September/October Island Parent Magazine by Island Parent Group

Island Parent Celebrating

25 Years

The Resource Publication for Vancouver Island Parents

September 2013

Fall Programs Guide

A Case for Immunizations Experience Living History at U’mista Power Smart Challenge

Vancouver Island Baby Fair Show Guide Inside

Creative Parents + Creative Children = Creative Futures The Power of Practice Reading, ’Riting & ’Rithmetic

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STUDY SKILLS

M AT H

S AT / AC T P R E P

WRITING

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HOMEWORK HELP

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I love to read now. I can’t wait to go to school every day.

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Contents: Sept/Oct 2013 Feature Creative Parents + Creative Children = Creative Futures............................... 10

Articles Power Smart Challenge................................................................................... 8 A Case for Immunizations............................................................................. 14 Reading, ’Riting & ’Rithmetic....................................................................... 16 Fall Programs................................................................................................ 18 Weekend Away: Sightseeing in Seattle........................................................... 25 The Trick for Safe Halloween Treats............................................................. 26 Experience Living History at U’mista............................................................ 28 Lullabies for Little Ones................................................................................ 29 The Power of Practice................................................................................... 30

Columns

CLOSING OCT 14! Recounting the dramatic contest between the Norwegian Roald Amundsen and the Englishman Robert Falcon Scott to be the first to reach the South Pole in 1912. Get your tickets today.

QUEST ANTARCTIC ADVENTURES LECTURE Join Royal BC Museum conservator Jana Stefan as she recounts living and working in Antarctica while preserving Robert Scott’s Expedition hut. Thursday, October 3 7:30-9pm $16 per person. 10% member discount.

Secure your spot at royalbcmuseum.bc.ca 2 Island Parent Magazine

Editor’s Note................................................................................................... 3 Dadspeak...................................................................................................... 44 Healthy Families; Happy Families................................................................. 46 Just Eat It!..................................................................................................... 48 Is There an App for This?.............................................................................. 50 Book Nook................................................................................................... 52 New Parent Pages.......................................................................................... 56 Maternity & Beyond..................................................................................... 60 Nature Notes................................................................................................ 62 Cut It Out..................................................................................................... 64

Departments IPM Notes....................................................................................................... 4 Family Calendar............................................................................................ 32 Around the Island......................................................................................... 40 Party Directory........................................................................................ 42, 43 Family Services Directory........................................................................ 54, 55 Preschool & Child Care Directory........................................................... 58, 59 Business & Professional Directory................................................................. 61 Island Parent Magazine, produced by Island Parent Group Enterprises Ltd., is a monthly publication that honours and supports parents by providing information on resources and businesses for families, and a forum for the exchange of ideas and opinions. Views expressed are not necessarily those of the publisher. Letters (max 250 words) should be emailed to the Editor at editor@islandparent.ca. No material herein may be reproduced without the permission of the Editor. Unsolicited manuscripts are welcome and should be emailed to editor@islandparent.ca. Island Parent Magazine is distributed free in selected areas. Subscriptions can be obtained by sending $28.00 (HST included) with your name and address to the address below. Canada Post: Canadian Publications Mail Sales Product Agreement 40051398.

Island Parent Magazine

Suite A-10, 830 Pembroke St, Victoria, BC V8T 1H9 Tel: 250-388-6905 Toll Free: 1-888-372-0862 Websites: www.islandparent.ca, www.kidsinvictoria.com

On the Cover: Photo by Erin Wallis, erin@erinwallis.com, www.erinwallis.com/blog

President, Publisher: Paul Abra Vice-President: Anna Abra Director, Production Manager: Mada Moilliet Editor: Sue Fast Sales & Marketing: RaeLeigh Buchanan Publisher’s Assistant: Linda Frear Bookkeeping: Elaine Francis Distribution: Anna Abra, Ted Dawe (Mid-Island) Founders: Jim Holland & Selinde Krayenhoff Production: Eacrett Graphic Design Printed at Island Publishers Cover printed at Hillside Printing ISSN 0838-5505

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Ease Into Autumn Keep some summer fun in the fall

Don’t quit summer cold turkey. Instead, take advantage of the lingering summer sun and ease into autumn. Here are a few ideas to help you and your kids get into the back-to-school routine without losing summer’s sponteneity and sense of fun.

