draw on the strengths and interests of girls to create a learning environment where they can be themselves, take risks and explore. Our academic program is supported by a variety of experiential programs designed to engage students in learning beyond the classroom. Students benefit from meaningful, hands-on experiences that allow for trial and error and empower them to tackle new challenges with confidence. Our academic program for preschool to Grade 12 is supported by a variety of experiential programs designed to engage students in learning beyond the classroom. www.stmarg.ca. At St. Michaels University School, we are as proud of our students’ academic accomplishments as we are of their courage, compassion, honesty, and their desire to make the world a better place. From kindergarten to Grade 12, our students flourish in a welcoming, interactive and resource-rich curriculum, where they can continuously challenge themselves with the support of dedicated teachers and the encouragement of their peers. Music, physical education, art, and second language instruction are not extras—they are integral to the program. At the end of their time here, SMUS grads are exceptionally prepared to find their place as engaged citizens of the world. www.smus. ca or 250-370-6170. Victoria School for Ideal Education. The Ideal School has doubled in size to make room for your children. This one-of-a-kind little school offers holistic education in a nurturing, stress-free environment. The twice a day children’s meditation coupled with the study of nature and the laws that
keep us in tune with the natural world have attracted families from all over the Victoria area. Within this framework we cover the B.C. curriculum and all our teachers are B.C. certified. “There is an atmosphere of calm respectfulness underlying a richly child-centered approach to learning.” (quote from the BC Ministry of Education inspection report.) www.vsie.ca or phone 250-383-6654 to arrange a tour.
Distributed Learning
Hands-On Home-Learning For a Sustainable World is a K-9 distributed learning opportunity offered by Oak and Orca School. This certified program weaves local and global perspectives into a supportive foundation to help your child discover her/his own learning path while satisfying the B.C. curriculum. Through regular communication, certified teachers are accessible to support families in creating their own educational programming. Hands-on, child-centered activities are available to supplement and enrich what you naturally offer and to cover the basics. Parents are provided with the guidance they need, without pressure. The program is free and includes an expense budget to help meet educational needs. www.oakandorca.ca, 250-383-6619 or 1-888-383-6619. The South Island Distance Education School (SIDES) is a K-12 public school specializing in distributed learning. SIDES offers B.C. curriculum to students through a variety of courses, on-site activities and outings. Parents of elementary students partner with SIDES teachers to support students as they learn at home. Secondary students may supplement their in-school course schedules with one or two online classes or choose SIDES for their entire learning experience. Please join us this fall as we celebrate our 25th anniversary as an innovative leader of distributed learning in B.C. www.sides.ca or 250-479-7125.
Mid-Island Schools/ Education Services
At Evergreen Independent School in Cobble Hill, we value academic excellence and individual development in an educational community that nurtures the joy of learning. We offer small class sizes, vibrant multiage groupings, and individualized learning plans. Children develop in unique ways, at different rates, and in different directions, and that development is best accomplished in an atmosphere of mutual trust and respect. We strive to instruct children in ways that best fit their unique learning styles. Our www.kidsinvictoria.com
graduates are self-motivated, curious people engaged in their community and in lifelong learning. Evergreen welcomes students from junior kindergarten through Grade 8. www. evergreenbc.net. Island Oak Waldorf High School, in Duncan. Think for yourself. We encourage clarity, conviction, and freedom of thought. At IOHS, you’ll develop independent thinking, collaborative skills, and responsibility; essential qualities for leading cultural, economic and political change. Our 10-1 student-teacher ratio means attention to your needs. Develop confidence in an atmosphere of social authenticity where you are valued for who you are. Students describe IOHS as “optimistic, accepting, and kind,” the teachers as “happy” and “caring,” and say coming to school feels like being part of a family. Students earn a Dogwood Diploma with extra credits. islandoak.org or 250-701-0400. Educational toys and games are our specialty at Kool & Child! Popular items with parents and teachers include games like Bananagrams, Ukloo, and Spark Your Imagination Story Starters which promote literacy. We also have plenty of math resources like Learning Wrap Ups which help children brush up on math skills hands-on. And of course we have workbooks galore for extra practice in every subject. Teachers also love our Kool School House full of everything they need to outfit their classroom in style. We are your complete resource store for educational toys in every department from science to art, puzzles to games. www. koolandchild.com or 250-585-1778. Morning Glory School, just minutes from Qualicum Beach in a beautiful natural setting, offers quality education preschool to Class 8. MGS blends the best of Waldorf ideals with the B.C. curriculum as an established Group 1 Independent School. We are able to provide students with individualized attention and encouragement to participate in all subjects. Children here enjoy a well balanced school life; academics are integrated with art and music, as well as practical skills (such as knitting, woodwork and gardening) and plenty of outdoor activities—guided and free play time. With a focus on lifelong learning, we strive to teach children to be independent and innovative thinkers. Special activities and events create a vibrant school community for both students and parents. www. morninggloryschool.ca, mgs@shawcable. com or 250-752-2722.
www.IslandParent.ca
in their Investfuture
Smart
Tutor
Referrals
250-544-1588
SmartTutorReferrals.com
Professional, 1-on-1, in-home tutoring in Victoria since 2002.
Emmanuel Preschool 2121 Cedar Hill Cross Road (by entrance to UVic)
Openings for 2013–2014 Classes! Children learn through play in our all inclusive, non-denominational Christian preschool. Great facility; outdoor play area and a gym for rainy day play! Two teachers with ECE certification plus assistant teachers to help with special needs children. A competent and caring teaching team!
Opportunities:
Mon / Wed / Fri morning class Tues / Thurs morning class 5 mornings a week
Phone 250-598-0573 preschool@emmanuelvictoria.ca www.emmanuelpreschool.ca
August 2013 29
navigate offers a blended learning model which allows students to forge relationships with their teachers and the broader community while offering all the flexibility of traditional distributed learning, distance learning and home school models. Though we are located in the Comox Valley, we serve more than 4,000 learners throughout B.C. in our K-9, high school and adult learning programs. Many parents considering home school for their children find we offer a rich educational approach that provides the flexibility of traditional homeschooling. A navigate education meets all provincially mandated learning outcomes and is instructed by a B.C. certified teacher. www. navigatenides.com or 250-337-5300. At Queen Margaret’s School, we offer a university preparatory education to 325 students in our co-ed early childhood education program, co-ed junior school (kindergarten-Grade 8) and all girls senior school (9-12, boarding and day). Our picturesque 27-acre campus in the Cowichan Valley is also home to Canada’s only fullyintegrated school equestrian program, an optional program which provides training opportunities for recreational riders and elite equestrian athletes alike. The school’s
rigorous academic program and extensive extra-curricular offerings provide opportunities for achievement and personal growth… empowering students to think critically, lead confidently and live honourably. Discover at QMS. www.qms.bc.ca or 250-746-4185. Sunrise Waldorf School. At SWS, we develop analytical, imaginative minds capable of prolific, life-changing ideas. Our students will shape the future, by redefining society’s concepts of intelligence, acumen and originality. For 90+ years Waldorf schools have created an educational experience that inspires students to evolve into confident, creative thinkers who are socially responsible and environmentally conscious. SWS is nestled on 7 idyllic acres in the Cowichan Valley. A beautiful setting where your children will be allowed to develop naturally, supported by the wisdom of experienced teachers who are truly interested. Visit us to learn why 94% of North American Waldorf graduates attend university and 50% attain a master’s or PhD. Parents from over 2500 schools and kindergartens in 70 countries have made Waldorf the world’s fastest growing educational movement. Parent & child programs, Pre-K to Grade
8. www.sunrisewaldorfschool.org or 250743-7253.
Educational Services & Programs
Artistic Statement Gallery & School of Fine Art offers fun and educational courses all year round for children ages 4-14 in drawing, painting, sculpture and cartooning, in a variety of mediums, including pastel, acrylic, water colour, pencil and charcoal. At 14, children go into adult classes and have the opportunity to enroll in the Portfolio Preparation session to prepare for college or university entrance in a variety of degree programs. Emphasis is placed on technique and everyone works at their own level. Regular classes are one hour per week for ages 4-14, and those over 14 have two-hour sessions. Lessons on SKYPE are available for homeschoolers and out of town students. www.artisticstatementgalleryandschool. com or call Joan at 250-383-0566. Karen Murdoch Therapeutic Tutor serving Victoria. Offering specialized tutoring for children with learning difficulties or those who are low-average students. This method is so effective that parents are guaranteed to see results within three months. Specializing
Christ Church Cathedral School Jr. Kindergarten (ages 3 – 5) | K – Grade 8
• Small classes, individual attention
3 Preschool program for 3–5 year olds 3 Full-day and half-day options 3 5 days a week SPACES AVAILABLE FOR SEPTEMBER 2013! To learn more and to register for the information/registration session visit: www.victorianatureschool.com Inspiring life-long learning through play and exploration in nature! 30 Island Parent Magazine
• High calibre academic instruction • Strong focus on Fine Arts • Progressive athletics programs • Before and after school care • Extracurricular programs on site • Affordable “Both of our children love attending Christ Church Cathedral School. They feel safe, respected and recognized for their individual abilities.” – A CCCS parent.
250-383-5125 | 912 Vancouver Street | www.cathedralschool.ca www.kidsinvictoria.com
in reading, spelling, writing and math using a hands-on approach, the student’s own learning style and aids designed to facilitate their type of learning. The child’s self-esteem improves along with their confidence, language and math skills. I have worked successfully with children who are a little behind in one subject as well as those with ADD, ADHD, dyslexia, learning disabilities and more. To find out how I can help your child, call 778-430-3183. Little Readers Academy. Research has proven that children who develop strong reading skills early in life learn better, are less likely to fall behind, and are more successful students. Oxford Learning’s Little Readers® is an enriched academic program that develops the skills needed to learn and excel—including reading, writing, and math. Half-day and evening sessions available. www.oxfordlearning.com or 250-477-5550. Mad Science® Vancouver Island is again offering an exciting after school program. This year, when a comet of century is to reach Perihelion in November, we focus on space. Eight hours of hands-on exploration, fun and learning offered in a series of six weekly science lessons allow children to experiment, observe, question, and learn about space and comets. They will build many take-home toys to share what they have learned with others. We offer many programs with fun science content including birthday parties and camps. Book your program online at vancouverisland.madscience.org. Monarch House, always here and making it easier. Monarch House offers an interdisciplinary approach to treating individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and other developmental disabilities, from infancy to adulthood. Providing individual and group treatment, transition planning for the different life phases, and recreational drop-in programs, our coordinated care and streamlined services ensure individuals reach their full potential. All our clinicians are under one roof which means no wait lists and faster access to services and available funding. No waiting for diagnostic assessments—Monarch House provides timely access to professionals who are qualified to diagnose ASD and other developmental disabilities. monarchhousevictoria@cbi.ca or 250-220-8999. Oxford Learning Victoria. Studies show that kids lose about 2.6 months worth of learning during the summer. This means that kids often spend up to the first 6 weeks of a
www.IslandParent.ca
Formerly Goosey Gander Kindergarten
Open House
Arbutus Grove Children s Centre, a part of the community for over fifty years is having an open house September 1st from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m.
Thursday, August 29 ~ 1 to 4 pm Half Day & Full Day Preschool Programs
We offer full and half time Preschool in a special and professional environment. Limited Positions still available for Sept. 2011-2012
Children’s learning is supported and nurtured through inquiry, exploration, play and creative expression. 3905 Haro Road, Victoria B.C.
Arbutus Grove Centre V8NChildren’s 4A8 3905 Haro Road, Victoria BC 250-477-3731 250 477 3731 www.arbutusgrove.ca
S ome p e opl e th i n k l e ar n i ng dis abi liti es are li fel ong .
®
We d on’t .
At Eaton Arrowsmith School we help students with learning disabilities and attention difficulties rewire the weaker areas of their brain that have been causing academic and social struggles. Instead of accommodating for learning weaknesses, students get to the cognitive root of their challenges, thereby leaving their learning difficulties behind. Upcoming information session: Monday, September 23, 12:30–2:30pm #200-3200 Shelbourne St, Victoria RSVP: 250-370-0046 or victoria@eatonarrowsmithschool.com
Strengthening Learning Capacities
St. Joseph’s Elementary School – a school where children learn to love, and love to learn! We are excited about expanding our facilities with a new addition opening soon. We offer an excellent academic program in a catholic atmosphere and are accepting applications for all grades. Visit our website at
www.stjosephschool.ca St. Joseph’s Elementary School 757 West Burnside Road Victoria, BC V8Z 1M9
August 2013 31
Best of Broadway
Junior Camp, 4 to 6 years August 19 – 23
Broadway and Beyond Mainstage Camp, 7 to 14 years August 19 – 23
Nurturing and developing young peoples potential through dance, drama and singing
Email: langford@stagecoachschools.ca
Call: 250 743 0858 (Mill Bay)
The “BEST” way to cloth diaper your child. We supply everything you Need (except the baby!)
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Island Parent Magazine
new school year reviewing and getting back into the swing of things, rather than learning new material. We’ll help your student catch up and keep up, all year. Now registering for fall programs for Grades K-12. www. oxfordlearning.com or 250-477-5550. READ Society. Learning, skills and confidence—that’s what parents and guardians tell us the READ Society means to them and their children. Starting with an academic assessment, READ teachers design individual learning plans that build on strengths and close gaps. In small classes, using a wide range of learning tools, students are inspired to explore new ideas and are taught “how” to learn. With 36 years of experience, chances are that you know someone who has benefited from a READ learning experience. Find out more about after-school classes and summer learning camps at www.redasociety.bc.ca and see the latest activity ideas on our Facebook page: www.facebook.com/pages/VictoriaREAD-Society. Smart Tutor Referrals. We want the best for our kids. In education, we want our kids to be engaged and supported, but beyond that, we hope that they can be mentored and challenged to grow in confidence and ability. This is the approach Smart Tutor Referrals takes to education. Each student and family has different needs. To truly value these differences, we need to listen and create a different tutorial experience for each student. Don’t you agree? Smart Tutor Referrals has been supporting Victoria families since 2002. Please call 250-5441588 or visit www.SmartTutorReferrals. com to learn how we can help you create the best learning experience for your kids. Sylvan students go forward, not back to school. Transitioning to a new grade is made easier by Sylvan’s individualized programs. As the leader in math, reading and writing instruction, Sylvan can pinpoint and develop the skills your child needs for success. Staffed entirely by teachers, we know how to motivate and empower your child to confidently tackle the demands of the new academic year. We can help your child study more effectively and be better prepared when tests and quizzes come around. Sound structures need solid foundations. Let Sylvan help you build a successful school year for your child. www.educate.com, 250-477-3212 (Victoria) or 250-590-6211 (WestShore). Victoria Epilepsy & Parkinson’s Centre’s HeadWay program. Parents and kids love our education programs. If you would
like to arrange to have a presentation on seizures or epilepsy for your school, class, church, club, or group, please contact us. Learn what a seizure is and what you can do when you see one. Also, ask about support for children with epilepsy and specific learning challenges. We can be reached at www.headwayvictoria.com, or you can contact our Epilepsy Program Coordinator, Jenn Morgan, directly at 250-475-6677 or jmorgan@vepc.bc.ca. Werner Liedtke. The Making Mathematics Meaningful books include examples from lessons and diagnostic interviews. The following are illustrated and explained: Strategies that foster confidence and willingness to take risks; The power of learning through problem solving; Fostering the ability to visualize; Fostering thinking and flexible thinking; Development of number sense and spatial sense; Developing personal estimation and mental mathematics strategies; Connecting ideas and skills to previous learning and to ideas beyond the classroom; Assessment strategies for the critical components and goals; How learning about mathematics contributes to language development, reading comprehension and evaluative skills. Availability: see ad on page 25.
POST-SECONDARY
Sprott-Shaw Community College. Are you looking for a career that can make a difference in a child’s life, contribute to the wellbeing of families, and advance the future of education in our province? The need is always growing for qualified educators in licensed childcare centres, care homes and special education facilities. Sprott-Shaw has responded by providing a quality ECE program that will supply you with the necessary training to succeed in this field. www. sprott-shaw.com, 250-384-8121 in Victoria or 250-754-9600 in Nanaimo.
