June 2016 Island Parent by Island Parent Group

Island Parent Celebrating

28 Years

The Resource Publication for Vancouver Island Parents

June 2016

Yo! Papa Tips, advice & ramblings on Fatherhood

Summer Programs

Not-So-Rugged, Guilt-Free Camping

Now With Victoria Locations!

Experience the precision of customized vision

Did you recently ﬁnd out that your child needs to wear glasses? A great way to introduce kids to the idea of wearing glasses is through a story book. See below for the BC Doctors of Optometry’s top four choices!

The Princess Who Wore Glasses

by Laura Hertzfeld Katz

Fancy Nancy: Spectacular Spectacles by Jane O’Connor

Arlo Needs Glasses

Dr. Joslin, Dr. Morin & Associates Doctors of Optometry

STROLLERS • HIGH CHAIRS • CAR SEATS • SLEEP AIDS CARRIERS • SWINGS • CLOTHING • SHOES • TOYS • BOOKS PLAYARDS • NATURAL SKINCARE • DIAPER BAGS

Hillside Location Mattick’s Farm Location 1581 Hillside Ave, Victoria 5325 Cordova Bay Rd, Victoria 778-265-5651 778-265-5432 shop online & create your gift registry at momease.ca

Langford: #105–814 Goldstream Ave 250-474-4567 www.langfordoptometrists.com Sooke: #5–6726 West Coast Rd 250-642-4311 www.sookeoptometrists.com

New Patients Welcome

by Barney Saltzberg

My Travelin’ Eye

by Jenny Sue Kostecki-Shaw It can take a while for a child to get used to wearing glasses. Make sure that your child is aware that their glasses are like medicine for their eyes and it is important they wear their glasses so that their eyes can work together to stay healthy. Reciti ng this fun rhyme: “When your glasses are not on your face, they’re in their case!” can aid in keeping your child’s glasses in good form.

Play here.

Beach Time!

ENTER TO WIN

1 WEEK FREE

SUMMER CAMP! ENTER ONLINE HERE:

www.esquimalt.ca/camps Code: eTownSummer

Toys, games and puzzles for all ages Kool Toys & Teaching Tools

#102 – 2517 Bowen Road Nanaimo 888.390.1775

koolandchild.com

Centrally located. Experienced staff.

Camps for all ages & interests. esquimalt.ca l 250.412.8500

Summer Camps & Programs at Sylvan

With summer on the horizon, are you looking for ways to introduce your child to new and engaging learning experiences? You’ve got to check out our wide variety of camps and summer programs! New this summer, we have Sylvan EDGE camps with an awesome STEM (ScienceTechnology-Engineering-Math) focus! Whether your child is interested in learning about robotics, coding or engineering, our EDGE camps are designed to be fun and interactive. Kids just love them! Sylvan's academic summer programs pick up where the classroom leaves off, blending the latest teaching methods, engaging activities and games, and a fun rewards system to inspire your child in learning. From math to reading and writing, your child will step into the classroom ready and excited about the new school year. What to expect from a summer at Sylvan?  Camps include full-day, half-day and hourly options.  Great camaraderie with fun, collaborative activities and the option to sign up with friends.  Sylvan’s academic summer programs are individualized and personalized and tailored to the needs of your child.  Special pricing through June 30, 2016

SYLVAN LEARNING

Victoria 250-477-3212 Nanaimo 250-758-1526

Westshore 250-590-6211 Duncan 250-746-0222

www.sylvanlearning.ca

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June 2016 1

Contents: June 2016 Articles

Embracing the Global Village........................................................................12 Farm Fresh Families......................................................................................14 Yo! Papa.......................................................................................................15 Not-So-Rugged, Guilt-free Camping.............................................................16 Dispatches from the French Alps...................................................................18 Breakfast as a Survival Skill...........................................................................22 Summer Programs.........................................................................................24 Songs for Canada..........................................................................................32 Road Trip Ready...........................................................................................33 The Write Stuff..............................................................................................34 Air Travel & Kids..........................................................................................42 Becoming Attached to Attachment Parenting................................................44 Talking Math................................................................................................46 Supporting Families in Crisis.........................................................................48 Why Camp?..................................................................................................52

Columns

Editor’s Note...................................................................................................3 Dadspeak......................................................................................................54 Healthy Families; Happy Families.................................................................58 New Parent Pages..........................................................................................60 Book Nook...................................................................................................62 Is There an App for This?..............................................................................64 Maternity & Beyond.....................................................................................68 Nature Notes................................................................................................70 Cut It Out.....................................................................................................72

Departments

IPM Notes.......................................................................................................4 Party Directory..............................................................................................35 Family Calendar............................................................................................36 Around the Island.........................................................................................40 Family Services Directory........................................................................56, 57 Preschool & Child Care Directory...........................................................66, 67 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 $35.00 (includes GST) with your name and address to the address below. Canada Post: Canadian Publications Mail Sales Product Agreement 40051398.

Island Parent Magazine

830-A Pembroke St, Victoria, BC V8T 1H9 Tel: 250-388-6905 Website: islandparent.ca Publisher/Owner: Mark Warner Editor: Sue Fast Sales & Marketing: RaeLeigh Buchanan Publisher’s Assistant & Sales: Linda Frear Distribution: Ray Cutts, Ted Dawe (Mid-Island) Founders: Jim Holland & Selinde Krayenhoff Production: Eacrett Graphic Design Printed at Black Press, Victoria Cover printed at Hillside Printing ISSN 0838-5505

2 Island Parent Magazine

On the Cover: Penelope F. (4) Cover Photo: Belinde Fontes of Belinda Fontes Photography, belindafontes.com

Jump into June

A One-a-Day List of Things to Do June 1st. Rent a single or tandem kayak, hourly or by the day, at Oak Bay Marina and paddle among the seals. Then cool off with a gelato from the nearby Dockside Eatery. 2nd. Wash the car. Or decorate your bike. 3rd. Be transported to the otherworldly frozen landscapes of North America, Europe and Asia 10,000 years before modern civilization at IMAX’s Mammoths: Titans of the Ice Age. Visit imaxvictoria.com. 4th. March along with the Oak Bay Tea Party parade, leaving Windsor Park at 10:30am and ending up at Willows Beach 45 minutes later where you’ll find a weekend’s worth of fun, including rides, midway games and summer treats—all by the seashore. 5th. Celebrate World Oceans Day with free marine-themed activities in Sidney’s Beacon Park from 11am-3pm. 6th. Swim, skate or sweat at a Saanich recreation centre with a free drop-in pass—available at your library when checked out on an adult card. The family pass is for 2 adults and up to 4 children, valid for 7 days. 7th. Twirl along at the Victoria Harbour Ferry Water Ballet, a 12-minute show on Sundays at 10:45am throughout June, then on Saturdays, too, in July and August. 8th. Host a neighbourhood water fight. 9th. Stroll Sidney’s Street Market, Thursdays from 5:30-8:30pm along Beacon Avenue where you’ll find over 150 vendors along with a myriad of musical performers. 10th. Celebrate Cowichan Lake Days (June 5-12) with kids’ activities, a fishing derby, a soap box derby, and the Grand Parade (June 11). Visit cowichanlakedays.com. 11th. Go on a “Constellation Walk” during a night sky viewing at the Dominion Astro-

physical Observatory’s Summer Star Party from 7:30-11pm, rain or shine. victoria.rasc. ca/summer-star-parties-2016-dao. 12th. Go on a Ghostly Walk, a spine-tingling 90-minute tour of downtown Victoria’s haunted hangouts, leaving the Visitor Information Centre, 812 Wharf St, nightly at 7:30 and 9:30pm. 13th. Order pizza—and picnic in the park. 14th. Roam among the giants at Royal BC Museum’s Mammoths: Giants of the Ice Age, an exhibit that explores the ancient landscapes where mammoths and mastodons lived. Visit royalbcmuseum.bc.ca. 15th. Race balloon rockets. For instructions, visit discoverexplorelearn.com/balloon-rockets/ 16th. Journey through time and wake-up centuries ago at Fort Rodd Hill’s Historical Timeline (June 16-19), to discover how women of the Second World War contributed on the home front. Visit pc.gc.ca. 17th. Celebrate the Aboriginal Cultural Festival (June 17-19) with the Songhees and Esquimalt Nations at Royal BC Museum from 11am-6pm where you’ll find music, dance, food and the arts. 18th. Drop by FernFest (June 17-18) for the Kidical Mass Bike Parade (decorating at 10am), followed by family activities in the Field of Dreams (Victoria High School field), an artisan’s market, and live entertainment. 19th. Get creative at Art Gallery of Greater Victoria’s Family Sunday from 2-4pm. Explore art-making and ideas connected to the current exhibition, Trans-Pacific Transmissions: Video Art Across the Pacific. 20th. Stay up late and celebrate the summer solstice and full moon. 21st. Using glow-in-the-dark paint, dab dots on the inside of a mason jar. “Charge” under a light at night then set outside to glow.

22nd. Grow your garden. It’s not too late to plant sunflowers—or marigolds, cosmos, zinnias, and nasturtiums. If you do it now, you’ll have a back-to-school bloom. 23rd. Visit the library and sign up for the free Summer Reading program, starting today

Editor’s Note Sue Fast (registration starts June 15). 24th. Search for fairy houses at VIU’s Milner Gardens 6th Annual Fairy House Surprise (June 23-26) in Qualicum Beach. 25th. Drop by Ladysmith’s Make it, Bake it, Grow it Market on Saturdays at Transfer Beach from 1-3pm and gather ingredients for a picnic at the nearby seashore. 26th. Paddle Elk/Beaver Lakes during CRD’s Morning Mist Canoe Adventure, a guided paddle for ages 5+, from 8-11am. Pre-register: $20+GST (15 yrs+); $10+GST (5-14 years). 250-478-3344. 27th. Drop by Tuff City Bike Park in Tofino where riders of all skill levels can try dirt jumps, stunt trails, and challenging log rides. 28th. Play FootGolf and kick a #5 soccer ball into a 21" cup at Cedar Hill Golf Course, instead of using a golf ball and clubs. $9 for 9 holes. saanich.ca/golf. 29th. Grab some grub at the Food Truck Festival, running Sunday to Thursday from 11am-6pm, Friday to Saturday from 11am7:30pm outside Royal BC Museum. 30th. End the month with a bang at the Musical Fireworks Extravaganza in Sidney at 10pm on the waterfront. (Then celebrate Canada Day at Family Fun Fair the following day in Iriquois Park from 12:30-4pm). Happy Summer.

See the IMAX film Mammoths: Titans of the Ice Age with the new Mammoths Exhibition June 3 – Dec. 31, 2016 at the Royal BC Museum - it’s combination you won’t soon forget! 250-480-4887 imaxvictoria.com IslandParent.ca

June 2016 3

WEST SHORE PARKS & RECREATION

IPM Notes Parking Fees at Sooke Potholes & Thetis Lake

MoNDAY-FRIDAY CAMPS

THAT RUN ALL SUMMER LONG Cottage Kids

5-6 Years – JDF Kids Cottage

9:00 AM – 3:30 PM $28 a day

Summer Kinder Prep 4-5 Years – JDF Playroom

9:00 AM – 1:00 PM $165 a week

Cool Capers Day Camp 6-8 Years – JDF Curling Rink

9:00 AM – 3:30 PM $140 a week

Aqua Adventure Camp 7-11 Years – JDF Curling Rink

9:00 AM – 3:30 PM $390/2 weeks

Fun Seekers Camp

6-9 Years – Centennial Centre 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM $37 a day

Sizzlers Day Camp

7-11 Years – JDF Galleon Room 8:00 AM – 5:00 PM $37 a day

Active Afternoons

7-11 Years – JDF Curling Rink

12:00 PM – 3:30 PM $90 a week

Aspiring Artists

6-8 Years and 9-12 Years Centennial Centre Craft Room

9:00 AM – 3:30 PM $165 a week

Camp alternates age group each week.

Out & About Camp

8-12 Years – JDF Gllangcome Room 9:00 AM – 3:30 PM $28 a day

LOts more camps online No camps on Monday, August 1

www.westshorerecreation.ca

250-478-8384

4 Island Parent Magazine

Pay parking is now in effect at Sooke Potholes and Thetis Lake Regional Park until September 30. The cost of parking is $2.25 per day, or $20 for a season’s pass. Revenue collected from parking fees helps to offset the costs of park services for visitors. The seasonal parking pass is valid at both parks and can be purchased from CRD Regional Parks’ headquarters (490 Atkins Avenue, Langford), Robbins Parking (1102 Fort Street, Victoria), the main ticket dispenser at Thetis Lake or the Parking Lot #2 dispenser at Sooke Potholes. Visitors purchasing a pass from CRD Regional Parks’ headquarters or Robbins Parking are also asked for a $10 refundable decal deposit. CRD Regional Parks reminds visitors that Sooke Potholes is open from 8am-9pm and Thetis Lake is open from sunrise to sunset. For more information, visit crd.bc.ca/parks.

Lyuba: the 40,000-Year-Old Baby Woolly Mammoth A 40,000-year-old baby woolly mammoth, the best-preserved specimen in existence, will take centre stage when the Mammoths: Giants of the Ice Age feature exhibition opens June 3 at the Royal BC Museum. Lyuba (pronounced Lee-OO-bah) is the world’s most complete mammoth. Her remarkable discovery in the frozen soil of the Arctic in 2007 by a Siberian reindeer herder made immediate international headlines.

SportStart Grant Remember the days spent playing outside in the summer? We want our kids to have the same healthy, active experience. But that’s not always as straightforward as it sounds. The 2015 ParticipACTION Report Card indicates that only 15 per cent of three- to four-year-olds are meeting guidelines on spending less than one hour in front of a screen per day. Children through the age of 17 are recommended to get less than two hours of screen time per day, which is currently only being met by one in four children and youth. This report also shared recent research revealing that sedentary behavior is associated with increased risk for obesity and cardiometabolic disease in children and youth. Providing our children with the opportunity to learn the fundamental movement skills that will give them the confidence and motivation to be active is key. This summer, PISE will offer over 50 camps and programs for Island children and youth. To ensure children aren’t excluded from summer camps at PISE due to financial reasons, PISE offers the Island Savings SportStart Grant, a program that can cover the cost of any PISE facilitated program or camp. Money doesn’t have to be a barrier for children who want to play and be active. To learn more about SportStart, visit piseworld.com/ sportstart-grant.

This will be the first opportunity to the see the baby mammoth in Canada. Lyuba is on loan from the Shemanovskiy Yamal-Nenets District Museum and Exhibition Complex in northern Siberia, Russia. Scientists were able to retrace Lyuba’s short life and determine that she was about 30 days old when she suffocated after being trapped in mud along the banks of a river. Samples of Lyuba’s soft tissue and tusks suggest she was healthy at the time of her death. A time-lapse showing the installation of Lyuba will be featured on the Royal BC Museum’s YouTube channel (youtube.com/ user/RoyalBCMuseum) by May 31. Mammoths: Giants of the Ice Age is presented with lead marketing partner Tourism Victoria. The exhibition is in partnership with The Field Museum. For more information, visit royalbcmuseum.bc.ca.

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Strauss’ Die Fledermaus (The Bat) Opera for Children Want to introduce your child to opera and the limitless possibilities they have to perform? Come to Johann Stauss’ Viennese Operetta, Die Fledermaus at the McPherson Playhouse on June 2 and 3. Performed by St. Michael’s University School Grade 5 students, the script has been rewritten for for an all-ages audience. The production and performances are remarkable and will delight and inspire audiences with its young cast of characters. Die Fledermaus centres on a magnificent masked ball, given by a Russian prince, that brings together all the main characters in various disguises. The three-act journey from boudoir to ballroom to jail provides ample opportunities for farce and humour. This will be the tenth opera that SMUS has taken on with 10- and 11-year-olds from the Junior School. No other school in Canada performs a full opera with a cast so young. Under the direction of Choir Teacher, Duncan Frater, 45 students take on their roles like professionals. Die Fledermaus is at the McPherson Playhouse. Tickets cost $25 adult and $18 youth/children and are availabe through the RMTS box office or online at RMTS.bc.ca.

Auditions for Annie Annie’s heart-warming rags-to-riches story of a plucky young girl’s journey from New York orphanage to a better tomorrow remains one of the biggest Broadway musical hits ever. It has been staged in 28 languages, performed somewhere around the world for almost 40 years now, and developed into three major films. Annie’s toe-tapping score features some of the best-known songs in musical theatre, the legendary anthem of optimism, “Tomorrow.” Soon Sooke Harbour Players will be bringing all that Broadway pizzazz to the stage in Sooke and you can be part of the excitement. Come out to audition, join the band or the crew in early June. Seeking: two male leads (Warbucks, Rooster), four female leads (Grace, Hannigan, Lily, Annie) 10 ensemble members (who will play multiple roles), 10 orphans, and two young boys (ages 5-15). Behind-thescenes people needed, too. Everyone wishing to audition for a speaking, singing or ensemble choir role should come prepared to sing the first verse of “O, Canada.” Auditions will be held at EMCS Community Theatre located at 6218 Sooke Rd. Children (five-15yrs) can audition either IslandParent.ca

on June 3, 7-9pm or on June 5, 10am-1pm. Adults and youth (ages 16+) can audition either on June 2, 7-9pm or June 5, 2-5pm. Email annieinsooke@gmail.com with any questions or to book an alternate time. Performance dates November 27, 28, 29 and December 2, 3, 4, 2016. Tickets for Annie will go on sale in the fall. For more information, visit facebook.com/ anniesooke or sookeharbourplayers.com.

Auditions for Victoria Children’s Choir Why sing with 80 of Victoria’s most talented young artists? • To develop amazing vocal abilities • To make friends at camps and on tours • To perform at exclusive events and concerts with professional musicians The Victoria Children’s Choir, based in Victoria, is under the artistic direction of Madeleine Humer. Through training and practice, the children are empowered to achieve an exceptional standard of vocal and choral skills in alignment with each individual’s talents and commitment. Once practiced and polished, the choir shares its award-winning repertoire at a variety of signature concerts, guest appearances, and community events. Next season the singers will perform with the Victoria Symphony, Fretwork, and Pacific Opera—you could be one of them. Join the Choir. Youth ages 10-18 years are invited to voice assessments on June 4 and June 11. Youth ages 7-9 are invited to the new non-auditioned Prelude Choir. For more information, visit victoriachildrenschoir.ca.

1st Annual Vancouver Island Nature Preschool Conference—for KIDS Hand-In-Hand Early Years Nature Education Program (hand-in-handeducation. com) is hosting a 3-day conference for children, aged 3-6 who have been enrolled in a Nature (based) Preschool or Early Learning Nature Education Program on Vancouver Island. The Kids’ Conference is a volunteer event, put together by the collective efforts of Vancouver Island Nature Preschool and Early Learning Nature Education Program educators as a way of giving back to the many Vancouver Island families who have believed in and supported their programs. The conference will be held at Rathtrevor Beach Provincial Park in Parksville from Friday, June 17-Sunday, June 19. Registration is by donation only, with half of the proceeds going to support a natural June 2016 5

IPM Notes environment on Vancouver Island in need of financial support. This year, Hand-In-Hand Early Years Nature Education Program has chosen to support the Cumberland Community Forest Society (cumberlandforest. com) to help the Society purchase forest land that is currently under threat from log-

a grant to aid in financial assistance with their program(s). This is a great effort and a wonderful opportunity to get Vancouver Island Nature Preschool and Early Learning Nature Education Programs families and educators together in one forest, on one beach and in support of what we all love and do best: play, teach and learn with children in nature. For information visit hand-inhandeducation.com

Become a Parks Canada Xplorer

ging. The other half of the proceeds will be deposited into a Vancouver Island Nature Preschool bank account, where Vancouver Island Nature Preschools and Early Learning Nature Education Programs can apply for

6 Island Parent Magazine

Looking to get your family outside? Your answer is only 25 minutes north of Victoria on Hwy 17. McDonald Campground, part of Gulf Islands National Park Reserve, has it all—big cedars, crackling campfires and fun park interpreters. Kick off the camping season at A Taste of Camping. Brush up your outdoor skills with fun activities, learn how to cook with everything from tin foil to a Dutch oven, and sample delicious camping food. This event takes place Saturday June 18, from noon-4pm, at McDonald Campground. Presented by Parks Canada and Mountain Equipment Co-op. Book a campsite and make it into a weekend getaway.

Bring the whole family for S’mores and More every Saturday in July and August (78pm) and join an interpreter for a campfire, songs, and stories, all for free. While you are there, pick up our new Xplorers activity booklets on hand for kids to Xplore the park reserve. For an exciting family adventure plan to attend BioBlitz 2016 on Sidney Island. Camp out at Sidney Spit from Saturday August 13-Sunday August 14. Help find and identify as many different organisms as possible in 24 hours. Work side-by-side

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with experts and add to the park reserve’s official species list. Reserve your campsite at Sidney Spit any weekend all summer and get away from it all. Only a short boat ride from the town of Sidney you will find a tranquil familyfriendly, island paradise with kilometers of long sandy beaches, trails, geocaching, and more. For park program and campsite reservation information, visit parkscanada.gc.ca/ gulfislands or phone 1-866-944-1744. For camping reservations visit reservation. pc.gc.ca.

Heritage DanceFest In the spring of 2007, the Inter-Cultural Association of Victoria cancelled FolkFest which had, for almost 40 years, been an opportunity for multi-cultural groups to showcase their food, their music and dance, and their culture. For local dance groups in particular, this meant that their one opportunity to perform, recruit, and share their traditional dances with the public was gone. Thanks to an idea from a parent, Lolly Peluso, the Veselka Board decided to step forward and coordinate a small performance to end the year. Lolly’s vision included asking one or two other local groups to perform with us, find a cheap venue with easy public access, and put on a free show that June. Within a few short months, it had turned into a four-hour continuous performance with eight dance groups and over 150 dancers. The following year more groups wanted to be involved, so sponsorship was found, the program was lengthened, marketing took place, and we are proud to say that this month on Saturday June 18, Veselka will host the 10th Annual Heritage DanceFest. This year groups are coming together to put on a five-hour show at the Cameron Bandshell in Beacon Hill Park, showcasing dances from Mexico, Hungary, China, Bulgaria, Ireland, Scotland, Japan, India, and more—all hosted by the Veselka Ukrainian Dancers. Heritage DanceFest is a free event for all ages to enjoy. So, pack your hat and sweater, some food and a picnic blanket if you like, and on June 18 embark on a trip around the world. Come celebrate Victoria’s cultural diversity and enjoy the colours, the music, and the energy of Heritage DanceFest. For information, visit veselkadancers.com.

Children/Teen Sewing Camps

Your child/teen can SEW! It’s SEW EASY! Fall & Homeschool classes also available

June 27-30

Aug 2-5

July 4-8 July 11-15 July 18-22 July 25-29

Aug 8-12 Aug 15-19 Aug 22-26 Aug 29-Sept 2

(4 days)

Emphasis is on sewing clothes they can wear!

Bay/Fernwood Area

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Summer ¤‚⁄6 CAMPS

Children (aged 7 yrs & up) & Teens Andrea’s

(4 days)

Call 250-592-7879 aseweasy@shaw.ca

Andrea Bailey

25 years experience

www.andreasseweasy.com www.facebook.com/aseweasy

June 2016 7

Registration now open for:

SUMMER CAMPS At City Centre Park for ages 5-15!

DATES AVAILABLE:

$165/WEEK 2 OR MORE WEEKS: $155/WEEK DROP IN: $175/WEEK

July 4-8 July 11-15 July 18-22 July 25 -29 Aug 2 - 5 Aug 8 - 12 Aug 15 - 19 Aug 22 - 26 Aug 29 - Sept 2

PRE REGISTER:

Regular Camp Hours: 9AM - 3PM Before & After Care available 7:30AM - 5PM

www.citycentrepark.ca | 250.391.1738

IPM Notes Comox Valley Butterfly Ball Girls in gowns, dance lessons with dads, and a decadent dessert buffet—these are just a few of the surprises in store for those attending The Butterfly Ball, in the Comox Valley, presented by Children’s Health Foundation of Vancouver Island. Held on June 18 at Crown Isle Resort (399 Clubhouse Dr, Courtenay), this enchanting evening includes a dinner, dance, and entertainment that celebrates and strengthens the special relationship between fathers and daughters. The event also provides a wonderful opportunity for parents to talk to their children about philanthropy. Funds raised at The Butterfly Ball Comox Valley will support Jeneece Place, the home away from home for families travelling to Victoria for their child’s medical care. Jeneece Place is owned and operated by Children’s Health Foundation of Vancouver Island, at a cost of $350,000 per year. The Butterfly Ball Comox Valley is a wonderful opportunity to support families from the central and north island who must travel to Victoria for medical care. The Butterfly Ball Comox Valley is modelled after the successful event of the same name in Victoria, which is now in its seventh year. Since 2009, Butterfly Ball Victoria has raised more than $140,000 in support of Children’s Health Foundation of Vancouver Island’s programs that support children with health challenges and disabilities. Tickets—$170/dad, $95/daughter—include: the photo booth, light-up bottomless slushy glasses for the girls, and a surprise bag for each daughter to take home. For more information, visit childrenshealthvi.org.