uild a scarecrow to enter in the Scarecrow Contest at the Sooke Fall Fair on September 7. Drop off your entry form at the Sooke Community Hall between 2 p.m. to 8 p.m. on September 6. www.sookefallfair.ca Run through the sprinkler. Dance together, play together, and eat together at One Day Together on September 7 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. at Topaz Park in Victoria where you’ll find live music and entertainment, a barbecue lunch, a kickball game, an inflatable, face painting, and interactive activities for all. Eat breakfast in bed. Concoct a batch of Kick-the-Can Ice Cream. www.funology.com/kick-the-canice-cream Challenge neighbourhood families to a game of soccer or baseball. Celebrate our connection with the Pacific Islands at One Wave, a free public festival at Spirit Square on September 7 from noon to 6 p.m. Learn about how food and water security, climate change and ocean stewardship are affecting Pacific communities, North and South, through interactive displays, a children’s area, and local artists and community groups. www.pacificpeoplespartnership.org Decorate your bike helmet. Discover those places where bikes can go but cars can’t on the 15km Victoria’s Secrets Tour, leaving Centennial Square at 10 a.m. on September 8 and ending at 1 p.m. at the Vining Street Block Party (behind Victoria High School near the Belfry Theatre). Bring

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a snack, a helmet, and a good bike. gvcc. bc.ca/theme-rides Pack a picnic and pick up your kids from school at lunchtime and spread a blanket at a nearby park. Kick off your shoes and let everyone linger over lunch outside. Get inspired at the Victoria International Chalk Festival from September 11 to 15. On Wednesday, see the 8-metre 3D chalk art drawing at The Bay Centre’s lower level. On Saturday and Sunday, witness a two-day chalk art exposition along Government Street, closed to vehicle traffic. www.victoriachalkfestival.com Spread out a bed sheet on the front lawn or at a park, provide paints and let kids create their own work of art. Drop by Nanaimo’s third annual Harvest Festival on September 14 in the Old City Quarter (OCQ). Celebrate all things culinary with a ‘play and learn’ area for kids, featuring a petting farm and live entertainment. Admission is free. www.nanaimodowntown.com Go on a flashlight walk through the neighbourhood. If you have time and energy, add a scavenger hunt. Take part in one of Salt Spring Island’s oldest community events at the annual Fall Fair on September 14 and 15 at Salt Spring Island Farmers Institute. Don’t miss the Pet Parade and Zucchini Races. A free shuttle bus will run between Ganges and the fair grounds. www.saltspringmarket.com Experience life at sea with a twist at the Maritime Museum of BC’s Creature Com-

forts exhibit, running until October 4. The exhibit focuses on the stories of animals living aboard vessels and their relationships to their owners. mmbc.bc.ca/experience/ featured-exhibits Follow the Nanaimo Bar Trail or at least part of it, and then whip up a batch of your own. Recipe and ‘Trail Map’ at www.nanaimo.ca/EN/main/visitors/NanaimoBars.html. Go geocaching. Visit geocaching.com,

Editor’s Note Sue Fast enter your home location, and you will find out the coordinates of secret containers, often filled with trinkets and prizes, that are hidden near by. Cook a family dinner together—with ingredients you’ve gathered from farmer’s markets. www.islandfarmfresh.com Go on a mini roadtrip. Coombs to see the goats on the roof at the Old Country Market. East Sooke Park to search for the petroglyphs. Kinsol Trestle for a bike ride. Host a board games night. Outside. If you’re feeling creative, invent your own board games. Join the Spooks n’ Spokes Ghost Ride on Saturday, October 26 at 6:30 p.m. with the Greater Victoria Cycling Coalition. Learn about the spirits who live in some of Victoria’s homes and castles along this easy 15k ride. Costumes and decorated bicycles are encouraged. Departs from Centennial Square at 6:30 p.m. and ends there at about 9 p.m. www.gvcc.bc.ca Visit a pumpkin patch and choose your pumpkin. Carve your jack-o’-lantern. Play in the leaves. Happy fall.

Sept/Oct 2013 3

IPM Notes

more and pledge online by visiting www. spca.bc.ca/Victoria or www.wildarc.com.

BC SPCA’s Paws for a Cause

Amazing Race Victoria

Bring your pooch to Clover Point on September 8 for a day of family fun at the Scotiabank and BC SPCA Paws for a Cause Walk, supporting Wild ARC (Wild Animal Rehabilitation Centre) and the Victoria BC SPCA. Registration begins at 10am, with the walk taking place at 11:30am. Enjoy entertainment and activities, all in support of our furry friends. The BC SPCA Wild ARC, located in Metchosin, is the only branch of the BC SPCA that specializes in wildlife rehabilitation and the only wildlife rehabilitation center for all of southern Vancouver Island. The BC SPCA Victoria Branch provides care and protection to thousands of domestic animals each year. The event features pet- and family-friendly activities, including the Dog’s Got Talent show, the Dog Musical Hoops game or the Paws Parlour. For the kids there will be a a kid’s zone complete with a bouncy castle, crafts, face painting and more. There will also be walks in Duncan, Nanaimo, Parksville, Port Alberni (on September 30), Comox and Campbell River. Learn