OTHER
Musiciswaycool with Ron Sandor, EdDip, BA, BFA, MFA and Toronto RCM Affiliate. Having taught piano and theory from preschoolers to retirees, at every grade level for over 30 years, Ron is confident you will enjoy his fun approach. Beginners receive a free month of lessons! Family discounts are given to help with tuition. Hard-working students receive recognition with trophies and outstanding high school accreditation grades. musiciswaycool.com or 250-881-5549.•
www.kidsinvictoria.com
Zoe Hale
Hockey & Handwriting A
nother early morning on a hard arena bench with a cup of takeout coffee that tastes like wet paper. The boys crash through the battered gate onto the rink like caged animals released into the wild. I immediately find my boy among them, though the players wear identical uniforms, their pee wee bodies built up by inches of padding, their sweet, unique heads lost in dark helmets. My son is the one with his jersey hiked up in the back, caught in the top of his hockey pants so that his team number—9—is wrinkled into something else. There he is! My boy! My beloved of overlong or too-short jeans. They are never the right length, they never settle. Neither does my son. In the movie version of The Lord of the Rings, which my son and I have watched together (during the slow scenes he takes shots on the basement net), the leading men don’t wear helmets. In battle scenes, warriors fall by the dozen, but never our heroes; somehow their gleaming Jheri curls and sharp Hollywood cheekbones must protect their skulls. Or perhaps they are protected by always knowing what to say. Always having something to say. Always. They survive battle after battle on their steelhooved horses, sword or staff or some other long stick gripped in their hands. I hurt more today as I locate my boy amidst the others, because these days he is sinking at school. He will not write. He is smart, everyone knows it, teachers and principals frustrated all the more because of it, because he has something to say, quite possibly something that we don’t know, that no one knows, except him, or maybe not even him, not until he puts it into ink. He manoeuvres a hockey stick with ease, but it is labour for him to hold a pen in his hand and to sit at that unmoving desk beside his teacher’s. So now there is a second desk for him, beside the principal’s desk, waiting for him like a penalty box if he refuses again to move his pen across his sheet of paper. For many years my son was the boy with long hair. There is at least one in every school, says a psychologist friend. There is something they need to say, something that needs to be understood: they are not like everyone else. When my son doesn’t write, he expresses the same thing: that he is not easily understood, that he will not give what is exwww.IslandParent.ca
pected—he will not be an actor reciting lines. While it is difficult for him to write, the page for him a battlefield, his mind is clear and sure. Math is not a problem, science is not an issue. His memory locks tightly on facts. He will easily tell you the annual number of volcano eruptions, or how long it takes for a red blood cell, that little puck, to travel the whole body, or how many Stanley Cups have been won by any NHL team you name. Mornings, my son doesn’t want to go to school. He never has. When he was little, I had to carry him to the car, prying his hand, sweet terrified finger by sweet terrified finger, from each doorknob and newel post we passed. Sometimes he would hook a foot under the handles of a dresser so that a drawer would slide out and crash to the floor behind us. Now, at 12, he sleeps past his alarm, puts the pillow over his head, clings to the edges of his bed. Sometimes a reminder of the friends he will see at school, or of a new, cool T-shirt to wear, or of a
treat in his lunch, will coax him out from under his comforter. Or—and I sink to it when things are tough—the threat of no hockey. “If you won’t be responsible, you won’t have freedoms,” I utter, wincing at this punitive morality, at my desperation. But practice days, well, practice days occur as if in a parallel world. My boy is out of bed at 5 a.m.—he leaps out, though the house is dark and his siblings are still in their warm beds. He is ready in minutes, armour strapped on, stockings velcroed to the mysterious shorts with pocket for his jock. He fills his water bottle, tapes his hockey stick, all but runs to the car. I take a book to his practices, raise my head when his wrinkled jersey is on the ice. I am amazed by how easily he glides, by how fluidly he pushes his hockey stick in front of him, or how energetically he chops dots and crosses into the ice, hurrying after the puck. I try to understand what it is about hockey— what it is that has him move so easily, with such concentration? What makes him chase that black blot of rubber, like a blob of ink? What is he writing on the amnesiac ice? Zoe Hale is raising two children in Victoria. An absolute non-jock, she never thought that she would be so thankful to hockey.
No one is too cool for Summer Hockey School • Our hockey camps run on passion for the game combined with professional coaching for kids of all ages and abilities. • We offer the smallest group size and most hours of ice time than any other school! • We have partnered with Sportball for hockey specific cross training to provide a FUN and varied experience for our little players. • Bantam/Midget Players: Are you prepared for next season? Our training camps with Trent Brandvold will get you fired up and ready for tryouts in September. • Happy. Hungry. Tired. Stronger. Our promise to you.
Call or see website:
250-590-7811
icevictoria.ca August 2013 33
Party Directory Funtime Inflatables #1 choice for party inflatables
250-474-0597
www.funtimeinflatables.ca
We will match any competitor’s price; we will beat any competitors service!
Trust your next party or special event to the experts, Funtime Inflatables—the original bouncy castle company. Serving Vancouver Island since 1990.
New items arriving soon!!!
G Y M
FALCON
GYMNASTICS Birthday Parties
N Celebrate your birthday with us! A S T I C S
th
40 sary r Annive 2013 1973–
Our great instructors will treat you to an action packed two hours of fun and fitness in our great facility!
• 2 large decorated birthday rooms • Free T-shirt for birthday child, invitations for up to 10 children • The ONLY Inflatable Climbing Mountain with trampoline in town • Party Time now offered for many different groups (schools, daycare centres)
Book Early: 250-479-6424
#208 – 721 Vanalman Ave
(Broadmead & Royal Oak Area)
www.falcongymnastics.com
G
Birthday Parties!
Y M N A S T I
Par-T-Perfect
(250) 386-JUMP (5867) www.par-t-perfect.com • Indoor facility options for all your bouncy castle and inflatable requirements • School fairs/festivals and picnics • At home/indoor theme parties, i.e. Teddy Bear stuffing, craft parties • Free gift for birthday child when you mention this ad • Costumed facepainters and balloon twisters, i.e. princesses, pirates, ragdoll style clowns ur • Follow us on Facebook and Twitter Join O lub! -C Par-T
C
Gym & Bouncy Castle, themed parties: creative kids, girl power and preschool parties from Princesses to Pirates! at Henderson Recreation Centre!
Call 250-370-7200
Pool, Skate, or Soccer parties at Oak Bay Recreation Centre!
Call 250-595-SWIM (7946)
www.recreation.oakbay.ca
S
Mr. Tubbs Ice Cream Parlor & Family Fun Zone • 30 family oriented redemption games • huge prize counter • 2 fully decorated party rooms • foot-long hot dogs • 32 flavors of Island Farms Ice Cream
Hassle Free Parties for kids & families You provide the space and food…
Open Year Round
@ Western Speedway 2207 Millstream Road 250-590-4369 mrtubbs.com 34 Island Parent Magazine
::
We’ll provide an hour of fun with puppet shows and play
250 472 3546 www.puppetbooth.homestead.com www.kidsinvictoria.com
Party Directory TM
Faoriry
pirate
KNIGHT or
party
Monetty Georgia par
Party
party
adult corporate party
4Cats Duncan 4cats.com/duncan•250-709-2286 4Cats Langford 4cats.com/langford•778-430-5422 4Cats Oak Bay 4cats.com/oakbay•250-598-0300 4Cats Royal Oak 4cats.com/royaloak •250-590-7233
ctoria
You’ll Flip Over Our Birthday Parties * Greater Victoria’s newest, largest and cleanest facility with hassle free parking for you and your guests * * Large private party rooms * * Experienced Qualified Fun Coaches * * 3 Trampolines & 40ft Tumble Trac * * Awesome Foam Pit *
Gymnastics
Birthday Parties Come Fly With Us!
250-383-FLIP
Parties sizes up to 18 kids
www.lionspridegymnastics.com Located in Langford
We supply table top cover, napkins, hats, streamers and balloons
musical
Optional character
Two Certified Instructors and a Host Optional character
Gymnastics Games and Music
birthday parties Book a 45 minute interactive party in your own home for up to ten young guests from ages 3-8. Choose from three different fun themes! Visit vcm.bc.ca/departments/childrens-music/ for more information, or call 250-386-5311.
Free t-shirt
Optional character
Foam Landing Pit and 40’ Long Trampoline
Optional character Optional character
Optional character
Action-Packed Birthday Parties Supervised • 2–8 Yrs
It’s about skills, not scores.
Go to www.sportball.ca for schedules & information Call us: 250 590 4625 Email: van.island@sportball.ca
Nanaimo’s Biggest Indoor Playground & Cafe
Party Participants can win a FREE month
Available Sat & Sun Afternoons Corner of Store & Pembroke Optional character
www.victoriagymnastics.com
250-380-2442
We put the ART in pARTy! Birthdays, Corporate Events, Showers, Stagettes, Kids Camps and more!
Safe Toddlers Play Area Giant Play Structure with slides Cafe for Parents Snacks for Kids
Call today to book your party!
Danielle's
#400-2980 Island Highway North Nanaimo, BC V9T 5V4
play@jumpingjiminys.com www.jumpingjiminys.com
250-729-0999
www.IslandParent.ca
Paint-your-own Pottery and Glass Fusing Studio
Book online today!
www.victoria.colormemine.com
250-590-7949
info@daniellestudios.ca
www.daniellestudios.ca
or call today at 250-72-PARTY!
August 2013 35
August 2013
Generously Sponsored by and
Family Calendar For calendar updates throughout the month visit www.kidsinvictoria.com THUR 1 Flip, Flap, Fly at Juan de Fuca Branch Library. Fly off with the birds, bugs, dragons and superheros. Enjoy stories, songs and games about things with wings, and make a creative craft. For ages 3-5. 10:30-11:30am. Register at www.gvpl.ca or call 250-391-0653. Impossible Flights at Esquimalt Branch Library. Did you know it should be impossible for bumblebees to fly? Come hear stories of flights that seem impossible and then come create your own flying devices. For ages 5-12. 10:30-11:30am. Register at www.gvpl.ca or call 250-414-7198 for more information. Superhero Showdown at Emily Carr Branch Library. Anyone can be a superhero. Let us help you figure out your superhero superpower and then create a costume accessory to take home. For ages 5-12. 10:30-11:30am. Register at www.gvpl.ca or call 250-475-6100. Amazing Race at Elk/Beaver Lake Regional Park. CRD Regional Parks naturalists will start you off along this nature-based race through the forest. Register at the meeting place, grab a race sheet and test your wits and powers of observation as you tackle skill-testing questions throughout the park. Win prizes too. Drop in 11am-2pm at Nature Centre next to main Beaver Lake parking lot. All ages. BC Transit #70 or #72. 250-478-3344. www.crd. bc.ca/parks.
Mammals Madness at Swan Lake Nature Sanctuary. Games, crafts, songs and hands-on activities. Fun for the whole family. Noon-3pm, drop-in. 3873 Swan Lake Rd. 250-479-0211. www.swanlake.bc.ca. Art with Sandi: Printmaking on the West Coast at Bruce Hutchison Branch Library. Be inspired by Newfoundland artist David Blackwood and create an art project with a West Coast flavour. Sandi Henrich, from the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria, will guide you through printmaking and drawing techniques. For ages 10-12. 1:30-2:30pm. Register online or call 250-727-0104 for more information. Songwriting Workshop for Teens with Kaya Fraser at Central Branch Library. Learn how to write a great song with local singer-songwriter Kaya Fraser. Emphasis on lyric writing, instruments optional. Discover how to find ideas and develop them into well-structured, powerful tunes. For ages 13-18. 2-3:30pm. Register online or call 250-382-7241, ext. 601 for more information.
FRI 2 Over the Mountains and Far Away at Bruce Hutchison Branch Library. Experience a magical travel adventure through stories, songs and games. Make a travel-friendly craft to take on your journey. For ages 3-5. 10:30-11:30am. Register at www.gvpl.ca or call 250-727-0104.
BC DAY Long weekend SAT 3 Bejewelled Dragons of the Pond at Elk/Beaver Lake Regional Park. Did you know dragonflies live a dual life? Join a CRD Regional Parks naturalist for an up-close and personal look at the amazing world of dragonflies as they zig and zag in search of their prey across the wetlands. Nets and field guides will be available. Meet at Retriever Area off Beaver Lake Rd at 10am. All ages. BC Transit #70 or #72. 250-478-3344. www.crd.bc.ca/parks.
SUN 4 Victoria Symphony Splash in the Inner Harbour. Kids’ activities start at 1pm. Music on the main stage begins at 4pm, and the Victoria Symphony takes the stage at 7:30pm. Concert concludes with the grand finale performance of Tchaikovsky’s 1812 Overture complete with cannons and fireworks. www.victoriasymphony.ca/splash.
MON 5 – SUN 11 Victoria Indian Mela in Centennial Square. Main stage with classical and modern/fusion music, fashion shows, Gidds/Bhangra dances, Bollywood presentations, Garba/Dhandia dances and entertainment from many other multicultural communities. Crafts, henna, face painting and more. Mon-Fri: 5:30-7:30pm; Sat: 11am-8pm; Sun: 11am-6pm. www.iccavictoria.com.
Ice cream moments made right here in BC. Visit Island Farms and see our journey day by day!
36 Island Parent Magazine
www.kidsinvictoria.com
MON 5 Celebrate BC Day at St. Ann’s Academy. Children’s entertainment with a craft centre by Crafty Victoria, a participatory music ensemble from Organized Khaos, and an interactive photo booth. Bobs and Lolo are on stage in the afternoon, and there’s plenty to eat with a food village as well as local market vendors. Live chef stage, a film and photography exhibit, and performances by bands from across BC. Noon-9pm. www.celebratebcday.com.
TUES 6 Superhero Showdown at Saanich Centennial Branch Library. See THURS 1 for details. For ages 5-12. 10:30-11:30am. Register online at www.gvpl.ca or call 250-477-9030 for more information. Teen Book Club at Saanich Centennial Branch Library. Discuss and share with other teens whatever you are reading this summer. We’ll meet every other week; come to one, some or all. For ages 13-18. 3:30-4:30pm. Register online at www.gvpl.ca or call 250-477-9030. Music in the Park at Rutledge Park. Arts and crafts, face painting and children’s activities. Please bring a lawn chair or blanket. 6-8pm. Admission by donation. Corner of Inverness and Cloverdale Ave. 250-477-3673.
WED 7 Flip, Flap, Fly at Central Branch Library. See THURS 1 for details. For ages 3-5. 10:3011:30am. Register online at www.gvpl.ca or call 250-382-7241, ext. 601. Impossible Flights at Nellie McClung Branch Library. See THURS 1 for details. For ages 5-12. 10:30-11:30am. Register online at www.gvpl.ca or call 250-477-7111 for more information. No Passport Required at Central Saanich Branch Library. Travel the world far and wide without ever leaving the library. Enjoy stories and create a fabulous folk craft. For ages 5-12. 10:30-11:30am. Register online at www.gvpl. ca or call 250-652-2013.
www.IslandParent.ca
Superhero Showdown at Oak Bay Branch Library. See THURS 1 for details. For ages 5-12. 10:30-11:30am. Register online at www.gvpl. ca or call 250-592-2489 for more information. Super Villains… Or Not? at Bruce Hutchison Branch Library. Think all snakes are dangerous? Think again. Staff from Swan Lake Nature Sanctuary will dispel some of your notions about our slithery friends. Live s-s-ssnakes will be in attendance. For ages 9-12. 1:30-2:30pm. Register online at www.gvpl.ca or call 250-727-0104 for more information. Acting Out, Superhero Style at Esquimalt Branch Library. Calling all superheroes. Join Jennifer Callioux, Theatre B.A. of Acting Out! for a workshop filled with puppets, costumes, music and drama… superhero style. For ages 6-12. 2:30-3:30pm. Register online at www.gvpl.ca or call 250-414-7198 for more information. Music in the Park in Pioneer Park. Bring a chair, a blanket, a picnic dinner, or buy dinner from one of the food vendors. Come early, the park fills fast. 6:30-8:30pm. Located at the corner of West Saanich Rd and Clarke Rd.
THUR 8 Flip, Flap, Fly at Emily Carr Branch Library. See THURS 1 for details. For ages 3-5. 10:3011:30am. Register online at www.gvpl.ca or call 250-475-6100 for more information. No Passport Required at Bruce Hutchison Branch Library. See WED 7 for details. For ages 5-12. 10:30-11:30am. Register online at www.gvpl.ca or call 250-727-0104. Out of this World at Juan de Fuca Branch Library. Up, up and away. Zoom through space with out-of-this-world stories and activities. For ages 5-12. 10:30-11:30am. Register at www.gvpl.ca or call 250-391-0653. Superhero Showdown at Esquimalt Branch Library. See THURS 1 for details. For ages 5-12. 10:30-11:30am. Register online at www. gvpl.ca or call 250-414-7198. Snake Day at Elk/Beaver Lake Regional Park. CRD Regional Parks has teamed up with
TM
Swan Lake Christmas Hill Nature Sanctuary and UVic for this slithery event. Watch snake shows, hold a snake, play a snake game and more. Drop by any time between 11am and 3pm. Meet at the main Beaver Beach next to the Beaver Lake parking lot. All ages. BC Transit #70 or #72. 250-478-3344. www.crd. bc.ca/parks. Acting Out, Superhero Style at Esquimalt Branch Library. See WED 7 for details. For ages 6-12. 2:30-3:30pm. Register online at www.gvpl.ca or call 250-391-0653 for more information. Knit Wits for Parents and Kids at Juan de Fuca Branch Library. Learn how to knit a simple neckwarmer and help others by donating your finished project to a local shelter. Join local knitter extraordinaire Nicole Bottles for coaching and inspiration. We will supply the instructions, yarn and knitting needles. A great project for beginner knitters. For ages 10-12. 6:30-8pm. Register online at www.gvpl.ca or call 250-391-0653.
FRI 9 The Beach Rocks! at Island View Beach Regional Park. The tide is out. Join a CRD Regional Parks naturalist and get a glimpse of the creatures that live beneath the rocks. Be prepared to get your feet wet (bring sandals or beach shoes). Meet at the grassy area by the picnic shelter off Island View Rd at 10:30am. 5+ years. 250-478-3344. www.crd. bc.ca/parks.
August 2013 37
SAT 10
& The place online where parents and grandparents get information about their community for their family: Read current and past issues of Island Parent Magazine. Visit our Marketplace to find businesses, programs and services that cater to the little person in your life. Looking for that special something you had when you were a kid? Check out our classified ads. Want to see what’s up today or this weekend? View our calendar of events. Whether it’s dance lessons, parenting workshops, fun days and festivals, what’s happening at your local rec centre or community events—Kids In Victoria has it all! Maybe you are looking for something to engage your mind or perhaps need a little bit of advice. Well we have that too on our community forum. Receive Island Parent & Kids In Victoria e-newsletter for updates and exclusive contests. You can also enter our monthly and photo contests.