Summer Reading Club 2016: Book a Trip! From June 23-August 31, kids 12 and under are invited to travel the universe page by page with GVPL’s Summer Reading Club. Whether you’re reading at home or on holidays, you can track your daily reading on your reading record and enjoy weekly incentives along the way. Staying in town? GVPL offers free library programs at branches throughout Greater Victoria. Online registration for special programs begins June 15. Beginning June 23, you are invited to drop by your local library to pick up a self-paced reading record. For more

8 Island Parent Magazine

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information about the club, or to register for programs, check the website at gvpl.ca/ src or call 250-940-GVPL (4875) for more information. Volunteer Opportunities for ’Tweens at the Greater Victoria Public Library For ages 10-12. Are you a ’tween looking for a volunteer opportunity? If you like working with children, enjoy stories, are a fluent English speaker and want to help young children with early literacy skills, the library needs you! GVPL’s Story Buddies program provides an opportunity to volunteer and work with kids. To find out more, visit visit gvpl.ca/about-us/workwith-us/tween-volunteers or call 250-940GVPL (4875). Volunteer Opportunities for Teens at the Greater Victoria Public Library GVPL loves teen volunteers. Without volunteers, some services and programs would simply not happen. GVPL has great volunteer opportunities for teens. For more information visit gvpl.ca/about-us/ work-with-us/teen-volunteers or call 250940-GVPL (4875). GVPL Summer Challenge 2016 Are you between the ages of 10 and 110 and looking for fun stuff to do this sum-

mer? GVPL challenges you to have fun with books, music, magazines and more. Choose from 24 challenges and every time you complete one, you’ll earn an entry into the weekly prize draws. Enter online or in-person at any Greater Victoria Public Library branch. Complete the challenges in any order and feel free to repeat challenges. The challenges run June 30-August 25. For more information visit gvpl.ca/summerchallenge or call 250-940-GVPL (4875).

Relay for Life 2016 Canadian Cancer Society’s Relay For Life is Canada’s biggest cancer fundraiser, giving you and the community the opportunity to celebrate cancer survivors, remember and honour loved ones lost to cancer, and fight back for a future without cancer. During this non-competitive fun-filled event, teams of people gather at schools, fairgrounds, or parks and take turns walking or running laps around a track for six or 12 hours. Each team is asked to have at least one team member on the track at all times throughout the event. Relay For Life 2016 is happening in various Island communities on different dates in June: University of Victoria, Centen-

nial Stadium, on June 24 from 6pm-12am; Nanaimo on June 17 from 6pm-midnight at NDSS Rotary Track; Comox Valley on June 11 from 6pm-6am at Vanier Track; and Campbell River on June 17 from 6pmmidnight at Ecole Phoenix Middle School. Relay participants make a commitment to raise a minimum of $100 for the Canadian Cancer Society, but the average participant in B.C. and Yukon raises $335. Challenge yourself and your team—the more money raised, the bigger the impact against cancer. Funds raised help the Canadian Cancer Society save lives by investing in outstanding cancer research, offering caring cancer support services, and leading prevention initiatives. For more information, or to register as a team captain, team member, survivor, or volunteer, visit relaybc.ca.

Ride Don’t Hide On Sunday, June 26, thousands of cyclists will gather for one of Shoppers Drug Mart’s Ride Don’t Hide (RDH) events in communities throughout B.C. to battle mental illness stigma and to celebrate and strengthen the mental health of women and families. The event is inspired by Ride Don’t

• • • • • • • • Supported by

Ball Hockey Basketball Cheer Climbing Dance Girl Power Ice Hockey Mini Vikes (full & half day) • Multi-Sport • Racquet Sports

• • • • • • • • • •

Soccer Speed & Agility Swimming Squash Tennis Track & Field Vikes Summer Fun Vikes Adventurers Volleyball Youth Leadership Development

June 2016 9

ST. MARGARET’S SCHOOL

Confident girls. Inspiring women.

Road to Rio: Olympics-inspired sports

•

Ocean-Inspired Art

•

Glee: fun with show choir

•

CoderGirl: computer science camp with Girls Learning Code & Science Venture

July 4 to August 12, or register week-by-week Mon–Fri , 8am–5:30pm | For girls K to Grade 6 1080 LUCAS AVE, VICTORIA | 250.479.7171 | ASC@STMARG.CA | WWW.STMARG.CA

Ride the Wild Cave Slide! - cave theatre - self-guided caving - cave tours – mild to wild

250-248-7829 HORNELAKE.COM 10

Island Parent Magazine

OPEN YEAR ROUND

Ranked #1 Attraction

IPM Notes Hide creator, Michael Schratter, a Vancouver school teacher living with bipolar disorder, who spent almost a year and a half cycling 40,000 km around the globe, raising $100,000 for Canadian Mental Health Association. All he had was a bike, a knapsack and a determination to help create awareness and empower the 1 in 5 people who experience mental illness. Now that he has returned, Schratter is calling on others whose lives have been affected by mental illness to “Ride Don’t Hide” in community bike rides taking place across B.C. Funds raised will be used to enhance mental health for women and their families. Mental illnesses of all kinds carry a stigma. Depression in particular is something we don’t often talk about. Some people see it as a kind of personal failing, instead of a mental illness, and few seem willing to step in when they see another person struggling with depression. The RDH Family Ride takes place in four Island locales—mid-Island/Nanaimo, Port Alberni, and Victoria—on June 26 and will help raise awareness about the stigma against mental illness. The Victoria Ride will be starting and finishing at Ogden Point on Dallas Road. There are five ride distances along the scenic coastline: 6.9km, 17km, 28km—plus a 50km and 105km ride for experienced riders. All routes are on the road. Cyclists of all ages and skill levels—family, intermediate and advanced—are invited show their support for mental health by participating in Shoppers Drug Mart Ride Don’t Hide. To find out more and to sign up for the ride, visit ridedonthide.com.

Victoria Gymnastics’ Second Location Victoria Gymnastics is celebrating its 36th year with the addition of a second location near Royal Roads University in Colwood, opening on July 4. Victoria Gymnastics continues to provide quality artistic gymnastics for boys and girls ages two through adult, beginner through advanced. Their noncompetitive achievement programs provide children with a skill set advantage for all activities. Victoria Gymnastics guarantees an 8:1 ratio, offers convenient class times and ensures certified instruction so that your child will excel in a well-structured, fun and safe environment. victoriagymnastics.com.•

IslandParent.ca

Rachel Dunstan Muller

Summer Programs July-August • Space: Drop-in Program Wednesdays, 1:30-3:30pm

• Toys: Drop-in Program Fridays, 1:30-3:30pm

• Nanaimo Cemetery Tours

Thursdays, July 7 & Aug 4 10-11:30am, Registration $10

Make a Discovery! NanaimoMuseum.ca • 250.753.1821 program@nanaimomuseum.ca Bleiddyn Bellis, Artistic Director Fellow and Examiner CSC-CICB Enrico Cecchetti Final Diploma

USE PROMO CODE SUMMER16 FOR A 50% DISCOUNT ON ½ DAY SUMMER CAMPS!

(250) 590-6752

716 Johnson Street, Second Floor www.victoriaacademyofballet.ca 12 Island Parent Magazine

Embracing the Global Village I

t took moving to a temporary home over 7,000 kilometres away for me to fully appreciate the community I’d left behind. In the summer of 2001, our then family of five travelled to a small town on the windswept coast of Northern Ireland, where my husband was participating in a teaching exchange. We were brimming with excitement as we turned into a quiet cul-de-sac and pulled up in front of the one-storey brick house that would be our home for the next 10 months. Our excitement was tempered by the queue of armoured vehicles we encountered when we walked into town the next morning. Northern Ireland’s “Troubles” were said to be over, but there were still sporadic outbursts of sectarian violence. Our new neighbours assured us that the presence of these vehicles was only precautionary, and that most of the residual unrest was centred in Belfast, over an hour to the south. We took some deep breaths, and carried on. We had a great year by almost any measure. The scenery along the coast was spectacular, and the people extremely welcoming. But as hospitable as our neighbours were, I never stopped feeling like an outsider. I missed the deep connections I had with friends and family back home—relationships built over years and sometimes even decades. As I struggled with homesickness, I began to understand the importance of community. We all come from villages at some point in our ancestral past. Even in modern times something in us still yearns for that deep sense of belonging. But we live in an era of long-distance relationships. Our friends and extended families are often spread out across time zones, and many of us don’t even know our neighbours. Most of us no longer think like villagers—which is both a good and bad thing. Our time in Northern Ireland showed my family first hand what can happen when people identify excessively with their community, to the point of prejudice and conflict with other groups. Our Northern Irish neighbours were struggling to get

past an “us versus them” mentality which had left deep scars over many decades. In their case it was Catholic-nationalist versus Protestant-unionist, but parallel divisions exist all over the globe. Our own communities here on Vancouver Island are certainly not immune. Every time we consciously or unconsciously divide ourselves by class, religion, ethnic background, political party, etc, we participate in the same insular village thinking. But abandoning a village perspective is not all positive. As our focus has shifted away from the community in favour of the individual, we’ve become increasingly disconnected from each other and from the planet that sustains us. We isolate ourselves and lose sight of the bigger picture when we think only about what we want, what we need. In order to successfully face the huge social and environmental challenges of our century, we need to embrace the reality that we all belong to the global village. There’s a ripple effect when things go sideways in other countries—even when those countries are on the other side of the world, as we’ve seen with the Syrian refugee crisis. We all benefit when the planet is stable, and when everyone’s basic needs are met. What does embracing the global village look like? It can take many forms, from the healthy relationships we build in our own neighbourhoods, to the connections we make with people many thousands of miles away. Model respect. As parents we have a tremendous influence on how our children perceive others, especially those who differ from us. Before we can teach our children respect, we need to identify and work through our own prejudices. The goal isn’t to tolerate those who are different, but to learn to truly see their dignity. We may need to consciously interact with members of other communities and share our stories for this to be possible. Local multicultural events or workshops may be a safe place to make these initial connections. Engage in collective consumption. Every time you fill a glass of water from the tap, IslandParent.ca

take a book out of the library, visit a park or catch the bus, you’re engaging in an act of collective consumption. We don’t need to own everything we use. We can share green space for recreation and community gardens. We can carpool, borrow or lend tools, and participate in toy, clothing or book exchanges. The more we share our resources and manage them for the common good, the more connected we become as a community and the more we benefit the planet. Social media is a powerful tool in the new sharing economy.

Pique Your Natural Curiosity

In order to successfully face the huge social and environmental challenges of our century, we need to embrace the reality that we all belong to the global village. Practice good global citizenship. We all leave an environmental footprint as a result of our consumption choices. By reviewing how and where we travel, how much meat and animal products we consume, the efficiency of our homes, how we use water, and how and where our clothing and other belongings are made, we can influence the size of these footprints. With effort, we can bring our consumption in line with what our planet can sustain. Connect with other global villagers. We live in one of the world’s most privileged countries, with access to free education, public libraries, good healthcare, and clean water. We can acknowledge our good fortune by sharing with villagers in less privileged parts of the globe. Kiva.org offers empowerment and opportunity through $25 microloans. Vancouver-based Seva.ca restores sight and prevents blindness in some of the world’s poorest countries, and provides invaluable training to health care professionals in the same areas. WaterAid.org transforms lives by improving access to safe water where it’s needed most. Involve our children. As parents, we’re responsible for raising the next generation of global citizens. For some helpful ideas, you may want to check out The World Needs Your Kid: How To Raise Children Who Care and Contribute by Craig Kielburger, Marc Kielburger and Shelley Page. The book is available in both Island library systems. Rachel Dunstan Muller is the mother of five, and a children’s author. Her previous articles can be found at islandparent.ca. IslandParent.ca

We offer outings and activities for nature lovers of all ages in every season, such as guided nature walks & hikes, drop-in events & canoeing.

Most are free. All are fun! There is a whole world of natural and cultural history to explore at our nature centres at Witty’s Lagoon, Francis/King and Elk/Beaver Lake Regional Parks.

See the full calendar at www.crd.bc.ca/parks. Capital Regional District | Regional Parks crdparks@crd.bc.ca 250.478.3344

Limited SPACES AVAILABLE for 2016/17

• preschool to grade 2 • before and after

school care

• small class sizes • supportive and

caring staff

• excellent academic

foundation

• Kodaly music

A local non-profit serving all children since 1973 5575 West Saanich Rd info@islandmontessori.com 250 592 4411 www.islandmontessori.com

program

• lovely rural location

connecting children to nature

June 2016 13

Mary Lummerding

Farm Fresh Families F

arm markets are a great place to hang out with your kids. If you visit regularly, you can get to know the farmers who grow the produce—your food. Bring your friends and dog, too. Socializing is fun and easy. And often there’s music and other live entertainment. What better way to support our local farmers than buying your fruits and veggies from them directly? There’s nothing like the taste of local fresh fruits and vegetables: strawberries in June, tomatoes in July, and blackberries in August. Shop the season and be rewarded with unrivaled freshness. Try visiting the farmers’ markets about an hour or two after they have opened. After the initial rush, markets tend to be more relaxed and inviting for families to explore. The farmers may eventually sell out of some items, but most of their selection should

14 Island Parent Magazine

be available throughout the time that the market is open. To find markets, use the annual Island Farm Fresh Guide which is available online at islandfarmfresh.com. The guide includes a list of which fruits and vegetables are in season and where it’s available. There’s also a farm directory, listing 75 Island farms, vineyards, and cheesemakers. And the guide also includes U-Pick locations where you can pick your own fruit and vegetables. U-Pick is an excellent opportunity for kids to see where produce is grown and learn how to harvest crops. If, after visiting the farmers’ market, you find that you have purchased more produce than you can use in the near future, consider preserving the extras for later use. Some types of preserving are very simple. For example, chopped or small tomatoes, and berries, can be frozen on a cookie sheet, then

bagged, labeled and stored in the freezer for use during the winter. Kids can help do this or do it themselves. Use the berries for ice cream sauces and smoothies and the tomatoes for sauce or stir-fries. So pack up the kids and dog, it is time to visit a real farmers market. Blackberry pancakes in December, anyone?

Mary Lummerding, with her husband Denis, is a part-time farmer. They sold produce for three years at the Langford Market in the Westshore. Mary enjoys growing, selling, cooking and eating food fresh from the garden.

IslandParent.ca

Wisdom, Tips, Advice & Ramblings “When I was very young, most of my childhood heroes wore capes, flew through the air, or picked up buildings with one arm. They were spectacular and got a lot of attention. But as I grew, my heroes changed, so that now I can honestly say that anyone who does anything to help a child is a hero to me.” Fred Rogers

Erin Wallis Photography, erin@erinwallis.com, erinwallis.com

Yo! Papa

Parent Hack #34: Flatten the Toilet Paper Roll …to slow its rotation

From Parent Hacks: 134 Genius Shortcuts for Life with Kids by Asha Dornfest (Workman Publishing, 2016). Potty training involves more than just learning to use the toilet. Kids also must learn to use toilet paper: how much to tear from the roll, the proper scrunching technique, and the mechanics of wiping. Toddlers don’t have the manual dexterity to control the spin of the toilet paper roll, so a lot of it ends up on the floor in a messy heap. Before you put the toilet paper onto the holder, squash the roll flat. The uneven skipping will slow the spin.

Mastering Baby-Care Challenges

From selecting lullabies to acclimating yourself to the scent of poo, a dad’s duties are endless. The Perfect Baby Handbook: A Guide for Excessively Motivated Parents by Dale Hrabi offers the following tongue-in-cheek advice for raising the perfect child: • Which songs are the most calming at bedtime? The traditional “Hush, Little Baby” works well, as does “Have You Never Been Mellow” by Olivia Newton-John. • What if my miracle prefers to remain unmellow? Keep singing—unless he files a formal complaint or angrils bats an object. • He’s angrily batting an object right now. What should I do? It depends. How’s his accuracy. • Pretty amazing. He rarely misses. In that cae, hire a top sports lawyer to soothe him with the promise of a $23 million professional baeball contract. • How can I make bath time more mentally enriching? Turn it into a series of learning moments. As you wash your miracle’s shoulder, use the Mandaring word for “shoulder” and so on. • What if Baby protests that Mandarin is too easy? Give him a brisk shower instead. • How can we tell whether or not our miracle has justifiable objections to our parenting or is just being fussy? It’s never easy. Depending on the situation, you and your partner may need to commission an opinion poll of a thousand randomly selected participants. • Really? What if our judgmental childless friends are all randomly selected? Do you mean Sarah, Pete, Lars, Naomi, Jared, Akiko, Portia, R.J., and Melissa? • Yes. Especially Akiko. You will have to trust in the polling process—and pay Akiko off.

Steak ’n’ Bacon Cheddar Meatballs 3 tablespoons olive oil 170 grams sharp Cheddar cheese, grated 1 onion, minced 3 large eggs 5–6 slices bacon, cut into 1/4-inch dice 1/2 cup unseasoned bread crumbs 500 grams cooked steak, diced 2 teaspoons salt 500 grams lean ground beef Black pepper 1. In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium heat. Add onion and bacon, and cook, stirring, until bacon has browned and onion is translucent, about 10 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer onion and bacon to a plate and cool in refrigerator. 2. Heat oven to 450˚. Use the remaining 2 tablespoons oil to coat a 9-by-13-inch baking dish. 3. In a large bowl, combine steak, ground beef, cooled bacon and onions, cheese, eggs, bread crumbs and salt, and mix lightly but thoroughly by hand. To taste for seasoning, heat a small skillet and fry a chunk of the mixture until browned. Add salt and pepper to taste. 4. Roll mixture into golf-ball-size balls, packing firmly. Pack snugly into the prepared dish, making even rows to form a grid. Roast for 20 minutes, or until firm and cooked through. (The centre should be at 165˚.) 5. Let cool for at least 5 minutes before serving.

(From The New York Times at cooking.nytimes.com; Adapted from “The Meatball Shop Cookbook” by Daniel Holzman and Michael Chernow with Lauren Deen (Random House, 2011)

IslandParent.ca

23 Moments That Make Being a Dad Totally Worth It …according to Mike Spohr at buzzfeed.com 1. Meeting your child for the first time. 2. Helping with late night feedings. When all of the world is asleep except for you and your baby your heart swells in the most incredible of ways. 3. The first steps. 4. Holding hands. There’s nothing quite like that little hand in yours. 5. Coming home. Seeing your kids shout “Dad!” as they sprint to the front door. 6. When your child turns to you for comfort. 7. Sharing ice cream. 8. Cuddles. Every single one. 9. When your child is your little mini-me. 10. And when they amaze you by excelling at something you never could. 11. Being presented with a special drawing. 12. When they make you laugh. 13. Enjoying a movie together. 14. Watching your child find their star quality. 15. And their competitor within. 16. Sharing something you love. 17. Celebrating the holidays. 18. When you become your child’s teacher. 19. And, in turn, when they become yours. 20. Watching your child do good for others. 21. When your child comes to you for advice. 22. Seeing your child become an adult who accomplishes something. 23. And when you realize that all your hard work and sacrifice mean you’re always there for those you love most.

June 2016 15

Laura Simons

Share what it means to be Canadian. Just by being yourself. As a UVic Homestay Host, you’ll have a unique opportunity to share your perspective on a Canadian lifestyle with young people from other countries this summer. We’re interviewing now to find new Homestay Hosts for our English Language Centre students. Do you: Live within 45 mins. of UVic by public transit? Speak English at home? Have any private, furnished rooms available? Our award-winning program staff support you every step of the way and qualifying hosts can receive up to $850 per month. Make new friends, learn about other cultures, and join a very special group of people who like to make a difference in the world. Just be yourself.

Not-So-Rugged Guilt-free Camping

once read an article about a couple on a backcountry camping trip with their toddler. I thought, now that’s the kind of camping I’d love to do. If only, if only! Then it hit me: who am I kidding? I wasn’t a backcountry camper to begin with, why would I become one now that I have a baby? My life’s camping has been almost exclusively by car. Even so, that first summer as a new mom, I decided to give camping, that favourite summer activity, a pass. I imagined all the things I’d have to pack—diapers, wipes, mushy foods, toys, countless changes of clothing—and all the juggling I’d have to do to make it work. I was exhausted by the mere thought! By my second year as a mom, I’d devised a new form of camping: a guilt-free, giveyourself-a break-option that tailors the camping experience to meet the needs of my young family and over-taxed abilities. I call it “Not-so-Rugged Camping.” For this style of camping with your young children, I advocate: camping at a park close to your home; returning home if it rains; making two trips to the site with your gear so you don’t have to scrimp on packing; dropping your children off with friends while you set up your campsite in peace and calm to return with your children later to a well-organized outdoor living space.

Find out more at: uvic.ca/homestay Contact us now to find out how to qualify: Email: homestay@uvcs.uvic.ca Phone: 250-472-4268 In person: English Language Centre, Continuing Studies Building (2nd floor reception), Ring Road at Gabriola Road, UVic Campus As for gear, I suggest you buy or borrow an easy-to-assemble, family-sized tent. In case you have to set up the tent with the kids around, you won’t waste time struggling while they wander off into the woods. A tent with standing room is best, lest you end up in your old two-person 16 Island Parent Magazine

tent, crawling around with a babe in arms and understandably deciding that camping is just not for you. The tent should be big enough for a playpen so you can let your baby sleep safely confined while you enjoy the dusk hours by the fire in gleeful adult conversation. If you haven’t made the switch yet to air mattresses, it’s probably time. Children are rough on adult backs, and you deserve a good night’s sleep. Mind the mattress warnings about suffocation. And save those thin blue mats for when the kids are older and can sleep on them without acquiring aches and pains.

As for food, well, it would probably be a good idea to pre-assemble some baby and toddler meals. I’ve never actually gotten around to that, but I think it would help! Where to camp in the new, guilt-free world? Numerous provincial parks around the Island mean there’s one close to every major community. For those living around Victoria, Goldstream is an easy option. I know, you might cringe at the thought of camping so close to Costco, but the ease of arrival and departure and the proximity to coffee shops make up for the lack of exotic locale. Most provincial parks have playgrounds, so if your kids are old enough for that kind of distraction, think of getting a site right next door, or close by. The reservation system makes it easy to grab the site you want. I suggest reserving a campsite far from creeks, beaches or other hazards—save these for when the kids are older and can swim and/or listen to you. Another plus about provincial parks is IslandParent.ca

that they usually have decent toilets. And running water. For those charming baby explosions that seem to arrive at the most inconvenient times, you’ll appreciate the modern conveniences. If you stay at a park near your house, you can hold off on reservations and make a decision at the last minute. If the weather forecast looks good, drop by during your morning errands and grab a same-day campsite. You’ll save on the reservation fee and have a better shot at a sunny getaway. Private campsites provide another option. On the South Island, Sooke River Campground is a great choice. It’s cheaper than the big parks, and there’s no reservation fee. They have a small playground, and one of my favourite options for the Not-so-Rugged Campers: rustic cabins. Yes, rustic they are, but they do have electricity, heat, a minifridge, bed platforms and a campfire ring. You will have to walk to the bathrooms, so it’s still camping, right? You’re kids will think so! The final thing to remember for a successful Not-so-Rugged Camping trip: take it easy on yourself. This is supposed to be fun. You don’t have to prove to anyone what a great camper you are. The point is to get out into nature, to reconnect with each other, away from the laundry, the dishes, the chores and the errands piling up at home. This is a chance to enjoy your family. And if you want to make a run to a nearby cafe for coffee in the morning, do it with pride. You’ve got young kids and you’re actually camping. When they’re a little older and speak in only glowing terms about the fun they’ve had on family camping trips, you’ll know you did the right thing. At that point it’ll be easy to convince them to try some ‘real’ backwoods camping, if you’re so inclined. Either way, you’ll know that you’ve taken advantage of the best camping opportunities in a way that meets your own family’s needs. See you at the playground! Laura Simons is a Victoria-based writer and lawyer. Her most recent play was produced as part of this year’s Belfry Theatre SPARK Festival. She has two young daughters. Discover Camping Reservation Service. You can use the Discover Camping website (discovercamping.ca) to view campsite availability, reserve a site and manage your bookings.Phone reservations: 1-800-689-9025.

IslandParent.ca

Come See Why Learning in Nature Rocks! Ages 3–5 Colwood • Sooke "Tell me and I'll forget, show me and I may remember, involve me and I'll understand" – Chinese Proverb Reggio Influenced Philosophy Child Led Learning Registrations Now Being Taken for Limited Spaces mosnjk@hotmail.com www.naturejuniorkindergarten.com

Maple Tree Children’s Centre “Where GROUP child care feels like family” 2 locations to better serve Victoria:

3130 Jutland Rd (near Mayfair Mall) and our BRAND NEW Infant/Toddler and 3–5 Centre at 100 Aldersmith Pl (near the intersection of Admirals and Old Island Highway)

250-588-0512

Oak Bay Figure Skating Club

s p m a C ’ z t a R k ‘RiingnJuly 4 to Aug 12 runn

Learn and improve your skating skills! Age 4 to 10.

Half day camps, full day options. For more information and registration forms visit www.oakbayfsc.ca or email jamiemcgrigor@gmail.com June 2016 17

Itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s All

Kate Wiley

Greek

r e m Sum ram g o r p g n i n i tra Canadian Forces Sailing Association

www.cfsaesq.ca

Courses for all ages, from beginner level to Advanced.

Maplebank Rd

1001 Maple Bank Road

irals

Rd Colville

CFB Esquimalt Dockyard

ESQ M

...Dispatches from the French Alps

Adm

F SA ON

A AL T SQU

To registerADULT call:COURSES

Week

Evenings

June 2 June 25

Tues & Thurs.