The Amazing Race is coming to Victoria with Oaklands Community Centre’s Amazing Race: YOUth.0. Every Friday from 5:30-9pm, running September 13 to October 4, youth aged nine to 15 years will be racing around Victoria completing challenges testing their mental and physical abilities. Transportation is provided as required and registration is free. “The race is a great way to encourage youth to be active and learn that being active and fit is fun. It’s not just about running or exercise classes,” says Kristi Rivait, executive director of Oaklands Community Centre. “Plus, youth want to connect with their community and in order to do so they need affordable access to what Victoria has to offer. That’s why we’ve partnered with local businesses in the downtown core and will keep this race a free event.” In the spirit of the television show, Victoria will be transformed into a mini-globe for the youth. Each team will receive a reflective t-shirt they’ll decorate themselves. Oaklands Community Centre is a nonprofit community centre located at 1-2827

Belmont Avenue. The centre runs a number of programs for children, youth, adults and seniors, along with out- of-school and daycare. Fall programs begin September 9. For more information call 250-370- 9101 or visit www.oaklandscommunitycentre.com.

Pregnancy & Infant Loss Awareness Day—Vigil of Remembrance One in four pregnancies end in miscarriage, stillbirth or infant loss. Each year in Greater Victoria, 500 families suffer this tragedy. Join a community of individuals who share your experience. Acknowledge and remember your loss by attending a Vigil of Remembrance at 7pm on October 15, Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Day. Royal Oak Burial Park and Little Spirits Garden are pleased to host this event to help family and friends coping with the loss of a pregnancy or infant. The program will be reflective in nature and will include: poetry readings, musical selections, stories from families, and a message of inspiration. The vigil will conclude with a symbolic candle lighting ceremony in memory of all the babies we carry with us in our hearts. It does not matter the circumstance of your loss, nor the length of time that has

Transforming disability into ability. At Discovery School, learning disabilities are transformed into valuable skills and abilities. Students work at their own pace in small classes, with focused, individualized instruction. • Experienced, highly-qualified teachers • Ongoing assessment, evaluation & feedback • Improves organizational & study skills • Boost confidence, independence & responsibility • Nurturing environment based on Christian values • For students aged 7 – 18 in grades 1 – 12 • Individual Education Plans • Low student/teacher ratio

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passed since your loss—everyone who is grieving the loss of a baby is welcome to attend. This event is free of cost. At 4665 Falaise Drive (next to Royal Oak Burial Park). For more information and support, visit www.facebook.com/littlespiritsgarden.

The Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup Teachers, kick off the school year with a hands-on learning activity. Sign your class up for the Great Canadian Shoreline Cleanup taking place September 21 to 29. Your students can join thousands of Canadians from coast to coast taking part in this annual event to remove shoreline litter from ponds, streams, rivers, lakes and oceans. Last year, 136,036 kg of litter was removed from over 3,102 km of shoreline, including 98,835 food wrappers, 69,790 plastic bags, 69,725 bottle caps and lids, and 38,202 plastic beverage bottles. This year’s goal is to remove over 100,000 kg of harmful litter. To check out how to organize a cleanup for your school or how to register as a participant in an already organized cleanup, visit www.shorelinecleanup.ca. You can search the online map to find a cleanup near you or suggest your own site. A cleanup team, consisting of a site coordinator and cleanup participants, comes together to have a positive impact on the environment by ridding local waterways of shoreline litter. Each team gathers and picks up trash while filling out easy to use data cards that tabulate the type and amount of litter that is removed. For details, visit www. shorelinecleanup.ca.

Eaton Arrowsmith School Open House Eaton Arrowsmith School (www.eatonarrowsmithschool.com) helps students work to strengthen their learning capacities by rewiring brain areas in order to unlock their neurological potential so they can then transfer back to typical school settings with little to no need for extra learning support. The full-time and after-school programs are applicable for students with learning disabilities, whether they be mild, moderate or severe, or for those who have incredible potential and gifts in many areas, but seem to be struggling to keep up. Students have also included those who were doing well at school, but at the expense of their free time, as much of their after-school hours were spent reviewing and preparing for the next day, either alone or with the support of a tutor or family members. Drop by on September 23 from 12:30 to 2:30pm at the next information seswww.IslandParent.ca

sion to learn more about the Arrowsmith Program, developed by Toronto’s Barbara Arrowsmith Young over 30 years ago. All participants will be eligible to win a copy of Barbara Arrowsmith Young’s best selling book, The Woman Who Changed Her Brain. You’ll also receive a pdf of Brain School, a book written by Eaton Arrowsmith School’s founder, Howard Eaton. Those with an interest in brain change and learning are encouraged to attend the upcoming conference, Neuroplasticity and Education: Strengthening the Connection, in Vancouver on Friday October 25. For more information, visit www.neuroplasticityandeducation.com.