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Momstown 6th Birthday Bash at Pearkes Recreation Centre. Crafts, birthday cake, bouncy castle, kingergym, activity stations and more. Door prizes, family entertainment. Loot bags for the first 100 families. For ages 0-6. Free. 10am-1pm. momstownvictoria.blogspot.ca Geronimo Stilton Day at Tanner’s Books. Holey Cheese, don’t miss a fabuMouse day of fun with the bold and brainy Geronimo. Plenty of puzzles, prizes and whisker-licking fun. 11am-3pm, drop-in. 2436 Beacon Ave, Sidney. 250-656-2345. www.tannersbooks.com. Nagasaki-Hiroshima Remembered in Esquimalt Gorge Park. An annual lantern ceremony marking the 68th anniversary of the atomic bombing of Japan. To remember the date and those who died, decorate with origami cranes and lanterns and offer words of peace. Lantern making starts at 7pm, with words and songs of peace at 7:30pm, followed by floating the lanterns in the Gorge. Lanterns with battery candles may be placed on the lawn. Free. Bring a blanket and/or chair to sit on and a battery candle if you wish. Floating lantern supplies will be provided.
SAT 10 & SUN 11 Arts & Music in the Gardens at The Gardens at HCP. Stroll through the gardens looking at the work of painters, printmakers, photographers, potters, sculptors and more, while accompanied by beautiful music. 11am-5pm. 505 Quayle Rd. 250-479-6162. www.hcp.ca.
SUN 11 Cadboro Bay Festival at Gyro Park. Enjoy an afternoon with hands-on activities, bouncy castles, pirate school, information displays, arts & crafts stations, and food and fun for the entire family. Watch professional sand sculptors create a giant sand sculpture next to the Cadborosaurus. Free. 11am-3pm. 250-475-5558.
MON 12 – SUN 18 Flamenco Festival in Centennial Square. Local and regional dancers, singers and guitarists. Mon-Fri: Noon-1pm; Sat & Sun: Noon-6pm.
TUES 13 Worlds Above and Beyond: Creative Story Writing for Kids at Oak Bay Branch Library. An unknown planet? Another dimension? An island in the sky? This story writing program, led by writer Korina Miller from Story Studio, will have you exploring writing, collage, drawing and sculpting as you create adventures in a fantasy world. For ages 7-10. 10am-noon. Register online at www.gvpl.ca or call 250592-2489 for more information. Music in the Park at Rutledge Park. See TUES 6 for details. 6-8pm. Admission by donation. 250-477-3673.
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wED 14 Worlds Above and Beyond: Creative Story Writing for Kids at Oak Bay Branch Library. See TUES 13 for details. For ages 7-10. 10amnoon. Register online at www.gvpl.ca or call 250-592-2489 for more information. Children’s Concerts in the Park at Cameron Bandshell, Beacon Hill Park. Bring a picnic and a blanket and make a day of it with the kids. 11am-noon. www.victoria.ca/cityvibe. “Bear” Necessities at Witty’s Lagoon Regional Park. We can co-exist with these magnificent forest dwellers. Join a CRD Regional Parks naturalist to learn about the natural history of the black bear. Meet at the Witty’s Lagoon nature Centre off Metchosin Rd at 1pm. 5+ years. BC Transit #54 or #55. 250-478-3344. www.crd.bc.ca/parks. Music in the Park in Pioneer Park. Bring a chair, a blanket, a picnic dinner, or buy dinner from one of the food vendors. Come early, the park fills fast. 6:30-8:30pm. Located at the corner of West Saanich Rd and Clarke Rd.
THUR 15 Island View Edibles at Island View Beach Regional Park. Enjoy the bounty of the sea and land with CRD Regional Park guest naturalist and First Nations guides. Sample herbal teas and local seaweeds. Guided walks at 10:15am, 11:15am and 12:15pm. Look for the tents near the Island View Beach campground. 10am-1pm, drop-in. 5+ years. 250-478-3344. www.crd.bc.ca/parks. Birds of a Feather at Swan Lake Nature Sanctuary. Games, crafts, songs and hands-on activities. Fun for the whole family. Noon-3pm, drop-in. 3873 Swan Lake Rd. 250-479-0211. www.swanlake.bc.ca. Knit Wits for Parents and Kids at Juan de Fuca Branch Library. See THURS 8 for details. For ages 10-12. 6:30-8pm. Register online at www.gvpl.ca or call 250-391-0653 for more information.
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FRI 16 Evening Campfire at the Beach at Island View Regional Park. Meet a CRD Regional Parks naturalist for an evening beach walk followed by campfire stories at the Island View Beach campground. Learn more about the animals that call Island View Beach their home. Bring a beach chair. Meet at the campfire ring at the Island View Beach campground, off Island View Rd. 6-8pm. All ages. 250-478-3344. www.crd.bc.ca/parks.
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join guest naturalist Geoffrey Newell for a glimpse of some of the over 100+ birds at Witty’s Lagoon Regional Park. Bird watching is one of the fastest growing hobbies in North America. Binoculars and scopes are available for the program. Meet at the Witty’s Lagoon Nature Centre off Metchosin Rd at 9am. 9+ years. BC Transit #54 or #55. 250-478-3344. www.crd.bc.ca/parks.
early Saturday morning. Live entertainment, fun crafts in the children’s tent, Forbidden City food court, and more. Free. www.victoriadragonboat.com.
SAT 17 Something Fishy at Mount Work Regional Park. Check out the new fishing pier at Durrance Lake. Join a CRD Regional Parks naturalist and the Freshwater Fisheries Society of BC for a fun and educational program all about freshwater fish. You can try your luck at fishing and learn about the watery world where fish thrive. All equipment is provided. There is no fee, but you must pre-register by August 16 as space is limited. 10am-noon. 8+ years. 250-478-3344. www.crd.bc.ca/parks.
mon 19 Sense-Sational Snoop at Mill Hill Regional Park. Join a CRD Regional Parks naturalist for a fun-filled “scent-sational” time in the forest at Mill Hill—open your senses to nature’s wonders with your little ones. Meet at the kiosk in the parking lot off Atkins Ave at 10am. 7 years and under. BC Transit #50 or #53. 250-478-3344. www.crd.bc.ca/parks.
Klutz Karnival Day at Tanner’s Books. Come on in and go Klutz Krazy. Galactic Sticker Art. Dot Jewelry. Friendship Bracelets. Velvet Art. Lots of Kooky Klutz Krafts to try. 11am-3pm, drop-in. 2436 Beacon Ave, Sidney. 250-6562345. www.tannersbooks.com.
TUES 20 Feeling Crabby at Island View Beach Regional Park. Red crabs, green crabs, smooth crabs, hairy crabs. This beach has them all. Drop in between 10am and 1pm and meet the crabs of Island View Beach, as well as some of their crusty cousins. Explore under rocks, have a crab race, make a craft and more. Be prepared to get your feet wet (bring sandals or beach shoes). Look for the blue tents on the beach, off Island View Rd. All ages. 250-478-3344. www.crd.bc.ca/parks.
Fables, Fools and Fantasy at Uptown Plaza. Enjoy a street theatre-style performance by the Story Theatre Co. Performances begin at 11am and 1pm with roaming entertainment in between. 250-383-4866.
SUN 18 Birds of Witty’s at Witty’s Lagoon Regional Park. For the novice and intermediate birder,
3-5 yrs Pre-primary School
Teen Book Club at Saanich Centennial Branch Library. Discuss and share with other teens whatever you are reading this summer. We’ll meet every other week; come to one, some or all. For ages 13-18. 3:30-4:30pm. Register online at www.gvpl.ca or call 250-477-9030 for more information. Music in the Park at Rutledge Park. See TUES 6 for details. 6-8pm. Admission by donation. 250-477-3673.
WED 21 Sandy Shore Explore at Witty’s Lagoon Regional Park. Join a CRD Regional Parks naturalist for an intertidal exploration, and discover the strange and wonderful creatures that appear between the tides. Be prepared to get your feet wet (bring sandals or beach shoes). Meet at the bottom of the stairs at the end of Witty Beach Rd at 10am. 5+ years. BC Transit #54 or #55. 250-478-3344. www.crd. bc.ca/parks.
THUR 22 Blood and Guts at Elk/Beaver Lake Regional Park. They’ve got pointy teeth and sharp claws, and they don’t eat tofu! Learn more about animals that make their living by eating meat. Cougars and owls and bears—oh my. See live raptor demonstrations. Drop in at the tents at the main Beaver Beach any time between 11am and 2pm. All ages. BC Transit #70 or #72. 250-478-3344. www.crd.bc.ca/parks.
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250-480-4887 • imaxvictoria.com 40 Island Parent Magazine
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SAT 24 Pete the Cat Day at Tanner’s Bookshop. Join us for a delightful day in celebration of one cool cat. Come in and sing Pete’s song, play Pete’s games and make a Pete puppet because it’s all good. 11am-3pm, drop-in. 2436 Beacon Ave, Sidney. 250-656-2345. www. tannersbooks.com. Bountiful Berries at East Sooke Regional Park. Join a CRD Regional Parks naturalist on a walk to search for blackberries, Oregon grape berries, salal berries and more. There will also be an opportunity to taste jams made from some of these natural delights. We will look at and taste berries, but will not be collecting them to take home. Meet at the kiosk in the Aylard Farm parking lot off Becher Bay Rd at 1pm. 5+ years. 250-478-3344. www.crd. bc.ca/parks.
WED 28 Bountiful Berries at Elk/Beaver Lake Regional Park. See SAT 24 for details. Meet at the Beaver Lake Nature Centre off the main parking lot at 10:30am. 5+ years. BC Transit #70 or #72. 250-478-3344. www.crd.bc.ca/parks. Children’s Concerts in the Park at Cameron Bandshell, Beacon Hill Park. Bring a picnic and a blanket and make a day of it with the kids. 11am-noon. www.victoria.ca/cityvibe.
THURS 29 Going Squirrelly at Francis/King Regional Park. What does it take to survive as a squirrel? With a CRD Regional Parks naturalist, discover what keeps these furry creatures busy at this time of year. Meet at the Francis/King Nature Centre off Munn Rd at 1pm. 5+ years. 250-478-3344. www.crd.bc.ca/parks.
FRI 30 Cougar Capers at Witty’s Lagoon Regional Park. Investigate the life of a cougar on this informative walk and talk with a CRD Regional Parks naturalist. Meet at the Witty’s Lagoon Nature Centre off Metchosin Rd at 10:30am. BC Transit #54 or #55. 250-478-3344. www. crd.bc.ca/parks.
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ONGOING BABIES, TODDLERS & PRESCHOOL Drop-in Family Storytimes at the Greater Victoria Public Library. Caregivers are welcome and encouraged to participate. Storytimes are free and drop-in. Please come early to find a space. For a complete list of drop-in programs, call your local library, or visit www.gvpl.ca. Parent/Tot Drop-in at Gordon Head United Church. A safe place where young children can play while parents in the community connect with each other. Lots of space and toys. Tea or coffee is available for caregivers, and
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August 2013 41
Children
Little Buddies and Big Buddies meet for an hour daily for one week. The program runs weekly at different branch libraries throughout the summer. Weekly sessions are available until August 16. For children in Grades 2-4. Space is limited. Register online at www.gvpl.ca or call your local branch for more information.
Sea-Shirt Sundays at the Shaw Ocean Discovery Centre. On the first Sunday of each month, create your own fish fashion. Be sure to bring a pillow case, cloth bag or t-shirt (or purchase a t-shirt from the centre) and your creativity. $2 donation for fabric paint. 1-4pm. 250-665-7511.
Choose Your Own Adventure: Antarctic Expedition Game at the Greater Victoria Public Library. Inspired by the “Race to the End of the Earth” exhibit at the Royal BC Museum. Clues will be posted on books around the library until August 31. Find the clues to complete the story. No registration required.
a healthy snack for the children. Parents are responsible for the care of their own children. Mondays 10am-noon. For more info, call the church office at 250-477-4142, or Maisie at 250-477-0388.
Up, Up and Away: Summer Reading Club at Greater Victoria Public Library. Soar through the summer with GVPL’s free Summer Reading Club. Wherever you are, you can keep track of your reading and enjoy some incentives along the way. Staying in town? You’re invited to join us for a selection of amazing library programs at branches throughout Greater Victoria. You can register online for special programs. You are also invited to drop by your local library to pick up a self-paced reading record. For more information about the club, or to register for programs, check www.gvpl.ca. Summer Reading Buddies at the Greater Victoria Public Library. Reading Buddies pairs children who need extra practice reading with teen volunteers for fun literacy-based activities.
YOUTH Teen Volunteers Needed at the Greater Victoria Public Library. If you like working with children, enjoy reading and want to help struggling readers, we need you. Volunteer for one or two hours per afternoon for one or more weeks this summer. The program runs weekly at different branch libraries until August 16. For ages 13-18. For more information, email teens@gvpl.ca. Register online at www.gvpl. ca or in person at all branches. Tech Buddies: Teen Volunteers at the Greater Victoria Public Library. Volunteer using your skills with computers and other new technologies, and connect with someone in your community. Teens earn volunteer hours and help
adults with their questions about computers and gadgets. For ages 13-18. Register online at www.gvpl.ca or email teens@gvpl.ca for more information. Teen Summer Writing Contest: If Only They Had Known at Greater Victoria Public Library. Enter your original short story, poem or song based on this year’s theme: If Only They Had Known. If your entry is selected by the judging panel, you will win a gift certificate for the store of your choice, up to $100 for first prize! For details, contest rules and online entry form, visit www.gvpl.ca/audiences/teens/teenwriting-contest. For more information, email teens@gvpl.ca. Contest runs until August 17.
FAMILIES Ready to Rent BC offers a free course to help find and keep a rental home. Six-week courses run at different times, days and locations. We help renters identify and deal with any barriers they may have to housing. Includes bus tickets, child minding and a healthy snack. To sign up, call 250-388-7171. readytorentbc.net. Summer in the Square Lunchtime Concerts in Centennial Square. Listen to live music while eating your lunch. Noon-1pm. Play in the Park. Based on the idea that free play is child’s work, families are encouraged to join Panorama Recreation staff and spend
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Flying daily March – October www.the-raptors.com 1877 Herd Rd. Duncan BC 250-746-0372 42 Island Parent Magazine
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their summer evenings having fun in a local park. Each night, the Play in the Park staff will facilitate interactive play, face painting, group games, and inflatable fun on the giant 50' obstacle course. The program is offered at a different park on the Peninsula in Sidney, North Saanich and Central Saanich. Visit www. panoramarecreation.ca for a park schedule. Monday-Friday, 5:30-8:30pm. Oaklands Sunset Market at Oakland Community Centre Basketball Court. A great place to meet your neighbours, learn about food security, purchase delicious local goods from farmers, crafters, artisans and bakers. Live music and hot food. 4:30-8:30pm on the 2nd and 4th Wednesday of the month. Parent Sports Drop-in at James Bay Community School Centre. Parents need time to have fun and get back in touch with their inner child. Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, 7-9pm. $3.50/person. www.jamesbaycentre.ca. Weekly Bird Walk at Swan Lake Nature Sanctuary (meet in the parking lot). Every Wednesday and Sunday noon-3pm. Sunset Wildlife Watch at East Point, Saturna Island. Discover the wildlife of the Salish Sea and relax into the peacefulness of an East Point sunset. Dress warmly and bring blankets, chairs and flashlights. Meet out at the point (5 min. walk). Fridays in August (no program August 9), 8-9pm.
picnic, swim or build sandcastles. From 1-2pm, drop by and do a nature craft or a geocache activity. Check the Alpine ferry website for schedule information. Meet at the park kiosk by the main dock. Saturdays in August (no program August 10). Animal Safari on Saturna Island. Only one day to get away? Create lasting memories with a day-trip to beautiful Saturna Island. Explore a salmon creek with an interpreter from 11amnoon. In your free time from noon-2pm, picnic at Winter Cove or drop by the weekly market at the General Store. At 2pm, meet at East Point for a fun half-hour program about whales. Meet at the intersection of East Point Rd and Valley Rd for the Salmon walk at Eastpoint for Orca News. Saturdays in August. The Big Catch at Sidney Island. You’ll be amazed at what you will find in your net: fish with horns, eel-like creatures and maybe even the elusive Pacific spiny lumpsucker. Be prepared to get your feet wet. Meet at the park kiosk by the main dock. Saturdays 11am-noon in August (no program August 10). Metchosin School Museum is open Saturdays 1:30-4:30pm and Sundays 11am-4:30pm. An original, one-room school house built in 1871, set up as a classroom with old wooden desks. Families can enjoy perusing the hundreds of artifacts on display. Free. 4475 Happy Valley Rd.