Adult COST DND Centre Colwood Activity CANSail

June 29 July 22

June 30 July 23

oday I came across an article in the Washington Post about a Paris-based CEO whose hologram was beamed halfway around the world to allow him to attend an executive meeting in Chicago in three-dimensional form—very nearly achieving every CEO’s wish of being in two places at once. The notion of being in two places at once has never appealed to me. Particularly at this moment, when I am taking a day off from the beach to work from a sidewalk café in Chora, the port town of Naxos. A few days ago, we ferried from Athens to this island in the heart of the Aegean on advice that it has some of the friendliest beaches for kids. LESSONS FOR It’s an unassuming island. When we showed up at Pension Verikokos, there was no record of the hotels.com reservation that ALL, I hadBEGINNER made months ago. But no matter, we were served coffee and fresh-squeezed orange juice in the adjoining TO ADVANCED! “Yummy Bakery” café while a room was stripped of dirty linens and doused ! with bleach. This suite, which has two bedrooms, is costing us about 25 euro a • ENTHUSIASTIC, FLEXIBLE night. There are, of course, plenty of tonier establishments on the island which will set you back several hundred euros a night. But most of these remain shutLESSONS! tered while the proprietors apply a fresh coat of whitewash and brilliant blue • 30+ YEARS OF TEACHING trim in anticipation of the hordes of tourists that are rumoured to arrive Easter weekend, which falls a month later here in Greece. EXCELLENCE! • STUDIO NEAR UVIC

250-363-1009 $300

$330

Basic

Tues & Thurs.

Intro to the sport of sailing & For course information: www.cfsaesq.ca/sail_training.html, seamanship. Covers a range to 28 emailJuly sailinginstructor@cfsaesq.ca, phonelevels. 250-580-2670 suit all experience T ues & Thurs. Aug 20 Fri. eve. and We follow of instruction Aug the Sail Canada CANSail curriculum Adult CANSail

$300

Sat. & Sun. daytime

7, 8, 9

Look for CFSA on Facebook!

$330

Advanced

Progress to Advanced sailing skills. Basics course prerequisite.

PIANO! LEARN PIANO! !

SEASONAL PRIZES!

NON-

PIANO! LEARN !

It’s the stuff of dreams: A year in the French Alps! Thanks to the Deferred Salary Leave Program available to BC Public Service employees, Kate Wiley and her family of four are living the dream. Her two boys are enrolled at the local elementary school of just 80 pupils. Despite having its own ski hill that overlooks Lake Geneva, the village of Thollon-les-Mémises is mostly off the tourist radar. More than halfway through their year living in the French Alps, Kate shares her family’s experiences in this installment, the fourth of a six-part series. FUN

LEARN

DND

Mon. & Wed.

WITH MARY ROGERS! BMus (Piano Performance) UBC, ARCT and BCRMT FUN SEASONAL PRIZES!

WITH MARY ROGERS! BMus (Piano Performance) UBC, ARCT and BCRMT

LESSONS FOR

ALL, BEGINNER TO ADVANCED!

• ENTHUSIASTIC, FLEXIBLE

• ENTHUSIASTIC, 250-744-9049! mrogersmusicstudio@shaw.ca! FLEXIBLE LESSONS EXCELLENCE! LESSONS!

MARY ROGERS PIANO STUDIO!

• 30+ YEARS OF TEACHING

• STUDIO NEAR UVIC • 30+ YEARS OF TEACHING EXPERIENCE

• STUDIO NEAR UVIC

MARY ROGERS PIANO STUDIO!

250-744-9049!

mrogersmusicstudio@shaw.ca!

June 2016

For now, the beaches are blessedly empty and the village streets occupied mostly by pensive, whiskery men sipping coffee. Ancient ruins are scattered across the island and spring has granted us the privilege of poking around these in relative solitude. Rather than methodically hunting the sites down, I’ve allowed the island’s history to reveal itself, little by little. The first prehistoric discovery came on a morning run. Next was the early-Christian-era church which our ambling family stumbled upon at the end of a country lane laced with fragrant citrus and sun-worshiping lizards. The pinnacle: a family church nestled into the craggy hills overlooking the port, its white walls protruding starkly from the red rock. Inside the tiny chapel, a cast of Christians from every era gazed out at me from the walls. The portraits exuded such a riot of colour that my eyes did not know where to rest. Climbing back onto our orange, Vespastyle 50cc scooter, my husband and I zipped down the hill to watch the sun set behind the island’s trademark monument, Portara. This gigantic marble gateway once opened onto a temple dedicated to Apollo. The rays of the retreating sun glinted off the rippling sea—our powerful Pacific home feeling very distant. This romantic interlude was made possible by—no, not a surprise visit from Nana—but the generosity of our favourite employee of the Verikokos empire (which, in addition to our pension, boasts another hotel, market, laundromat and the aforementioned Yummy Bakery). Eva Kaldi is the kind of woman who you want to enlist as a nanny on the spot, finances be damned. Our kids were smitten at first sight. All it took was a smile and two individual servings of Nutella, vacuum sealed in plastic hearts decorated with the ever-present Minion. Within a matter of days, the family early bird was bounding out of bed and begging to go downstairs in his pajamas to see “his friend.” After our romantic tour by scooter, Ed and I found our eldest cradled in Eva’s arm as the original Star Wars played on her laptop. His younger brother had long since passed out in Eva’s bed, but Cullen was not going to miss a moment of movie time beside this Greek goddess. Eva says having the boys around reminds her of how much she misses her family in Athens. An only child, she will work 12hour shifts during the high season in order to pay for her education and help out her family. She is studying cinematography in hopes of one day selling her screenplays. It’s 20 Island Parent Magazine

IslandParent.ca

a four-year degree that will take her eight to complete on account of her work schedule. “I want to make my dreams come true. We have to fight for something we want,” she tells me over a cappuccino freddo. Our boys rampage around the open-air café, veering every now and then into the street, and Eva remarks on how Greek children are not so independent. I try to take it as a compliment, even as every shriek from Stuart has me glancing around nervously to see if any observers are casting a disapproving eye our way. Eva adds that her professional aspirations may require her to move abroad one day, but that it is difficult for Greeks to be separated from their families. Tight-knit families have always intrigued me. It’s one reason I moved to South America briefly after graduating. But since starting a family of my own, I’ve come to appreciate the freedom that our more fluid ties afford. Sure, it would be nice to spend a week in Greece kid-free, but if we didn’t have our little hellions in tow, we would be deprived of Eva’s morning hugs and the countless other gestures of affection bestowed on us by the children-worshiping Greeks. Random

encounters in the streets and local eateries have resulted in: • an impromptu lesson on sculpting marble (chisel and all) • a homemade chocolate cake bearing birthday candles for Stuart • a private acoustic concert on board the ferry • an hour-long demo in the lost art of spinning tops • and, perhaps most notably, unrestricted access to “customer-only” washrooms Post script: As we sailed out of the Naxos port, Cullen cried for Eva. We were in the Acropolis Museum in Athens later that week, admiring a pensive Athena cut from marble from the island of Paros, neighbour to Naxos. “I wish Eva would come with us to Canada,” murmured Cullen. Yet another addition to our extended family. There’s lots we’re going to miss about Europe. When Kate Wiley is not living with her family in the French Alps (which is most of the time), she calls Langford home.

Island Swimming Club Swimming for Excellence in Life Summer Skills Programs Available Now! Join the fun this summer.

Help the kids sharpen their skills and enjoy a cool break in the pool. Great lessons at even greater value! Weekly Registration Programs Available at Saanich Commonwealth Place For Swimmers Age 6-10 July 11th - August 11th

New to Island Swimming?

BOGO! New Swimmers quote SP16 to buy one week & get 50% off your second week! New swimmers who register in the fall will also receive a free swim cap and t-shirt.

Participants will be able to meet our

Special Guest Olympians!

IslandParent.ca

For more information on our summer programs contact: www.islandswimming.com info@islandswimming.com (250) 744-5536 June 2016 21

Tamara MacNeil

Breakfast as a Survival Skill I might not be able to get a good sleep, but I can still get a good breakfast

Considering your first home purchase? Four secrets you need to know! What to do and what not to do.

Call now to discuss a step-by-step approach to buying your first home.

250-891-6776 ConnieLebeau.ca ConnieLebeau@RoyalLePage.ca 22 Island Parent Magazine

ive weeks ago, my son James was born. He has his dad’s eyes and, sadly, his mom’s digestive troubles. No matter what we feed him, in what quantity, or at what temperature, it disagrees with him. He does what’s commonly referred to as “fussing,” and let me tell you—the kid’s a natural. He can do it in his sleep. This means the nuit blanche, or sleepless night, is standard in our place. Every half hour, one of us is up with him to soothe or burp or feed the kid. In the very wee hours, when everything is dark and I despair, I do the thing that makes everything a little bit better. I think about breakfast. For most of my life, breakfast has been the meal you skip, or, later on in life, it became the meal made up of oatmeal in winter and two slices of toast with some sort of topping in summer. Pair that with a cup of a warm, brown, caffeinated liquid and voila, you have breakfast. Types of bread, oatmeal toppings, and beverage all shift according to the vagaries of an unhappy digestive system that sometimes permits the indulgence of pain au chocolat and coffee, but sometimes only permits gruel (not as bad as it sounds) and tea. Breakfast, when I have eaten it, has never been an affair to remember. Until the boy. It started right away. There we were, in the recovery room at the hospital, and I was famished. It had been a long and gruelling night and day previous, and the granola bars we had packed were providing calories, sure, but not much else. It was too early for the hospital’s food services to be open, and getting to the nearby grocery store seemed about as reasonable an idea as going to the moon. So I began to fantasize. When I get home I’m going to have toast. Toasted homemade bread. And coffee. A big mug of proper coffee. In my own home,

with the sun coming in the windows and the birds chirping. It helped, this fantasy of toast and coffee. It helped me get through the endless granola bars, the doughy bagels from the fast food place downstairs, and it helped me cope with the lacklustre hospital meals—all of which

came with a single-serving packet of ranch dressing regardless of the meal on offer (it even accompanied a tiny bran muffin, a yogurt, two containers of milk, an apple, and a piece of cheddar cheese. Really. And no, I’m not sure what I was supposed to do with it either). When I got home, I ate the toast and had the coffee that I had promised myself. The toast was light, fluffy, perfectly golden on top, if a little overdone on the bottom. I had it with marmalade I’d made in February, and a cup of strong coffee, made rich with cream. It was my first real meal after the hospital, and it was like eating happiness. After that, I got in the habit of daydreaming about breakfasts. Learning baby care was difficult, and breastfeeding didn’t go so well, so there wasn’t much my frazzled brain could take except skimming beautiful food IslandParent.ca

Tamara MacNeil is a new parent and a full-time writer living in Victoria, currently surviving off half-hour intervals of sleep and full-fat yogurt. Her writing has been published in Imaginarium 3: Best Canadian Speculative Writing and other venues, and has been nominated for an Aurora Award.

S T A G E S Su m mer Pro g ra ms 2016 36th A n nual

Da nce I ntensive

Aug ust 22 nd - September2 nd

Part-day program for dancers 10 years old & up

in Jazz, Ballet, Hip Hop & Acrobatics

Plus

Week-long, part day

Youth Da nce Ca mps Throughout July & August for dancers 6-12 years old in Jazz, Hip Hop & Acrobatics

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 18 months to 3 years old

photos by D Haggart

websites and bookmarking tasty-looking recipes. Plus, by the end of a night of rocking, soothing, cooing, feeding, burping, and settling, then getting into bed just to get out of bed and do it all over again, I wasn’t just exhausted, I was famished, too. Cue grocery lists that went from basics and convenience foods to lists that included fresh, local strawberries—after all, it’s spring—asparagus and early potatoes, and packs of cream cheese. Cue breakfasts of fullfat yogurt and fresh strawberries (quick and easy to assemble after a long, loud night), asparagus and poached eggs and fried new potatoes (no prep needed), of pancakes (the dry and wet ingredients mixed in separate containers when time permitted), of good apricot bread, thickly spread with soft white cheese. Cue feeling better about the night once breakfast rolled around. So, sure, I couldn’t get sleep. But I could still get breakfast. Last night it was another of those nuit blanche sort of nights. It started at 11 p.m., and went in half-hour intervals until I submitted and got up at 5 a.m. to put the boy in the sling and walk with him a while. The night before, after a two-hour nap in the afternoon, I’d prepped the makings of blueberry-yogurt muffins, and last night, I made them. I was angry and upset when I got up, exhausted, full of that “I can’t keep doing this” sort of dread that comes from another hard night and an empty stomach. But there were fresh muffins this morning, and lemon-scented cream cheese to spread on them, and cheap tea that brews up strong and red, and when taken with sugar reminds me of lunches out with my long-gone Gran. Plus, the boy fell asleep almost as soon as his feet touched the sling. So I had breakfast in the sunshine, with the boy napping on my chest, in the quiet and the birdsong. It’s spring, heading into summer, I thought, licking the cream cheese from my fingers and enjoying the sunrise and the surprising warmth of the early day. I should see about getting my hands on some stone fruit soon. I always wanted to try barbecuing peaches.

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

katerubintheatre.com

Celebrating 20 years of creativity and theatre

IslandParent.ca

June 2016 23

EXPLORING OUR WORLD LICENSED PRESCHOOL OPEN HOUSE

CHILDREN AGED 3-5YRS

Saturday, June 11th 10:00am-12noon at the Gordon Head Rec Centre Come explore with us! Themes that are inspired by your child's interests, with a focus on outdoor play, stories, science, arts and crafts, music, drama and dance. We offer a developmentally appropriate, play-based program with an emphasis on the whole child's development. This fosters growth in each child's emotional, social and physical well-being.

Contact Jen Poitras at 250-475-7113 for more information

24 Island Parent Magazine

Summer Programs Here it is! Victoria’s most comprehensive listing of summer programs for families. Included you’ll find information on everything from Art to Science and Nature and much more. Check out the advertising in this issue for more details. ART

COMPUTERS

Artistic Statement Gallery & School Of Fine Art offers classes in drawing, painting, sculpture and cartooning. We design portfolios for students ages 14 and up to prepare them for entrance into degree and diploma programs in a variety of disciplines. Younger children also benefit from our unique approach, learning specific techniques to further their skill and creativity. Our annual student art exhibit showcases the students’ mastery of art at a level far above that produced by their peers. 250-383-0566.

Byte Camp—Creative Tech Camps for Kids! Kids in our “Claymation Movie Production” camps create their own clay characters, sets and props, and shoot and edit their own quirky animated movies. Our “Flash Video Game Design” camps teach kids how to animate characters and stories, and program Actionscript to make fun, interactive video games. And our “3D Animation” camp will introduce the next generation PIXAR artists to the amazing world of 3D character modelling and animation. $240/wk, 9-14yrs, bytecamp. ca, 1(888) 808-BYTE for more info.

CHURCH CAMPS Amazing Journey Day Camp: July 4-8 (9am12noon) Pre-K-Grade 5. Get ready for a fun, action-packed journey into the world of comic books and superheroes. An outdoor training center, laboratory, and theatre are part of our amazing Christian-based program designed to help children understand the meaning of living their lives with faith. Sponsored by Lutheran Church of the Cross and St. Luke Cedar Hill Anglican Church. Limited space. $30/child. Info/registration: amazing4kids16@gmail.com.

DANCE/MUSIC/PERFORMANCE

Emmanuel Baptist Church. Come and join us for summer camps this year! We have six affordable camps for children from preschool up to Grade 6. We are learning to dance, exploring the jungle, getting wet, and much more. At Vacation Bible School we will explore the Deep Sea with gym games, interactive storytelling, crafts and lots of singing. It is fun for the whole family. Come play and learn how God is with us wherever we go. We have competent staff as well as lots of volunteers, so the camper to adult ratio is very low. For registration forms, visit emmanuelvictoria. ca. Phone: 250-592-2418. Email: summer@ emmanuelvictoria.ca.

Kate Rubin Theatre & Drama Studio offers young people with a dramatic interest or passion a series of exciting summer camps to creatively explore and develop their skills. Kate and her studio are highly regarded for running quality theatre programing for children teens and adults. This summer, experienced actors/teachers will be teaching specialized full or half week theatre camps for youth ages 5-17 years. There is something offered for all levels and each camp will have an opportunity to perform their work for an audience at the end! Groups are small for quality instruction. For more information, call 250-386-8593 or email katerubin@telus.net. katerubintheatre.com.

Arabesque Dance Studio Summer Dance Intensive 2016, August 22nd to 26th. Join us this summer for a course that includes classical ballet, contemporary dance and body conditioning classes. This is a great opportunity to try new choreography, improve technique and fitness, and enjoy new and old friendships in a supportive atmosphere. For more information: dancearabesque.ca or call 250-595-3107.

IslandParent.ca

Movie Magic Film Camps. Seeking actors and filmmakers for weeklong summer camp. Come up with an amazing story, pick out props and costumes, choose your locations and shoot the film. Then edit with sound effects and music. Take on all roles of movie making. Shooting, directing and acting. Learn Hollywood tricks and illusions behind special effects and stunts. At the end of the week attend your own big screen movie premiere. All equipment included. Held in Saanich, West Shore / Langford, Esquimalt, Tofino, Ucluelet and Courtenay. Ages 8-14. movie-magic.ca or 250-885-8342 for more info and sign up. Stages Performing Arts Schools is offering a number of different summers programs through July and August. Since 1980 Stages has offered professional instruction in jazz, ballet, lyrical, tap, musical theatre and hip hop for all ages and levels of experience. We believe that all students should have an equal opportunity to learn in a safe, non-competitive environment, which fosters self-expression, a healthy body, confidence, and encourages discipline, creativity and pride in their accomplishments. For more information, please call STAGES at 250384-3267 or visit stagesdance.com. The Summer Holiday programs at St. Michaels University School Summer Fun for Everyone. Camps for kids in Victoria ages 5-15. Choose from: Circus Circus, Code:Makers, Summer Chefs, Passion Sports Basketball, and much more! A limited number of bursaries are available. Visit our website for information on these and other programs: smus.ca/summer, or call the Education Extension office at 250-370-6120.

Tom Lee Music Academy’s flexible summer lesson programs offer an ideal solution to get you started on or simply test the waters of a musical journey. Our famous School of Rock Program, and low commitment, flexible private lessons are a perfect fit for busy summer holiday schedules. Call Rosa at 250-383-5222, or drop by the store for more information.

Performing Arts School since 1980

Victoria Academy of Ballet’s Half-Day Summer Camps July 4-8 and 11-15 (ages 3-10). Camps will include a variety of classes and activities including the exploration of ballet, jazz, creative movement and character dance as well as arts and crafts, imaginative play and musical theatre. Junior Summer Intensive July 18-29 (ages 11-13). A two week, full day, intensive program with classes in ballet, jazz, character and preparation for pointe. The Junior Summer Intensive is for students with previous dance experience who wish to take their technique to a new level in this fun and action packed Intensive. VictoriaAcademyOfBallet.ca. 250-590-6752.

EDUCATION Christ Church Cathedral School’s Summer Program provides a safe and exciting summer for your child. We have a high supervision ratio, experienced staff, excursions every day, plus all the facilities of Cathedral School. This program runs from June 27-August 31 and is suitable for ages 5-10. Technology, Multi-Sport and Theatre Camps are also running throughout the summer. Schedules and details on the website. Call 250-383-5125 for details or email office@ cathedralschool.ca. See cathedralschool.ca. This one’s just for girls! Summer camp at St. Margaret’s School provides fun activities in a supportive environment to build confidence and skills over the summer months. Your daughter will love our weekly themes: World Culinary Arts, Road to Rio: Olympics-inspired Sports Camp, Oceaninspired Arts, Glee: musical theatre camp, CoderGirl: computer science, and more. July 40-August 12 (8am-5:30pm, Monday to Friday, minus stat holidays), or register week-by-week for more flexibility. Options for girls K to Grade 7; does not have to be a current student. To register: asc@stmarg. ca. 250-479-7171. stmarg.ca/girls-summercamp (N.B. Registration for CoderGirl is online only).

-S ch o o l e r P r e m S um & C l adsuspe s s p m a C e Da n c onths an for ages

18 m

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

Art Classes Drawing Painting • Sculpture Cartooning Portfolio Preparation • Day and Evening Classes • One or Two hour sessions • Technique Oriented • Ages 5 and Up

COMPLETE A PORTFOLIO COURSE – Ages 14 & Up, DESIGNED ESPECIALLY FOR YOU FOR ENTRANCE INTO: INTERIOR DESIGN, ARCHITECTURE, BACHELOR OF FINE ARTS, FASHION & MORE

www.artisticstatementgalleryandschool.com

IslandParent.ca

June 2016 25

Sylvan offers summer programs to minimize summer learning loss and to help with the transition from one grade to another. Sylvan’s individualized programs prevent children from forgetting what they learned last year and help them to preview what they will be studying in the coming year. To get your child set up for summer and for success, give us a call at one of our four Vancouver Island locations: in Victoria 250-477-3212; in the Westshore 250-590-6211; in Duncan 250-746-0222; in Nanaimo 250-758-1526.

GYMNASTICS Falcon Gymnastics, Victoria’s leader in Gymnastics, is offering Summer Sault Gymnastics camps. Running July 4-August 26, Falcon promises your child will have a great time. Whether on the Vault, Bars, Beam, or playing in our Foam pit or bouncing on the trampoline, your child is in good hands with Nationally Certified coaches who know how to make it fun and safe. Falcon Gymnastics—where fun and fitness are #1! Phone 250-479-6424. falcongymnastics.com.

Do you know a little girl who likes to dance, jump and juggle? Register her for Island Rhythmics’ Summer Camp. Over the week-long program, she will be introduced to the elegant and exciting Olympic sport of rhythmic gymnastics with nationally certified coaches in a fun and safe environment. Rhythmic gymnastics combines dance and gymnastics and is performed with small hand held apparatus to music. Classes for girls ages 6 and up. Visit islandrhythmics. com for more information. Victoria Gymnastics is celebrating its 36th year of providing quality gymnastics instruction to boys and girls ages two through adult, beginner through advanced. Over this time period, Victoria Gymnastics has gained its long standing reputation as the Island premier gymnastics club. Some of the key elements of our club’s success are our small class sizes (8:1), convenient class times (morning, afternoon and evening) and expert coaching in a well structured, fun and safe environment. We’re very pleased that our second location will be open in time for summer classes and camps starting July 4. New location is 520 Mt. View Ave, Col-

wood. 250-380-2442 or victoriagymnastics. com.

RECREATION Boys & Girls Clubs. Make sure your child joins in the fun at the Boys & Girls Club’s Outdoor Centre in Metchosin this summer! Children will experience rock climbing, archery, canoeing, swimming, and exploring. With games in the field, forest and on the water, they will have an epic summer adventure. Your child will get all the fun of an overnight camp and still get to go home at the end of the day. Only $200/week. Call 250-384-9133 ext 203 or email summer@ bgcvic.org. Burnside Gorge Community Centre offers day camps for children and youth. Fun n’ Sun camp for ages 5-12 offers fun weekly themes offering crafts, swimming, field trips and a nutritious daily snack. Regular Care: 8:30am-4:30pm, $150/wk. Extended Care: 7:30am-5:30pm, $170/week. Camp Survivor: $50/week, 9am-4pm, action-packed adventure camp for ages 10-15. Activities include rock climbing, swimming, paintball,

Summer Camps 2016 July 4 to August 26, 2016 Join us this summer and learn stage acting, singing and dancing! We offer: 1 week camps (6 to 10 years old) 2 week camps (11 to 14 years old)

Visit our website for more details and or registration information. www.fsmtheatre.ca or call 250-478-0329 26 Island Parent Magazine

IslandParent.ca

motocross, kayaking, and more. $170/wk. Daily rates $40, subject to availability. City of Victoria LIFE credits welcome. Call 250388-5251 to register.

Proudly providing flexible High School & Career Training courses for over 3000 Adults & Youth since 1986

This summer, learn to sail at the Canadian Forces Sailing Association, Esquimalt Harbour. We offer 1- and 2-week courses for ages 4-Adult, beginner to advanced. CFSA is a wonderful place to learn sailing with a protected harbour and favourable winds. Questions about the program? Contact our Program Manager at sailinginstructor@ cfsaesq.ca or 250-580-2670. Details and schedule at cfsaesq.ca/sail_training or our Facebook page “CFSA Esquimalt Training”! Summer Camps for ages 5-15 at City Centre Park are packed full of fun activities this summer including skating, roller blading, water park, field sports, lake activities, pond fishing, kayaking, crafts, nature hiking, mini golf, bowling, sportball, science experiments, music, drama, art, themes, cooperative games, playzone and gymnastics. Regular camp hours will be 9am-3pm Monday-Friday every week of summer with before and after care available 7:30am-5pm. Ages 5-15. Visit citycentrepark.ca or call 250-391-1738 for more information.