Vancouver Island Baby Fair The 7th annual Vancouver Island Baby Fair is taking place Saturday September 28 10am to 5pm, and Sunday September 29 10am to 4pm at Pearkes Recreation Centre, 3100 Tillicum Rd. A Western Canada favourite for families ranging from pregnancy through preschool, the Vancouver Island Baby Fair is not to be missed. You’ll find an arena of exhibitors, great shopping, resources and loads of prizes. Bring your little ones—newborn to 6 years old—down early to the onsite charity photo contest for a mini photo shoot (limited space available) with Jody Wiger Photography and a chance to win prizes. This year, our charitable fundraising efforts will support the Artemis Young Parent Program. For convenience, parents can make use of the stroller parking, comfortable baby feeding area, café and diaper-changing area. Juno-nominated children’s performers The Kerplunks perform at noon and 2pm each day. The Main Stage features talks on breastfeeding, parenting, baby wearing, birth plans, nutrition, postpartum depression and more throughout the day. See the website for speaker bios and presentation descriptions. Admission is $8/per person or $10 for a weekend pass. Kids 12 and under are free. A limited number of weekend passes are available at select locations in advance for $6. For complete details please visit VancouverIslandBabyFair.com and be sure to join us on Facebook and Twitter, too.

Victoria Kids Consignment Fall Sale The Victoria Kids Consignment Fall 2013 Sale is September 28 to 29 at Eagle Ridge Community Centre in City Centre Park located at 1089 Langford Parkway. The sale includes clothing items, toys, infant Sept/Oct 2013 5

IPM Notes gear, shoes, bedding, books, games, DVDs, and more. For just a few volunteer hours you can gain entrance into the Volunteer Presale on Friday Sept 27 and be first to shop. Sell your items and you can shop the Consignor Presale on Friday Sept 27, and you’ll earn up to 70 per cent for your items. Registration and item-entry ends Sept 24. Organizers will also be collecting nonperishable food items for the West Shore Food Bank. For every item you bring you will receive a chance to win a Santé Spa prize package valued at $200. VKC Fall 2013 Sale schedule: Sept 27, presales by invitation only; Sept 28, 10am to 4pm, general public sale; Sept 29, 9am to 1pm, half-price sale. Admission and parking are free. Let Victoria Kids Consignment help you buy from local moms and shop with local moms. For all the details and to register, visit www.VictoriaKidsConsignment.ca.

Girl Rising Celebrate International Day of the Girl on October 11 by holding an event designed to raise awareness about the importance of educating girls. Global change starts locally. So this October 11, start a conversation in your community about the barriers girls face to education—such as early marriage, sex trafficking, and violence—and share ways that we can make a better future for girls. Collective action will lead to powerful change. Hosting an event is easy: gather friends, family, or colleagues and share the simple facts that show that empowering girls will bring about transformational change. You can screen all or part of Girl Rising, an innovative new feature film about the power of education to change a girl—and the world. Girl Rising journeys around the globe to witness the strength of the human spirit and the power of education to change the world. From Academy Award-nominated director Richard E. Robbins, Girl Rising spotlights the stories of unforgettable girls born into unforgiving circumstances. It captures their dreams, their voices, and their remarkable lives. Girl Rising is financed in part by 10x10, a non-profit group, which distributes the funds to various non-profits helping to educate girls. You can register to receive discussion guides, posters, Q&As and more, to ensure your event educates, 6 Island Parent Magazine

inspires and creates an impact. Pre-register your event now at 10x10act.org, and you’ll receive everything you need to make International Day of the Girl a success.

Quintessence Breastfeeding Challenge The Quintessence Breastfeeding Challenge started in British Columbia in 2011 with 856 babies and their mothers at 26 sites. By 2011, there were 4,466 children in 16 countries. The Breastfeeding Challenge continues to grow globally as more people join in. Breastfeeding and donor milkbanking need support around the world. This year, on Saturday October 5, take part in Greater Victoria’s Quintessence Breastfeeding Challenge at Uptown Mall from 10:30am to noon. Join GVPL staff and public health nurses for storytime at 10:30am and the official breastfeeding count at 11am. Families, breastfeeding children and siblings welcome. No registration required. Brought to you by the Vancouver Island Health Authority and the Greater Victoria Public Library. For more information call 250382-7241, ext. 601.

Victoria Teenage Expo The Victoria TeenFest runs on Saturday October 5 at Eagle Ridge Community Centre, 1089 Langford Parkway, 11am to 7pm. This one-day exhibition, for youth ages 12 to 18 years, and their families, will give teens and ’tweens on Vancouver Island the opportunity to connect with each other, their peers, their communities and community leaders. By creating opportunities for interaction, activities, workshops and performances for this age group, TeenFest will engage and connect youth, their families and the businesses and organizations that support them. Other highlights include: • Free workshops focusing on what’s important in the life of today’s ’tweens and teens • Interactive sports and gaming activities • 100+ booths to see, learn, shop and sample • 4 different areas to explore—Life and Education, Cool Stuff, Fashion and Beauty, and Health and Wellness • Performers and speakers on the Main Stage • Meet and greets with special guests • The chance to hang out while raising funds for a local charity • Door prizes and more. For more information, visit www.victoria teenfest.ca.