Wonder Sunday at the Royal BC Museum. Bring your family on the last Sunday of each month for activities and explorations inspired by different parts of the museum. Make crafts, join special tours, and let your imagination wonder away with you. Suitable for children ages 3-12 years old and included with admission or free with membership. www. royalbcmuseum.bc.ca. Wildlife Detectives at Winter Cove, Saturna Island. Set out on this family activity equipped with a GPS, magnifying glass, and a detective book. Search for clues near animal trails and burrows. All detective tools provided. Drop in anytime, but allow 1 hour to complete the challenge. Sundays 10am-noon in August. Gorge Waterway Nature House in Esquimalt/ Gorge Park. Aquarium touch-tank, microscopes, interactive displays and friendly staff. Sundays 11am-4pm, May to August. All ages welcome. Admission by donation. 250-3807585 or education@worldfish.org. Ferry Ballet in Victoria’s Inner Harbour. A 20-minute ballet performance with complex “dance steps” based on combinations of military marching manoeuvres with a few RCMP Musical Ride manoeuvres. Family-friendly and free. Every Sunday at 10:45am until September 8. www.victoriaharbourferry.com.•
Salmon Walk at Lyall Harbour, Saturna Island. Slip away from the afternoon sun to a cool, fern-lined trail beside the stream that once again glints with salmon. Meet at the junction of East Point Rd and Valley Rd. Saturday 11am-noon in August. Concerts in the Park at Cameron Bandshell, Beacon Hill Park. Dance, theatre and musical performances as well as community events. Bring a blanket or your own lawn chair and enjoy an afternoon or evening of free entertainment. 1:30-3:30pm, Friday, Saturday and Sundays until September 13. Moss Street Market at Moss and Fairfield. Local organic farmers, craft and food vendors, local musicians, great coffee, special event days and more. Saturdays until October 26, 10am-2pm. Orca News 2013 at East Point, Saturna Island. A short, engaging update on the endangered southern resident killer whales. East Point is a prime spot for land-based whale watching. Bring a blanket or a chair. Meet out at the point (5 min. walk). Saturdays 2-2:30pm in August. Tropical Vacation at Sidney Island. Don’t have time to take a long holiday? Escape for a day to a deserted island—complete with white sandy beaches and sparkling blue water. From 11am-noon, join an interpreter for “The Big Catch.” In your free time from noon-1pm,
www.IslandParent.ca
August 2013 43
Around the Island
solve the mystery? Find the clues along the trail and examine the evidence. Drop in any time, but allow 1 hour to solve the mystery. 1-4pm. Sidney: Park at Blue Heron Park and follow the signs to the campground.
Visit www.IslandParent.ca for these and other events and resources for families from Cowichan Valley north to Campbell River and west to Tofino
WED 7
Thurs 1 – Mon 5
SAT 3 & SUN 4
Music in the Park at Charles Hoey Park in Duncan. Enjoy great local and touring acts as part of the Duncan-Cowichan Summer Festival. 12-8pm each day. Everyone welcome. Details at www.cowichanfestival.com.
Ladysmith Days at Transfer Beach, Ladysmith. Musicians, singers and dancers. www. ladysmithdays.com.
FRI 2 – MON 5 31st Annual Filberg Festival at Filberg Heritage Lodge and Gardens in Comox. Wander through the grounds surrounded by beautiful gardens to view the juried artisans. $15/adult; children under 12 free. Fri-Sun 10am-6pm; Mon 10am-5pm. www.filbergfestival.com.
SAT 3 Learn to Fish at Diver Lake Park, Nanaimo. Catch the fun and learn about fish identification, conservation, handling, tackle and rod rigging. All equipment provided. Rain or shine. Parent participation required. 11am-1pm. Free. 2430 Black Frank Dr. 250-756-5200.
Glow in the Dark Skate at Nanaimo Ice Centre. Skate in an atmosphere of dimmed lighting and special effects. Glow necklaces $2. Regular admission. 6:30-8pm. 250-756-5200.
SAT 10
Comox Nautical Days at Comox Marina Park. Pancake breakfast, bullhead derby, kids’ activities and entertainment, pet parade, dragon boat races, family dance, fireworks and more. www.comoxnauticaldays.ca.
Bucket of Blood Walking Tour in Cumberland. Walk around the historic town of Cumberland, admire the buildings, and share gritty stories of opium running, mine explosions, disastrous fires and much more. Registration required via the Cumberland Museum. 10am. 250-3362445. www.cumberlandmuseum.ca.
SUN 4
MON 12 – FRI 16
Kids’ Day at the BC Forest Discovery Museum. Lively musical entertainment, unlimited train rides, games and concession. Museum opens at 10am. Train runs every half-hour from 10:30am-4pm. Regular admission rates. 2892 Drinkwater Rd. 250-715-1113. www. bcforestmuseum.ca.
Summer Day Camp at St. Andrew’s Presbyterian Church, Nanaimo. Games, crafts, Bible stories, singing and snacks. Free. For ages 5-12. 9am-noon. Registration forms at www. sapcnanaimobc.ca or call 250-758-2676.
Critter Capers at Winter Cove, Saturna Island and McDonald Campground, Sidney. Can you
Vancouver Island Exhibition at the Beban Park Fairgrounds, Nanaimo. An event to advance the education of agriculture and showcase local farmers and 4-H clubs. www.viex.ca.
SAT 3 – MON 5
FRI 16 – SUN 18
SAT 17 Hi Neighbour Day in Errington. Pancake breakfast, 8am. Farmers’ market, live music, arts & crafts and more. www.erringtonfarmersmarket.ca. Learn to Fish at Diver Lake Park, Nanaimo. See SAT 3 for details. Parent participation required. 11am-1pm. Free. 2430 Black Frank Dr. 250-756-5200.
SUN 18 KidFest at Parksville Community Park. Face painting, games and crafts, main stage entertainers. Free. 10am-3pm. www.kidfest.ca. Wacky Wednesdays at Ravensong, Parksville. They’re back! Join the lifeguards for a splashin’ fun time. Everyone welcome. 6:30-8pm. 250752-5014. www.rdn.bc.ca/recreation. Tofino Lantern Festival at the Tofino Botanical Gardens, Tofino. Create a lantern and parade around the garden trails. 7-10:30pm. raincoasteducation.org.
WED 21 Glow in the Dark Skate at Nanaimo Ice Centre. See WED 7 for details. Glow necklaces $2. Regular admission. 6:30-8pm. 250-756-5200.
44 Island Parent Magazine
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SAT 24 Bucket of Blood Walking Tour in Cumberland. See SAT 10 for details. Registration required via the Cumberland Museum. 10am. 250-3362445. www.cumberlandmuseum.ca.
SUN 25 Arts on The Avenue in Ladysmith. Featuring artists from the local area with everything from carvings to photography. 10am-4pm. 250-245-0700.
ONGOING PRESCHOOL LaFF at the Aggie. A safe play-based learning environment for families and caregivers with children newborn to age 6. Reading centre, craft area, Brio train station and snack table. Indoor car and toy riding area. Mon–Fri, 9:30am-noon and Thurs 12:15-1:45pm. $2 suggested donation per family (punch cards available). 250-210-0870, laffexecutivedirector@shaw.ca, www.familyandfriends.ca. Adventures in Early Literacy at the Ladysmith Resource Centre. A parent-child, fun-filled program designed for children ages 3 to 5 years old. Participants learn and have fun doing crafts, games and singing. A book is read, lunch and snacks are provided. 9:45-noon. Space is limited, so call 250-245-3079 to get on the list. 630 2nd Ave.
Children Summer Swims at Bowen Park Kin Outdoor Pool, Nanaimo. Come swim in the heated pool. 1-3pm every day July 1 to August 31. $3. 250-753-8176. Waterparks in Nanaimo open to the public 9am-8pm June to Sept. Three locations—Departure Bay Kiwanis Water Park on Bay St; Deverill Water Park on Haliburton St; Harewood Mining Community Water Park on Howard Ave. All children should use parks under adult supervision. Hours subject to change. Free. Playground Program in Nanaimo. Drop in to one of the neighbourhood playgrounds for free family fun. Games, arts & crafts, and sports. Monday to Friday, 10am-4pm, until August 23. For kids aged 5-12 (under six must be accompanied by an adult). Parents must be on premises. 250-756-5200 or www. harbourliving.ca. Junior Archaeologist drop-in program at the Nanaimo Museum, for children aged 5-12. Various activities designed for children and their caregivers. Use sifting screens to find artifacts in soil, recreate broken pottery jars, touch First Nations artifacts, and more. Thursdays 1-3pm. Cost is included in regular admission. Must be accompanied by an adult. More info, 250-753-1821.
www.IslandParent.ca
Parent & Child Hockey at Cliff McNabb Arena, Nanaimo. A fun, non-competitive hockey time for children where their parents can play too. Please bring your own gloves, stick, and helmet with face cage. Pre-registration required. Sundays 2:15-3pm. $5. 250-756-5200.
YOUTH The Youth Zone in Ladysmith. A fun and safe place to hang, meet new friends and enjoy games tables, internet kiosk, TV, movies, board games, karaoke, playing sports in the gym and more. Energized leaders will challenge you to try new activities. Tuesdays, 3-6pm in the Rec Room; Wednesdays, 3-5pm in the gym; Fridays, 6-10pm in the Rec Room or gym. 250-245-6424. www.ladysmith.ca. The Zone Youth Hang-Out at Beban Park Complex, Nanaimo. Come and hang out with your friends and participate in a different activity each week. Movie nights, dodge ball, soccer, or electronic night. For 11-13 year olds. $6/drop-in. Fridays, 7-9pm. 250-756-5200.
FAMILY 3rd Annual Finders Keepers, a special beachcombers’ treasure hunt in the Oceanside area. Up to 1000 glass sand dollars and a few glass starfish are being hidden on several local beaches by Smashin’ Glass & Anything Art Co. Search under logs, in tidal pools, hiding in tufts of grass, near beach stones, or below the tide line (nowhere dangerous or on private property). If you find one, tell us the number on the back and you’ll be entered to win a prize. You keep the treasure. Search until Labour Day Weekend. Info, 250 248 6624 or www. smashinglass.ca.
Send Us Your Stories! Island Parent is looking for articles for upcoming issues. Some of our best content comes from people just like you—Vancouver Island parents who are passionate about their families and are dealing with the day to day issues of raising children in our community. Share your experiences, your thoughts on a particular issue, your ideas on places to see or projects to do—anything related to parenting. Check our Writer’s Guidelines at www.islandparent.ca for specific information on submissions. We’d love to hear from you. Please email submissions to editor@islandparent.ca.
Errington Farmers’ Market at Errington Community Park. Seasonal produce, baked goods, yarn, quality arts & crafts, and more. Saturdays 10am-1pm until September 28. www.erringtonfarmersmarket.ca. Family Frolics at the Community Centre, Ladysmith. Bring your parent or caregiver for open gym fun. Burn off some energy with soft toys (balls and nerf-type games), mini-trampoline, ride-on toys, hula hoops and more. Tuesdays, 5:45-6:45pm. $2 suggested donation/family. 250-245-6424. www.ladysmith.ca. Special Swim Rate Tuesdays at Ravensong Aquatic Centre, Parksville. Tuesdays until August 13. 1:30-5pm. 250-752-5014. www. rdn.bc.ca/recreation. Beat the Heat Skate at Oceanside Arena, Parksville. Beat the heat this summer and go for a refreshing skate. Each time you come to skate, enter the draw to win a Pond Rascals Learn to Skate registration. Wednesdays, until August 21 (no session August 14). Everyone welcome. 6:45-8:15pm. www.rdn.bc.ca/recreation.
Victoria & Vancouver Island 1-866-518-7287 Nanaimo 250-756-9794 Or online at: www.welcomewagon.ca
Concerts in the Park in the Ladysmith Amphitheatre. Open air concerts Sundays 6-8pm.•
August 2013 45
HEE HAW, It’s Fair Time!
10
Things To Do
Before Summer Ends
With more than a month of summer to go, there’s still plenty of time to tackle this “Ten Things To Do” list. Now there’s no excuse for lazing around as the balmy days pass idly by—unless, of course, that’s your idea of perfect summer fun!
1
SAANICH FAIR August 31 and September 1 & 2 2013 DID YOU KNOW? You can enter!
Catalogues are now available online and at the Fair office. CHECK OUT Department 19 – page 49 for those ages 3 to 16.
Saanich Fairground 1528 Stellys X Rd. Saanichton BC
250-652-3314 www.saanichfair.ca 46
Island Parent Magazine
Visit a Festival
There’s no shortage of festivals this month. For starters, there’s the Filberg Festival (www.filbergfestival.com), a celebration of all things arts and crafts, from August 2-5 where, along with artisans’ wares, you’ll find the Enchanted Forest, a kids’ interactive area that includes storytelling, face painting, a Lego tent, an arts and crafts table, painting easels and more. Then there’s the Victoria Dragon Boat Festival (www.victoriadragonboat.com) from August 16-18 where you can cheer on the paddlers and enjoy live multicultural entertainment, crafts for kids, the Forbidden City Food Court and Grand Dragon Challenge. Don’t miss FringeKids Fest (www.intrepidtheatre.com) in Market Square on Saturday, August 24 from 11am4pm. This completely free one-day family festival in Market Square introduces young children to the magic of theatre, with live performances, craft activities including puppet making, an inflatable bouncy bunny, life-sized puppets and a cardboard castle for small artists to paint. Young Fringers Fest gives kids the opportunity to see four plays between August 22-September 1.
Catch a Show
2
Chemainus Theatre (www.chemainustheatrefestival.ca), 9737 Chemainus Road, presents Munsch to Say, a wacky and wonderful collection of Canada’s great children’s author, Robert Munsch, running from Tuesday through Saturday until August 25. Celebrate the many words and languages of the region—from English to French to Coast Salish—with partners from around British Columbia. Suitable for ages 7+. To book your tickets, phone 1-800-565-7738. Or catch Theatre Skam’s (www.skam.ca) Smalltown: A Pickup Musical in which the 10 performers play a variety of instruments, and sing songs from the back of a pickup truck parked in the Victoria High School field. From August 13-25. For rainy day entertainment, check out the IMAX productions Flight of the Butterflies, a stunning documentary that follows hundreds of millions of migrating monarch on their perilous return journey from Mexico to Canada; Kenya: Animal Kingdom, a film about the most spectacular wildlife sanctuary on Earth; and Rocky Mountain Express, a steam train journey through the breathtaking vistas of the Canadian Rockies and how it relates to the adventure of building the nation’s first transcontinental railway. For showtimes and information, visit www.imaxvictoria. com or phone 250-953-IMAX (4629).
3
See a Movie Under the Stars
If you feel like seeing a show, but don’t feel like being cooped up indoors, why not drop by one of Victoria’s outdoor venues? The Victoria Film Festival (www.victoriafilmfestival.com) is once again presenting the Free-B Film screenings on Friday and Saturday nights until August 24 at Cameron Bandshell in Beacon Hill Park on a 20-foot-wide inflatable screen. The line-up includes Karate Kid, Flash Gordon, Never Ending Story, and The Iron Giant along with a list of
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others. For the complete line-up, visit the website. Movies start at 9pm and are free. Just bring your own snacks, flashlights and blankets.
Sample Spelunking
4
Keep cool by caving at Horne Lake Caves Provincial Park. The how to’s of basic rock climbing are covered in the four-hour “High Adventure Expedition,” so no previous climbing experience is needed. Be prepared to crawl through small passages and try some basic rope climbing. One-on-one instruction and all equipment are provided. Cavers must be 13 years or older and must sign a liability waiver form. Tours run at 9:30 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. daily. Reservations recommended. While the teens careen down vertical drops, younger siblings (between 5 and 11 years) can take the 90-minute Cavern Tour Family Adventure. Designed to teach the geology and history of the caves, this tour starts with a 25-minute hike to the entrance along the Karst Trail. Explore the larger and easier passageways, with views of crystal formations. Don’t worry about any crawling sections or tight passages in this tour. Reservations and walk-ups welcome, runs every hour on the hour 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. For more information, visit www.hornelake. com. Or visit one of the other 1,000 caves on Vancouver Island (the most in Canada) including the Upana Caves near Gold River (maps of the self-guided tour are available at the Ministry of Forests in Campbell River) or a guided tour of Little Hustan Cave Park near Port Mcneill (250-956-3131).
5
Comandeer a Canoe
If you’re already proficient at the J-stroke, the bow-pry, the cross bow rudder and the box-stroke pivot, chances are you’ve got your own canoe and go out regularly to paddle. If not, CRD Parks offers a number of canoeing sessions at Elk/Beaver Lake Regional Park. Choose from a morning or evening paddle on one of the following dates this month: August 10, 13, 18, 24, and 25. Enjoy the serenity and beauty of the natural world while you watch for eagles, herons, frogs and other wildlife. Canoe equipment and instruction are provided and no experience is necessary. $20+GST, 15 yrs and older; $10+GST for children 5-14 years. For details or to pre-register, phone 250-478-3344 or visit www.crd.bc.ca/parks. www.IslandParent.ca
Preschool to Grade 5…and beyond.
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FREE Music Lessons! Starting September 1st, your whole family can sign up online for a free lesson at the VCM. Which instrument will you choose?
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47
Whirl Up Raspberry Coconut Pops
6
In a blender, combine 1 cup raspberries (fresh or frozen), 1 cup blueberries (fresh or frozen), 1 can coconut milk, 2 cups water, 1 cup apple juice (or any other juice you have on hand), 1/2 cup honey (or more; adjust to taste). Pour mixture into small paper cups, filling 1/2 of the way. Freeze for 30 minutes, insert sticks, and continue to chill until the pops are fully frozen, 2 hours or more. Carefully cut and tear the paper cups off of the pops, and seal in a plastic bag. Seek shade and enjoy!