Get your High School Diploma Build-up your resume with Career Training On-line, Face-to-Face, or both! Year-round registration Call today to customize your Education Plan

250-391-9002 101–814 Goldstream Ave, Victoria, BC 250-391-9002

www.westshorecentre.com

At the Crystal Pool & Fitness Centre, we know there are lots of Summer Camp choices out there for your kids. We understand that parents need safe, fun options for their kids over the summer. When you sign up your child for a City of Victoria Summer Camp, you can rest assured that we have incorporated both our own expectations and yours when planning our camp program. We’ve got everyone covered from preschooler to teen! You can view our Active Living Guide and register online at victoria.ca/recreation or by phone at 250-361-0732. Is your child ready for the best summer ever? Esquimalt Parks & Recreation is the proud, centrally located, home of over 40 camps this summer! Let your preschooler “Get Messy” while your 8-year-old enjoys “Spy vs Spy” or “Jedi Training.” Your teenager will capture their imagination during “Movie Magic Youth Film Camp.” Highly trained staff, extended hours and flexible payment plans are just a few benefits or Esquimalt Recreation Camps. To learn more, visit esquimalt.ca/camps. To register, please call 250-412-8500.

IslandParent.ca

May 16 - June 28

Serious Coﬀee locations can be found throughout Vancouver Island and in Powell River �o �nd one near �ou go to� seriouscoﬀee�co� June 2016 27

Thank you to the Highlands & Saanich community for 20 years of support!

2016 Child Care Award of Excellence for Leadership

“Celebrate what you accomplish, but raise the bar each time you succeed!” – Mia Hamm Infants/Toddlers to Kindergarten age! Reggio influenced in a natural setting on 2 acres of forest land!

Waitlist: 250-590-3603

www.lexieslittlebears.com

blog: lexieslittlebearschildcare.com

149 Saanich Fair th

, 2016

$13 for Adults/$8 for Seniors and Youth FREE for kids 6 and under/Midway - Ride all day for $40 Gates 8am-9pm/NO Dogs, Drugs or Alcohol 1528 Stellys Cross Road, Saanichton, BC www.saanichfair.ca Presented by NORTH & SOUTH SAANICH AGRICULTURAL SOCIETY WESTERN CANADA’S OLDEST CONTINUOUS AGRICULTURAL FAIR

28 Island Parent Magazine

Join Panorama Recreation for a fantastic summer of fun in the sun with our action-packed and adventure-filled summer camps! Whether you enjoy soaking up the sun while exploring the outdoors, getting hands on with creative crafts, inventions or ingredients, or have interest in experiencing something completely new, we guarantee there will be something for everyone in our dynamic camp lineup. Live well and have fun with us this summer, and join us for camp! panoramarecreation.ca. Recreation Oak Bay—Come Learn, Laugh and Play! Summer camps for all ages at fabulous locations. New, fun themes for 2016 include Fan Art, Lil Scientists and Geo camp along with the favorites; Sports, Arts & Craft, Theatre, Dance, Aquatic and Golf camps. Water enthusiasts and adventurers will love the new Lake Hoppers camp and Youth Ultimate Outdoor week. Daily registration available in Skidaddle. Visit recreation.oakbay.ca or call 250-595-7946 to register. Royal Victoria Yacht Club offers public sailing for ages 4 and up in all levels of sailing. We were Sailing Program of the Year both 2011 and 2012 awarded by Sail Canada. We use certified instructors and low student to instructor ratios. Sailors will work towards CANSail accreditation, and will enjoy on water training, games and a beach day party. For more info, call 250-592-6113, email sailing@rvyc.ca, or visit rvyc.bc.ca. Come and join us on Cadboro Bay. Saanich Recreation Youth Leadership in Saanich. Saanich Youth Services is committed to be a leader in building developmental assets in young people. One significant way we achieve this is through our leadership continuum. This is an opportunity for a young person to learn valuable leadership skills, be mentored in a recreation environment, gain practical work experience and have the potential to gain employment in our department. Teens In Action: Level 1—Intro to Leadership, 13-14 yrs; Teens in Action: Level 2—Hands on Experience, 14-18 yrs; Internship, 16-18yrs. For more information on these programs, contact Chris Filler at 250-475-5412 or chris.filler@saanich.ca. Spend your summer with SEAPARC! Located a beautiful 35-minute drive from Victoria or two minutes from the centre of Sooke, at 2168 Phillips Road, SEAPARC has something for everyone. Our facilities and IslandParent.ca

programming include everything from an aquatic centre and fitness area to children’s adventure camps and a bike park. For more information, visit seaparc.ca or phone 250642-8000. Westshore Motocross Park offers dirt bike riding, rentals and lessons for the whole family, age 4 and up. From 50cc auto with training wheels to 125/250cc full size bikes for Mom and Dad, dirt bike riding has never been so easy and fun. Birthday party’s are common here and with over 35 rental bikes and 50 sets of safety gear, large groups of any age are no problem. Summer camps in July and August. Open Tuesdays thru Friday 11am to 8pm or dusk, Saturdays 10am-4pm, Sunday by calling 250-590-8088. Located at 2207 Millstream Road in Langford. Contact westshoremx.com.

JunioR summeR Camps

Junior summer Camps

Introduction to the FUNdamentals of the game and proper etiquette. On course play, games and contests keep things fun! 1 day camp $39, 3 day camp $79, full 5 day camp $119. For girls and boys aged 6–9. Camp runs from 9:00–11:30am.

July 4–8, July 11–15, July 18–22, July 25–29, Aug 8–12, Aug 15–19, Aug 22–26.

250-478-4653 Calling all Fun Seekers and Summer Sizzlers! West Shore Parks & Recreation Summer programs offers exciting daily and weekly camps for ages 2-16. Cool Capers, Aspiring Artists and Sports Stars alike will make friends and have a blast with our awesome leaders. We also offer Roving Play Parks, Neighbourhood Nights and Wednesday Story Walks, all free programs at a different West Shore park each week. Visit westshorerecreation.ca or call 250-478-8384 for information. Facebook: facebook.com/ westshorerecreation.

SCIENCE, NATURE & OUTDOOR EDUCATION Since 1995 the marine Adventure Program at Glenlyon Norfolk School has specialized in running 5-6 day sea kayak camps for teens and youth. Our day camps for 1112 year-olds feature instruction, games and activities specially geared towards the unique and specific needs and interests of this energetic age group. The two leaders are qualified kayak instructors and create an ideal, safe, fun learning environment for the children, and an opportunity to gain skills and boost their confidence. Contact the Marine Adventure Program at 250-3706852 or dtyrell@mygns.ca. IslandParent.ca

Bantam Junior Camps

Combine outdoor exercise with golf instruction and learn the game in a fun, exciting way! Includes professional coaching and on course play daily. 1 day camp $49, 3 day camp $99, full 5 day camp $139. For girls and boys aged 10–14. Camp runs from 1:30–5:00pm.

450 Creed Road, Victoria

highlandpaciﬁcgolf.com

Victoria Gymnastics

all ly F tion r a E a istr s Reg entive th c 0 n 3 I e1Jun

Summer Programs

Week Long 1/2 Day Camps — OR —

Attend Once or Twice Weekly For a Month Long Session ♦ NCCP Certified Instructors ♦ Small Class Sizes (8:1) guaranteed ♦ Boys & Girls ages 2 and up — Beginner

New Colwood locatio n open July 4th! 520 Mt. View Ave.

Through Advanced ♦ Birthday Parties Your Child Will Flip Over ♦ Trial Classes Available Make ups for missed classes

380-2442 Or Register Online At www.victoriagymnastics.com June 2016

Mad Science: We spark children’s interest in science, encourage their curiosity and build their confidence and skills. Join our new EUREKA! program, Science Sleuths, Robots or Secret Agent; any of our topics in this years’ half or full day camp is cool! Children participate in scientific explorations and have fun. All camps include indoor and outdoor activities. Our mixed classes focus on age-specific needs and abilities. Details and registration available on line: vancouverisland.madscience.org. Come join the Wilderness Skills in the City Day Camp at Oak and Orca! This two week program runs July 11th to 22nd. The kids will have tons of opportunities to gain knowledge about wildlife, connect deeply with nature and learn and practice primitive skills. The lessons will be delivered through experiential learning and nature-connected games. Multi-age Childcare may also be available for the rest of the summer; inquiry for either program at yj383@victoria.tc.ca or 250-383-6609. Royal BC Museum’s Camp Mammoths explores the fascinating creatures of the ice

Come Ride With Us This Summer! Dirt Bike Birthday Parties We supply everything: Bike • Gear • Riding Lesson for ages 6yrs to adults over 30 bikes to choose from

Kids’ Summer Camps (7–14) Westshore Motocross Park No experience necessary 2207 Millstream Rd, Langford

age. Campers will visit the feature exhibition Mammoths! Giants of the Ice Age, the collection areas, build mini-dioramas and dig for fossils. Mammoth Mornings is a play-based camp where the littles mammoths can roam the museum with learning around every corner. Our third camp, Living Sustainably, investigates the topic of sustainability in exciting, hands-on ways. Register at royalbcmuseum.bc.ca/camps.

Join the summer fun at Swan Lake Christmas Hill Nature Sanctuary, celebrating local animals and plants with all their wondrous adaptation to living in this wild oasis in the heart of an urban landscape. From nature classes for your pre-schoolers, school-aged and even French immersion students, to drop

in family events, hikes and evening walks, there is something for everyone! Call 250479-0211 or visit swanlake.bc.ca for details.

SPORTS Claremont Secondary School is offering students the opportunity to tackle core academic courses at the Grade 11 level and Law 12. Summer Session for Academic Advancement 2016 has been designed to provide enriching opportunities for academically motivated students. These exciting courses are open to all students working towards their BC Dogwood Graduation Certificate. Socials Studies 11, English 11, Pre-Calculus 11, Biology 11, Physics 11, Law 12 and Recreational Leadership. Download your application today. claremont.sd63.bc.ca HPR Youth Triathlon has two summer triathlon camps. Learn open water swimming techniques, improve your cycling and running skills, and learn to speed through transitions. Meet new friends and have lots of fun. Camps run Monday to Friday 9am to

Does your child have difficulty reading? • can’t read words just read earlier • letter reversal • symptoms of dyslexia • “sounds out” words but can not blend them correctly • confuses similar sounding words • avoids reading/poor speller I offer an effective program that works! Call for more information or to arrange your individualized one-on-one tutoring solution.

Victoria & Vancouver Island 1-866-518-7287 Nanaimo 250-756-9794 Or online at: www.welcomewagon.ca

Brenda Osadchy 778-440-0997

250 590 8088 westshoremx.com

totallearningservices2014@gmail.com 2207 Millstream Road Victoria, BC V9B 0J7 Tel: 250.590.8088 Cel: 250.893.9547

30 Island Parent Magazine

IslandParent.ca

4pm. Camp #1: July 11-15 at Thetis Lake. Camp #2: August 8-12 at Elk Lake. For more info visit humanpoweredracing.ca. KATS (The Society for Kids At Tennis) is a charitable organization created to provide financially disadvantaged children with the opportunity to learn the game of tennis. Our goal is to foster physical, emotional and social well-being. We provide equipment and instruction by Tennis Canada Certified Instructors to youth who would otherwise not have the means to learn and play tennis. Classes are conducted at four locations throughout Victoria. Visit our website: KidsAtTennis.ca for full details.

as time in the water. Visit boardworks.ca to register or for more information. Join Western Canada’s top swim team, and home to Olympic medalist Ryan Cochrane, this summer. Island Swimming Club’s Summer Programs (for ages 6-10 years) at Saanich Commonwealth Place combine the spirit of Rio 2016 with exceptional aquatic instruction. Participants sharpen their swimming skills with our professional coaches and meet real-life Island Swimming Olympians for a fun and inspirational learning experience. Visit islandswimming.com to register or for more information.

TRYMove. SYNCHRO Learn. Achieve. and have FUN! FREE Camps focus on fun ways to PISE For Summer develop the fundamental Contact us for next movement skills and Session patterns! that enable children to be active for life. Learning a broad range of movement skills develops the Synchro confidence Beginner JUNE Saanich and competence to take on any challenges Mini-Session s Commonwealth that children and youth may encounter Place ages 7-11 $120 in Email: Synchro Camp. sports and daily activity. This is developing Victoria Synchro Summer Tues & Thur 4:30—6pm jennifervicsynchro@gmail.com 9am-4pm at Saanich Commonphysical literacy. PISE camps are for ages Aug 22-26, Boys & Girls 3-18 and run throughout July and August. wealth Place. Boys and Girls ages 8-12, no synchro experience necessary just swimming summercamps.piseworld.com. It’s swimming combined with music, skills. dance,Water and land activities. Fun, fitness, World Cup Soccer Camp offers exciting sum- &friends gymnastics drama!and teamwork! This sport combines mer camps from Victoria to Pt. Hardy. Our swimming, music, dance, gymnastics, drama professional coaches are trained to make and team skills. Give synchronized swimlearning fun for children. Whether your child ming a try! victoriasynchro.com. Contact is a 4-year-old, playing for the first time, or jennifervicsynchro@gmail.com. a 16-year-old looking for a challenge, we have a camp for them. For more information visit our website at worldcupsoccercamp. OTHER com or contact your local recreation centre to register. Andrea’s Sew Easy. Can you imagine how excited your child would be to make their own clothes? Andrea Bailey has been teaching children from the age of seven, up to SWIMMING/DIVING teens, for over 25 years, year round! Small Boardworks. Join one of Canada’s most classes, maximum of 4, allow students to successful springboard and platform div- work at their own speed. One-week camps ing clubs this summer at Saanich Com- are held during July and August from Monmonwealth Place and learn how to dive in day to Friday, either morning or afternoon a fun and safe atmosphere. Boardworks sessions. For more information call Andrea OlympicGarten Camps (5-8 years) com- at 250-592-7879, email at aseweasy@shaw. bine dryland training on the trampoline ca or visit andreasseweasy.com or facebook. and dryboards, gymnastics and time in the com/aseweasy. water for a fun introduction to basic diving skills. FunDive Camps (9-12 years) teach Come and spend a week with us and the beginner to advanced participants basic animals at the BC SPCA’s Among Animals and advanced introductory diving skills Summer Camp for Kids! Learn about aniusing dryland training, gymnastics as well mals through games, crafts and activities

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as well as from the animals themselves. Campers ages 8 to 11 will get a behind the scenes look at Elk Lake Veterinary Hospital before their VIP tour of our Wild Animal Rehabilitation Centre (Wild ARC). Visit us at spca.bc.ca/camp to register.

Mid-Island Programs Explore Horne Lake Caves—winner of the “BC’s Remarkable Experience Award!”— and discover underground waterfalls, fossils and amazing crystal formations. Take a fascinating guided tour or explore on your own into the smaller and more rugged caves. Slide down the world’s only Cave Slide. If you prefer your adventures above ground, the Cave Theatre and Fossil Trail will reveal the park’s mysteries without having to venture inside the caves. Open year-round. (250)248-7829 or hornelake.com. The Nanaimo Museum offers a variety of summer programs for all ages, from Vikings and Discovering Chinatown for families to Bastion and Cemetery Tours for adults. Don’t miss the daily noon cannon firing at the iconic Bastion! Visit nanaimomuseum. ca or check social media for upcoming events and activities. For more information call 250-753-1821 or email program@ nanaimomuseum.ca The Raptors offers a unique learning experience for all ages that will never be forgotten. Our safe, exciting and educational summer camps keep their minds and bodies busy all day. Activities include practical and safe, hands-on experiences and flying demonstrations with many different raptors such as hawks and owls. The children, working in small groups with our fun and experienced staff, learn about the birds’ unique adaptations that help them survive in the wild. pnwraptors.com 250-746-0372. Reconnect. Tigh-Na-Mara Seaside Spa Resort in Parksville offers the most extensive resort Recreational Programs on Vancouver Island. Enjoy Kids and Family programs starting July 1. Our Recreation Brochure is listed on our website and has something for every member of the family! Rediscover the natural choice for your next family getaway. tigh-na-mara.com. 1-800-663-7373.

June 2016 31

Community Board Making our Community a Better Place to Live

1Up Victoria Single Parent Resource Centre 1-up.ca Art Gallery of Greater Victoria aggv.ca Camp Pringle CampPringle.com Child Care Resource & Referral childcarevictoria.ca Farm Fresh islandfarmfresh.com Kaleidoscope Theatre kaleidoscope.bc.ca Phoenix Theatre phoenixtheatres.ca Royal BC Museum royalbcmuseum.bc.ca Silver Threads Service silverthreads.ca Victoria Children’s Choir victoriachildrenschoir.ca Victoria Conservatory of Music vcm.bc.ca Enquire about non-profit brochure or magazine distribution in Greater Victoria:

publisher@islandparent.ca 32 Island Parent Magazine

Jerri Carson

Songs for Canada

Canada! With Canada’s 149th birthday just around the corner, it’s time to stir up some patriotic spirit with your kids. There are many ways to celebrate Canada Day. Have a family barbecue, stay up for the fireworks or just hang out at the beach. But don’t forget the music! One excellent way to get your kids excited for Canada Day is by listening to Canadian music and learning about the wealth of musical talent from sea to shining sea. There are many excellent Canadian songbooks and anthologies to read with your child that give unique insight into Canada’s heritage and history. Here is a short list of books to get you ready for Canada Day:

The Spirit of Canada by Barbara Hehner This songbook is an anthology of over 100 selections that celebrate the people and places that make Canada unique. Old time favourites such as “The Maple Leaf Forever,” Gordon Lightfoot’s “Canadian Railroad Trilogy,” “Something to Sing About,” by Oscar Brand and Roch Carrier’s “Hockey Sweater” are some of the songs featured. This book is well researched and it summarizes through song the vastness of Canada.

Our Song: The Story of O Canada by Peter Kuitenbrouwer This is an interesting book that explains the origins of the Canadian national anthem and it lets young readers experience the history of “O Canada”—from its composition in 1880 to the moment it was proclaimed the national anthem in 1980. Line by line in both official languages, the national anthem “O Canada” is explained with wonderful illustrations, and is accompanied by sheet music.

building songs, and songs about the fur trade, farming, railroads, and, of course, hockey. Favourite songs include “Ballad of the Bluenose,” “Farewell to Nova Scotia,” “Four Strong Winds,” and “The Hockey Song.” There is something for everyone in the family in this songbook, which also includes words, piano scores and guitar chords.

O Canada by Ted Harrison This colourful book describes each province and territory in Canada with beautiful and bright illustrations by well-known artist Ted Harrison. Harrison’s paintings are spectacular with images of sea life, fishing villages, fields, farms and the Royal Canadian Mounted Police. The final page includes the music and lyrics, both English and French, to the anthem “O Canada.”

Singing Our History by Edith Fowke This delightful book is a collection of songs that tell of Canada’s past. There are songs about voyageurs, lumberjacks, miners, farmers, fishermen and soldiers. Songs in the book include “The Huron Carol,” “Un Canadien errant,” “The Franklin Expedition,” “When the Ice-Worms Nest Again,” and “Drill, Ye Tarriers, Drill.”

Our Flag by Ann-Maureen Owens

The Great Canadian Song Book by Ed

This illustrated book is a colourful history of Canada’s unique maple leaf flag. Kids will learn about the first flags that flew over Canada and they will see colorful pictures of the provincial and territorial flags. As well, they will learn about Joan O’Malley and her sewing machine that sewed Canada’s first flag.

Whitcomb This book of 50 songs contains a great assortment of anthems, historical songs, traditional songs, regional songs, ship-

Jerri Carson is a primary music teacher for SD #61. She plays the cello in the Victoria Conservatory Cello Orchestra IslandParent.ca

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Cookie Sheet Desk: Ideal for magnetic pieces (poetry kits and funny faces work well) or as a hard surface for writing postcards and playing games, a rimmed metal cookie sheet can provide kilometres of fun and fits easily alongside seats. If you have time before embarking upon your journey, have kids cut shapes from magnetic sheets (available at most craft stores) and then decorate. No-Glue Scrapbook: A three-ring binder, some paper clips, and compartmentalized binder pages (meant for baseball cards) are all you need to make a souvenir scrapbook. Fill it with mementos, ticket stubs, maps, and postcards you collect along your way. Slip souvenirs into compartments, or if the items are too big, affix them to a pocket using a paper clip.• IslandParent.ca

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June 2016 33

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34 Island Parent Magazine

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The Write Stuff J

ust as important—and fun—as summer reading is summer writing. Not only do children have more time to sit down and write in the summer, but they’ll also have more stories to tell. Summer is a great time to write letters, postcards, e-mails, blog posts, and even lists. Read on for some ideas designed to inspire children to write—just for the fun of it. Story Starters: On recipe cards, write (or invite children to write) the first paragraph of a story. Make the paragraph exciting, suspenseful, intriguing, strange, or whatever else might inspire a child to imagine and then write the rest of the story. Compile a bunch of story starters and store them in a recipe box. Have fun with the cards: sit together and, using the same story starter, write your own story and then read each version aloud; illustrate each other’s stories; add a new ending to each other’s story. Twisted Tales: Start with a fairy tale and invite children to create a new beginning, middle and/or end. For example, in Cinderella, the prince might fall in love with a step-sister instead of Cinderella. Or in Goldilocks and the Three Bears, Goldilocks—after entering the three bears’ house uninvited—might end up being featured on Canada’s Most Wanted. The wackier, the better. Character Collections: Like the story starters, character descriptions may be written on recipe cards—or on the computure. Have children come up with names of characters and their attributes including appearances, likes, dislikes, hopes, dreams, habits, occupations, and so on. Or have kids cut out a person’s picture from a magazine (or draw one) and then imagine and write about that person’s traits. Or, if they prefer writing nonfiction accounts, have kids document their family, friends and acquaintances. Keep the writing times fun, informal and let your kids decide when to stop. And encourage kids to create some writing games of their own. • IslandParent.ca

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June 2016

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Family Calendar For calendar updates throughout the month visit IslandParent.ca THURS 2 Book a Trip! With Norden the Magician at Central Saanich and Nellie McClung Branch Libraries. Can’t wait for Summer Reading Club? Neither can Norden the Magician. Get a jump start on the fun at Norden’s all-new ‘Book a Trip’ magic show and experience hilarious antics and thrilling tricks. For Grades 2-5 and home learners of equivalent age. Central Saanich: 1-1:45pm; Nellie McClung: 6:30-7:15pm (for ages 5-12). Register at gvpl. ca or call 250-940-GVPL (4875) for more information.

FRI 3 Book a Trip! With Norden the Magician at Juan de Fuca and Oak Bay Branch Libraries. See THURS 2 for details. Juan de Fuca: 10:3011:15am; 1-1:45pm. Register at gvpl.ca or call 250-940-GVPL (4875) for more information.

SAT 4 Kids Mega Sale at Pearkes Rec Centre. Gently used baby and children’s clothing, toys, equipment and maternity. 9:30am-12:30pm. kidsmegasale@gmail.com. Facebook.com/ KidsMegaSale. Stride to Turn the Tide National Walk at Centennial Square. Sponsored by the Victoria Grandmothers for Africa (VG4A) in support of the Grandmothers to Grandmothers

36 Island Parent Magazine

Campaign of the Stephen Lewis Foundation. Registration 9-10am; 2km walk 10:30am. Registration $15/adult; children under 16 free. victoriagrandmothersforafrica.ca.

with special needs and their families. 10am3pm. By donation. For more information, phone 604-828-9516, or email barb.coates@ variety.bc.ca.

Brentwood Bay Festival in Brentwood Bay. Keep a lookout for Slider, the mascot from Panorama Recreation. Face painting, parachute games and more. Parade: 10-11am; Festival: 11am-3pm.

World Oceans Day at Esquimalt Gorge Park. Connect with and celebrate our diverse ocean habitats with interpretive walks, guided Songhees canoe tours of the Gorge, ocean-themed crafts, games, live music and food. Informative displays and ocean-related activities for all ages. 11am-3pm. info@worldfish.org.

What’s That? Ask a Nat! at Island View Beach Regional Park. Come with your curiosity to explore the low tide and all the marine critters it reveals. Borrow our dip nets and ask CRD Regional Parks naturalists to identify your treasures. Be prepared to get your feet wet (bring sandals or beach shoes). Look for the blue tent on the beach off Homathko Rd. 10am-1pm drop-in. All ages. 250-478-3344. crd.bc.ca/parks. The Schoolhouse Market at Craigflower School. A brand new monthly market set on the Gorge Waterway. Indoor and outdoor vendors. Kid friendly, music, food and prize giveaways. 10:30am-2:30pm. 2755 Admirals Rd. Facebook.com/theschoolhousemarket. Variety’s Boat for Hope in Victoria in the Inner Harbour. Beginning at HMCS Malahat, local skippers ferry kids around Victoria’s Inner Harbour in search of loot, while maurading pirates bent on stealing the treasure give full chase en route to “Treasure Island” at the Canadian Coast Guard Station. For children

sun 5 World Oceans Day at Beacon Park, Sidney. Hosted by Shaw Ocean Discovery Centre, the library and other organizations will celebrate the ocean with a wide range of activities and displays. Join the library for a seaside storytime at 11:30am. Tales the Whale will be there too. Everyone welcome. 11am-3pm.

FRI 10 Extreme Tie-Dye at Panorama Recreation. Come to the Bayside Teen Lounge for some awesome tie-dye fun. Bring your creativity. Supplies provided. For 11-16 year olds. Free. 5:30-7:30pm. 1885 Forest Park Dr. 250-6567271. panoramarecreation.ca.

SAT 11 – SUN 12 Easter Seals Camp Challenge at Camp Shawnigan. Teams earn points for participating in a

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series of challenges and compete for the title of Camp Challenge Champions, then take part in afternoon lawn games, volleyball, tie-dye, swimming, a campfire, and an optional campout. It’s the perfect kick-off to summer and a seriously memorable way to help send over 800 kids and young adults with disabilities to a week-long camping experience at one of three Easter Seals accessible camps. To register, donate, or learn more about the Easter Seals Camp Challenge, visit eastersealscampchallenge.com. Runs 10am Saturday to 10am Sunday. 2180 Shawnigan Lake Rd.