Enchanted Halloween at Heritage Acres Imagine the vintage-era village of Heritage Acres bathed in dramatic lighting and accented by glowing hand-crafted lanterns, carved pumpkins and creative decor. This is the backdrop for costumed performers, live musicians, projections and artistic installations which enliven every beautifully weathered corner of this heritage setting for Enchanted Halloween at Heritage Acres. Enchanted Halloween has always delivered on its promise to be a “beautifully eerie” event with enough festive fun to make it a treat for visitors of all ages. Heritage Acres is the home of the Saanich Historical Artifacts Society (SHAS) and is located in Central Saanich on Lochside Drive. Come out for a spooky-good time: October 18 to 19 and 25 to 26, 5 to 9pm; October 20 and 27, noon to 5pm. Tickets are on sale now, offered at an early bird rate until September 30: $8 for youth and seniors, $11 for adults and $32 for a family of two adults and two youth. Children 4 and under are free. Proceeds will support the Children’s Health Foundation of Vancouver Island’s Bear Essentials Program. The program helps families with special needs children cover unexpected or extraordinary expenses related to their child’s health when their resources are inadequate to cover them and other community resources cannot be mobilized. For more information, visit childrenshealthvi.org/events.

Concert for Kids Series Introduce your children to the wonderful world of music with the Victoria Symphony. This year’s Concert for Kids series includes three wonderful and engaging concerts. Basic musical elements of rhythms, melody, harmony and dynamics are explored through story, song, narration, music and interaction. All performances feature the Symphony Instrument Petting Zoo and other fun games before the concert. November 3 is Emily Saves the Orchestra. During a performance of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony, Emily is drawn out of the audience by the beautiful music and finds herself face to face with the terrible monster Cacopholous and lands in a battle to save the music. Roch Carrier’s The Hockey Sweater premiers in Victoria on January 26, 2014. Narrated by Carrier himself, and inspired by his own childhood, the story tells the tale of a boy who had to wear a Maple Leafs

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sweater in the small hockey-mad Quebec town where he grew up. Do you like Green Eggs and Ham? An orchestral adaption of Dr. Suess’s beloved children’s classic composed by Robert Kapilow and featuring the unstoppable Sam-I-Am closes out the season on March 30, 2014. One of the greatest children’s books comes to life with the accompaniment of the Victoria Symphony and the performance by vaudeville-inspired actors telling timeless tales trough music, mime, comedy and narration. Tickets from $15. Save up to 25 per cent with a subscription to all three concerts. All performances are at the Royal Theatre. For information, phone Victoria Symphony at 250-385-6515 or visit victoriasymphony.ca.

Panorama Recreation’s New $59 Annual Youth Pass Panorama Recreation is offering a new annual pass for youth under the age of 19 for $59 each—less than $5 per month. Also, children of adult annual pass holders will qualify for complimentary annual passes. Panorama currently offers free access to preschool children age five and under. This latest initiative ushers in a new era of recreation opportunities in response to the

increasing concern over obesity rates among children in Canada. Panorama will offer complimentary 12 month passes to all dependent children (ages 6 to 18, living at the same address) whose parent or legal guardian has purchased a 12 month pass. There are no restrictions to the number of children in each family. Single parent families will have unlimited access to drop-in activities such as swimming, skating and fitness classes for a monthly fee of under $33. Two-parent families will immediately save $110 by purchasing two annual Active Passes rather than the Family Pass that was available previously. Single-parent families will effectively get unlimited drop-in access for less than half the normal cost of an annual family pass. For more information, visit www.panoramarecreation.ca.

above ground, don’t miss Canada’s only Cave Theatre inside the Park Visitor Centre that also houses a small museum and fossil display. No need to venture inside a cave to learn about this unique and fragile environment. If you would rather experience the caverns up close, you can join a family-oriented guided tour into a cave filled with crystal formations and ancient fossils without having to crawl or squeeze into tight passages. These types of caving challenges are left for the longer and more adventurous tours such as the 3 hr. “Ice Age” or “Wet & Wild” Spelunking Adventures. The most impressive tour is the 5 hr. Extreme Expedition that includes rappelling down a seven-storey waterfall underground! October is the month to celebrate Halloween with BC’s most unique Haunted House inside a cave! Free entry if you bring a carved pumpkin to add to the underground display. Or turn up the spookiness by joining the Ghost Story Tours running every weekend for the entire month of October. Or watch locally produced horror flicks presented in the “Five Minutes of Fear” video contest and vote for your favourite movie! Check out the website for more info and reservations www.hornelake.com or call (250) 248-7829.•

Fun Exploring & Halloween Events at Horne Lake Caves Head out on fun family getaway this Fall and check out one of the most unique parks on Vancouver Island. Horne Lake Caves Provincial Park is located just north of Qualicum Beach and features a wide variety of interesting activities and guided programs throughout September and October. For those that prefer their adventures

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Sept/Oct 2013 7

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Activities for Ages 9–18

Power Smart Challenge

Free teen sailing and music programs, weekend and summer camps, international exchanges, leadership training, marksmanship, first aid, power boating, friendship, fitness and more!