7
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Island Parent Magazine
Be a Junior Archeologist
Explore Nanaimo’s ancient history through the eyes of an archaeologist. Sift for ancient artifacts at Junior Archeologist, Nanaimo Museum’s weekly hands-on drop-in program for children ages 5-12 years. The activities are designed for children to participate in along with their parents, grandparents or caregivers. Activities include sifting through soil for artifacts, rebuilding clay pots, investigating and handling artifacts from the museum’s education collection that are more than 1,000 years old, and making petroglyph rubbings. On August 15, 22 and 29 during the museum’s feature exhibit, “Expedition: Arctic, Junior Archaeologist” will focus on the Inuit culture and will expand to include activities related to the Copper Inuit. The activities are offered on an ongoing basis during the drop-in program and take approximately one hour for children to complete. Registration is not required, but caregivers must supervise children at all times during activities. Cost is included in museum admission. For more information, visit www.nanaimomuseum.ca.
Discover Fishing
8
Free information on Vancouver Island’s freshwater fishing lakes is just a keystroke away at www.discoverfishingbc.ca. Whether it’s 20 minutes away from Victoria, within the Nanaimo city limits, or just north of Duncan at Somenos Lake with its stocked rainbow trout, Vancouver Island lakes offer a multitude of fishing opportunities for families. The website features descriptions of B.C.’s freshwater fishing sites, along with driving directions and details on nearby amenities www.kidsinvictoria.com
such as day-use areas, toilets, beaches, boat launches and camping. Find details on getting a fishing licence and the “Learn to Fish” programs offered throughout B.C. Other features include a guide to B.C.’s many sport fish, equipment overviews, fishing methods, and printable brochures full of tips for those just starting out. For more details on where to fish, how to fish and get started, as well as information on fishing regulations and licences, visit Discover Fishing BC’s website at www.discoverfishingbc.ca.
9
Hop Aboard for a Ladysmith Harbour Tour
The Ladysmith Maritime Society offers daily harbour tours until Aug 31 in its restored lifeboat, the Maritimer. Enjoy a two-hour cruise (leaving at 10:30 a.m. and 2 p.m.) through the area’s history, viewing eagles, seals, cormorants, starfish, jellyfish and other wildlife along the way. The Maritimer holds up to 10 people. Skippers are Transport Canada certified. While you’re on the docks, check out the award-winning floating museum, take the kids to the kids’ marine life viewing dock by the “kids don’t float” lifejacket loaning area, or peek into a purple martin nest using the webcam on the second blue boathouse. For tour reservations, phone 250-924-2245.
Summit Mt. Washington
10
Ride the chairlift or hike to the summit of Mount Washington (1588 m elevation) and take in the spectacular surrounding views. Then take a hike along one of the summit trails: Top of the World Trails, 0.7 km; Linton’s Trail, 2.1 km; Giv’r Trail (Advanced), 1.3 km. Get an Alpine Action Pass and enjoy 1-day unlimited access to scenic chairlift rides, the bungee trampoline, 9-hole disc golf course (a Par 31 course that takes about an hour to play) and mini golf. Family (2 adults, 2 children - $61.25. Each additional child is $22.75). Or sign up for a nature walk, talk, or guided hike around Paradise Meadows. All welcome—though the programs vary in ability level—and start at Strathcona Park Wilderness Centre, adjacent to Raven Lodge. Presented by the Strathcona Wilderness Institute (a non-profit society). Cost is by donation ($5-10 suggested). For information, visit www.strathconapark. org/programs.
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49
Promoting Your Child’s Language Development Child, Youth & Family Community Health South Island Health Units Esquimalt 250-519-5311 Gulf Islands 250-539-3099 (toll-free number for office in Saanichton)
Peninsula 250-544-2400 Saanich 250-519-5100 Saltspring Island 250-538-4880 Sooke 250-642-5464 Victoria 250-388-2200 West Shore 250-519-3490
Central Island Health Units Duncan 250-709-3050 Ladysmith 250-755-3342 Lake Cowichan 250-749-6878 Nanaimo 250-755-3342 Nanaimo Princess Royal 250-755-3342 Parksville/Qualicum 250-947-8242 Port Alberni 250-731-1315 Tofino 250-725-4020
North Island Health Units Campbell River 250-850-2110 Courtenay 250-331-8520 Kyuquot Health Ctr 250-332-5289 ‘Namgis Health Ctr 250-974-5522 Port Hardy 250-902-6071
www.viha.ca/prevention_services/
50 Island Parent Magazine
O
ne of the most obvious changes you will see in your child as they reach toddlerhood is the way they are developing language. Toddlers’ understanding and use of language grow quickly and are closely related to their general understanding of the world. Parents can play an important role in the language development of their children. Triple P—the Positive Parenting Program suggests these ideas for encouraging the development of your toddler’s language: 1. Listen to your child. Where possible, be available when your child tries to communicate with words. Be prepared to wait patiently for your child to speak rather than guessing at what they want. Look at your child and listen to what they say. 2. Talk to your child. Throughout the day, talk about and name things your child looks at. Get close to your child and bend down to their eye level when you speak to them. 3. Encourage correct pronunciation. Try repeating a word that your child has pronounced incorrectly, then prompt them to try it again. If they pronounce it correctly the next time, praise them. If not, don’t worry, there will be plenty of other opportunities. 4. Expand on your child’s speech. Ask your child questions and encourage them to say more. Praise your child when they try to answer and repeat what they have said. 5. Set a good example. Try to avoid using baby talk or talking down to your toddler. Use real words for things and speak in proper sentences with few words. 6. Talk about what you are doing. Children often enjoy watching their parents working around the house or yard. Take the time to describe simple everyday events like weeding the garden, cooking, taking care of the baby, or building something. 7. Share your feelings. Tell your child about your day or about something that made you laugh, describe what you saw on the way home, or talk about the people you spoke to.
8. Encourage your child to ask questions. Be patient and encourage your child to ask questions by answering in words they understand.
Healthy Families; Happy Families C hild Y outh & Family C ommunity Health
CINDY KNOTT
9. Comment on your child’s play. Participate in your child’s play without taking over or directing it. Watch what your child is doing and make comments that extend their interest in the activity. Ask questions about their game or activity. 10. Read to your child. Start from an early age. Obtain a good supply of books and read to your child regularly. At 12 months of age, toddlers typically understand about 10 words. By the time they are three years old, most children understand more than 800 words and begin to understand more complex sentences. Children differ greatly in when and how quickly they learn to speak so do not be concerned if your child is a little faster or slower than others. If you are worried that your child’s language development seems to be much slower than children of the same age, seek a professional opinion. For more Triple P tips and ideas for all ages and stages of development, or to find Triple P services in your community, visit www. triplepvip.ca or “Like” us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/TriplepVIP. Cindy Knott has worked for almost 25 years supporting children and families in Manitoba and now in British Columbia. She is currently the Vancouver Island Triple P Coordinator.
www.kidsinvictoria.com
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August 2013 51
The Eyes Definitely Do Not Have It
E
ver feel the eyes, dads? The glares from strangers that tell you your kid is out of control or you’re being mean for disciplining your kid in public or you’re not disciplining hard enough or you’re disciplining too hard or everyone’s a free-range kid and discipline is for barbarians. The eyes—a by-product of, say, waiting in a grocery store line-up—they’re on you when you’ve got the kids and they’re acting up in public. Now, all us dads know that what we usually get is disproportional and somewhat outrageous smiles from women when we’ve got the kiddos under our care. Oh, we deny how it makes us feel, but, between me and you, it’s the best. You’re dragging a screaming monster through the grocery store aisle while holding a screaming mini-monster under your other arm, huge package of toilet paper hanging out of your teeth, intently focused on just getting out the damn door and
every woman of child-bearing age is giving you an approving, slightly suggestive smile. That’s the good part about kids freaking out in public. Somehow, through some cosmic turn of events no one understands but most everyone recognizes, it makes women flirt with you. Great, helps the sting a bit. (Of course, I jest, kinda: this only reinforces the bumbling-dad stereotype so we don’t like those smiles as much as we seem to, but thanks anyway.) But getting the stink-eye from the onlookers who aren’t seeing you as a mountain of virility and instead are seeing you as another bumbling dad who can’t get his kids under control stinks. It stinks, big time. I felt the eyes today, while waiting in one of the interminable waits in a walk-in clinic, older kid crying because another kid toppled her Lego tower. Them’s the breaks, kid: the boy was just trying to play, so keep crying and we’ll take this outside. Now I’m holding her flailing arms and speaking directly
into her face, saying she needs to stop the piercing crying right now. I’m feeling particularly high-strung, a bit crazed, perhaps not in prime daddy form, and then I realize I’m being watched by a woman, so I look over, hoping for a sympathetic smile or, better yet, an inappropriate eyebrow raise,
Dadspeak GREG PRATT inexplicably puckered lips—anything to help, distract, soothe. Instead I get the daggers from a childless woman who, apparently, hates every ounce of my soul with every microfibre of her being. I have been judged and, apparently, she’ll see me in hell. She didn’t like the cut of my jib, or, at least, my parenting. In her eyes, was I being too harsh? Or not harsh enough? I have no idea. How can a dad win? We can’t. Or, no, scratch that: we can. Here’s how. Stop worrying about the daggers. You’re going to get them, probably not as much as you get the come-hither eyes, but you’ll get them. They’ll reinforce your doubts, give ammunition to the clueless-dad stereotype, and make you question yourself. Trust me: ignore them. Unless you’re tossing your kid in with the live crabs at the grocery store (don’t admit you’ve thought about it, just laugh at that, just laugh), you’re probably doing just fine. You’re helping to keep the kids alive. They’ll most likely grow up fine. You’re the latest in a long line of men who may not pretend to be a parenting expert, but who also have no urge to be a parenting expert, which is great, which is how it should be. You’re a dad. You’re getting it done. You’re making it work. And that’s just perfect. Next time you get the stink eye, just remember, what matters is you and your kids, not what anyone else thinks about what you’re doing. And if that’s not enough to ease your pain, there are probably five approving smiles coming your way in the next two weeks. Because it wasn’t entirely true what I said before: we love that stuff. Greg Pratt is the father of two children and a local journalist and editor. His writing has appeared in, among other places, Today’s Parent, Wired, Revolver, and Douglas.
52 Island Parent Magazine
www.kidsinvictoria.com
Early development is child’s play! It’s obvious that play time is fun. What’s not so obvious is how important it is. Play time in a child’s first six years encourages creative, cognitive, language and motor development, and builds social and emotional skills, including self-confidence. In short, play time is an important step for healthy growth and development and is great preparation for school. To find out more about children’s early years and how you can encourage their healthy growth and development, please visit
e m i t Play
www.successby6victoria.ca
www.successby6victoria.ca www.IslandParent.ca
August 2013 53
Dog Days
S
ummertime, and we still have to eat. Beaches, lakes, rivers, and campgrounds call us, and several times daily, people will mill around, appetites roused, poking in baskets and coolers for sustenance. Family and friends come to visit, and in the midst of the fun, sun, and frivolity, we all get hungry. We use more energy now than we burn during the slow and sedentary winter months, but heat melts hunger, leaving us only picking at our meals, and that’s not best for all of us. We need to remember to keep it interesting for everyone. Make salads from mixing tins of beans, corn, and some chopped peppers and onion, tossed with a lime and cilantro dressing: keep them in the fridge and serve over beds of greens. Freeze fruit—watermelons, honeydew melons, grapes, and all berries—and whiz them up in a mini-blender for a quick frappé, adding a squeeze of honey and sprinkle of cinnamon if desired. Grate broccoli, carrots, and cabbage into slaws that last for a few days, and travel well, for impromptu picnics. Spread a pita shell or a flatbread with soft cheese, top with roasted veggies
54 Island Parent Magazine
ings (including parsley) over all, tossing slightly with fork to coat. Pour buttermilk over, cover, and refrigerate for several hours (overnight). There are two schools and some deli-slices, and pop onto a grill for a quick faux-pizza. Most of all, remember to stop, breathe, and soak it up. Summer only comes once a year, and it doesn’t last for very long. Enjoy!
Fried Chicken 1 package chicken thighs and/or drumsticks, bone-in, skin-on buttermilk, to cover (about 500 ml for 6–8 thighs) 1 Tbsp onion powder 1 tsp tarragon 1⁄2 tsp cayenne powder 1 tsp dried oregano 1⁄2 tsp paprika 1 Tbsp salt 3⁄4 tsp pepper 1⁄2 cup fresh parsley, chopped 1 cup flour 2–3 eggs, lightly beaten generous amounts of vegetable oil, for frying (can substitute a block solid vegetable shortening, if desired) *Note marinating requirement. Place chicken pieces in bowl. Sprinkle season-
Just Eat It! Kathy Humphrey of thought on the actual cooking of the chicken. The first advocates par-cooking the meat in the buttermilk, which nullifies the worry of whether or not the frying process is actually cooking the chicken through. To do this, tip the entire lot, chicken and milk, into a saucepan and bring to a boil. Simmer for 10–15 minutes, or until cooked through. Remove from saucepan with slotted spoon: place on rack to cool. Proceed with coating and frying. For the frying, pour several inches of vegetable oil into a skillet, and heat on medium-high. Meanwhile, beat the eggs in a shallow dish. Put flour into a plastic bag. Remove chicken pieces from the buttermilk with tongs, shaking slightly to remove excess liquid, and dip into the egg mixture. Place
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into the bag and shake until well coated with flour, then remove to a rack to sit for a minute or two. When oil has reached almost smoking temperature, fry the chicken until desired crispiness, leaving several inches between each piece. (Please note that if cooking from raw, pieces must be cooked for at least 10–15 minutes). Remove from oil and drain on paper-towel-lined plate. Devour, either hot, warm, or cool.
Tomato & Avocado Salad 2 ripe tomatoes 1 ripe avocado 1⁄2 cup chopped cilantro 2 Tbsp lime juice 1 Tbsp olive oil 1 tsp lime zest salt and pepper splash of hot pepper sauce Chop tomatoes and cut avocado into chunks. Combine in small serving bowl with cilantro. Whisk together lime juice, olive oil, zest, salt, pepper and hot pepper sauce. Pour dressing over, toss gently to combine.
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Chocolate Diablo Cookies 1 cup butter, softened 1⁄2 cup granulated sugar 3⁄4 cup packed brown sugar 2 eggs, at room temperature 2 cups flour 1⁄4 cup Dutch-process cocoa powder 2 tsp baking powder 1 tsp baking soda 1⁄2 tsp cayenne pepper (feel free to adjust, or omit, as per your own devilish taste!) 1 tsp cinnamon 1⁄2 package semi-sweet chocolate chips 1⁄4 cup white chocolate chips Preheat oven to 350˚F. Cream butter well, then add sugars and mix well. Add eggs one at a time, beating thoroughly after each addition. In separate bowl, combine flour, cocoa powder (pushed through a sieve to avoid heartbreaking lumps), baking powder and soda, and spices. Stir into creamed mixture until well combined. Add chocolate chips and stir well. Scoop generous tablespoonfuls onto slightly greased baking sheet, leaving about two inches between. Bake for 8–10 minutes, watching carefully. Remove from oven when set and slightly firm around the edges. Place the pan on a rack for a couple of minutes, and then take from pan to cool.
A comfortable, safe and affordable place to stay in downtown Vancouver. • • • • • •
Rooms to suit your needs - single to quint Guest kitchens and lounges Coffee bar Meeting rooms Wireless internet available The most friendly and helpful staff in the city
Profits go to support YWCA community programs such as our hot meal program in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside. 733 Beatty Street, Vancouver BC 1 800 663 1424 ywcahotel.com
Worth checking into.
Kathy Humphrey lives in Victoria with her husband and two children. She tries to see cooking for a family not as a chore but as a creative outlet. www.IslandParent.ca
August 2013 55
Family-Friendly Cowichan/Mid-Island
Morning Glory school Pre-School to Class 8
Office closed to August 9.
OPEN HOUSE
Kindergarten and up Thursday, Aug 29, 5–7pm Friday, Aug 30, 11am–2pm Half and Full Day Kindergarten Available
250-752-2722
861 Hilliers Rd off Hwy 4 Qualicum Beach
mgs@shawcable.com
www.morninggloryschool.ca
Think for yourself.
Island Oak High School
Today I discovered the power of...flight.
Waldorf Education 9-12
Discover at QMS
If you value: creative learning in small groups open discussions with teachers social warmth & authenticity bringing clarity to your ideas
We want to hear from you!