FRI 17 – SAT 18 21st Annual FernFest in Fernwood Square. Live music performances, food and beverages, an artisan market, kid’s activities, art projects, silent auction, surprises and magic. Free. Fri: 5-10pm; Sat: 10am-10pm.

Island Illustrators Society leads this session on global mandala colouring for kids. Drop in program. Noon-2pm.

SUN 19 Sensational Seaweeds at Island View Beach Regional Park. A CRD Regional Parks naturalist will help you discover how important marine algae is for you and me and the creatures that call them home. Seaweed-tasting optional. Be prepared to get your feet wet (bring sandals or beach shoes). Meet at the grassy area adjacent to the picnic shelter off Homathko Rd at 10:30am. 5+ years. 250-478-3344. crd.bc.ca/parks. Car-Free YYJ on Douglas Street. Four stages with a range of entertainment, bike valet, over 250 vendors. 11am-6pm. For more information Facebook.com/CarFreeYYJ or carfreeyyj.ca.

MON 20

sat 18 Beach Snoop at Coles Bay Regional Park. When the tide goes out, an exciting world comes into view. A CRD Regional Parks naturalist will help you discover the creatures that make Coles Bay their special home. This program requires wading in the water, so be prepared to get your feet and clothes wet (wear shorts and sandals or beach shoes). Meet at the information kiosk in the parking lot off Inverness Rd at 10am. 5+ years. 250-478-3344. crd.bc.ca/parks. World Refugee Day Celebration at Central Branch Library Courtyard. The theme of Victoria’s World Refugee Day 2016 is “Ordinary people living through extraordinary times”. Come for this family-friendly event on Lekwungen Territory for live music, button making, children’s crafts and more. Presented in partnership with AHAVI, ICA, Here! Magazine, VCST, VIRCS and WUSC. 11am-2pm. Artist Demo: M is for Mandala Making at Central Branch Library. Come to the Children’s Department as artist Kristi Bridgman from the

Stories on Fern Street. The Victoria Storytellers Guild welcomes you to hear and tell stories. For people who love to tell stories, for people who love to listen, for people of all ages. Tea and goodies. Doors open at 7:15pm, stories start at 7:30pm. 1831 Fern St (park on Begbie). $5; $3/students. 250-477-7044. victoriastorytellers.org.

SAT 25 DIY Life: Arts + Science + Ecology Fair at Fisherman’s Wharf. Interested in KIY biotechnology? Gardening? Eco Art? Workshops, performances and displays surrounding notions of ecology. Water, micobiology, sustainability, upcycling, biofutures will all be explored through a variety of methods. Live music, performance art, science and technology displays, food and ecology demonstrations and more. Noon-5pm. 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 on the main beach. Park in the main parking lot off Metchosin Rd and follow the 20-minute forest trail to the beach. Please note the trail to the beach is not stroller friendly. 12:30-2pm. BC Transit #54 or #55. All ages. 250-478-3344. crd.bc.ca/parks. Extreme Teen Wrap up BBQ at Greenglade Community Centre. End of season wrap up BBQ. 1885 Forest Park Dr. 250-656-7271. panoramarecreation.ca.

sun 26 Going Batty at Swan Lake Christmas Hill Nature Sanctuary. Explore the best source of natural mosquito control—bats! Explore their weird and wonderful world with games, activities and crafts, and find out how to encourage bats to visit your neighbourhood. Noon-3pm drop-in. Admission by donation. 3873 Swan Lake Rd. 250-479-0211. swanlake.bc.ca.

tues 29 Mad Science Show at Nellie McClung Branch Library. Mad scientists will dazzle with impressive experiements including misty dry ice storms, giant floating beach balls and more. Volunteers from the audience can taste a special Mad Science “burp” potion. Drop-in; space is limited. Admission is on a first-come, firstserved basis. For ages 5-12. 10:30-11:15am.

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IslandParent.ca

June 2016 37

ONGOING FAMILIeS Young Parent Drop-in at the YM/YWCA. The Y Young Moms Program hosts a free breakfast and drop-in for young parents in the community. Come enjoy a hot meal, socialize with other young parents, enjoy a kids’ craft, let your little one explore the fully equipped playroom, or have a look in the ‘free store’ for gently used children’s items and household supplies. 10am-noon. Call 250-382-1004 for more information.

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Island Parent Magazine

Dragon Boating for Families at Victoria West Community Centre. Have you ever been in a dragon boat, outrigger or sprint kayak… or wanted to try? These drop-in sessions teach basic boat skills and provide an afternoon of fun for the whole family. Parental Participation Required. Children 5 years and older. Program delivered by VI Paddling. Saturdays 1-2:30pm until September 24. $5/person. 521 Craigflower Road Victoria. 250-590-8922. Grandparents Raising Grandchildren Support Circles. Every second Tuesday morning from 9:30-11:30am or every second Wednesday evening from 6:30-8:30pm. A safe supportive place to meet others in a similar situation and to share information and resources. Call 250-384-8042 for more information, or visit parentsupportbc.ca. Province-wide toll free information and support line at 1-855-4749777 or email grgline@parentsupportbc.ca. Recyclistas Bicycle Repair Classes at Recyclistas Bike Shop. Affordable classes twice weekly. Learn how to safely and effectively fix, maintain and rebuild bicycles. Thursdays 4-7pm, and Saturdays 1-4pm. $25/adults; $13/ youth 10-18. Pre-register by calling 250-4188867. recyclistas.ca. Moss Street Market at Moss Street and Fairfield Rd. Farmer’s Market, over 75 craft and food vendors. Local musicians, great coffee, special event days and more. Saturdays, 10am-2pm until October 26. Guided Birdwalks at Swan Lake Christmas Hill Nature Sanctuary. Bring your binoculars and walking shoes and meet in the parking lot for this informal and informative walk around the lake area. 9am. By donation. 3873 Swan Lake Rd. swanlake.bc.ca•

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summercamps@piseworld.com June 2016 39

Around the Island Visit IslandParent.ca for these and other events and resources for families from Cowichan Valley north to Campbell River and west to Tofino WED 1 Glow in the Dark Skate at Cliff McNabb Arena. Skate in an atmosphere of dimmed lighting and special effects. Regular admission. Glow necklaces available for $2. 6:30-8pm. 250-756-5200.

FRI 3 Nanaimo Community Home Learners (NCHL) Monthly Meet-up at Oliver Woods Community Centre. Resource library, gym time, and parent support. 1-4pm. $5 dropin fee/family or $20 year-long membership. nanaimocommunityhomelearners.org.

SUN 5 Under the Surface at Pipers Lagoon Park. Did you know that there is a mysterious world living just beneath the surface of our oceans and streams? Come explore in search of these critters and learn about the life surrounding the shoreline. For 3-6 year olds. This is a

40 Island Parent Magazine

parent-participation course. 9:30-10:30am. $8/person. 250-756-5200. Beach Field Study at Pipers Lagoon. Let’s learn about the seashore and the ocean, its waves and saltiness. We will look closely at the creatures along the seashore and their special adaptations. Let’s learn and observe. For 6-12 year olds. 11am-12:30pm. $12/person. 250-756-5200.

SAT 11 Pirate Pool Party at Nanaimo Aquatic Centre. Ahoy matey. Bring the family for some games and even a treasure hunt. 1-3:30pm. 250-756-5200.

SUN 12 Learn to Fish at Colliery Dam. Learn about fish identification, conservation, handling, tackle and rod rigging. Sponsored by the Habitat Conservation Trust Foundation and presented

by the Freshwater Fisheries Society of BC. All equipment is provided, and program runs rain or shine. For 5-15 year olds. Children must be accompanied by an adult. 1-3pm. Free. 250-756-5200.

WED 15 Glow in the Dark Skate at Cliff McNabb Arena. Skate in an atmosphere of dimmed lighting and special effects. Regular admission. Glow necklaces available for $2. 6:30-8pm. 250-756-5200.

SUN 19 Insects are Everywhere at Linley Valley. Learn about where insects can be found and whether they are dangerous, helpful, or just interesting. This is a parent-participation course. For 3 to 6 year olds. 10-11am. $8/person. 250-756-5200.

FRI 24 Extreme Teen Swim at Ravensong Aquatic Centre. Things get extreme with activities geared to the teen crowd. Be prepared for exclusive access to the Dino Ribs inflatable toy, great music and more. 7-9pm. $2. 250248-3252. rdn.bc.ca/recreation.

SUN 26 Learn to Fish at Colliery Dam. See SUN 12 for details. Children must be accompanied

IslandParent.ca

by an adult. For 5-15 year olds. 1-3pm. Free. 250-756-5200.

WED 29 Family Fun Night BBQ at Departure Bay Centennial Park, Nanaimo. Musical entertainment, family activities, science in the park, tennis, BBQ. Free. 4:30-7:30pm. 250-756-5200. Crazy Canada Day Swim at Ravensong Aquatic Centre. Activities for the whole family to enjoy. 6:30-8pm. Regular admission. 250-752-5104. rdn.bc.ca/recreation.

ONGOING PRESCHOOL Mornings with LaFF at the Aggie. Staff and participants create play-based learning stations to explore and enjoy. Bring food to share & make a healthy snack together while making new friends. Monday to Friday, 9:30am-noon. $2 suggested donation per family. familyandfriends.ca. Family Storytime at Cowichan Library, Duncan. Bring the whole family for stories, songs, rhymes and fun. For ages 0-5. Tuesdays 10:3011:30am. 2687 James St. krumohr@virl.bc.ca.

FAMILY

Summer Dance Intensive 2016 • August 22nd to 26th Join us this summer for a course that includes classical ballet, contemporary dance and body conditioning classes. This is a great opportunity to try new choreography, improve technique and fitness, and enjoy new and old friendships in a supportive atmosphere.

Level 1/2 Ages 8 yrs.+

9:00 am – 11:30 am

Level 3/4 Ages 11yrs.+

10:15 am – 1:00 pm

Level 5/6 Ages 12 yrs.+

1:15 pm – 4:15 pm

Inter./Adv.1 Ages 14 yrs.+

3:00 pm – 6:00 pm

Emmanuel Summer Camps 2016

Water Parks in Nanaimo. Departure Bay Kiwanis Park, Deverill Square Park, Harewood Centennial Park, Mansfield Park. Open June to September 9am-8pm. Summer Swims at Bowen Park Kin Outdoor Pool. Come swim in the heated outdoor pool. Open to the public June 4-September 2. Everyone welcome swim Saturday and Sunday, 1-3pm until June 26. $3. 250-753-8176. Drop-in Science Studio at Departure Bay Eco School. At Nanaimo Science and Sustainability Society’s Science studio, kids are encouraged to explore the many interactive displays and activities. Activities include: 8-foot marble wall, 2,000 KEVA blocks, kid-friendly microscopes, wind tunnels, a high-powered air field, math puzzles, sign-out activities, and more. For safety purposes, children under 16 must be accompanied by an adult. $4/child; adults free. Tuesday-Thursday 10am-noon; Thursdays 3-5pm; Saturdays 9am-noon. Schedule subject to change, so please check nanaimoscience.org for most current schedule. Lions Free Skate at Frank Crane Arena. Every Sunday noon-1:30pm. 250-756-5200. 10th Annual Golden Shoe Hunt in Oceanside. Find the Golden shoe that will be hidden in RDN parks this spring. Clues for the shoe locations will be posted weekly to rdn.bc.ca/ recreation, RDN Facebook and RDN Twitter.•

Please register according to your child’s grade this Fall. Children must be 4 yrs old by Dec. 31, 2016 to attend the camps.

Registration deadline: July 30, 2016. Save 10% on fees if registered by June 10th.

For more information:

www.dancearabesque.ca 250·595·3107

Dates

Camp Themes

Ages

Fees

July 11–15 July 18–22 July 25–29 Aug 2–5 Aug 8–12 Aug 15–19

Dance & Music Camp, 9:00–3:00 Preschool Camp Jungle World, 9:00–Noon Science & Badminton, 9:00–3:00 Fun with ART & Activity, 9:00–Noon VBS: Deep Sea Discovery Wet & Wild Daycamp, 9:00–3:00

Gr 2–6 4–6 yrs

$98 $50

(Must be 4 yrs by Dec 31)

Gr 2–6 K–Gr 3 4 yrs–Gr 5 Gr 2–6

$98 $40 $15/ea $98

at the Cedar Hill Cross Road & Henderson entrance to UVic

Phone 250-592-2418 / Fax 250-592-4646 office@emmanuelvictoria.ca / emmanuelvictoria.ca

Falcon

Gymnastics Centre Where Fun & Fitness are #1

July 4 to August 26, 2016

Summer Sault Gymnastics Camp 2016 Call for more information:

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Parent & Tot Gym Bugs School Age Recreational 18 mos – 3 yrs 31⁄2 – 5 yrs 51⁄2 – 14 yrs Half Days morning or afternoon camps, Full Day camps. For more information log on to our website at www.falcongymnastics.com We also have: • The best gymnastics and most affordable classes. • The best Birthday Parties in town. 208 – 721 Vanalman Ave, Victoria, BC V8Z 3B6

250-479-6424 www.falcongymnastics.com IslandParent.ca

June 2016 41

Island Rhythmic Gymnastics Club

Air Travel & Kids

ith proper planning, you can help ensure a flight is a good experience for you and your child.

When is my child old enough to travel by airplane?

Do you have a little girl who likes to dance, jump and juggle?

August 22–26 from 9:00 to 12:00

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Airlines have different policies about age and air travel, so it’s best to check before you make plans. Babies under seven days of age should not fly. Cabin pressure in an airplane changes often, and a newborn baby’s system may have trouble adjusting. If your baby is younger than seven days of age and must travel by air, talk to your doctor first.

Can my child travel by plane if she has a serious medical condition? If your child has a health condition, check with your doctor before travelling. If your child is very ill, your doctor may recommend delaying the flight.

What if my child has a heart or lung problem? Some medical conditions may require preflight testing and arrangements for extra oxygen. WestJet and Air Canada allow portable oxygen concentrators on domestic flights and international fights. Many U.S. airlines also allow you to carry portable oxygen concentrators. For specifics rules and requirements, contact your airline before you fly. If your doctor says that your child is stable enough to fly with supplemental oxygen, you will have to make arrangements with the airline at least 24 hours before your flight. You will also have to arrange for oxygen in airports during any layovers. If your child has a serious heart problem, make sure you travel with his most recent electrocardiogram (ECG). Children with pacemakers should travel with an ECG performed both with and without the pacemaker running. Most airport security devices should not affect cardiac pacemakers.

What if my child has diabetes? Before flying, talk to your child’s doctor to review scheduling and dosing of insulin. Contact the airline before your flight to check on carry-on policies for insulin and syringes. Some airlines will require a doctor’s note.

42 Island Parent Magazine

Make any special meal requests before your flight. Bring your own snacks in case meals are delayed. Know the symptoms of, and how to manage, low blood sugar. Notify the flight attendants that your child has diabetes. Your child should wear a MedicAlert accessory.

What should I do to prepare for the flight? Rules about carry-on luggage change often. It’s always a good idea to contact your airline before your travel day to find out what you can carry on board. Get your travel immunizations. The Public Health Agency of Canada has information on which vaccines you will need. Children travelling abroad should also have proof of routine immunizations. Always travel with a list of your child’s medical conditions with contact numbers in the event of an emergency. Make sure you have all your child’s prescriptions before travelling. You may need letters from your doctor if your child has special health care needs or equipment. If you are unsure, check with the airline before you travel. Explain what will happen when you travel so that your child knows what to expect and doesn’t feel afraid.

How do I keep my child safe during the flight? Children under two years of age who do not have their own seat must be held securely in a parent’s lap during takeoff and landing. Your flight attendant will show you exactly how this should be done. Do not use a sling or front infant carrier to hold your baby on an airplane. Parents who buy a ticket for their baby can bring their own child safety seat. It must have been bought in Canada and have a national safety label that indicates it is certified for use on an aircraft. Your child should sit away from the aisle to protect her from injuries that can be caused by service trolleys, passengers walking in aisles, and hot meals or liquids being passed over the aisle seat. Your child should stay in her seat, with the seatbelt fastened, during the flight. IslandParent.ca

Always go with your child to the on-board washroom.

Will my baby’s ears hurt during the flight? Changes in cabin pressure can be painful, especially for younger children with smaller eustachian tubes (a tube in the ear that helps even out pressure). • For babies, breastfeeding, or sucking from a bottle or on a soother may offer some relief, especially during takeoff and landing. • For older children, chewing gum may help. • If your child’s ‘blocked ears’ are bothering him, show her how to breathe out with his lips and nose blocked tightly. • It’s best if your child doesn’t fly within two weeks of having an ear infection.

Can I bring bottles and food for my baby? Formula, breast milk, juice and baby food are allowed in carry-on baggage. They must be stored in small containers. It’s also a good idea to use an ice pack to help keep them cool since airlines don’t usually provide refrigeration.

What should I do if my child has food allergies or special dietary needs? Many airlines can accommodate specific dietary needs if you let them know in advance. If you are concerned that the airline food will not be safe for your child, bring your own food on the plane. Many airlines no longer offer peanuts as snacks. However, other passengers can bring them on board. • If your child has a food allergy, she should carry an adrenaline kit (for example, EpiPen and antihistamines, and wear a MedicAlert accessory at all times. • You may need a note from your doctor to carry an EpiPen onboard. Check with the airline in advance. • If your child has a severe peanut allergy, you should alert the airline and a flight attendant. • If you think your child is having an allergic reaction during the flight, notify the flight attendant and administer the EpiPen as you were shown by your doctor.

What can I do if my child gets motion sickness? Some children are more sensitive to motion sickness than others. If your child has had motion sickness before and is older than two years of age, you can try giving her an over-the-counter anti-nausea medication IslandParent.ca

30 to 60 minutes before departure. The side effects usually include drowsiness and dry mouth. • If your child has a health condition, check with your doctor before travelling. • Get your travel immunizations. • Always travel with a list of your child’s medical conditions with contact numbers in the event of an emergency.

What if my child gets diarrhea? Diarrhea is usually caused by a virus or bacteria. In rare cases, it can be caused by something you eat on the plane. Travellers’ diarrhea is a common illness in travellers. • To stop the spread of germs, wash your hands often and carry a hand sanitizer when travelling. • Diarrhea drains water and salts from your child, and if they are not put back quickly, your child can become dehydrated. Parents of young children should travel with an oral rehydration solution. The World Health Organization (WHO) recommends drinking the following amounts of ORS during a diarrheal illness: • Children under two years: 50–100 mL (¼ to ½ cup) after each loose stool, up to approximately 0.5L (two cups) a day. • Children two to 9 years: 100–200 mL (½ to one cup) after each loose stool movement, up to approximately 1L (4¼ cups) a day. • If your child is breastfeeding and has diarrhea, continue to offer breast milk. • Over-the-counter medications to stop diarrhea aren’t recommended for babies. • If your child is having diarrhea, ask the flight attendant for water to help keep your child hydrated during the flight.

Will my child behave differently during or after air travel? Children can have trouble settling during a flight. Books, toys, crayons, music and snacks will help keep her distracted. Do not use medications to sedate your child. They could put your child at risk for breathing problems. Crossing time zones and being at high altitudes can disturb a child’s sleep after air travel. Things should be back to normal within a few days. Reprinted with permission from the Canadian Paediatric Society. For more information, visit caringforkids.cps.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 islandparent.ca for specific information on submissions. We’d love to hear from you. Please email submissions to editor@islandparent.ca.

June 2016 43

Mollie Kaye

Becoming Attached to Attachment Parenting O

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vcrc.bc.ca 250-658-5331 vcrcprograms@gmail.com 44 Island Parent Magazine

ver the years, every time someone insisted I read Vancouver-based developmental psychologist Dr. Gordon Neufeld’s parenting book Hold on to Your Kids: Why Parents Need to Matter More Than Peers, I got a little anxious and sweaty. I didn’t imagine I qualified as the kind of selfless, devoted, co-sleeping mother I pictured when I heard the term “attachment parenting,” so I studiously avoided it. After hearing the seventh or eighth rabidly enthusiastic endorsement, however, I broke down and read it, and wow, what a revelation it was. I grieved for the late start I was getting, and wished I had read it sooner—a LOT sooner. My oldest, at age 10, was already quite solidly “peer-oriented” (Neufeld’s term for kids who are more “attached” to their same-age cohorts than to their parents and caregivers). His ever-present surliness—and my reactivity—was making the job of raising him a pretty miserable experience for both of us. I’m happy to say that I took to heart the strategies Neufeld outlined in his book, and the transformation in my relationship with my son was immediate and astounding. Seeing a child’s undesirable behaviour as a wake-up call for re-connection at first seemed counter-intuitive to me, but there was so little I had gained by scolding, punishing, nagging, haranguing, and badgering my kids, I figured I had nothing to lose. First, I had to see my child’s worst behaviour as a call for connection, not correction. Next, I needed to create situations where I was his go-to person. My son resisted this mightily and had tantrums about being separated from his friends. But after the first few minutes of storm-cloud-face and muttered profanities, he would relax, and we could re-establish the loving bond from days of yore. I planned special outings just for us, including a mother-son trip to the Mainland. My investment in connecting with him made most of the correcting unnecessary. He was more cooperative, contributed to me in touching ways, and his “real” voice

came back. I couldn’t believe how much harmony there was in my life, where conflict had once dominated. When parenting seems like all work and no reward, you have two choices: keep doing what you’ve been doing, or try something else. I am eternally grateful I tried, and adopted, Neufeld’s ideas.