Programs for ages 9–12 and 12–18

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Lighthouse Academy of

Pure, pleasing, positive.

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Beginner–Professional • Boys & Girls • Age 2 – Adult Ballet • Tap • Jazz • Modern • Contemporary Acro • Jazz/Hip Hop • Creative • Musical Theatre RAD & ISTD Exam & Leisure Courses

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We also do DANCE PARTIES for kids and adults!

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8 Island Parent Magazine

ctober is Power Smart month in B.C. The province has set a goal to achieve “electricity self-sufficiency” by 2016, meaning that in less than three years, all of our electricity needs would be met by domestic power sources. It’s a lofty target given that our energy needs are increasing each year, but it should be achievable if we all pitch in. BC Hydro has pledged to do its part by upgrading existing facilities and securing new supplies of clean energy. Our job as planet-conscious parents is to raise a generation of conservers! Enter BC Hydro’s Team Power Smart Challenge. The goal: for participating households to reduce electricity consumption by at least 10 per cent over a 12-month period. The rewards: lower hydro bills, a cheque for $75 at the completion of the challenge, and the satisfaction of contributing to a more sustainable energy future. Our family is currently halfway through our third challenge. We were “higher use” customers at the beginning of our first challenge, which meant we had nowhere to go but down. We made a few simple but significant changes, and reduced our electricity consumption by a whopping 35 per cent that year. Thanks to a more efficient washing machine and a daughter’s departure to attend university, the next year’s challenge was almost cheating. Our power consumption dropped a further 15 per cent with almost no effort on our part. This year’s challenge will require a little more effort. We’ve already made the big changes; now we’re getting creative. But I’m convinced we can do it, and I’m convinced you can too—no matter what your current level of consumption. Easy payoffs: For a small investment of time and money, you can put your conservation efforts on auto-pilot. If you heat your home with electricity, using a programmable thermostat could save you a significant number of kilowatts. Lower the temperature to 16˚C at night and when no one is home, and you could reduce your heating

bill by up to 10 per cent. Check for drafts around doors and windows, and seal with new caulking or weather-stripping. Adjust the temperature on your hot-water heater to between 55˚C and 60˚C, and ensure it’s properly insulated. (If it’s a newer model, it may not need any further insulation. If it’s an older electric model, you can wrap it in an insulating blanket, available at hardware stores. Natural gas heaters should only be insulated by professionals.) Switching to more efficient lighting is another easy savings opportunity, and the fluorescent and LED options are getting better all the time. BC Hydro’s website has a number of resources to help you select the most efficient lights for all your needs. Installing low-flow aerators on your taps and a low flow shower head in your bathroom is easier than you might expect, and will take another big bite out of your hydro bill. Plugging electronic devices into power bars and remembering to shut them off when they’re not in use is another simple way to save. Standby use (aka phantom power drain) can account for up to 10 per cent of a household’s electricity consumption. Unplugging that second fridge will also result in impressive savings. BC Hydro would be happy to haul your older fridge away for recycling, and will give you $30 as an added bonus. (Phone 1-866-516-4357 to arrange for pick-up.) Intermediate savings: Encourage your family to put on slippers and sweaters, and turn down the thermostat another degree or two. Heating costs rise about 5 per cent for every degree above 20˚C you set your thermostat. Feel the need for a little extra warmth when you’re sitting down for the evening? Instead of raising the temperature or having a hot bath to get warmed up, try snuggling under a blanket with a hot water bottle. No hot water bottle? Microwave a rice-filled sock instead. Wash clothes in cold water, and hang-dry on indoor clothing racks if doing so won’t cause humidity problems. Cook and bake with the most efficient appliances for the www.kidsinvictoria.com

job, like a crockpot or toaster oven. When cooking or baking in a full-size oven, make double or triple batches and freeze the extra for future meals. Ensure that your fridge is running efficiently by setting the temperature to between 2˚C and 3˚C, unplugging and cleaning dust from coils at least twice a year, and checking door seals and replacing gaskets as necessary. Fill empty freezer space with water-filled plastic containers, and defrost at least every six months, or when frost is as thick as a pencil.