APPLY NOW FOR SEPTEMBER 2013 660 Brownsey Avenue, Duncan, BC T 250 746-4185 | admissions@qms.bc.ca
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Island Parent Magazine
www.qms.bc.ca
Find out more: http://islandoak.org mail@islandoak.org (250) 701-0400 5814 Banks Rd,Duncan, Duncan, BC
www.kidsinvictoria.com
Nursery to High School in a
vibrant island community, abundant with the arts, surrounded by organic farms and endless outdoor adventures. Discover the Cowichan Warmland
Established in 1980, Sunrise Waldorf School is located in the Cowichan Valley, 45 min North of Victoria on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, Canada. Elementary School |Preschool| Parent Child at the Main Campus 4344 Peters Rd Duncan BC sunrisewaldorfschool.org Tel. 250-743-7253 High School at the Island Oak Campus 5814 Banks Rd Duncan BC islandoak.org Tel. 250-701-0400 www.IslandParent.ca
August 2013  57
Space & Beyond
W
ith his recent return from space, and as the first Canadian to command the International Space Station (ISS), charismatic Chris Hadfield has inspired a level of interest in space exploration that hasn’t been matched in Canada for decades. With all the hype in schools and in the media, I would expect that many kids’ curiosity about space travel has been tweaked. With so much unknown about the worlds beyond our own, space is a natural place to let our imaginations soar. The Victoria Public Library’s summer reading theme is “Up, Up and Away” and they are offering a variety of programs around ideas of sky exploration. So this summer join in the hype and check out this selection of books aimed at preschool to middle-school readers. Oliver Jeffers is one of the best contemporary picture-book authors. Period. He has the skill of a talented adult, but still understands the magical ways kids’ minds work. Funny, creative and whimsical, with brilliant illustrations, all of Jeffers’ books are winners. However, How to Catch a Star, and The Way Back Home are two of his best. How to Catch a Star (HarperCollins Canada, 2005) is a perfect read for any child, or adult, who is full of wonder. The boy in the book is enchanted by stars and wishes for one of his own, but try as he may he can’t seem to catch one. His rocket ship doesn’t really work and the stars don’t get tired and fall down as he expected they might. What child hasn’t experienced these kinds of disappointments themselves? It will have children wondering how they might just reach the sky themselves. In The Way Back Home (HarperCollins Canada, 2008) the boy finds himself on a rocket adventure to space where he meets
a friendly alien. The two of them are far from home and decide to help one another navigate their way back. It is a magical tale of unlikely friendship and discovery and is consistent with Jeffers’ appealing art and strong story. In Timothy Knapman’s Mungo series, the protagonist, Mungo, has been on three riveting book-oriented adventures, one of which brings him into space to save the universe from being conquered by the evil villain Dr. Frankenstinker. Almost comicbook style in its form, and full of great words like “poinked” and “blerped,” Mungo and the Spiders from Space (Penguin Group Canada, 2007) transforms a regular little boy into a member of a star squadron. This is a fun read with big, loud graphics and super-hero appeal. Jan Brett’s Hedgie Blasts Off (Penguin Group, 2006) brings a small Hedgehog to the planet of Mikkop, famous for drawing tourists to see its wild explosions. But the planet isn’t erupting anymore and Hedgie is chosen to investigate in a mini-rocket that is just perfectly sized for him. The story and writing aren’t particularly strong, but the illustrations are bright, vivid and captivating and will appeal to young children who love rockets and space. As kids approach early chapter books, one of the first series they are sure to enjoy is the Magic Treehouse Series by Mary Pope Osborne. The 8th in the series, Midnight on the Moon (Random House, 1996), takes the young protagonists, Jack and Annie, to a space station in the future. Although I often struggle not to fall asleep while reading these books, younger kids love them. They are clear and structured in a way that young readers/listeners can easily follow. This story is interspersed with facts about space and
the moon and descriptions about leaping weightlessly around the moon’s surface. There is always a healthy hint of suspense and mystery to hook readers in the stories
Book Nook PAISLEY AIKEN and facts to fill their inquiring minds with information. For slightly older kids, Space Station Rat, by Michael Daley (Holiday House, 2005), is a good introduction to science fiction. The big print, short sentences and quick pace make it a good choice for young independent readers. Jeff, a lonely boy who is living on a space station with his scientist parents and an annoying robotic nanny, discovers an unlikely friend in a genetically-modified rat, who has escaped a science lab on Earth where he learned how to write. The story flips back and forth from the rat’s point of view to the boy’s, which allows for an interesting perspective on the setting. While it isn’t a masterpiece, it is a compelling story that brings up questions around interspecies communication, ethics and science and what life would really be like in space, without any gore and sensationalism. World-renowned theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking and his daughter Lucy have written three novels with the intent to teach kids about physics while hooking them into an enthralling adventure story. We read the second of the series, George’s Cosmic Treasure Hunt (Simon & Schuster, 2009), and my kids loved it. It has humour, adventure and a tremendous amount of science. In George’s Cosmic Treasure Hunt, George’s friend Annie believes she has been contacted by aliens and sets out along with George to find out why and how. The information is dense but makes many ideas around space, physics and science accessible to kids. For those hungry for more, Random House has recently announced they will be publishing Chris Hadfield’s book, An Astronaut’s Guide to Life on Earth, on October 29, 2013. Paisley Aiken reads extensively to her three energetic young boys. She is founder of The Story Studio Writing Society, a charity that grows kids’ relationship with literacy.
www.IslandParent.ca
DISCOVER YOUR TALENT
FALL 2013 THEATRE CLASSES
ACting Dance Magic Yoga Musical Theatre ... And More
REGISTER TODAY
www.kaleidoscope.bc.ca
Centrepointe Ballet School Peggy Bain, Director
R.A.D. Ballet Wide Range of Classes: Children to Adults
1080 Lucas Ave, St. Margaret’s School
Registration at the Studio Wed, Aug 28: 2–4pm & 6–8pm
Info: Beggy Bain, R.A.D. Registered Teacher (Life Member)
250 592 4260
Registration information also available on the website:
www.centrepointedance.com
Email:
centrepointe@shaw.ca August 2013
59
Life Through the Lens
T
he park is but a stone’s throw from our home, but as we arrived I was already in a cold sweat. The kids settled down to play and I tried to relax but couldn’t help feeling jittery, tense, and paranoid. With each cry of “Mommy, look at me!” my hand flew to my pocket, only to find it alarmingly empty. As panic settled in, I struggled to control my breathing, giving myself a pep talk on staying calm. It was then that I realized the extent of my problem. It was time for an intervention: I was officially addicted to my camera. When my first child was born, digital photography for the masses had just arrived. It has been blessedly easy to document every yawn, stretch, and step. The instant gratification is priceless—no need to wait three weeks to find out my son had his eyes crossed, or that someone’s butt crack is showing in the background. Just snap another shot… or two, or four, or 10. Why not take two dozen? There seems to be no limit to the amount we can store. So I take pictures of everything, every day. I am determined to catalogue everything my kids do. When elderly ladies look on my children wistfully and remind me to cherish these fleeting days, I can smile sagely, smug in the knowledge of my abundant iPhoto cache. Never will there come a time in my life when I think “I wish I could remember…” or “Those years went by so quickly…” No,
Family Summer Guide 2 01 3
VER ISLAND V I C T O R I A & VA N C O U
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I have hard evidence. Tens of thousands of megapixels worth. I feel great about this, for the most part. But lately, signs indicate it may have gone too far. There was the forgotten-cameraleads-to-panic-attack-at-the-park episode, for one. My toddler’s third word, after “Dada” and “Mama,” was “Geee!”, which loosely translates into “Cheese!” To clarify, she doesn’t like to eat cheese at all; this peculiar speech development is a direct result of having a camera shoved in her face at every turn since birth. Anxiety over long-term storage of our precious moments consumes me, and may have kept me up at night once or twice. Thousands upon thousands of photos are stashed in my phone, in my computer, in my husband’s phone. Actually, I have far more images than I even know what to do with. Yes, I back them up on a hard drive. Yes, I save copies on discs. I even—don’t judge—distribute these copies amongst family members’ homes for safekeeping. But still, all these measures could fail, due to flood, fire, or catastrophe, and they could all be lost. Thinking of this dreadful possibility, it occurs to me that for the greater part of history, mothers have had no visual tool to record their children’s sweet and relevant moments. I don’t trust my memory for 10 minutes these days; how did they keep track of all their special days? Well, of course,
they didn’t. They had to live in the moment, soaking it up as it came. And likely they were too busy milking the cow, pumping the well, and baking bread for their family of 15 to even think about it.
Is There an App for This? SARAH MILLIGAN With this in mind, I realize that my anxiety over our photos points to a cultural luxury of time and energy. I am fortunate to live in enough basic comfort to be able to take pictures at all. But in the end, am I missing the point? Have I become too focused on documenting the moment rather than being in it? Is taking a picture a substitute for feeling? The camera, like any good thing, is a gift to be used with moderation. I’m deeply grateful for the digital age, and how it helps me to remember the elaborate Lego towers and first piano recitals of my little ones. All the same, I think I had better practice some avoidance therapy this summer by heading out with my pockets empty more often, viewing my children through my own eyes, not through the camera lens, and trying to soak it all in. Now if only I could get a good photo of me doing just that, I’d be perfectly content. Sarah Milligan writes at www.findingabun dance.com. Please stop by and say hello!
As summer continues be sure to pick up your copies of the Family Summer Guide and Kids Guide to Vancouver Island!
ATTRACTIONS, ACTIVITIES & FAMILY
FUN!
Parks & Playgrounds Museums • Pools & Recreation
201 3/2 014 Historical Sites • Ente rtainment & Much More
www.kidsinvictoria.com
www.IslandParent.ca
August 2013  61
Family Services Directory This directory, sponsored by Thrifty Foods, features not for profit agencies and organizations serving children, youth and families. BC Families in Transition (formerly the Separation and Divorce Resource Centre) is one of three non-profit agencies in North America that offers professional counselling, legal support and education for people who are having problems in their relationships. Each year we help 10,000 adults, children and youth through family changes, separations and divorces, remarriages, and complex family situations. Whether you wish to separate or remain together, call us at 250-386-4331 or visit www.bcfit.org to see how we can help. Some evening and weekend appointments available. Beacon Community Services is a community-based non-profit agency providing social, employment, and health services to Saanich Peninsula, Greater Victoria, and Southern Gulf Islands residents. Beacon offers: child, youth, and family services; a drop-in family resource centre; counselling; employment services for adults, youth, and people with disabilities; home support; volunteer services and opportunities; community events; affordable assisted living for seniors; referrals, information, and resources; thrift shops. For Home Support information call 250-658-6407; for all other inquiries call 250-656-0134, or visit www.beaconcs.ca. Big Brothers Big Sisters of Victoria is a non-profit organization that provides mentoring programs for children and youth between the ages of 7 - 17. Adult volunteers (“Bigs”) are matched with children (“Littles”) based on shared interests, respect and trust. No special skills or experience are needed to be a mentor to a child, just a willingness to be a friend and commit to being a
TM
consistent, positive adult role model. Make a BIG difference in the life of a child in as little as 1 hr./ week. Contact us at 250-475-1117 or visit www. bbbsvictoria.com or ‘LIKE’ our page at facebook. com/bbbsvictoria. Boys & Girls Club Services offer after-school and evening social, educational and recreational programming for children and youth at 4 locations. We also offer support to parents (Parents Together) and programs at our Outdoor Centre in Metchosin. For more information on all programs and services visit www.bgcvic.org or call 250.384.9133. The Child Abuse Prevention & Counselling Society/Mary Manning Centre is the primary provider of therapy and victim support services for children and youth in Greater Victoria who experience sexual abuse, physical abuse, and other serious trauma, or who may be at risk for sexual abuse. Therapy services include individual and group sessions for children and youth and group sessions for parents. Victim services include intake and referral, accompaniment and support for children and youth being interviewed by police, and court preparation and support for those testifying as victims or witnesses in criminal cases. No charge for clients. Contact: 250-385-6111 or admin@ marymanning.com. Community Living Victoria supports people with developmental disabilities and their families by providing residential services, day and community supports (supported employment, parent support and independent living). Our Host agency provides direct supports for those with Individualized Fund-
ing and Home Share service. We also provide Autism Services for youth between 13 and 19. Our family support program offers advocacy, conflict resolution, education, newsletters, workshops, support groups and a resource library. Please call 250-477-7231 ext 233. Esquimalt Neighbourhood House Society. Our Family Services offer family resource programs with a focus on early childhood development and learning, parenting education and pre and post-natal services. Our Counselling Services are free to adults and youth (12-18 years); adult and short term clinical counselling is offered for acute mental health problems. For more information call 250-385-2635 or visit 511 Constance Ave. in Esquimalt. Inter-Cultural Association of Greater Victoria (ICA) is a service agency for immigrants and refugees. Programs offered include cross-cultural counseling, parenting programs (child care available), family violence programs, employment services, interpretation and translation, diversity workshops and training, ESL instruction, volunteering, youth programs and tutoring, as well as intercultural arts programming and the Diversity Health Fair. 930 Balmoral Rd, 250-388-4728, info@icavictoria.org, www.icavictoria.org. Learning Disabilities Association of BC, SVI Chapter, educates, supports and advocates for children and youth with learning disabilities and related conditions. Services include a public lending library, individual/ group support for parents and children, professional/educational workshops for parents and professionals. Child and youth programs include: reading/writing, academic skills, social/emotional skill development and Fast ForWord. 1562 Fort Street, Victoria, BC V8S 5J2. Ph 250.370.9513. Fax. 250.370.9421. www.ldasvi.bc.ca. www. knowyourrights.ca
Enter Our Online Contests Every month at Island Parent and Kids In Victoria you can enter to win some great prizes! Prizes include:
• Family Getaways • Gift Certificates • IMAX Passes • Books, CDs and More
One entry per family per week. Check out the prizes and enter the contests by visiting
www.IslandParent.ca or www.kidsinvictoria.com 62 Island Parent Magazine
www.kidsinvictoria.com
Military Family Resource Centre (MFRC) provides programs and services to the military family community. Services include: 24 Hour Information Line, Deployment Information and Workshops, Short Term Intervention/Crisis Support, Welcome/ Relocation Services, services for families with special needs and responsibilities and childcare services and support to parents. Exciting Volunteer opportunities available! Call the MFRC: 250-3632640 (1-800-353-3329) for information. www. esquimaltmfrc.com. Parent Support Services Society (www. parentsupportbc.ca) provides support circles, parenting resources and referrals to all in a parenting role including grandparents raising grandchildren. Our training in peer group facilitation is open to the community. Support circles are free with child minding and transportation assistance available. Volunteers are always needed. Call 250-3848042; email parent-support@shaw.ca. 1Up: Victoria Single Parent Resource Centre (www.1-up.ca) provides support, education and resources for parents in the Greater Victoria area through free counselling, volunteer training for reception and peer helper positions, a mentoring program for single moms, and a support group for dads. The Centre also offers over 20 integrated life skills and parenting courses which are open to the whole community (fees are on a sliding scale). Child care assistance is available based on financial need. The Centre provides a bread pantry and free clothing for single parents. Donations of gently-used clothing, small household items, books, and toys are very welcome every Monday and Wednesday. Centre hours are 9–4 weekdays. 602 Gorge Rd. East; call 250-385-1114 or info@1-up.ca. South Island Centre for Counselling & Training is an affordable, non-profit, counselling agency serving individuals and families from all social, ethnic, and financial backgrounds. We help people with a wide range of issues including low self-esteem, depression, grief, marital and family conflict, abuse and spiritual direction. We also offer helpful “life” courses. For more information contact us at 250-472-2851; info@southislandcentre.ca. Victoria Epilepsy & Parkinson’s Centre supports families living with epilepsy by providing tutoring and one on one professional consultations to help your child to live up to their full potential. We offer epilepsy education workshops in private and public schools, and keep you up to date on the latest research about medications, lifestyle and safety for your child. Visit us at www.vepc.bc.ca to find out more, and to explore our bursaries for Camosun College. Calls are also welcome at 250-475-6677. www.IslandParent.ca
Support Care Knowledge www.headwayvictoria.com 250-475-6677
always here and making it easier Monarch House offers an interdisciplinary approach to treating children with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and other developmental disabilities. Our team of highly qualified professionals provide services based on best practices, with treatment geared specifically to the needs of your child and family. no waiting for assessments Our diagnostic services provide timely access to professionals who are qualified to diagnose Autism Spectrum Disorders and other developmental disabilities. for more information please contact: Monarch House - Victoria 611 Discovery Street
250.220.8999
monarchhousevictoria@cbi.ca
Notary Public Services Legal Services Made Easy… ➢ Notary Public Services ➢ Real Estate Transfers ➢ Mortgages/Credit Lines ➢ Signatures/Notarizations ➢ Wills/ Powers of Attorney ➢ Child Travel Letters
Tim Shipley
1551 Pandora Ave. 250-592-4342 www.shipleygroup.net Stadacona Centre
August 2013 63
Fussy Times Harbourside Hotel • Nanaimo • Free WiFi, Free Parking • 100% non-smoking facility • Heated Seasonal outdoor pool • Gym/Fitness Centre, Pet Friendly • All guest rooms are equipped with hair dryer, in-room coffee/tea • Restaurant on site • Located along harbourfront walkway • Excellent central location
#1 Terminal Ave, Nanaimo BC V9R 5R4 TF: 1-800-663-7322 T: 250-753-2241 hojonanaimo@shaw.ca
hojonanaimo.com IGOHOJO.ca
Classical Ballet for ages 4 to advanced
Registration for 2013–2014 Season Wednesday, August 28 and Wednesday, September 4 4:00 – 7:00 pm
Valerie Grant Licentiate C.S.C.-C.I.C.B., L.I.S.T.D. (Cecchetti Faculty)
www.dancearabesque.ca 250·595·3107 64 Island Parent Magazine
M
any parents have asked me about the cause of evening time fussiness in babies and how to manage it. With two out of my four babies being very fussy, I know first-hand how difficult these periods of time can be for the new family. Feelings of doubt can arise over how you are doing as a parent and can shake your confidence. You may begin to question things such as your milk supply, or if baby is sensitive to something in your milk, or even your abilities to parent your baby. It is extremely important to remember that this behaviour is normal! It is very common for babies to be fussy and nurse often in the evenings, particularly in the early months. For many babies, the fussy time seems to be characterized by a
What causes the fussiness? It’s hard to know exactly, but there are many theories and explanations. Pregnant women often recall evenings as their baby’s most active time, so perhaps babies “remember” being very active during pregnancy at these times, and want to be held, rocked, and nurtured constantly again. A commonly heard explanation for baby’s fussiness in the evenings is that milk volume tends to be lower in the evening due to the natural cycling of hormones throughout the day. However, studies have shown that milk volume is not low at this time of day. Even if milk volume is lower in the evening, fat content is typically higher in the evening (particularly if baby is breastfeeding on demand rather than feeding on a schedule), so the amount
One of the most interesting things I have seen in the research regarding infant fussiness is that almost anything a parent tries to reduce fussiness will work, but only for a short time (a few days), and then other strategies need to be used. need to have small quantities of milk at frequent intervals, combined with lots of holding, cuddling and movement. “Cluster feeding” refers to when babies space feedings closer together at certain times of the day and go longer between feedings at other times. It’s often—but not always—followed by a longer sleep period than usual: baby may be “tanking up” before a long sleep. Cluster feeding is also common during growth spurts at two to three weeks, six weeks, three months and six months. Baby will nurse a few minutes, pull off, doze, wake up and fuss, nurse again and so on. This pattern can go on for hours and it can be frustrating. If baby is happy the rest of the day and doesn’t seem to be in pain (as with colic) during the fussy time, and breastfeeding is going well, just keep trying to soothe your baby and not fret about the cause. Let baby nurse as long and as often as he will. Although this is a time when families may be tempted to introduce supplementation feedings of formula, it is important to remember that formula fed babies experience fussy periods in the evening, too—fussy evenings are common for all young babies, no matter how they are fed. Supplementation will actually tell your body that you need less milk at this time so that will not help matters.
of calories that baby is getting should not be significantly different. Milk flow can be slower in the evening which may frustrate some babies. Many think that evening fussiness can be attributed to baby’s immature nervous system. This theory makes sense due to the fact that as the infant grows, the fussiness tapers off, usually between three and six months.