Sometimes, though, “trying something else” isn’t easy. That’s where a parenting book, a workshop or a coach can help. In the case of a coach, having someone bear witness to even the most casual interactions between parent and child can save everyone a lot of explaining. One Victoria parenting coach, Catheryn Rogers, who has trained in Neufeld’s ideas and techniques, serves as a local resource for parents, like me, who haven’t had much success with “old school” parenting (trying to control kids with fear of punishment), or “modern” parenting (where the word “no” is avoided and “good job!” is cheerfully shouted over and over), and know no alternatives. Rogers, who has worked with children in the school system for 11 years, and has 35 years of experience working with children and adults of all abilities, had been taking more of an “old school” behaviour-based approach until she adopted Neufeld’s developmental, “connection before correction” ideas. “Both at school and with my own son at home, I was always using time-outs, consequences, taking things away,” says Rogers. IslandParent.ca

“But eventually, you run out of things to take away, and that’s just putting a Band-Aid on things anyway.” She says she wasn’t getting to the root of her son’s behaviour. Neufeld started out as a behaviourist, too, but made the shift to developmental psychology, inspired by the research on attachment. “When I heard [Neufeld] speak, I thought, ‘Wow, this is the approach I want to take!’ The biggest factor in successful relationships is attachment, which is different from love,” says Rogers. “When a child is well-attached, they are resting in your presence, and they want to be good for you.” Attachment is as essential between teachers and students as it is for parent and child, but some teachers still skip connection and go right to direction. “You need to ‘collect’ a child before you direct a child,” advises Rogers. “You need to get their eyes, a smile, then a nod. I wish I had known this when my son was young. Our home life is much more relaxed now that I employ this simple, basic collection ritual.” Rogers recalls how eager she had been to give directions immediately to her child, and how that often resulted in resentment and conflict. “My son used to walk in the door and I’d start right in: ‘Hang up your coat, pick up your books.’ That never went very well. Now I start by collecting: eyes, smile, nod. Then a conversation: How is it going, anything fun happen today?” Only after they have connected, she says, do they talk about what needs to get done. We often feel a sense of urgency when we see or hear something our child does or says that triggers us, but Rogers encourages a more thoughtful and less reactive response. “Pick your battles, and don’t try to fix things in the heat of the moment.” Wait until things are calm, the mood is good, then talk. Use phrases like: “This bothers me, it isn’t working, what can we do?” Then try to come up with a solution together. When kids come on board, you can let up, stop nagging, and re-connect. “That kind of success builds trust,” adds Rogers. “Everything flows much easier when there is connection.” Mollie Kaye is a Victoria-based mother, writer and facilitator who shares Nonviolent Communication (NVC) with groups and individuals. She enjoys harnessing connection, honesty and empathy to transform relationships. IslandParent.ca

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Darlene DeMerchant

Talking Math

Engaging children and parents in rich mathematical conversations “Don’t worry…I was never good at math either.” “The math they learn now won’t be needed when they finish school anyway.” “We weren’t taught these new methods and our math is OK.” “When will they ever need to know how many edges a tetrahedron has?” “I try to help with math homework, but they do things differently now.”

o these statements sound familiar? How often are these perceptions of mathematics portrayed in popular media? Teachers hear similar phrases at some point, often from their students’ parents, and even from teaching colleagues. Mathematics can be demanding, so it is important that parents are supported in understanding the methods and strategies used in their child’s school. Teaching methods change over the years and are likely to be different than the ones parents are familiar with. Because of these differences,

parents sometimes have questions about what they see and don’t see happening in the classroom. Many schools hold parent sessions and information evenings where parents can actively engage in how their children are learning mathematics. At these sessions, parents learn practical strategies through lively, interactive math activity like the ones their children experience every day. Students might lead games or present a math lesson, showing parents what learning math in their school is really like. During these sessions, parents can ask ques-

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tions about computation fluency, calculation methods, vocabulary and how they can help at home. Parents can also give feedback to teachers on the ways in which they might like to become more involved in their child’s mathematical learning. Parent sessions can also inspire projects such as math-game libraries, parent-child homework journals, and parent-child mathematical challenges. Solving real-world, contextual problems together can help parents and kids reinforce and better understand school math lessons. Engaging in the following kinds of conversations with children about how mathematics can be part of making a decision promotes good mathematical thinking. For example: 1. Do we need a full batch or double batch of cookies? 2. How long will it take us to get to school? 3. What shapes do see in the building? 4. Should we buy the super size drink? What other factors need to be considered that may influence your decision based on mathematics? 5. How do we decide what to do for our summer holidays this year? As you talk with your children, consider questions to guide the conversation and move beyond yes/no or one right answer responses: 1. How would you estimate? 2. How do you know? 3. What would it look like? 4. Does your answer seem reasonable? 5. Is there another way to check or verify? From exploring patterns in kindergarten to maintaining a positive attitude and disposition towards mathematics in the middle years, parent involvement is vital to a child’s success. Whether parents and children are cooking in the kitchen, planting in the garden, tinkering in the garage, or building outside, these everyday life experiences are opportunities for math learning. Even a simple car ride can be a chance to calculate distance, watch signs, count, and practice mental math skills. The goals of mathematics do not differ from the goals of literacy—just as we want children to become literate citizens, we also want students to calculate and reason mathematically, to become numerate citizens and use mathematics to make and justify decisions in their academic work and personal lives today and in the future. Darlene DeMerchant is Director of Curriculum and Instruction at St. Margaret’s School. IslandParent.ca

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Oak Bay Recreation Centre 1975 Bee Street • 250-595-7946 Henderson Recreation Centre 2291 Cedar Hill X Road • 250-370-7200 recreation.oakbay.ca

June 2016 47

Janine Fernandes-Hayden

Supporting

Families in

Crisis O

n July 4th, 2015 one of my worst nightmares was realized. My husband was in a serious cycling accident. The news came from an RCMP officer at my door early morning with the words, “It doesn’t look good.” Wrapped in shock, I did what needed to be done, including leave my children with a stranger (the wife of the RCMP officer) despite my youngest having 104˚F fever, my eldest crying in her closet and my third rapidly retreating into her inner world. I wouldn’t get the chance to see my fourth child as he was away with his grandparents. Less than an hour after receiving the blow, I was on my way from my home on Salt Spring Island to Victoria General Hospital via ferry, a seemingly endless journey in the absence of information on my husband’s condition. When I arrived, I learned—thankfully—that, though my husband had sustained serious injuries to his face, head and back, he would heal following a long course of recovery. 48 Island Parent Magazine

IslandParent.ca

My husband spent three days in the hospital. At night, away from him and our children, I sat alone in our friends’ bare vacation condo, feeling just as empty. I had no car and no means of escaping a tangle of feelings. I tried to type away on my husband’s Smartphone; the tiny keypad mocked me and I itched with visceral frustration. My electronic friend was a poor substitute for companionship. In hindsight, I might have embraced the solitude. Once home, my superhero cape suddenly faded. I was tasked with caring for my husband, without the support of nurses, and had four young children at home over summer vacation. Before the bike accident, I thought I had achieved the highest level of multitasking and organization, but I soon learned of a higher unachievable level. My juggling act now included caring for a husband who was like the equivalent of a fifth child, managing a business unfamiliar to me, and reconciling information about my husband’s accident with various sources. I recharged my battery each night with a heavy flow of tears. I realized quickly that I needed help. It took a bit to learn the steps of the helpseeking dance, but eventually I was partnered with a supportive network. A group of friends got together and emailed every morning to let me know who was available for the day and to ask what needed to be done. Some friends felt comfortable taking my children to the library or the park, some preferred to attend to my husband while I took the family out on errands. Others helped chauffeur to and from summer camps. A friend’s husband offered his expertise in recycling, freeing me of the visual reminder that my life was piling-up. My sister-in-law from Ontario sent activity books and crafts to keep the children occupied. Meals were also a welcomed relief from food preparation, which was the least of my priorities. These included lovely dinners and plates of sandwiches for lunches. The children cheered over gifts of cookies and muffins. One friend thoughtfully put together healthy snack packs in individual baggies that could be easily stored and accessed by little hands at their own leisure. And then there were the cards and the simple acknowledgments of “I’m thinking of you” that nurtured my spirit. The burden of care was spread among many people. It was the little things, all patched together, which made a huge difference. It has since been almost a year of healing for not only my husband, but also for our family. For me, the experience has helped me

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June 2016 49

understand the needs of families in crisis, a state to which none of us is immune. With lives so busy they offer very little buffer zone to absorb extra demands on our time and energy, it doesn’t take much for families these days to find themselves spun out of control in response to tragedy, accidents, death, loss, family break up, or illness. Even happy occasions such as the birth of a new baby can prove to be stressful. Because of the accident, I have changed and have a different perspective now. The slower pace we were forced to adopt is now something that we value and fight hard to protect. We also realized the things and people that are most important to us. It is during times like these that call into action so many teachable moments and super-virtues. Gratefully, I now recognize that I have some control on the pressure-relief valve, thanks to some valuable lessons that I have learned: 1. Social media is no substitute for the power of eye contact, touch and the physical presence of others in times of need. Face-toface exchanges can feel risky and uncomfortable, so much so that many people try to avoid them. However, sometimes the most powerful acts require no more than simply conveying, with or without words, “I’m thinking of you.”

2. Aesop wrote, “Adversity tests the sincerity of friendship.” Ask the question “Who could I depend on if I needed someone to be there for my family?” Take the time to appreciate and nurture a few strong meaningful connections. Our limited time and energy does not lend itself to enjoying both quantity and quality so choose wisely between the two. 3. No family is an island. Sometimes we need help. And sometimes we need to help others. The phrase, “let me know if I can help” has become as conventional as, “how are you?” They are seemingly rote words spoken out of courtesy, often without an intention of hearing the answer. To genuinely give and receive help requires a surrendering of ego on both sides. As help-seekers we need to embrace the humility to show our weakness and ask for support. As helpers, we need to be honest with our intentions and specific with what we have to offer. People/ families in crisis don’t have the mental energy to interpret and manage vague offers of help. “What would ‘help’ look like for you?” is a good question for help-seekers to ask and for helpers to discern. I tried fine-tuning my approach with an acquaintance whose wife was due for surgery, “I want to be of service

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to you. I would love to do this by bringing over a meal. Would that be helpful?” 4. It is important for caregivers to acknowledge the trauma, shock and stress that they, too, have experienced. Caring for my husband and children, coupled with feelings of selfishness for stating my own needs, I underestimated the emotional impact that was slowly manifesting in the form of lethargy and depression. It wasn’t until a month or so after the accident that a perceptive friend phoned to say, “I want to ask about you.” It was a timely and pivotal conversation that enabled me to begin to molt and grow out of the experience with grace. As a caregiver, owning one’s own shock and trauma is the first step in caring for it. Once I did this, I could allow myself to take healing measures like a having a nap in the afternoon or taking a long bath without guilt. 5. Our children also carry the emotional burden of family trauma, regardless of how conscious they are in their processing. It was a shock to my eight-year-old son when one of his friends asked him how his father was doing. From my son’s reaction and deliberate mention of this exchange, I could tell that he had been yearning for this type of affirmation, which had been lacking. Children need to

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have their feelings and experiences acknowledged not only by parents and loved ones, but also by others such as coaches, teachers, peers and even other parents. I caught myself the other day offering condolences to a friend over the death of her father, completely disregarding her young son, a friend of my son, who was standing nearby. He had lost his grandfather. Why did I not meet him at his level and acknowledge his loss as well? My son was with me at the time. How could I have taught my son to show compassion and empathy towards his friend? 6. We all play important roles in the family. Until the accident, my husband’s and my egos clashed frequently over “who does more.” Consumed in my own world of seemingly endless duties, I had never stepped down from my pile to acknowledge my husband’s, except to compare who stood higher on their heap. Now suddenly I was saddled with chores I never knew existed, such as checking the levels of the water tanks, dealing with staff and the after-hours business paperwork, caring for chickens and tending the wood boiler. If only I had been curious instead of competitive, I would have felt more empathetic and collaborative not to mention more confident and knowledgeable in stepping up to bat. 7. Connect with a sense of abundance. In the midst of my husband’s recovery, there were many things to be thankful for but it was difficult at times to see the glass as half full. Pulling myself up and out meant keeping a gratitude journal. It was not easy. On days when I felt overwhelmingly sorry for myself, gratefulness forced my stubborn fist-gripped hand to make a list of my life abundances and blessings. I knew deep down that this was an important coping mechanism for me. 8. It is also important that we as parents allow ourselves to unravel every so often. Exposing our vulnerabilities inspires important virtues to grow, within us and also in our children. My eldest helped by preparing breakfast and lunch, leading bedtime routine for her younger siblings and tending to the chickens. My third child discovered her vocation as a nurse, helping to clean dad’s dressings and secure his neck brace. My youngest turned coach, holding my husband’s hand and walking him back and forth along the driveway every day. Because we as parents became human, so too did our children—discovering along the way that they too are resilient.

JOIN A CHAMPION GORGE SOCCER ASSOCIATION Registration is currently open for the fall season • Youth soccer: 4 – 17 years old • Senior soccer: 17 – 70+ years old We are a community based soccer club providing all of its members with development, fun and a lifelong passion for the beautiful game. We pride ourselves on being the oldest full service soccer club in Victoria, offering winter league play, free academies, spring league, winter futsal, and more! We are innovative, player-centric, responsive to our members’ needs, community-minded, and accepting of all players. A player will never be turned away due to lack of fees (external and internal grants available). Online registration available at: www.gorgesoccer.ca In-person Registration: Hampton Park Clubhouse (240 Hampton Road) Saturdays 9am-11am Questions? info@gorgesoccer.ca

Glenlyon Norfolk School Marine Adventure Program Teen Marine Kayak Camps – Summer 2016 Ph 250-370-6852 Email dtyrrell@mygns.ca

Teen Marine Day Camps (ages 11–12): M–F, July 25–29, Aug 22–26

This 9:00–4:30 camp covers all the basics of sea kayaking for the younger paddler while exploring many of Victoria’s best paddling areas. The group (max. 10 kids) will enjoy kayaking games, activities, a Thetis Lake adventure, a lunch cookout together on the fifth day and much more. Be prepared to have fun, get wet and make new friends! Cost: $295.00

Teen Barkley Sound (ages 13–14): S–F, July 31 – Aug 5

Kayak Barkley Sound-Enjoy 5 days of sea kayaking on the rugged West Coast. This adventure will treat you to eagles, seals, blowholes, intertidal explorations, sandy beaches, sea caves, sea arches, maybe even a whale, superb paddling, awesome food and much more! All food and paddling equipment provided. Lead by professional sea kayak guides. Cost: $675.00 + GST

Teen Discovery Camps (ages 13–14): M–F, July 4–8, July 11–15, Aug 15–19

Our Discovery Camps are very full days including Paddling basics, wet exits and rescues, and a chance at a first try at your Eskimo roll. We’ll then take our new skills over to Discovery Island for a three-day camping adventure, complete with hikes, daily paddles, games and great food. Cost: $355.00 + GST

Offering marine adventure since 1995!

Janine Fernandes-Hayden is an educator and Salt Spring Island mum of four children. She is also a trained Virtues Project Facilitator.

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June 2016 51

SUMMER DAY CAMPS at Cathedral School

Everyone Welcome! See website for details and registration

LUX MUNDI

TECH CAMPS

Field trips, sports, arts ages 5 –10

MULTI-SPORT

THEATRE CAMPS

Minecraft, Mindstorms

Soccer Baseball Basketball Volleyball

Drama, Fine Art

ages 9 –13

ages 6 – 12

ages 7 – 12

(1/2 day)

NEW for Fall 2016: 2016 after-school-care pickups from SJD & Margaret Jenkins

250-383-5125 | office@cathedralschool.ca

www.cathedralschool.ca

Summer Riding Camps Weeklong Overnight Camps A unique opportunity for students to participate in the responsibility and care of horse (it’s like having their own horse for a week). • Feeding • Grooming • Riding Lessons • Trail Rides • Stable Management • Show & Games Day • Hiking • Campfires • All Meals Included

Full day and half day camps available.

For details and costs contact:

250 743 6641 Cobble Hill

www.alpinestable.com

Why Camp? Every summer, thousands of children attend summer camps throughout B.C., but if you’ve never sent your child to camp you may be asking, “Why camp?” Here, from the B.C. Camping Association, are just a few good reasons: 1. Make true friends: Camp encourages kids to relax and make friends easily. As all the fun at camp draws everyone together, camp creates friendships. 2. Physical activity: Children spend their day being physically active—camp provides an opportunity to swim, jump, hike, and climb. Camp is action. 3. Boosts self-confidence: Children build self-confidence and selfesteem with non-competitive activities and diverse opportunities to succeed. Camp teaches kids that they can. 4. Develop life-long skills: Camps provide the right instruction, equipment, and facilities for children to enhance their sports abilities, artistic talents, and adventure skills. Camps expand children’s abilities. 5. Become more independent: Camp is the perfect place for kids to make their own decisions without parents and teachers directing them. Camps help manage their choices in a safe, caring environment. 6. Learn social skills: Camps are close-knit communities where everyone cooperates and respects each other. Children share chores, resolve disagreements, and see the importance of sincere communication. 7. Reconnect with nature: Camp provides access to outdoor activities that enhance children’s perception of the outside world. 8. Unplug from technology: Camps give kids a break from TV, cell phones and the internet, and help them rediscover their creativity. For more information, visit bccamping.org

52 Island Parent Magazine

IslandParent.ca

PLAY

IN T H E UNPLUG, UNWIND & COME PLAY!

Every weekday evening from 5:308:30pm beginning July 4th, Panorama staff will facilitate FREE fun for the whole family through interactive play, face painting, group games, and of course, inflatable fun on our giant 50’ obstacle course!

Did you know that using active transportation increases personal health, enhances community connectedness and reduces greenhouse gas emissions? What mode of active transportation will you use to get to Play in the Park? Are you a cycler? Join us at Play in the Park on July 15, 28 & August 10 for FREE bike maintenance workshops hosted by the Greater Victoria Bike to Work Society. See program schedule for location details.

panoramarecreation.ca IslandParent.ca

250 656 7271

AUGUST

JULY Monday Tuesday Wednesday

CYCLE, WALK, ROLL!

PARK

Thursday Friday

No event August 1

Pioneer Park

7130 West Saanich Road

Rathdown Park 2170 Calvin Ave

Greenglade Community Centre 2151 Lannon Way

Wain Park

871 Birch Road

Iroquois Park 2295 Ocean Ave

Centennial Park 7400 Block of Wallace

Rodolph Park

6446 Loganberry Place

PLAY IN THE PARK LAUNCH PARTY! Join us on Monday, July 4th at Pioneer Park from 5:30-8:30pm as we kick off the Play in the Park program for this summer! Enjoy a BBQ dinner by donation to benefit the Arena Improvement Fund. WALK, RUN, RIDE! The first 100 people to arrive to the launch party using an active mode of transportation will receive a FREE water bottle.

/panoramarecreation

@sliderpenguin June 2016 53

The Feathered Family

Makefriends. friends.Don’t Don’tadd addthem. them. Make

Register NOW avoid Waitlists! Learn why ScoutsCanada Canadaisto isthe the nation's #1youth youthorganization organization Learn why Scouts nation's #1 RegisterNOW NOWtotoavoid avoidWaitlists! Waitlists! Register

Find a group nearyou you atwww.scouts.ca www.scouts.caor or1-888-726-8876 1-888-726-8876 Find group near | Find a agroup near you at at www.scouts.ca or 1-888-726-8876 Come visit us in the heart of Cobble Hill!

Now accepting applications for September 2016 for Junior Kindergarten and the Evergreen Explorers program for 3-year-old children.

St. Joseph’s St. Joseph’s E

Elementary Schoollementary - CHEMAINUS chool

Traditional Values Affordable

250-246-3191 www.stjosephselem.ca 54 Island Parent Magazine

or years my youngest daughter Vivian has been talking about becoming a farmer. When she heard what it cost to buy a farm, she started saving money. When she heard 4-H teaches kids to raise animals, she started attending 4-H meetings, and that’s how she got it in her head that she wanted to run a backyard chicken farm. My wife and I liked the idea of backyard chickens, but Vivian’s two sisters were less enthusiastic. I had trouble putting my finger on the exact objection until Tessa finally said, “Do we really have to be that kind of family?” In her mind raising urban chickens was linked to some sort of alternative lifestyle. Backyard chickens meant we were hippies, and if you’re a hippie, well, that’s just one step above of being homeless. The chicken breed Vivian wanted was the Silky—show chickens that are big, fluffy and white. She showed us pictures and videos online, and they were certainly cute. Unfortunately they are also rather poor egg layers. When my wife learned this, she put her foot down. If she was going to do as much work with these chickens as she does with our other pets, she at least wanted to ensure we got some eggs in return. Eventually we settled on a compromise breed, Buff Laced Polish—not quite as fluffy as Silkies, but far better egg layers. When we picked up the chicks, they were so small a pair of them fit into the palm of my hand. To keep them warm and safe we had to have them in our house for a while. That was fine at first—Vivian set them in a plastic bin beside her bed, wire mesh on top to keep out the cat. Unfortunately, though, chicks do a lot of pooing and peeing and soon a heavy ammonia smell began settling through the house. Vivian tried to keep their bin clean, but it was a lot of work, and they were growing, so soon she needed a second bin. This meant two bins to clean, and by then I was

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coming home every day to a house so rank I had to open all the windows. We needed to get them out of the house. We needed a coop, but life was busy. My wife was away from home visiting her mother who was gravely ill, our kids had sports and activities to attend, I had to travel for work. I’d looked at plans online, I’d checked other backyard coops and I wanted to build something impressive, but I couldn’t find the time. I’d let our house become a barn. Even guests started commenting on the smell. Last Sunday, just before the neighbourhood hardware store closed, I caved in and

Dadspeak Daniel GriFFin bought a prefab chicken coop kit. It wasn’t the coop extraordinaire I’d have liked to build, but Vivian, Tessa and I managed to nail it together in the fading light on Monday evening. We moved the chicks in that same night then vacuumed Vivian’s room, swept up, removed the bins and the smell was out of the house. The chicks had brought with them a steady stream of neighbourhood kids coming over to check them out. Now that the chicks were outside, we had a steady stream of neighbourhood cats. They sat in the grass, stared at the coop, meowed until we shooed them away so we could safely let the chicks out to play. Tessa, who hadn’t been very enthusiastic about getting chicks in the first place, is often the one who takes them out to roam. The four chicks move in a huddle, they chirp and call out, they fall over one another. Our backyard is big, but they stay close together. Yesterday when Tessa set the littlest one on her chest to pet it, the other three came over and perched on her legs. In time all four chicks fell asleep. They are a unit, four sisters, a family somewhat like ours.

Summer Fun for Everyone Camps for kids in Victoria ages 5–15

Choose from:

Circus Circus Code:Makers Summer Chefs Passion Sports Basketball and much more!

A limited number of bursaries are available. Visit our website for information on these and other programs: www.smus.ca/summer, or call the Education Extension office at 250-370-6120

FOR ALL KIDS IN VICTORIA AGES 5–15

smus.ca

SUMMER SOCCER CAMPS

From Victoria to Port Hardy, we make learning fun!

www.worldcupsoccercamp.com

Daniel Griffin is the father of three children and the author of Stopping for Strangers (Vehicule Press, 2012), a collection of short stories about parents, children, brothers and sisters.

IslandParent.ca

June 2016

Family Services Directory This directory, sponsored by Thrifty Foods, features not for profit agencies and organizations serving children, youth and families.

1Up, Victoria Single Parent Resource Centre (www.1up.ca) provides support, education and resources for parents in the Greater Victoria area through free counselling, volunteer training for peer helper positions, a mentoring program for single moms and a support group for dads. The Centre also offers a variety of integrated life skills and parenting courses which are open to the whole community (fees are on a sliding scale). The Centre provides free toys and books, a clothing room and bread pantry for single parents. Donations of gently-used clothing, small household items, books and toys are welcome. Hours are Mon, Tue, Thu, Fri: 9-4, Wed: 12-7. 602 Gorge Rd. East; call 250-385-1114 or info@1-up.ca 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 250658-6407; for all other inquiries call 250-656-0134, or visit beaconcs.ca. Beacon Community’s Employment Services. Beacon Community Services provides a full menu of employment services to the Saanich Peninsula, Southern Gulf Islands. We have been helping people find work since 1982! Our programs build on a client’s strengths and resolve barriers to securing and maintaining employment. Furthermore, we work in tandem with our employer network to support those residents looking for work. If you need help finding a job or need employees please pay us a visit! It’s FREE. 9860 Third St, Sidney, 250-656-0134, beaconcs.ca. Boys & Girls Club Services offer after-school and evening social, educational and recreational programming for children and youth at 5 locations (Colwood, Langford, VicWest, Central Saanich and Esquimalt) and summer camps both in Esquimalt and at our Outdoor Centre in

56 Island Parent Magazine

through separation and divorce. Counseling, mediation, legal information and a range of group programs are available for children, youth and adults on a sliding fee scale. Call us at 250-386-4331 or visit fsgv.org. We can help. TM

Metchosin. We also offer support to parents through our Parents Together program and parent workshops. For more information on all programs and services visit bgcvic.org or call 250-384-9133. Canucks Autism Network (CAN) provides high-quality, adapted sports, recreational and social programs for kids, teens and young adults living with autism on Vancouver Island. Shawnigan Lake: Multisport day camp, bike clinics and family camp. Victoria: Swim, soccer, skate and physical literacy. Nanaimo: Swim and physical literacy. Family events take place throughout the year! Become a member for only $25/year at canucksautism.ca/join. Call 604-685-4049, email info@canucksautism.ca or visit canucksautism.ca/VancouverIsland for more information. CHOICES Adoption & Counselling is a licensed, professional, non-profit agency that provides services to adoptive parents, birth-parents, and adoptees. CHOICES arranges adoptions domestically and internationally. We are committed to providing a comprehensive, clientcentered adoption service which best meets the needs of everyone in the adoption constellation. Please contact us at choices@choicesadoption.ca, or call 250-479-9811 for further information. Community Living Victoria’s Autism Services offers dynamic community-based programs for children and youth (6 – 18 yrs) with Autism. We offer 1:1 Behaviour Intervention, Social Skills Groups and spring, summer and winter Day Camps. Our skilled and caring team draws from various behaviour support models to customize programming for each youth. Fun programming within safe, supportive environments motivate youth to expand their interests, gain confidence, strengthen social and communication skills, and build friendships. 250-4777231. communitylivingvictoria.ca Family Services of Greater Victoria (formerly BC Families in Transition) is a non profit agency that has been serving families since 1978. We provide a full range of services to the whole family in supporting their relationship and

HappyBaby Sleep Solutions helps families create healthy sleep habits in babies and children so everyone is well rested and happy. Sukkie Sandhu, M.Ed., has worked with hundreds of families locally in Victoria and worldwide. Sukkie is a Registered Clinical Counsellor so the cost of a sleep consultation may be covered under your extended medical plan. For more information visit www. happybabysleepsolutions.com or call 250-857-1408 for a FREE evaluation. Let’s get started! HeadWay Victoria Epilepsy & Parkinson’s Centre supports families living with seizures by offering parent workshops three times a year, educational presentations in schools and community groups as well as providing tutoring sessions and one-to-one professional consultations to help your child live up to their highest potential. Keep up to date with the latest research about treatments, lifestyle, and safety issues for your child. We can be reached at headwayvictoria.com, or you can reach the Epilepsy Program Coordinator directly at 250-475-6677. 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. 930 Balmoral Rd, 250-388-4728, info@ icavictoria.org, 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 St, Victoria, BC V8S 5J2. Ph 250-370-9513. Fax. 250-370-9421. ldasvi.bc.ca. knowyourrights.ca.

IslandParent.ca

Military Family Resource Centre (MFRC) provides programs and services to the military family community including: 24-Hour Information Line; Deployment Information and Workshops; Short Term Counselling, Crisis Support or Intervention; Welcome/Relocation Services; Childcare and Family Support Services; Assistance for Families with Special Needs and Responsibilities. Call the MFRC: 250-363-2640 (1-800-353-3329) for information or visit esquimaltmfrc.com.

West-Mont Montessori Accepting Elementary Registrations

Power To Be provides inclusive nature-based activity programs for youth and families living with a barrier or disability who need support to access recreation and their community. We create year-round programs to fit participant needs through activities such as kayaking, rock climbing, hiking, canoeing and more. Visit powertobe.ca or call 250-385-2363 to get involved. Sooke Family Resource Society (SFRS) provides Family Resource Programs including: Prenatal Education and Outreach, Parent-Tot Drop-In Groups, Parent Discussion 4075 Metchosin Rd, Victoria t: 250.474.2626 e: info@west-mont.ca w: west-mont.ca Groups, Family Support Groups and Outreach, a Toy and Book Lending Library, and Kingfisher Preschool. SookeWestshore Child Care Resource and Referral services, as well as all-ages counselling services are also provided 2121 Cedar Hill Cross Road (by entrance to UVic) by SFRS. Services are provided from the Child, Youth forHill 2013–2014 and Family Centres in both Sooke and the Westshore. Openings 2121 Cedar Cross RoadClasses! (by entrance to UVic) Call 250-642-5152 for more information or visit our Children through ininclusive, our all inclusive, Children learnlearn through play in play our all website at sfrs.ca.