Upgrading your home’s insulation may be less expensive than you imagine, and will certainly pay for itself over time. Black belt conservation: Upgrading your home’s insulation may be less expensive than you imagine, and will certainly pay for itself over time. Upgrading to more energyefficient appliances may also be worthwhile. Energy Star washers, refrigerators and freezers are particularly good investments in terms of energy savings, and qualifying models are eligible for mail-in rebates from BC Hydro if purchased before October 31. Depending on your budget and how you are currently heating your home, you may want to consider upgrading to a more efficient furnace, or an ultra-efficient heat pump. If you have access to natural gas, on-demand hot water heaters are extremely efficient. Real energy pioneers may want to consider solar water heaters, or generating some of their own electricity with solar panels. BC Hydro’s website offers a wealth of information as well as a number of helpful tracking tools. To access these tools, login to your BC Hydro account and follow the prompts. To see how your family’s consumption compares to similar households in your area, click on “View Detailed Consumption” and then look for the “Compare” drop-down menu. To register for Team Power Smart and activate a challenge, go to www.bchydro. com/powersmart/. You must be a B.C. resident and at least 19 years old, and you must have a BC Hydro account with a 12-month history before your challenge period begins. Happy savings! Rachel Dunstan Muller is the mother of five, and a children’s author. Her previous articles can be found at www.islandparent.ca. www.IslandParent.ca

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Sept/Oct 2013 9

Janine Fernandes-Hayden

Creative

Parents

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â&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll never forget my childhood friend, Ernie Coombs. We played together every morning

at 10:30 sharp in the family room of the home where I grew up. Back then, I knew him as Mr. Dress-Up. I can still hear the sounds of his black Sharpie marker skating effortlessly across a crisp piece of coloured construction paper and his scissors victoriously maneuvering the stubborn ridges of an empty egg carton box. Just like magic, he could create anything. And all it took was some simple supplies and a great big imagination.

10â&#x20AC;&#x192; Island Parent Magazine

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I wonder whether Canadian children’s entertainer Mr. Dress-Up really appreciated the impact that he made on his viewers. For me, while he inspired my still-to-this-day interest in crafting, he also showed himself as an example of how to be resourceful and intuitive, how to spring to a challenge with enthusiasm, how to have faith and hope in ideas, and how to accept responsibility and take initiative. He embodied creativity, both literally with the help of his tickle trunk filled with its cornucopia of costumes, and also figuratively because of the more profound lessons he taught about how to live life. Those lessons are still relevant and applicable to my own children. Though the world has evolved over my lifetime, and while I recognize that I have no idea what my children’s world will look like in the future, the one thing that I believe has not and will not change is that same force that kept Mr. Dress-Up on the air for almost three decades—the power of creativity.

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My eldest daughter believes that she is creative because she is left-handed and was born in the year of the Rooster. At one time I too thought that creative ability was a function of personality or some inborn trait, not to be aspired to unless one was innately inclined towards the arts. But now when I see how amazingly imaginative four out of four of my children are, I realize that such odds can only be explained by the fact that creative potential exists in all of us. What does this really mean? It means that we can all be artists, accepting life’s abstracts, improvising with flexibility, molding our skills and talents into different possibilities and dancing with independence to the beat of our own drummer. That’s creativity in a nutshell and it is a capacity that we all possess, one that is fueled by our imaginations and our passions. It is a call to action that encourages us to bring our unique gifts to fruition. So how can we as parents keep our children from growing out of their potential for creativity?

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Island Rhythmic Gymnastics Club

Do you have a little girl who likes to dance, jump and juggle? Register her for a class at Island Rhythmics! Classes for girls 3 and up Contact us to register for our fall session

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12 Island Parent Magazine

Get Your Hands Dirty! “Can I go into your craft cupboard?” I have my children ask each time so that I can account for the whereabouts of things like hot glue guns, indelible Sharpie markers, fabric paints, “baby choker”-sized beads and googly eyes. By the umpteenth time, I want to scream, “No!” By this point, there are dried-up blobs of glue on the kitchen table and the floor is covered with little bits of paper and sparkles that I know will be traipsed through the house and be impossible to clean. The room is a big mess with a capital “M.” The vacuum has become an honorary member of our family, making the rounds frequently during the day. My husband questions me, “Why do you encourage it? You make life harder for yourself than it needs to be.” In many ways, nurturing creativity is a make-work endeavour. It is a high-maintenance affair that often requires supervision and guidance, particularly with younger children. Patience is required to keep up with curious minds and creative clean-up. But in other ways, placing value on creativity can ease some of the fatigue, overwhelm, and guilt that many of us experience as parents. Too often, we feel the pressure to crowd our children’s rooms with expensive single-purpose toys and their lives with too many extra-curricular activities, when what they really need is to bask in the light of daydreams and be showered by the rains of possibility. The conditions required for creativity—time, space, simplicity—can come as a welcome relief, changing the pace of our family lives in a surprisingly pleasant way.