Soothing techniques for the fussy times One of the most interesting things I have seen in the research regarding infant fussiness is that almost anything a parent tries to reduce fussiness will work, but only for a short time (a few days), and then other strategies need to be used. Something else to keep in mind while you are attempting to soothe your baby is that it is important to persevere with a technique for several minutes as babies may take a while to respond. Try combining a couple of strategies for greater success. • Wear baby in a baby carrier. This will free one or both hands for other tasks—fixing dinner, caring for other children—while you hold, soothe and nurse your baby. • Soothe with sound. Sing, hum, talk, murmur shhhh, listen to music, or use www.kidsinvictoria.com
“white noise.” Try different types of sound, different styles of music and singers with different types of voices. • Soothe with rhythmic motion. Walk, sway, bounce, dance, swing, or even try a car ride.
New Parent Pages Diana Hurschler, BScN • Soothe with touch. Hold or bathe baby, try baby massage. • Reduce stimulation. Dim lights, reduce noise, swaddle baby. • Vary nursing positions. Try side lying, lying on your back to nurse with baby tummy to tummy, or nurse in motion (while rocking, swaying, walking). • Go outside. Relax baby—and Mom too—with a walk, or just sit and enjoy the outdoors. Try this a little before baby’s regular fussy time. • Change of pace. Let Dad have some “baby time” while Mom takes a shower or simply gets some time to herself to relax and regroup after a long day. Studies have shown that when babies are held often and responded to quickly, they cry less, and the parents learn to read baby’s cues more quickly. Know that your child really needs you. The fussiness is not about manipulation or something you can “fix” with the right discipline. Often a baby who is perceived as fussy is simply a baby who is expressing the need for more contact. Caring for a fussy baby can be very stressful! Give both yourself and baby some extra TLC. Surround yourself with supportive people, reduce stress in other areas if possible. For example, minimize housework. It is difficult to feel good about yourself as a parent when you have a fussy baby. But when you persevere during these fussy times, the reward is the start of a lifelong bond with your child. Your little one will begin to understand that he can count on you and that he is loved. Diana Hurschler, RN BscN, childbirth educator and certified breastfeeding counselor has been helping families in their childbearing years and beyond since 1998. Diana is the proud Mama of four little ones. She can be reached at diana@hurschler.com.
www.IslandParent.ca
ALL FUN KARTS • CAGES • CLUBS • CAMPING at Western Speedway
s a g n i h t h c u s There’s no ! ! n u f h c u m too
GO KARTS BATTING CAGES MINI GOLF RV PARK Open 7 days/week July & August • 11:00 am-6:00 pm Open Weekends in September • 12:00 noon-5:00 pm (weather permitting)
2207 Millstream Road, Victoria BC 250.474.1961 allfun.bc.ca August 2013 65
Preschool & Child Care Directory CENTRAL SAANICH
Highlands
Chrysalis Child Care..........................250-652-0815 A nurturing and stimulating environment for a small group of 3–5 year olds. Qualified ECE promotes learning through play. www.chrysalischildcare.ca.
Lexie’s Little Bears’ Child Care Inc....................................250-590-3603 Our Outdoor Nature program provides your child with an experience un-like no other in the elements! Our program boasts our OWN 2 acre forest for your child to explore and learn while our ECEs provide a strong Reggio Emilia Influence. Like us on Facebook. www. lexieslittlebears.com. Space available. Waitlist for September being taken now!
Colwood/LANGFORD Almosthome Childcare/Preschool...250-590-7666 Quality childcare with a preschool curriculum/kindergarten readiness program. Experienced Early Childhood Educators. Nurturing environment for ages 10 months to 5 years old. www.almosthomecare.com. Caring Touch Daycare.......................250-478-4886 A warm, loving, fun family daycare in a safe, nurturing environment. Infant/toddler care for ages 1–5 years. Jenn’s Little Bears.............................250-478-8999 A safe nurturing environment for children from infancy to kindergarten. Our Infant and Toddler Program enriches each child’s development while our 3-5 Program prepares children for kindergarten. Two separate buildings allow each age group space to grow! Leap Forward Childcare...................778-265-5955 or 250-818-9225 Infant Toddler Program and Three to Five Program offering childcare for children six months to five years old. 2758 Peatt RD. www.leapforwardlangford.com. info@leapforwardlangford.com Miles of Smiles Nature Junior Kindergarten..............778-265-4374 Come see why learning in nature rocks! Reggio Influenced Philosophy for ages 3-5. Have your child become a nature detective today! www.naturejuniorkindergarten.com Music Makers Child Care Centre.....250-294-3916 Offering an innovative environment that develops musical abilities and encourages a love of music while following a preschool curriculum/kindergarten readiness program. Group care for children 2 to 6 and infant/toddler care for ages 12 to 36 months. www.musicmakerschildcare.com
CORDOVA BAY Carrot Seed Preschool......................250-652-2311 Where children can discover, imagine, construct and learn through play. Wondrous natural playground. www.carrotseedpreschool.com. Cordova Bay Preschool....................250-658-3441 A bright and cheerful parent-participation preschool with a philosophy of “learning through play.” www. cordovabaypreschool.org.
ESQUIMALT CIARA Early Childhood Centre.........250-386-7369 Education and fun hand in hand. Exceptional care for little ones ages 12 month-5yrs in an inclusive centre with Christian values. Island Kids Academy Esquimalt.......250-381-2929 High quality child care (ages 1-5). Preschool curriculum offered within a warm, caring all-day program. Character development using the Virtues Project. Access to community programs including swimming, skating, Victoria Conservatory of Music. Part-time spaces available. www.islandkids.ca. La Pre-Maternelle Appletree Preschool..........................250-479-0292 French immersion program. 30 months to school age. Licensed Christian centre. www.prematernelleappletree.com. Simply Fun Childcare Centre............250-881-3958 A warm, loving, fun and nurturing place for children to grow and learn. We have spaces available for registration ages 2.5 to 12 in our Licensed Group Facility. We offer extraordinary childcare, before and after school programs and a preschool. Our teachers are extremely qualified with ECE training and have lots of experience. Call Brenda to set up a tour. Let your child’s light shine bright with us!
66 Island Parent Magazine
METCHOSIN A Growing Place................................250-391-1133 Half day program (AM or PM) for 2.5-5 yrs. ECE educator, small class size. Our own petting farm. Summer program for July. Metchosin Co-op Preschool.............250-478-9241 Come and visit our stunning natural outdoor playspace, warm, nurturing, play-based,inclusive program allowing parents to grow and learn alongside their child. Exceptional ECE Staff provide an enriching experience for 2.5 - 5 year olds. Come grow with us! Est.1960. Reg. begins Mar.1 @ 9am. www.metchosinpreschool. wordpress.com.
North SAANICH In The Garden Childcare Centre.......250-654-0306 A GREAT PLACE TO GROW. Offering preschool, full day care, before and after school care for children aged 2.5 to 12 years old. Open all year.
OAK BAY Creative Child....................................778-679-0076 Montessori inspired childcare balanced with a playbased approach. Self-motivated learning for a small group of 2.5-5yr olds. www.creativechild.ca Emmanuel Preschool........................250-598-0573 Children learn through play in our non-denominational Christian preschool near UVic. Bright attractive setting. www.emmanuelpreschool.ca. Gonzales Co-op Preschool...............250-727-1003 Children explore their imaginations in our learning-throughplay environments and large natural playground. Our Reggio-Emilia inspired program focuses on art, nature and music. Over 50 years serving Victoria’s families. Nuturing and highly qualified ECE and ECE Assistant. Parent participation level options available and allergy-aware. Join us! www.gonzalespreschool.com. Kindred Spirits Children’s House........250-590-6966 Now accepting registration for a small group of 2.5–5 year olds in a purpose built Montessori classroom. The prepared environment stimulates and engages the children at their own pace with hands on, size, age and developmentally appropriate materials. www.kindredspiritschildrenshouse.com Oak Bay Co-op Preschool..................250-592-1922 Children Learn Through Play in this parent participation school. Our bright facility is allergy-free with a large outdoor playground. www.oakbaypreschool.com. Recreation Oak Bay..........................250-370-7200 Fully licensed, qualified ECE Daycare and Preschool with play based learning. After school care also available. St. Christopher’s Montessori School............................250-595-3213 A beautiful, warm environment, steps from beach and park in Oak Bay. We offer an enriched Montessori program – half days for 3 and 4 year olds and half or full day Kindergarten. www.stcmsoakbaybc.com.
SAANICH Arbutus Grove Children’s Centre.....250-477-3731 Formerly known as Goosey Gander Kindergarten. Half Day and Full Day Preschool Programs. Children’s learning is supported and nurtured through inquiry, exploration, play and creative expression. www.arbutusgrove.ca
Cloverdale Child Care.......................... 250-995-1766 Preschool for 3 & 4 year olds, Come grow with us and learn through play. www.cloverdalechildcare.com. Full o’ Beans Preschool........................ 250.360.1148 Opening September 2013. We offer ‘learn through play’ programming designed to foster your child’s natural curiosity and imagination. Flexible scheduling, 2.5 and 4 hour programs, qualified staff. Registration is ongoing!www.saanichneighbourhoodplace.com. Island Montessori House..................250-592-4411 Inclusive, integrated and nurturing preschool, kindergarten, Grade 1/2 program. Located in a lovely rural setting. Extended day available. www.islandmontessori.com. Lakehill Co-op Preschool.................250-477-4141 Where children’s development is nurtured through a child centered inclusive, play based program. Come visit our out natural outdoor playground and meet our loving qualified ECE team. Multiple Levels of participation available, please enquire. www.lakehillpreschool.org. Lambrick Park Preschool & Childcare............................................250-477-8131 Gordon Head’s only parent-participation preschool and childcare centre. Flexible options, play-based learning and outdoor play. Allergy friendly. Celebrating 40+ years. www.lambrickparkpreschool.ca. Little Readers Academy....................250-477-5550 An enriched learn-to-read program for your 3-6 yearold! Reading, Writing and Math. Half-day, weekend and evening sessions available. www.oxfordlearning.com. Montessori Educare..........................250-881-8666 Beautiful learning environments in Broadmead and Saanichton. 30 months – 5 years. Summer program available. Special needs are welcome. www.montessorieducare.com. Neighbourhood Junior Kindergarten..250-479-4410 Offering an early literacy program 4 mornings/wk. (TF) for 4 year olds in an attractive, culturally-sensitive learning environment in Lake Hill School. Oakcrest Preschool...........................250-472-0668 • Two fully qualified teachers, AM classes • No duty days, wide variety of parent jobs • www.oakcrestpreschool.org Playtime Preschool...........................250-383-3101 AM or PM preschool classes up to 20 hrs/wk. Tillicum. Spacious facility, qualified ECEs. Let’s Talk About Touching Program. www.playtimepreschool.com. Puddles & Paints Playschool............250-658-6573 Introduce your children to Nature with our outdoor nature-lovers program. Our centre backs up to 15 acres of our “secret-garden” parkland where we can learn and explore! Strong environmental awareness with a “Naturalplay-based” philosophy. ECE staff, and a strong Reggio Emilia Influence! Celebrating and supporting your child’s world and successes! Like us on Facebook! Rainbows & Dreams Preschool........250-479-1966 Small classes for 3-5 yr olds in a safe nurturing environment. Children learn through play and fun–developing a sense of confidence, independence and creativity. Highly qualified ECE teacher. Ready Set Grow Preschool...............250-472-1530 A warm, caring, quality Learning Through Play environment. Gordon Head area with a highly qualified ECE. heosc@pacificcoast.net. Rogers Child Care Centre.................250-744-2343 Trusted High Quality Programs since 1991. Early Learning and Out of School Care. www.rogerschildcare.com. St. Joseph’s Catholic Preschool..............................250-479-1232 ext 120 • A Christian child centre for 3–5 year olds. • A warm nurturing and challenging program • Offered by St. Joseph’s Catholic School.
www.kidsinvictoria.com
Preschool & Child Care Directory St. Margaret’s Preschool & Junior Kindergarten..........................250-479-7171 Our programme for 3 and 4 year old girls offers a nurturing and educationally stimulating curriculum provided by experienced ECE staff and specialist teachers. Our state of the art facility is located in beautiful environmental surroundings. www.stmarg.ca. Strawberry Vale Preschool...............250-479-4213 Children learn through play at our parent participation preschool. Programs for 3 and 4 year olds at “The Little Red Schoolhouse.”
www.strawberryvalepreschool.org.
Wiseways Preschool & Daycare.......250-477-1312
Fully licensed Christian preschool for 3 and 4 year olds. Designed to meet the needs of the whole child. Subsidized fees welcome. www.wiseways. lambrick.com.
SIDNEY Adel’s Play N Discovery House........250-655-4888
Licensed childcare, 3-5 years, Reggio Emilia inspired. Mon–Fri, 7:30am–5:30pm. 2146 Beacon Avenue W. www.adelplayndiscovery.com Positive Path Early Learning............250-655-7244
Year-round quality child care where preschoolers explore and learn in a culture of Christian values and virtues. positivepath@shaw.ca.
VICTORIA ArtsCalibre Academy........................250-382-3533 Comprehensive programs for Preschool through Grade 5, delivering academic excellence through music, dance, drama and visual arts. Outstanding educators, locations and facilities. www.ArtsCalibre.ca Babies to Big Kids Childcare............... 250-590-5540 949 Fullerton Ave. Daycare owner, 250-818-9225 Licenced group childcare for children 6 months to 12 years old. Three programs offered: Infant toddler program, Three to Five Program and Before and After School Care Program. Open 6:30am-5:30pm. Weekly music and movement classes. www.babiestobigkids. com, info@babiestobigkids.com. Butterfly Corner.................................... 250-381-4845 Licensed family day care in James Bay. Since 1998. ECE. Ages 1–5. Full time. Fun & Educational. http:// ButterflyCornerCreativeLearningCentre.com Castleview Child Care.......................250-595-5355 Learning Through Play & Experience. Licensed nonprofit, qual. ECE staff. Since 1958. Preschool and full-time care. www.castleviewchildcarecentre.com. Cedar Daycare...................................250-479-2032 Community oriented, NFP Child Care facility. Wide variety of activities offered including the use of a private outdoor pool during the summer months. Licensed ECE educators devoted to nurturing children aged 30 months – 5 years. www.cedardaycare.com. Christ Church Cathedral Childcare.. 250-383-5132 ECE and specialist teachers provide an outstanding all day licensed program for 3 and 4 year olds in our spacious and welcoming facility in James Bay. www. cathedralschool.ca.
Downtown Y Child Care Centre.......250-413-8869 Enriched program, for children ages 3-5 years, supporting healthy child development and future school success. www.victoriay.com. Lansdowne Co-op Preschool...........250-370-5392 An extraordinary learning environment for families with young children. Parent participation. wwwlansdownepreschool.com. Nightingale Preschool and Junior Kindergarten...................250-595-7544 – Taking children’s learning forward – One of Victoria’s leading preschools and Junior Kindergartens. Balanced approach to play and education. Programme supports literacy, numeracy. Visit www. nightingalepreschool.com. Fernwood. Parkdale Early Childhood Centre.....250-382-0512 We offer quality care and positive experiences for children in our diverse daycare and preschool programs. Our rich curriculum includes music classes from the Victoria Conservatory of Music. parkdalechildcare@shaw.ca. Rainbow Express Daycare................250-382-2314 Enriched preschool style program in a daycare setting. Visit our website at www.rainbowexpressdaycare.com. Ross Bay Preschool..........................250-383-7445 Positive/supportive program motivating children to learn and discover. Curriculum builds on interests of the children. www.rossbaypreschool.com The Sir James Douglas Playschool.250-389-0500 Fun, creative and educational ECE program for 3-5 year olds to grow and develop life long skills. Come play and learn in our bright and modern centre in Fairfield. Victoria Montessori...........................250-380-0534 Unique, innovative learning environment combining the best of Montessori and Learning Through Play. Open yr. round. 30mths–grade 1. www.victoriamontessori.com.