West-Mont Montessori School

Emmanuel Preschool

SFRS’s Welcome Home Program is looking for homes that can support adults diagnosed with a disability looking to gain further independence. The livingsituations are varied and unique and can include living within a family home or a suite in the family home. The needs of the individuals are varied, dependent on the disability, but can include relationship building, life skills, meal prep, etc. For more information, please call 778-433-2023 or go tosfrs.ca.

non-denominational Christian preschool. non-denominational Christian preschool. Great facility; outdoor play area a gym rainy for day play! Great facility; outdoor playand area andfor a gym Two teachers with ECE certification plus assistant teachers to day play! Twochildren. teachers with ECE certification helprainy with special needs plus an assistant help with special needs A competent and caringteacher teachingtoteam!

children. A competent and caring teaching team! Opportunities: Class Options for 2016–2017: Mon / Wed / Fri morning class Mon/Wed/Fri morning class Tues / Thurs morning class Tues/Thurs morning class 5 mornings a week

5 mornings a week

Sooke-Westshore Early Years Centres provide inPhone 250-598-0573 formation to families about children and family services, Phone 250-598-0573 preschool@emmanuelvictoria.ca supports, child development and parenting. The Early preschool@emmanuelvictoria.ca Years Navigator will assist families with referral informa- www.emmanuelpreschool.ca www.emmanuelpreschool.ca tion for local early years programming, child care, public health, special needs intervention services, and social supports. The Sooke-Westshore Early Years Centres are hosted by Sooke Family Resource Society and located at the Child, Youth, and Family Centres in both Sooke and the Westshore and can be reached at 250-217-9243. Additional information can be accessed at sfrs.ca/earlyyears-centre.

Birds Up Close

Victoria Immigrant and Refugee Centre Society (VIRCS) supports immigrants and refugees living in Greater Victoria. Services are free and include one-onone counselling, parent education workshops, youth life skills classes, a preschool program, art therapy, language classes and academic support, employment help, computer classes and fun community events like free yoga, tai chi, dance and cooking classes. Visit us online at vircs. bc.ca or phone 250-361-9433.

Flying daily March – October www.the-raptors.com 1877 Herd Rd. Duncan BC 250-746-0372

IslandParent.ca

June 2016 57

Food for Growing & Learning Healthy Families, Happy Families

Child, Youth & Family Public Health South Island Health Units Esquimalt Gulf Islands

250-519-5311 250-539-3099

(toll-free number for office in Saanichton)

Peninsula Saanich Saltspring Island Sooke Victoria West Shore

250-544-2400 250-519-5100 250-538-4880 250-642-5464 250-388-2200 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 Courtenay Kyuquot Health Ctr ‘Namgis Health Ctr Port Hardy

250-850-2110 250-331-8520 250-332-5289 250-974-5522 250-902-6071

www.viha.ca/prevention_services/

58 Island Parent Magazine

ood literacy is defined as the knowledge, skills and attitudes needed to choose, grow, prepare and enjoy food. Children and youth who are food literate are able to think critically about food and how it impacts their health, community and environment. As a parent, you can help your child to become food literate by providing fun and educational opportunities at home, school and in the community.

each day. Remember that family meals do not always have to be at dinnertime or at home; try a picnic lunch at the park or a shared smoothie for snack time. Don’t forget to turn off phones, televisions and screens so you enjoy each conversation as a family.

Healthy Families, Happy Families

At Home Cooking together is one of the best ways for your child to learn food literacy skills. From a young age, children can help with simple tasks in the kitchen like mixing ingredients, tearing lettuce and kneading dough. Tasks like these help younger children develop motor skills that prepare them for school. As you cook together, use a variety of action words, like peel, stir and chop, to help your children expand their vocabulary. Explain the steps of the recipe and describe the ingredients. As children grow older, they can help with more complex skills such as planning a menu, reading a recipe and cleaning up. Children gain confidence and a sense of responsibility as you allow them to take the lead. Regardless of your child’s age, keep cooking simple. Select basic recipes that your family enjoys eating, and don’t be afraid to experiment with new foods and flavours. When children help in the kitchen, they are often more willing to try new foods. Things may get a little messy, but that’s part of the fun! Growing and harvesting food at home are also great ways for children to explore how food is grown and where it comes from. Talk with your child about the food cycle—from seeds to compost. Short on space? Try a couple plant pots on a sunny deck or windowsill. Plants like lettuce, beans, peas and herbs, are hearty and easy to grow. Family meals are a great way to connect with your child while sharing and creating food traditions. Eating together also promotes a sense of appreciation for food and helps children learn that food nourishes their bodies and minds. If eating together is new for your family, start with one meal or snack

Ch ild Y outh & Family Pub lic Health

Janelle Hatch & Justin Wardle

Better Together BC (BetterTogetherBC.ca) has a series of great conversation starters to get you started. Play is also a great way to teach your child food literacy and foster your child’s creativity. Use items around the home, like plastic food or Play-Doh, to pretend. Why not host a pretend dinner party or play grocery store together? Your child’s imagination is the limit! Many kids also enjoy books, songs and rhymes about food. Visit your local library to find a selection of children’s books and cookbooks that you can read together.

At School Children learn best when they get to explore and experience things for themselves. Many schools now offer hands-on learning activities, like cooking classes and school gardens, which teach food literacy while enriching other areas of school curriculum like math, reading and science. As a parent, you can also support food literacy in your child’s school in different ways. Start by finding out what is happening in your child’s school. What activities are taking place inside and outside the classroom? Does your school have a space to grow food? A number of organizations work with teachers and schools to promote food literacy. Farm to School BC and BC Agriculture in the Classroom are just a couple of examples of programs. Parents can also help encourage schools to offer healthier food choices to students. The Directorate Agency of School Health (DASH) BC has a great guide (see HealthyIslandParent.ca

SchoolsBC.ca) with ideas for healthy bake sales, special lunches and other fundraising events. Talk to staff or the Parent Advisory Council to find out if your school has signed up for the BC Fruit and Vegetable Snack Program (BCFVSP). The BCFVSP provides kids in B.C. schools with fresh vegetable and fruit snacks.

From a young age, children can help with simple tasks in the kitchen like mixing ingredients, tearing lettuce and kneading dough. In the Community

FREE SUMMER TENNIS LESSONS FOR KIDS IN-NEED — Ages 5 to 13 — All equipment provided —

KATS will once again be offering free tennis lessons to financially disadvantaged children & youth throughout Victoria. Registration is open to all families facing financial challenges. Classes will be conducted in conjunction with the City of Victoria Parks & Recreation Department at Central Park courts, alongside Crystal Pool. Banfield Park courts, alongside the Vic West Community Centre will host classes conducted with Vic West Community Centre and Burnside Gorge Community Centre. Oaklands Park courts will be the site of classes conducted with Oaklands Community Centre. Classes for residents of the Western Communities will be held at the Westshore Recreation Centre courts.

Full details of our organization and all classes, including contact information for registration, will be found on our website: www.KidsAtTennis.ca For further information on KATS email us at tenniskids@shaw.ca or call us at 250-412-1406

Outside your home, the opportunities to build food literacy are everywhere. A visit to your local grocery store or farmer’s market can be a fun learning experience for children. While you are shopping together, talk with your kids about what they see, smell, hear and feel. Name or spell foods as you shop together. As kids grows older, they can become more involved by creating a shopping list, choosing foods and reading food labels in the store. Comparing food prices is great math practice and learning to follow a budget is a valuable life skill. Looking for a fun, outdoor activity as a family? Plan an adventure to your local farm, u-pick or pumpkin patch together. Check out Island Farm Fresh (islandfarmfresh. com) for a listing of local farms in your community. Have fun!

Food Literacy Resources for Kids and Families: • BC Fruit and Vegetable Snack Program, sfvnp.ca • Better Together BC, BetterTogether BC.ca • Farm to School BC, Farmto SchoolBC.ca • Healthy Fundraising for Schools: A Practical Guide for Parents and Educators (DASH BC)—Available on HealthySchoolsBC.ca • Island Farm Fresh, IslandFarmFresh. ca • Spuds in Tubs, aitc.ca/bc

New Kids Dentist

Dr. Anita Gadzinska-Myers

is a Board Certified Specialist in Pediatric Dentistry and has a Fellowship in Special Needs Dentistry for children • Accepting new patients now (infants to teenagers) • Referral not needed • Member of Cleft Lip and Palate Team

Special Services:

short wait list • intravenous sedation • hospital dentistry • nitrous oxide

Victoria Pediatric Dental Centre Janelle Hatch and Justine Wardle are Registered Dietitians with Island Health

IslandParent.ca

206–1830 Oak Bay Ave

www.victoriapediatricdentalcentre.ca

250-383-2133 June 2016 59

Summer Weather Safety

ith these record temperatures we have been enjoying lately, it is important to remember to protect your family’s skin. It is not even officially summer yet and already I have seen sunburns on babies and young children this year. Our young ones can quickly suffer the short-and long-term damage of sunburn. Their thinner, more delicate skin is especially vulnerable due to the fact that their skin is not yet protected by melanin. Statistics show that just getting one blistering sunburn during childhood raises the risk of melanoma later in life. You and your baby or child can sunburn in only 15 minutes depending on the UV index value. If the UV index is low (from 0-2), the risk of getting too much sun is low, and no protection is needed. If the UV index is between 3 and 7, you need protection. A UV index higher than 8 calls for extra protection. And it is not just those hot, sunny days we have to be more careful: your baby can get burned at other times of day and on cloudy or cool days because up to 80 per

cent of the sun’s UV (ultraviolet) rays can get through the clouds. UV rays can damage the skin at all times of day, year round, and even in the middle of winter. The best approach for babies six months and younger is to keep them out of the sun as much as possible and to avoid exposure to the sun in the hours between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m., when UV rays are most intense. If you do venture out, keep in mind that the sun’s rays bounce off surfaces like water, cement, and sand. Keep your baby in the shade of a tree, umbrella, or stroller and dress them in long sleeves and a hat. Light-coloured clothing reflects the heat and keeps skin cooler than dark colours, which absorb heat. Fabrics with a tight weave protect skin better than loosely woven fabrics. Hold the fabric up to the light: the less light you see shining through, the tighter the weave. Sunscreen for use on babies younger than six months old is not recommended. For babies six months and older, choose a physical sunscreen—one made with zinc oxide or titanium dioxide. Unlike chemical

sunscreens that the skin absorbs, which may cause irritation or allergic reactions, these ingredients merely sit on top of the skin forming a barrier against the sun’s rays. It is a good idea to test your baby’s sen-

New Parent Pages Diana Hurschler, BScN sitivity to sunscreen by first trying a small amount on the inner wrist. Babies’ skin is thinner compared to adults, and infants have a higher surface-area to body-weight ratio compared to older children and adults. Both these factors mean that an infant’s exposure to the chemicals in sunscreens may be much greater, increasing the risk of side effects from the sunscreen. Choose a sunscreen with a sun protection factor (SPF) of between 30 and 50. Look for the words “broad spectrum” on the label. “Broad spectrum” means the product protects against both UVA and UVB rays. UVB rays are more likely to cause sunburn and

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wrinkling, while UVA rays cause damage deeper in the skin. Apply sunscreen 15 to 30 minutes before heading outdoors, and reapply it every two hours. Make sure you cover all exposed areas of your baby’s skin, including the tips of the ears, the back of the neck, and the tops of the feet. If you bring your baby into the water, reapply sunscreen as soon as you towel him off—even if it has been less than two hours since you applied it. Keep in mind that sunscreen should be used for sun protection, not as a reason to stay in the sun longer.

R N  B M’ J S G C

Other sun safety tips: • Keep babies under one year out of direct sunlight to prevent skin damage and dehydration. Never let them play or sleep in the sun. • Remember, sunscreen will protect against the sun’s harmful UV rays, but will not protect children from the heat. • Do not put sunscreen on a baby less than 6 months old without asking your health care provider first. • Do not use a spray sunscreen on or around your little one’s skin. If that is all that is available, spray the product into your hand first and then apply to the skin. • Offer your baby plenty of liquids (breast milk provides enough hydration; there is no need to offer water before baby is six months old). If you are breastfeeding, make sure to increase your water intake too. Continue the daily recommended dose of Vitamin D of 400IU for your breastfed baby. • Buy a good pair of all-purpose medium to dark sunglasses for each member of your family. • Whether your baby is bald or has a full head of hair, a hat is a must. Choose a hat with a brim that is wide enough to shade the face—baseball hats are cute, but they do not protect the ears or neck. • Check out the Environmental Working Group’s website at ewg.org to determine which sunscreens are safer for you and your family’s skin. This excellent research-based online group provides education which empowers people to live healthier lives in a healthy environment. Be safe and enjoy the sun this summer! Diana Hurschler, RN BscN, childbirth educator, certified breastfeeding counselor, has been helping families in their childbearing years and beyond since 1998. Diana is the proud mama of four little ones. Email diana@hurschler.com.

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A Speciﬁc Realm

his month’s column features books that are in some way about the ocean, that pulsing realm that encircles us on Vancouver Island. The children’s publishing powerhouse, Orca Book Publishers, has two oceanic hits on its hands. Two board books, both by Victoria writers, have been on the B.C. Bestsellers list for over two months. Beach Baby (2016), by Victoria writer Laurie Elmquist and acclaimed illustrator Elly MacKay, is a soothing and graceful lullaby. The text is spare but lyrical, with the dreaminess of memory. A perfect bedtime book, it recalls the images from a day at the beach—perfect starfish/the goose waddling up from the bay—and tucks baby in, knowing there will be more adventures tomorrow. My Heart Fills with Happiness (2016), by Victoria writer Monique Gray Smith, is the second bestselling board book of the season. Gray Smith is of Cree, Lakota and Scottish heritage and the author of the award-winning, semi-autobiographical Tilly: A Story of Hope and Resilience; My Heart Fills with Happiness builds on hope and resilience as well. Against the calming colours of Cree-Metis illustrator Julie Flett’s illustrations, the book affirms Indigenous children by acknowledging the beauty of simple, deep pleasures—walking barefoot on grass, smelling bannock baking in the oven. It asks all children, what fills your heart with happiness? It’s impossible to go wrong with Julie Flett; her award-winning work is always stunning, fresh and timeless at once. Her books Wild Berries and Owls See Clearly at Night: A Michif Alphabet are so pure, so carefully created, so seeing, reading them is a transcendent experience. They are perfect oases of the best of what childhood is. Orca published Flett’s board book collaboration with Dogrib Dene writer Richard Van Camp, the gorgeous Little You (2013), and, this fall, will publish another Flett-Van Camp collaboration that respectfully honours Indigenous children and families, titled We Sang You Home. As for the ocean, Flett illustrated Dolphin SOS (Tradewind, 2014), a picture book cowritten by husband and wife team, poet Roy Miki and Slavia Miki, based on the true story of white-beaked dolphins trapped by ice in a Newfoundland bay. Locals were warned not to help them—it was against federal wildlife regulations—but after hearing the dolphins cry for three days and nights, people finally

took things into their own hands. Flett’s quiet, inky illustrations, like block prints, (Flett was trained as a textile artist), highlight the dolphins’ predicament, a watchful girl’s compassion and helplessness, and the heroes that did the obvious, humane, kindness. Flett’s illustrations have been described as “starkly simple” (Globe and Mail) and having an “extraordinary, austere beauty”(New York Times). Specific Ocean (Kids Can Press, 2015) is a book you’ll want to frame. Written by Kyo Maclear, author of Virginia Wolf (sic!) and Julia, Child, and illustrated by Katty Maurey (Governor General’s Award nominee for Francis, the Little Fox) the poetic story, of a girl’s reluctant summertime trip to the ocean, moves slowly, but shifts deftly, like a Pacific tide. The book has lovely lines and word play and an endearing, believable relationship between a girl and her older brother. “Here’s a secret,” the girl tells us. “I used to call it the Specific Ocean, until my brother corrected me. But he doesn’t know that a place can have two names: one that is correct and for saying out loud, and one that is private and for saying inside your head.” When the girl falls in love with the ocean, her brother wisely explains that she can’t take the ocean back to the city with her—and taking a cupful won’t suffice. But it doesn’t matter: once home, the girl realizes the ocean is forever hers. Much lighter, but as charming, is Montreal illustrator and writer Marianne Dubuc’s The Animals’ Ark (Kids Can Press, 2016). Dubuc isn’t interested in sins and punishment by drowning, she’s intrigued by how a bunch of animals fared cramped together on board Noah’s famous ark. Isn’t that what really makes the story? Well, at first they’re relieved to be out of the constant rain. The birds make their nests—in the sheeps’ wool coats, the chameleons play hide and seek, and the zebras count their stripes. Some of the animals get very bored, though. A storm upsets everyone, and the ship springs a leak—the elephants are great help with bailing out the water. Then the rabbits get seasick and the penguins overheat and everyone gets grumpy and quarrels. Just like families do, even friends, when they’re holed up together. Carried along nimbly by sweet, light illustrations, the picture book becomes satisfyingly long. Land comes at just the right time. Two other books out this spring from Kids Can Press pay homage to the ocean and its won-

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ders. In Toshi’s Little Treasures, by Montreal writer Nadine Robert and illustrated by Aki, little Toshi goes on a series of adventurous hikes with his grandmother. On the first pages of the

A/CAMP C . C B . S PCA Campbell River comox cowichan Nanaimo victoria

Book Nook SARA CASSIDY gentle, cheerful book, his grandmother gives him a backpack, “to carry all the little things you collect on our walks.” Toshi responds, “For my treasures!” “Exactly,” responds his refreshingly pragmatic grandmother. Toshi’s grandma will never say “don’t touch” or “dirty!” Toshi spies all sorts of things along the river (crayfish claw, an old chain link), in the city (stones, sunglass lens, guitar pick), the forest, the country, the park, and, yes, the ocean (cuttlebone, clam, driftwood, bottle). The book has many search-and-find and matching games, which are fun, but more than anything, this book is a fantastic lesson in looking, seeing, and treasuring. The Not-So-Faraway Adventure is also a grandchild-grandparent story about simple adventures. Theo loves to go through her widowed grandfather Poppy’s trunk of travel mementoes. On his birthday, he and she plan a little trip together, the kind of thing Poppy and his wife used to do. In this second Theo and Poppy book, Toronto writer and illustrator Andrew Larsen and Irene Luxbacher turn a simple day trip into an exciting voyage, with a map, a streetcar ride that “sails” through town, and a trek through a park that delivers them to the beach, where “The world opened up! The beach stretched as far as [Theo] could see. The blues of the sky washed into the blues of the water.” Poppy says, “I used to come here in the summer when I was a little boy. I thought this was the ocean.” And Theo replies, “Let’s pretend it is the ocean, Poppa. Let’s pretend we’re on a faraway adventure.” On Vancouver Island in the Salish Sea, a faraway adventure is always at our fingertips. As close as our bookstores and libraries. Sara Cassidy’s six books for children and teens have all been included in Canadian Children’s Book Centre’s “Best Books for Children and Teens.” Sara lives in Victoria with her three kids, and at saracassidywriter.com. Book Nook is written with the invaluable assistance of GVPL librarian Lonestar Stone.

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Mighty Mammals Join the nature fun all summer long; special Birds of a Feather events, day camps, French immersion day camps, Day Camps evening programs and a Christmas Hill hike. Biology Buddies Some programs require pre-registration. 4 - 6 years 7 - l0 years Nature Explorers Please call or visit our website for more information. Big & little Parent & 3 - 5 3873 Swan Lake Road, Victoria, BC, V8X 3W1 250.479.0211 info@swanlake. www.swanlake.bc.ca www.facebook.com/SwanLakeChristmasHillNatureSanctuary

June 2016 63

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Island Parent Magazine

Growing Pains Children

remember, as a child, standing knee-deep in our neighbour’s lavender bed, admiring her carefully cultivated garden. Perfect roses clustered around ornamental statues; feathery branches sheltered a flourishing veggie plot. My mother sighed as she took in this tranquil scene, then cast a weary glance over the fence. In our yard, things were different. Scrubby grass, permanently pock-marked by thistles, struggled to grow in the few patches the dog had yet to dig up; dandelions fringed the remains of a garden bed—currently in use as a bike jump. My brothers ran past occasionally, shrieking like banshees. It was the definitive opposite of a peaceful oasis. I was about 11, and not exactly a garden connoisseur; but even I could translate the morose expression on my mother’s face. She wanted a lovely garden, but with four energetic boys and me, an entire gardening crew would have struggled to make that happen—let alone one overwhelmed mom. The logistics were simply impossible. I knew this. My mother knew this. But she wished it were different. I somehow arrived at motherhood thinking it would be different for me. By the time my kids were toddlers, I had conjured up an idyllic picture of myself puttering around a storybook garden, smiling as my kids munched heirloom carrots while frolicking amidst colour-coordinated begonias—voluntarily wearing their sun hats, I might add. But this was nothing more than a delusional fantasy. Gardening at my house looks nothing like this vision. In fact, I don’t think I can even call it gardening. The very term “gardening” implies a sense of control and intent. Someone who “gardens” would put some thought into what they planted, choosing seeds best suited to the soil and exposure. I choose seeds purely based on survival qualities such as “matures rapidly” and “withstands trampling and flooding.” Likewise, a gardener would not have to play “guess-the-sprout”—since their plantIslandParent.ca

ing style would be more sophisticated than flinging random seeds everywhere. And they would never find themselves performing a Google search to learn whether a small boy’s pee counts as an organic fertilizer, or if it renders a plant inedible. I, on the other hand—well, let’s just say it’s a good thing tomato plants appreciate a little acidity. Yes, for all its joys, gardening with young and energetic children is not gardening. It is rearranging weeds, dodging Frisbees, and shouting “PUT YOUR SUN HAT BACK ON YOUR HEAD!” at least 30 times per

Is There an App for This? SARAH MILLIGAN hour. It is patiently explaining, again, why the strawberries don’t taste good when they are white. It is running for ice when one child accidentally gives another child a black eye with the garden trowel. It is abandoning weeding because everyone needs a snack, again. There are pleasant, wonderful moments, but sometimes, I find myself glancing over the whole thistle-pocked, dandelion-fringed mess—wearing the same expression, no doubt, that my mother wore on that sunlit afternoon I remember, standing in our neighbour’s garden. I understand, now, exactly what she was feeling. And our elderly neighbour apparently did, too, for she smiled, and patted my mother’s arm in a reassuring sort of way. “Never mind, Dear—today you are growing children, not flowers.” Growing children, not flowers—an overwhelming truth of motherhood. For me, this phrase it is a poignant reminder that the whole point of “gardening” with children is to simply spend time with them, sharing the miraculous process by which seeds, dirt, sunshine, and water all come together to make plants. Whether or not we get a single edible thing at the end of it all is beside the point. And besides, that’s what the farmer’s market is for. Sarah Milligan lives on Vancouver Island. She is grateful to her children for the joy they inspire, not to mention the endless writing fodder.

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June 2016 65

Preschool & Child Care Directory CENTRAL SAANICH Chrysalis Child Care................................ 250-652-0815 A nurturing and stimulating environment for a small group of 21⁄2–5 year old children. Qualified ECE promotes learning through play. chrysalischildcare.ca.

Colwood/LANGFORD Goldstream Co-op Preschool................. 250-474-3011 Learning Through Play for 3 and 4yr olds! For registration information go to our website: goldstreampreschool.com. Leap Forward Childcare......................... 250-818-9225 2758 Peatt RD. Licenced group childcare for children ages 6 months to 5 years old. Offering fulltime and part-time care. Open 6:30am-5:30pm. For more information please contact Amber: info@leap forwardlangford.com, leapforwardlangford.com. Miles of Smiles Nature Junior Kindergarten.................... 778-265-4374 Come See Why Learning In Nature Rocks! Reggio Influenced Philosophy ages 3-5. Have Your Child Become a Nature Detective Today! Email mosnjk@hotmail.com. RIA Early Learning Centre...................... 250-590-0781 Reggio Program—for Preschool aged children. A unique learning environment—encourages each child’s development. reggiopreschool.ca.

CORDOVA BAY Carrot Seed Preschool............................ 250-658-2331 Where children can discover, imagine, construct and learn through play. Wondrous natural playground. carrotseedpreschool.com.

La Pré-Maternelle Appletree Preschool.. 250-479-0292 A French Immersion Program. 30 months to school age. Licensed Christian centre. prematernelleappletree.com.

Highlands

SAANICH

Lexie’s Little Bears Child Care Inc......... 250-590-3603 Only seconds past Luxurious Bear Mountain our HIGHLY reputable Nature Program will not disappoint! Our NATURAL outdoor environment provides an experience like no other…in our own rainforest. Located on 2 acres of treed forest land, your child will learn and grow in NATURE! Our Brand NEW Infant/Toddler centre is tranquil and serene. All the furniture, shelving and some toys have been hand crafted using the trees on our own property! Programs for 3 to 5’s and for Infant/Toddlers. Spaces avail. NOW! Visit our Facebook blog, and website at lexieslittlebears.com. Call for more info. Cub House: 778-432-3600.