VIEW ROYAL A Secret Garden Preschool..............250-380-8293 Program built on Christian values. Monthly themes, weekly topics and daily activities. asecretgardenpreschool@shaw.ca. Island Kids Academy View Royal.....250-727-2929 High quality child care (ages 1-5). Preschool curriculum offered within a warm, caring child care environment. Character development using the Virtues Project. Access to community programs including swimming, skating, Victoria Conservatory of Music. Part-time spaces available. www.islandkids.ca. Little Friends Childcare Center........250-479-8423 For a creative learning environment. Licensed group facility. Infants/Toddlers/Preschool. Little Wonders Preschool (VROSCS)...........................................250-744-2718 A creative and suuportive program that will prepare your child for a lifetime of learning! OSC also available. www.viewroyalosc.com.
View Royal Preschool........................250-479-8067 An exciting inclusive program in an exceptional care environment. Licensed 3–5 year olds. Outside play and themes enrich this program. viewroyalps@ uniserve.com.
Mill Bay / Cobble Hill Starchild Centre..................................250-929-3240 Unique infant/toddler daycare, combines the best of Montessori and Waldorf. Our 9 acre hobby farm enables each child to have a garden plot, participate in planting trees, picking fruit, feeding animals, and other outside adventures. www.starchildcentre.ca.
DUNCAN Angel Care Christian Preschool.........250-746-5919 A quality, enriched program for preschool children. Located in Queen of Angels Catholic School. Maple Tree Play House Licensed Family Childcare...............250-746-5060 A daycare program that provides enriched outdoor play time and activities that build on a child’s intrinsic love of nature. Healthy meals and snacks are provided. mapletreekids@telus.net.. Sunrise Waldorf School, Kindercottage Preschool Nursery......250-743-7253 A morning program for 3 and 4 yr olds in a warm natural atmosphere where wonder is nurtured and outdoor play is abundant. Details at www.sunrisewaldorfschool.org. Parent & Child programs also available!
Chemainus Cherry Tree Child Care Centre.........250-246-9195 Preschool program nurturing creative play and engaging learning activity. 30 months to age five. Qualified and experienced Early Childhood Educator. St. Joseph’s Preschool.....................250-246-3191 A Christian learning environment for 3–5 year olds. Active participation in the life of the school. Parental involvement.
Qualicum Beach Children’s Discovery Centre.............250-752-4343 Our program recognizes the uniqueness of each child and provides a nurturing, safe and creative learning environment. Preschool, Groupcare, Out of School care. ECE qualified staff. childrensdiscoverycentre@ hotmail.com. Little Star Children’s Centre.............250-752-4554 Earth friendly preschool education inspired by nature. Kinder-Prep classes. Licensed group care. ECE instructors. www.littlestardaycare.ca. littlestar@shaw.ca.
Port Alberni John Paul II Catholic School............250-723-0637 “Where children grow and learn through play.” We provide a program that will inspire development physically, socially, emotionally, cognitively, creatively and spiritually.
Looking for child care? Taking care of children?
Call your local Child Care Resource & Referral for free referrals and resources.
Child Care
Resource & Referral Your community’s best source of child care information and resources. www.IslandParent.ca
Victoria & Gulf Islands: 250-382-7000 or 1-800-750-1868 Sooke: 250-642-5152 Westshore: 250-391-4324 Cowichan Valley: 250-746-4135 local 231 PacificCare (Ladysmith north): 250-756-2022 or 1-888-480-2273 Funded by the Province of BC
www.islandfamilyinfo.ca www.ccrr.bc.ca August 2013 67
am !
n ms .
Tiny Dictators
I
have a pregnant friend with a plan: when her baby comes, instead of making him the focus of her and her partner’s life, he’ll fit into their life as it is already. Although his needs will be important, he won’t become a tiny dictator. Things will change, sure, but most things will continue on exactly the way they are now. In theory, it’s a great concept. If my tiny dictator was content to just go along with the life Mike and I led before his arrival, I’d be writing this on a scrap of loose leaf on the side of a trail. Mike, Angus and I would be in the Rockies, Angus schlepping his own gear. After putting on a healthy amount of miles, he’d help his dad pitch the tent and rig up the tarp, and then he’d silently stare into the campfire while I rehydrated chili. If it was pouring rain, and I wasn’t in the campfirebuilding chili-rehydrating mood, he’d lie in the tent with a headlamp on and read a weather-beaten paperback while chewing on beef jerky and a handful of peanuts (I’d have already eaten the good stuff out of the trail mix). And then he’d fall asleep and not wake up until morning. But I’m not trailside. I’m writing this in a
living room full of Duplo, board books, and grandparent-gifted noisy toys. Angus is in the next room, napping with all the required paraphernalia: his crib, his froggie blankie, black-out blinds, and a white noise machine cranked up so loud I can trick myself into believing the ocean’s nearby. When he wakes we’ll run through a sprinkler, pet some goats, or build a sandcastle. Maybe we’ll find a slide to climb up. Even if you haven’t set foot in our living room, or seen the raisin cupboard in the kitchen, the yet-to-be-broken-in potties in the bathroom, and the stash of special post-bath books in Mike’s T-shirt drawer, you could tell the two of us are different than we once were. We’re parents now. We like the same music, but we’ll quickly switch on a Raffi CD if things are getting hairy. We enjoy a fun evening, but that could be a game of crib on the picnic table and bed before the sun has set. We don’t go anywhere without snacks, and sunscreen, and hand wipes, and warm clothes. And of course there are the tell-tale circles under our eyes that hint at a housemate who doesn’t appreciate the importance of a full night’s sleep.
Angus changed our lives. He changed them completely. And as he grows, our lives will continue to change. Sure, there are things I miss. Mike and I start at least one sentence
Maternity & Beyond Laura TRUNKEY per day with, “when Angus is old enough to go to summer camp…” But nothing our tiny dictator prohibits is remotely as important to us as he is. I know there will be summers spent in the backcountry again, but for now I am thankful for the six-person tent that accommodates all the gear our toddler requires, gear we couldn’t possibly carry more than a few feet away from the car anyway. And look out fellow campers, Mike and I have almost gotten up the nerve to pitch that tent somewhere other than our living room floor. Laura Trunkey is a writer, editor and mother of the amazing Angus. She can be reached at laurajtrunkey@gmail.com.
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Island Business & Professional Directory Is Your Child Struggling at School?
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Visit Vancouver Island’s largest specialty toy store! Locally owned, proudly serving the mid-Island Community for over 19 years!
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102–2517 Bowen Rd, Nanaimo
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Celebrating our “Original” Outdoor Learning Program! We bring your child’s classroom…OUTSIDE!” • “Life is playfulness. We need to play so that we can rediscover the magic all around us.” – Flora Colao • Our property boasts 2 acres of forest with 2 huge natural play spaces for the children to discover! • Providing a quality Natural program through outdoor play, starting your child on the right path towards a healthy, active forever lifestyle.
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Christian Academy Offering independent K to 12 education in a safe Christian environment
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Ad Directory All Fun / Western Speedway..................65 Arabesque Dance..........64 Arbutus Grove................31 Artistic Statement..........28 Arts Calibre Academy.....47 BC Transit........................4 Bellies In Bloom.............14 Beth Hayhurst Photography................9 Blue Vista Resort............48 Carrot Seed Preschool......6 Cathedral School............30 Centrepointe Ballet.........59 Chemainus Theatre........48 Christmas Village...........49 Conseil Scolaire.............23 Cordova Bay Preschool...26 Cowichan Therapeutic Riding.......8 CRD Parks.......................8 Dance Unlimited............71 Discovery School...........72 Early Pregnancy Assessment.................4 Eaton Arrowsmith School.......................31 Emmanuel Preschool.....29 Evergreen School...........56 Eye Etiquette.................68 Fiddlesticks...................22 Finn & Izzy....................IFC Maxine Fisher................51 Glengarry Dance............43 Glenlyon Norfolk School.......................25 Happy Island Diapers.....32 Howard Johnson Nanaimo.. 64 ICE Hockey....................33 IMAX Theatre.................40 Island Catholic Schools...16 Island Farms..................36 Island Montessori...........26 Island Oak.....................56 Island Rhythmic Gymnastics................28 JamTots........................68 Kaleidoscope Theatre.....59 KIV................................38 Lambrick Park Preschool..................71 Larsen Music.................41 Leap Forward Dance......49 Werner Liedtke..............25 Lifestyle Markets............51 Lighthouse Academy of Dance....................24 Mad Science.................54 Miles of Smiles..............48 Momstown....................12 Monarch House.............63 Montessori Educare.......19 Morning Glory School.....56 Mothering Touch...........IBC Karen Murdoch..............18 Music Is Way Cool..........55
NIDES...........................57 Oak & Orca........12, 40, 51 The OCEAN 98.5...........61 Oxford Learning.............27 Pacific Christian.............27 Panorama Recreation.....71 Pemberton Holmes........51 Queen Margaret’s School.......................56 The Raptors...................42 READ Society...................3 Red Balloon...................57 Ready Set Grow.............24 Recyclistas....................15 Restart Computers.........41 Richmond Tourism.........15 Royal BC Museum...........2 Saanich Dental..............39 Saanich Fair..................46 Saanich Recreation.......IFC Scallywags...................IFC Serious Coffee...............44 The Shipley Group..........63 South Island Distance Education....................7 Smart Tutor Referrals.....29 Sprott Shaw.....................5 St. Joseph’s School....9, 31 St. Margaret’s................20 St. Michaels University School........17 StageCoach Theatre.......32 Stages....................19, 22 Success by Six...............53 Sunrise Waldorf.............57 Sylvan Learning...............1 Thrifty Foods..................37 Tigh Na Mara.................13 TJs The Kiddies Store.....39 Tom Lee Music................9 Tutti Frutti.....................IBC Vancouver Island Baby Fair...................10 Van Isle Cooperative Preschool Assoc.........11 Victoria Academy of Ballet....................IBC Victoria Children’s Choir.........................29 Victoria Conservatory of Music..............13, 47 Victoria Epilepsy.............63 Victoria German School..27 Victoria Kid’s Consignment.............52 Victoria Nature School....30 VIHA..............................50 Victoria School for Ideal Education..........26 Vitamin Shop...................6 Vivace Violin....................7 Welcome Wagon............45 Westcoast Academy of Ballet.....................55 Westshore Parks........... BC Wild Play.......................54 YWCA Hotel...................55
70 Island Parent Magazine
Life In the Nest
The Herons of Beacon Hill Park
T
he sight of a Great Blue Heron often appears unexpectedly as a Zen-like vision of stillness, a calligraphy of infinite patience and controlled power. Walking around Swan Lake or Rithet’s Bog, the unmistakeable sinuous silhouette, silvered by the evening light, is arresting. It stops us in our tracks; it spears and swallows the restless thought, leaving only serene ripples on the surface of the mind. It is in the heart of downtown that we can catch a glimpse of the Zen master’s raucous, squabbling alter ego. Just a couple of blocks from the busy intersection of Douglas and Belleville is the only urban nesting colony of herons on Vancouver
building, and by installing signage to warn dog-walkers to avoid the area. The hatchlings are vulnerable to predation by gulls, crows and raccoons, as well as eagles, so colonial nesting increases the number of watchful adult eyes and ready bills on the look-out for predators. The nestlings hatch in late May or early June, and are guarded around the clock for the first couple of weeks. The young are best observed in late July and early August, when they fledge and begin to explore the immediate vicinity of the nest. At this age they are occupied in mastering their growing bodies, including the huge wings that will grow to a span of nearly two metres. The
Photo: Caspar Davis
Island. Herons are usually so sensitive to disturbance at nesting time that the whole group—called a “siege” of herons—will abandon the colony and move elsewhere if humans come too close. But here in Beacon Hill Park they have nested every year for nearly a century. Even after major predator attacks, such as the eagle depredation in 2008, the herons have returned, making the best of their human neighbours. City of Victoria staff help by providing piles of brush and branches every spring for nest-
youngsters squawk loudly, demanding to be fed, and squabble with each other while waiting for their parents to deliver. Among herons, sibling rivalry is complicated by the fact that each young bird is equipped with a lethal weapon—the long, razor-sharp bill they will later use to earn their living. Fortunately, says ornithologist Candace Savage, the aggressive impulses of Great Blue Herons are almost always expressed through ritual. Mock fights between siblings matched in size are important for social learning as ritual-
www.kidsinvictoria.com
ized duelling is part of the birds’ courtship behaviour. In late August, the young birds will begin practicing short flights and will join their parents at their feeding grounds, learning the skills of probing, spearing prey with a lightning-quick stroke, hovering over water and jumping from perches. For a refreshing walk in Beacon Hill Park
Ages 2 and up Proudly in partnership with Saanich Parks and Recreation
Nature Notes
250-361-3267 www.danceunlimited.ca
ANA SIMEON during the dog days of summer, start early in the morning, before 7 a.m. is best, at the Dallas Road bluffs. The snow-capped peaks of the Olympic Mountains flash in the morning sun, while the bluffs themselves are still mantled in mauve-tinted haze. A trail
Jazz | Ballet | Tap | Hip Hop | R.A.D. Ballet | Musical Theatre Modern | Acro | Performing Companies & Crew
Storyoga Preschool A unique and innovative preschool program designed to nurture your child’s body, mind and spirit through creative & imaginative play, literature/story, yoga & movement, mindfulness & breathing, sensory & art, as well as nature activities & explorations. Vanessa Braun is an Early Childhood 3 - 5yrs
Educator & Certified Yoga Instructor.
Location: Greenglade Community Centre Room #2 78986
Tu, Th Sep 3 - Jun 26
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“Create your child's learning experience ~ discover an exciting new world… TOGETHER.” Photo: Caspar Davis
through the ripe grasses ascends the hill, winds through stands of Garry oaks and skirts a thick-wooded grove of pines. Past the petting zoo bear left through the more manicured part of the park. The nests are in the tall pines at Goodacre Lake.
• Two outstanding Early Childhood Educators. High adult to child ratios. • Healthy balance of indoor and outdoor play. • �arent �articipation giving you the bene�t of �nowing your preschool community. • Affordable fees. Subsidies available. • Morning, afternoon and full day options.
Ana Simeon is a writer and activist in Victoria. She divides her time between working for Sierra Club BC, hiking and birdwatching. Photography by Caspar Davis.
Phone # 250.477.8131 www.lambrickparkpreschool.ca
www.IslandParent.ca
August 2013 71
Cut It Out!
Tips from Parent Educator Allison Rees of LIFE Seminars
How You Think Is a Choice
T
here are so many ways to interpret people’s behaviour, especially our children’s. If you are seeing the worst “My child will never learn to be responsible,” labeling “He is so selfish,” assuming ill intent “He is manipulating things to get his own way,” you really better Cut it Out! We have to take charge of how we think about people—period. Even if there is some truth to our thoughts, there is always a way to align them to something more peaceful, neutral and more loving. Notice when you think something negative about your child. Who do you become when you do that? What is the message to your child? What is the cost of that way of thinking? Are you minding your own
business or in your child’s or somebody else’s business? That is a pretty hopeless position to put yourself in!
Practice Going from: Stressful Thought: My child is completely disrespectful! to… Neutral Thought: Sometimes my child doesn’t respond to a request. to… Peaceful Thought: He has a right to have some autonomy and independence. to… Loving Thought: If I am respectful of him, he’ll learn to be respectful back. LIFE Seminars has two books available, Sidestepping the Power Struggle and The Parent Child Connection. See www. lifeseminars.com.
Transforming disability into ability. At Discovery School, learning disabilities are transformed into valuable skills and abilities. Students work at their own pace in small classes, with focused, individualized instruction. • Experienced, highly-qualified teachers • Ongoing assessment, evaluation & feedback • Improves organizational & study skills • Boost confidence, independence & responsibility • Nurturing environment based on Christian values • For students aged 7 – 18 in grades 1 – 12 • Individual Education Plans • Low student/teacher ratio
Enrolment is limited. For more information or to arrange a tour, visit www.discoveryschool.ca, call Sherri Ko at 250-595-7765 or email principal@discoveryschool.ca 72 Island Parent Magazine
www.kidsinvictoria.com
Classes for Ages 4 – Professional Live Piano Accompaniment Individual Attention Highly Qualified Teachers
Artistic Director: Bleiddyn Bellis, F.C.S.C. - C.I.C.B.
Developing dancers with strong technique, an inquiring intellect, and confidence in an atmosphere that fosters creativity and builds life long skills. v
643 Broughton Street, Victoria, BC | 1 250 590 6752 admin@VictoriaAcademyOfBallet.ca | VictoriaAcademyOfBallet.ca
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at WEST SHORE PARKS & RECREATION
Nature Preschool
An outdoor-based 10 month licensed preschool program for your nature loving 4 year old.
hool 10 Monnsethd prePschreoolsc program for 3 & 4 A dynamic lice tion Centre and year olds at Juan de Fuca Recrea ber –June. Centennial Centre, running Septem
250-478-8384 | www.westshorerecreation.ca