METCHOSIN Metchosin Co-op Preschool................... 250-478-9241 Est. 1960. Our school provides a beautiful natural play space and inclusive child led learning through play emergent curriculum. Two excellent ECEs per class provide loving and enriching family support. Half-day programs for 2.5-5 yrs. metchosinpreschool.com. West-Mont Montessori School............... 250-474-2626 Preschool Montessori instruction in a beautiful natural environment in Metchosin. Ages 30 months and up. Providing a balanced approach to incorporating Nature, French, Music and Art into a complete educational program. Be a part of a community devoted to the development of the whole child. Open House: Thursdays 9-11 am. west-mont.ca.

North SAANICH

Cordova Bay Preschool.......................... 250-658-3441 A bright and cheerful parent participation preschool with a philosophy of learning through play. 4 yr olds - M/W/F 9:151:15; 3 yr olds - T/Th 9:15-12:15. cordovabaypreschool.org.

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.

Lakeview Christian Preschool/Daycare.. 250-658-5082 30 mths to Kindergarten entry. Small group. Experienced teacher. Full time and part time spaces. Mornings only or full day. Monthly DROP IN STORY HOUR. For information please e-mail lakeviewschol@shaw.ca.

OAK BAY

ESQUIMALT Ciara Early Childhood Centre................. 250-386-7369 Education and Fun Hand in Hand! Exceptional care for ages 1-5yrs. Inclusive nature inspired kindergarten readiness program with Christian values. Facebook.com/ CiaraEarlyChildhoodCentre. 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. islandkids.ca.

Child Care

Resource & Referral www.islandfamilyinfo.ca www.ccrr.bc.ca 66 Island Parent Magazine

Recreation Oak Bay................................ 250-370-7200 Fully licensed, ECE Daycare, Preschool and Nature Preschool. Play based, child led learning. Afterschool care available.

Emmanuel Preschool.............................. 250-598-0573 Children learn through play in our non-denominational Christian preschool near UVic. Bright attractive setting. 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, music and friendship. Over 50 years serving Victoria’s families. Nuturing and highly qualified ECE and ECE Assistant. Parent participation level options available, nut-free and allergy-aware. Join us! gonzalescooppreschool.com.

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. arbutusgrove.ca. Camosun College Child Care Services......250-370-4880 Quality licensed facilities on both campuses providing children, newborn to 5 years, with rich early learning experiences in a learn through play environment. camosun.ca/childcare. Carrot Seed Preschool............................ 250-658-2331 Where children can discover, imagine, construct and learn through play. Wondrous natural playground. Extended hours starting Sept. carrotseedpreschool.com. Cloverdale Child Care.................................250-995-1766 Register now for preschool 4 year olds Mon/Wed/Fri 9:00–1:00 & 3 & 4 year olds Tue/Thur 9:00–1:00. Full time Early Learning Centre 7:00am – 6:00 pm 3–5 year olds. Before and after school care. cloverdalechildcare@shawbiz. ca, cloverdalechildcare.com. Full o’ Beans Preschool.............................. 250-360-1148 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! saanichneighbourhoodplace.com. Island Montessori House........................ 250-592-4411 Inclusive, integrated and nurturing Preschool and Kindergarten programs. Located in a lovely rural setting with a focus on nature and outdoor environmental activities such as gardening and composting. 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 natural outdoor playground and meet our loving qualified ECE team. Multiple Levels of participation available, please enquire. 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. lambrickparkpreschool.ca. Neighbourhood Junior Kindergarten..... 250-479-4410 Welcoming, culturally sensitive parent participation program in Lakehill School. Morning and afternoon. For 3s and 4s. See website for details. neighbourhood juniorkindergarten.com

Looking for child care? Need help with subsidy forms? Taking care of children? Need child care training? Your community’s best source of child care information and resources. 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

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Preschool & Child Care Directory Oakcrest Preschool................................. 250-472-0668 A welcoming, nurturing environment with a large, bright facility. Learn through play with 2 caring ECEs. oakcrestpreschool.org.

Castleview Child Care............................. 250-595-5355 Learning Through Play & Discovery. Licensed non-profit, qual. ECE staff. Since 1958. Preschool and full-time care. castleviewchildcarecentre.com.

View Royal Childcare.............................. 250-479-8067 Preschool structured, high quality childcare. Victoria Conservatory of Music classes. Part time spaces available. 2.5-5year olds. viewroyalpreschool@live.com.

Pacific Christian School – Pre-School... 250-479-4532 Your child will love the playful, safe environment and caring staff at PCS Pre-School. Come and explore Educational Excellence to the Glory of God. PacificChristian.ca

Centennial Day Care............................... 250-386-6832 Exceptional childcare and education 35+ years. Nature inspired, play based program. NEW central, “green” building. centennialdaycare.ca.

View Royal Preschool.............................. 250-479-8067 Exciting inclusive program in a safe and exceptional care environment. 3-5 year olds. Outside play and themes enrich this program. Full/part-time spaces available. viewroyalpreschool.com.

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.

Christ Church Cathedral Childcare and Junior Kindergarten......................... 250-383-5132 ECE and Specialist teachers provide an outstanding all-day, licensed program for 3–5 year olds. Spacious, renovated facility with a huge backyard in Fairfield. cathedralschool.ca.

Ready Set Grow Preschool..................... 250-472-1530 Inside Hillcrest Elm. in Gordon Head, we help children transition to Kindergarten. Licensed Preschool with highly qualified, warm ECE. heoscmanager@gmail.com.

Nightingale Preschool and Junior Kindergarten Ltd.................. 250-595-7544 We offer education through creativity and play, providing rich learning experiences through a well sourced and stimulating indoor and outdoor environment. Early years reading programme. nightingalepreschool.com. Arts/ Drama programme. kidsworks.ca.

Rogers Child Care Centre....................... 250-744-2343 Trusted High Quality Non Profit Care since 1991. Year Round Early Learning and Out of School Care. For more info go to rogerschildcare.com. St. Joseph’s Catholic Preschool................250-479-1237 • A Christian child centre for 3–5 year olds. • A warm nurturing and challenging program • Offered by St. Joseph’s Catholic School. Wiseways Preschool & Daycare............. 250-477-1312 Quality, fully licensed, Christian preschool/daycare for 3–4 year olds. Experienced team of ECEs. Spacious facilities include large playground and indoor gym. Subsidized fees welcome. Call for a tour. wisewaysvictoria.com.

SIDNEY Acorntree Preschool............................... 250-686-1408 Balanced indoor/outdoor program, designed to stimulate natural curiosity and foster empathy and compassion towards others. We believe in the importance of both child and teacher directed activities. acorntreepreschool.ca. Positive Path Early Learning.................. 250-655-7244 Located near the library and Sidney School, our program has earned a stellar reputation for quality child care and is growing as fast as the children we care for. Space is available for your child to embark on a journey of active exploration and discovery, enjoying a natural outdoor playground and an expansive indoor learning space. Experienced educators foster a lifelong quest for knowledge and guide children with Christian values and virtues. positivepath@shaw.ca. Storyoga Preschool................................. 778-679-4004 Embracing and empowering children exactly as they are. Storyoga Preschool is a nature and yoga based program located in Sidney, BC. storyoga.com.

VICTORIA ArtsCalibre Academy.............................. 250-382-3533 Comprehensive programs for Preschool through Grade 6, delivering academic excellence through music, dance, drama and visual arts. Outstanding educators, locations and facilities. ArtsCalibre.ca Babies to Big Kids Childcare......................250-590-2722 949 Fullerton Ave. Licenced group childcare for children ages 6 months to 11 years old. Offering full-time and part-time care. Open 6:30am-5:30pm. info@babies tobigkids.com, babiestobigkids.com.

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Parkdale Early Childhood Centre........... 250-382-0512 ECEs offer the highest quality care and positive learning experiences in our daycare and preschool. Full time or part time. Call for a tour or visit us at parkdalechildcare.ca. Rainbow Express Daycare...................... 250-382-2314 A nurturing environment for children to learn through play and discovery in a natural setting. ECEs and specialist teachers. rainbowexpressdaycare.com. Close to city centre. Ross Bay Preschool................................ 250-383-7445 Positive/supportive program motivating children to learn, discover and grow through play. Daily outdoor time, special guests and community events! rossbaypreschool @shaw.ca. 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.

Mill Bay / Cobble Hill Cedar Montessori..................................... 250-710-9007 A beautiful rural setting where children are lovingly supported to learn at their own pace within a stimulating Montessori environment.

DUNCAN Parkside Academy.................................... 250-746-1711 Providing high quality early learning and care from infancy to 12 years of age, in a stimulating, respectful, nurturing, nature based environment with fully educated and passionate early childhood educators. Visit parksideacademy. ca or find us on Facebook. Queen Margaret’s School......................... 250-746-4185 Early Childhood Education Program. Co-ed nurturing curriculum to develop the whole child. Healthy snacks and lunch provided. qms.bc.ca. Queen of Angels Early Learning Centre... 250-701-0433 We believe that the development of the whole child (physically, socially, emotionally, cognitively, and spiritually) encourages each individual to develop to their full potential. We offer an enriched full day program for 3–5 year olds based on Kindergarten readiness. Sunrise Waldorf School Preschool........... 250-743-7253 A warm, nature-based Waldorf rhythm where wonder is nurtured. Led by Waldorf trained ECE teachers. sunrisewaldorfschool.org.

Chemainus

Victoria Montessori................................. 250-380-0534 Unique, innovative learning environment combining the best of Montessori and Learning Through Play. Open yr. round. 30mths–K. victoriamontessori.com.

St. Joseph’s Preschool........................... 250-246-3191 An enriching preschool program allowing children to grow as individuals in a safe and nurturing Christian environment.

YMCA-YWCA Child Care Centres.......... 250-386-7511 Enriched programs for children 10 months – 5 years. Our programs support healthy child development and future school success. victoriay.com.

Qualicum Beach

VIEW ROYAL 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. islandkids.ca. Little Wonders Preschool (View Royal OSC)..................................... 250-744-2718 A creative and supportive program that will prepare your child for a lifetime of learning! Out of School Care is also available for school aged children. viewroyalosc.com.

Children’s Discovery Centre................... 250-752-4343 Our program recognizes the uniqueness of each child and provides a nurturing, safe and creative learning environment. Licensed preschool, group care and out of school care. Early Childhood Educators. childrensdiscovery centre.ca. childrensdiscoverycentre@hotmail.com. Little Star Children’s Centre................... 250-752-4554 Mother, Daughter owned and operated. Earth friendly preschool education inspired by nature. Infused with fun and creative daily yoga practices! Licensed group care. Enthusiastic ECE instructors. littlestardaycare.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.

A Secret Garden Preschool.................... 250-380-8293 Program built on Christian values. Monthly themes, weekly topics and daily activities. asecretgardenpreschool@ shaw.ca.

June 2016 67

Island Parent Unicorn Child Celebrating

28 Years

on for Vancouver Island

The Resource Publicati

Parents

June 2016

Yo! Papa Tips, Advice & Ramblings on Fatherhood

Summer Programs

Not-So-Rugged, g Guilt-Free Campin

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islandparent.ca 250-388-6905 68 Island Parent Magazine

rom very early on I knew Angus was a kid who would be picked on. I’ve been bracing myself for the inevitability. He’s the slowest runner I’ve ever met. When racing with his classmates he reaches the halfway point when the rest of them have crossed the finish line. He’s not interested in Avengers, but would rather bake a pretend apple pie. Sometimes he bursts into song for absolutely no reason. And loudly. Plus, and maybe this is the crux of it, he cries an awful lot. Still, he’s only four, so I figured we’d have a couple years before any mistreatment started. When I was in preschool I remember a girl who drank glue, and how that was funny, but I don’t remember anyone ever hurting my feelings. I don’t remember being called names, or being told I couldn’t play. And I don’t remember dishing out that kind of unkindness either. Maybe I have a faulty memory, or maybe things are just different now. Because last week I had to sit down with my son and explain to him that just because some boys call him a poop monster doesn’t mean he is one. That just because some kids tell him he can’t play with them doesn’t mean no one wants to be his friend. Angus has friends. Some nice, accepting kids who aren’t put off by the fact he doesn’t always answer when spoken to, will in fact walk away without even making eye contact. Some kids who are only slightly bothered by the fact that he often won’t share at preschool, or will scream when other kids hurt themselves. He has friends—and he also has L. L is Angus’s best friend, and a unicorn child. By this I mean that she is a mythical creature, the kind of friend every mom wishes her child could find—but doesn’t get her hopes up about. Because let’s face it, unicorns aren’t real. And yet, Angus found one. One of the first times I witnessed L’s powers was a day Angus and I arrived at school early, and were waiting for the classroom to be opened. There were other kids there, and some of them said hello to Angus, and as is generally the case, I prompted him to reply and he did not. Then L said hello. Angus didn’t respond, so she repeated herself. Then she leaned in close and waved her hand in his face to catch his attention.

“Hello Angus!” she said, for about the fifth time. He said hello back. Then she grabbed his hand, marched him to a group of kids playing under the benches and announced that he was now playing also.

Maternity & Beyond Laura TRUNKEY She repeats this routine whenever it’s necessary, but most often it isn’t. L has become the one child to whom my son will initiate a greeting. Angus has back and forth conversations with L, which might not seem a big deal to a lot of parents, but with Angus this doesn’t happen with other kids. It doesn’t happen with most adults eithers. “He’s so funny,” she tells me. And I agree, though this is a side of him most people don’t get to see. At the park, when Angus is afraid to do something, she encourages him. She’ll hold his hand the first couple of times down the slide, until he’s comfortable on his own. When Angus has a meltdown she waits it out. She’ll tell him, “if you don’t stop crying, I don’t want to play with you,” words that have more power than anything I can say or do. Once, during one of these meltdowns, Angus announced that L wasn’t his friend anymore. I felt sick, but L took it in stride. She shook her head. “That’s not true, Angus,” she said, then marched past him into our house. The other day I dropped Angus off at preschool and he sat down next to L at one of the toy tables. “L is very kind, isn’t she mom?” he said. L kept playing with the toys, a wide smile on her face. “She definitely is,” I agreed. But it’s not just kindness. It’s magic. Unicorns exist, and they’re even more amazing than I could have imagined. Laura Trunkey is the mother of the amazing Angus, and the author of the story collection Double Dutch (House of Anansi, 2016). Find her at www.lauratrunkey.com. IslandParent.ca

Ad Directory Alpine Stables................52 Andrea’s Sew Easy...........7 Arabesque Dance..........41 Artistic Statement..........25 Ballet Victoria................IBC BC Spca........................63 Bear Mountain...............61 Belinda Fontes Photography..............49 Blue Vista......................65 Boardworks...................51 Boys & Girls Clubs.........38 Burnside Gorge..............49 Byte Camp......................2 Camp Pringle.................63 Camp Qwanoes............ BC Canadian Forces Sailing Association.....19 Canucks Autism Network.....................42 Christ Church Cathedral School........52 Citizen Engagement......IBC City Centre Park...............8 Claremont.....................40 Community Farm Store................55 CRD..............................13 Discovery School...........14 Dr. Joslin, Dr. Morin & Associates.............IFC Emmanuel Baptist Church......................41 Emmanuel Preschool.....57 Esquimalt Recreation....IFC Evergreen School...........54 Falcon Gymnastics.........41 Four Seasons.................26 Games2U......................65 GNS Marine Adventure...51 Gordon Head Recreation.................24 Gorge Soccer.................51 Happy Baby Sleep Solutions...................61 Highland Pacific Golf......29 Horne Lake Caves..........10 Human Powered Racing.......................63 IMAX...............................3 Island Montessori...........13 Island Rhythmic Gymnastics................42 Island Swimming...........21 Juan De Fuca Skating....71 Kaleidoscope...................7 Kate Rubin.....................23 KATS.............................59 KinPark.........................71 Kool & Child..................IFC Leap Forward Dance......34 Lexie’s Little Bears.........28 Lifestyles.........................6 Mad Science.................22 Maple Tree Children’s Centre.......17 Mary Rogers Music Studio..............19

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Mattick’s Mini Golf.........50 Miles of Smiles..............17 Momease.....................IFC Mothering Touch..............5 Movie Magic..................24 Nanaimo Museum..........12 Oak & Orca..........6, 33, 56 Oak Bay Figure Skating..17 OCEAN 98.5..................11 Pacific Christian.............64 Pacific Rim College........36 Panorama Recreation.....53 Park Sands...................IBC Patricia Lane.................44 PISE..............................39 Recreation Oak Bay........47 Red Balloon...................44 Royal BC Museum.....8, 45 Royal LePage.................22 Royal Victoria Yacht Club.................34 Saanich Dental..............38 Saanich Fair..................28 Saanich Recreation... Insert Scouts Canada..............54 Seaparc Recreation........49 Serious Coffee...............27 Shakespeare Festival.....59 Shaw Centre for the Salish Sea.................65 St. Joseph’s, Chemainus................54 St. Margaret’s School.....10 St. Michaels University School........55 Stages....................23, 25 Swan Lake....................63 Sylvan Learning...............1 The Raptors...................57 Thrifty Foods..................37 Tigh Na Mara.................45 TJ’s The Kiddie Store......33 Tom Lee Music..............52 Total Learning Services..30 UVic Homestay..............16 UVIC Vikes.......................9 Vancouver Island Baby Fair...................60 Vancouver Island University...................72 Victoria Academy of Ballet.....................12 Victoria Bug Zoo............71 Victoria City Rowing.......44 Victoria Gymnastics........29 Victoria Pediatric Dental.......................59 Victoria Sport Synchro....34 VIHA..............................58 Welcome Wagon............30 West-Mont....................57 West View Plumbing.......46 Westshore Centre for Learning...............27 Westshore Motocross.....30 Westshore Parks & Recreation................4 World Cup Soccer..........55

Business & Professional Directory Early Care and Learning Programs for Preschoolers

Registering Now for r Septembe

• Licensed programs for 3 and 4 year olds • Part – time, flexible scheduling • 2.5 & 4 hour programs • Outdoor program options • Competitive rates, subsidy available • Qualified Early Childhood Educators Located at Saanich Neighbourhood Place, in Pearkes Recreation Centre For more information contact 250-360-1148 ext 101 Corinne@snplace.org

Saanichneighbourhoodplace.com

Enter Our Online Contests Every month at IslandParent.ca you can enter to win great prizes! Prizes include: • Family Getaways • Gift Certificates • IMAX Passes • Books, CDs & More One entry per family per week. Check out the prizes and enter the contests by visiting

IslandParent.ca June 2016 69

The Wonder of Watersheds O

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—Island Parent Online 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 e-newsletter for updates and exclusive contests. You can also enter our monthly and photo contests.

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IslandParent.ca 70 Island Parent Magazine

s I dropped tiny and promising seeds into my garden recently, my usual feelings of hopeful abandon about the growing season ahead were a bit dampened. The last summer of gardening was the most challenging yet; it was dry, dry, dry! Which got me thinking about our water, how we use it, and in many cases, how it is abused. You could say my inner water warrior was awakened. So this is my call in defence of our watersheds. As we move into this uncertain future of warmer climates and increasingly urban lifestyles, I believe it’s time we jump in with both feet and change our water ways. A watershed is an area of land that drains our rain water into larger bodies like a lake or the ocean. The forms of passage for this water include but are not limited to streams, creeks or rivers both above and below ground. Watersheds are vitally important. Besides their intrinsic value and their value as habitat for both plants and animals, watersheds play crucial ecological roles and aid the modern human life in countless ways. In addition to watersheds supplying our drinking water, they also filter water through the root systems of plants and the surrounding soils. By absorbing rainfall they help prevent flooding in our basements and sensitive ecosystems. We also rely on this fresh and clean source of water for manufacturing, agriculture, recreation and health. Having watersheds in our communities also helps to mitigate the effects of climate change by helping to cool the air and absorb carbon from the atmosphere. Unfortunately there are many threats to these important ecosystems. Basically anything going on or into the watershed upstream will ultimately be felt downstream. Development is chief among these threats. Re-routing streams, increased erosion with the removal of native plants, and paving over permeable surfaces have the greatest effects on our watersheds. Less and less water is being allowed to move naturally through our urban and suburban ecosystems and our watersheds are feeling the pinch. With the increase of pavement and ground cover by buildings, less rainwater is being allowed to soak into our soils and replenish our ground water sources. This significantly affects the base flow levels of our rivers and creeks, ultimately creating serious drought situations in the warmer summer months for

IslandParent.ca

both plants and animals alike. In addition, our water is increasingly missing out on the natural filtration of moving through the soil and vegetation before reaching its end goal of our water basin. As a result, our fresh water is showing

Cowichan Green Community

Learn how to grow, cook, and eat fresh local food! Play in the park and make friends! Learn about bees, recycling, and the environment!

Nature Notes FRANCIE MORGAN higher rates of nutrification due to agricultural runoff and an increased presence of petrochemicals from running directly off the streets into the storm water systems and then into our water supply. Caring for our watersheds is caring for our health, future and our community. What can we do as individuals to help? We can: • Reduce our consumption by adjusting our personal habits and repairing household infrastructure to ensure lower fresh water usage. • Keep toxins out of the system by disposing of chemicals and batteries properly, remembering these watersheds feed our drinking water reserves. • Garden accordingly by planting native plant species that have evolved to live here and require less water. • Install permeable surfaces, if installing new surfaces in your yard, driveway or place of work. Advocate for a surface that allows rain water to re-enter the water table; check out permeable paving stones online, they are both beautiful and intelligent. • Emit less by walking, riding your bike or taking public transit. Not only will your mood improve, but you will introduce less pollutants onto the road to be washed into the watershed. Without a doubt this is a heavy subject, but what we do about it doesn’t have to be. Putting our water-saving steps into action can be fun for the whole family. From a watersaving competition among family members to planting a rain garden in your yard, it can involve even the youngest members of your family and create good habits for years to come. Have fun and remember: don’t be afraid to get your feet wet! Francie Morgan works as Program Naturalist at Swan Lake Christmas Hill Nature Sanctuary and is looking forward to Wild for Water Day on July 13 at the Sanctuary.

IslandParent.ca

June 27 - Sept. 2 Ages 6 + 9am - 4:30pm

KinPark Kid’s Camp!

For more information, please visit www.cowichangreencommunity.org, email camp@cowichangreencommunity.org,

call 250-748-8506, or visit the Garden Pantry Store at 360 Duncan Street, Duncan

Have you registered your child your yet for CanSkate? RegisterRegister at JuanatDeJuan Fuca Have you registered child yet for CanSkate? De Skating Club for the best learn-to-skate program with certifi ed coaches. Fuca Skating Club for the best learn-to-skate program with certified Nowants mattertoif your wants to play hockey, speedskate; skate No matter ifcoaches. your child play child hockey, speed skate or figure or figure skate; CanSkate them offfoot. on the right foot. CanSkate will start themwill off start on the right

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For more information and to register please visit www.juandefucaskatingclub.ca or email juandefucasc@gmail.com June 2016 71

Cut It Out!

Tips from Parent Educator Allison Rees of LIFE Seminars

Say YES to ‘The Givens’

here are some things in life we just can’t control. When we dig our heels in and fight against The Givens of Life, we become indignant and self-righteous, like helpless victims. We complain, protest and stomp our feet, insisting that life behave itself. But it won’t. Life happens and we have to say a wholehearted “YES” to it. When we do, we decrease our stress levels, and find courage and resilience. If you are protecting your child from The Givens of Life, Cut it Out! Along with various other givens of life, there are five that are unavoidable (inspired by David Richo’s The Five Things in Life We Can’t Change and the Happiness We Find by Embracing Them): 1. Everything changes and ends. 2. Things do not always go according to plan. 3. Life is not always fair. 4. Pain is part of life. 5. People are not loyal and loving all the time. Perhaps we were told these things when we complained as children. I’m not sure that

approach really helped, although a shrug of the shoulder often allowed us to get over it. Pointing out The Givens of Life shouldn’t replace reflective listening. Quoting any of these Givens to our children when they complain would be dismissive and cold. Teaching our children to accept life’s givens isn’t done through lectures or reprimands. It doesn’t sound like “suck it up.” Instead, we allow the pain, the disappointment and the hurt to be present as we acknowledge that we are not alone. That others experience the Givens too and in that we develop compassion. While life takes its twists, we can adapt to the surprises. We can be creative and resourceful in a pinch. If we feed our children’s mistaken ideas that everything should be fair, we are working against reality. Sometimes you get a little more, and sometimes you get a little less. In all healthy relationships there is a give and take. We can handle this. Children need to know that you can be present for them in their pain. They need to know two

things: first that you understand their feelings and second, that you can handle their feelings. It’s a problem if children believe that their peers should be “nice” to them, seeing as they are all egocentric. Any time we believe children should have the empathy and compassion of an adult, we will be disappointed. Perhaps The Givens of Life deserve room on your fridge door? LIFE Seminars has two books available, Sidestepping the Power Struggle and The Parent Child Connection. See lifeseminars.com.

High School Education in a University Setting #StartYourJourneyHere The High School at Vancouver Island University is a BC certified independent high school uniquely situated on a university campus. Contact:

Now accepting applications

highschool@viu.ca 250.740.6315

for grades 10, 11 and 12.

viu.ca/highschool 72 Island Parent Magazine

Brianna Russ The High School at VIU, Grad 2016 Aboriginal University Bridging Program

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Dates July 4 to July 29th Junior and Senior Programs th

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