Explore the Possibilities I love to watch my children create. While my son painstakingly lines M&M candy buttons on gingerbread men with just enough icing to keep it from oozing out the sides, my eldest daughter sits at the piano, plunking away, persisting with a song by ear instead of playing the scales she so dreads. These are two small examples but they speak volumes about my children’s personalities, allowing me to better support their strengths as well as help them to overcome their challenges. I could not gain this same clarity of insight by watching my children sitting in front of a screen. They would all look exactly alike. When we fill our homes with opportunities to engage the creative process and when we then take the time to sit back as careful observers, we can learn a lot about

our children. How do they learn? Where do their talents lie? What inspires them? By using creativity to hone our intuitions and to see our children more fully, we place ourselves in a better position to help them discern their passions and bring their gifts and talents to fruition. The blueprints of their imaginations become more readable and the life that they are meant to create more possible.

Rummage Through Your World My children continually challenge me to think creatively and look at life in a completely different way. We often ask “I wonder how we can make that?” Thank goodness for recycle bins! Empty paper towel rolls with ends covered in tin foil suddenly become light sabers, Cheerio boxes bent and painted red turn into barns, 4-litre plastic milk jugs covered in duct tape and gems become fashionable space aliens. As they say, “One man’s trash is another man’s treasure.” The enriching treasures of creativity are many—taking old ideas and expressing them as new ones, finding solutions to problems and seeing challenges as opportunities. How can we recognize these treasures in our everyday family lives and avoid discarding or disregarding them? Here are some ideas for your treasure map to creativity: 1. Space. Make space for creativity in your schedule and your home. Teach your children how to spend time on their own. Institute unstructured/quiet time into their day, an unplugged hour where they remain in their bedrooms, playing on their own, listening to music, reading books or just daydreaming. Block off large chunks of time for your children to craft, build, colour or tinker, bearing in mind that creativity takes time and can’t be rushed. Don’t forget to factor in clean-up time. Sometimes having a space where mess is acceptable can make the chaos of creativity more tolerable. 2. Supplies. If you want your kids to play creatively, they need to have tools available. Some of the best tools are often household objects or sources found in nature: boxes, water, mud, sand and rocks are all great creative spurs. Craft boxes filled with buttons, beads, pipe cleaners, glue, scissors, fabric scraps, googly eyes and pompoms are another great example. Tried-and-true, store-bought toys that foster creativity include LEGO®, playdough (but this can easily be made at home) and dress-up costumes. 3. Simplicity. Free your family life from the stress of overdoing and the clutter of toys. www.kidsinvictoria.com

Limit screen time. Spend time in the openness of nature. Ask “I wonder” questions. 4. Support. Surround your family with creative energy—be that where you live, with the people with whom you associate, or your lifestyle. As a parent, be a role model by following your own passions and nurturing your personal creativity. Support your children’s passions without micromanaging, correcting, perfecting or unreeling your own unrealized dreams.

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Role-Play for Life My son looks ahead with resolve wearing an aviator hat and oversized green-tinted goggles that make him look like a bug. He stands tilted forward at the waist, knees slightly bent, with his feet anchored to thin strips of white paper and empty paper towel rolls tucked under his armpits. “I’m a skier,” he informs me. Meanwhile, my two youngest lie with their bellies to the floor and their arms held tight at their sides, slithering along. “Hssss,” they murmur. Children love to role-play, imagining without bounds, that they can do anything, go anywhere and be anything. When I watch my children consumed in their world of make-believe, I am thankful that creativity is by my side as a parent. Knowing that they can believe themselves to be astronauts and Olympians gives me the faith and hope that they can also envision themselves as good people. The lessons of creativity are far-reaching. Author Simon Parke suggests, “Our most crucial creative act is the atmosphere we create around us.” On a spiritual level, we can harness our children’s power of imagination by having them role-play questions such as: What does it really feel like to walk in that person’s shoes? What does generosity look like? How would a compassionate person act? This type of imagining doesn’t have to just be pretend; it can become reality. With creativity, our children can succeed in an ever changing world and more importantly, they can create their best possible selves—and it all begins with tools as simple as a craft box, playdough and some dress-up clothes. So, in the words of Ernie Coombes, “Keep your crayons sharp, your sticky tape untangled, and always put the top back on your markers.” Janine Fernandes-Hayden is an educator, trained Virtues Project facilitator, and Salt Spring Island mum of four children. She hosts a parent and kids radio show called “The Beanstalk” on Salt Spring Island airwaves at CFSI 107.9 FM. www.IslandParent.ca

Saturday, September 7

10am-3pm • 900 Johnson Street Join us at this fun-filled party for the whole family and explore all of the musical possibilities our school has to offer

vcm.bc.ca/events/open-house-rick-scott

“Scary Music” Halloween Concert Saturday, October 26

2-3pm • Alix Goolden Hall The spooky sounds and music of Halloween featuring our amazing 100-year-old organ; costumes encouraged!

vcm.bc.ca/events/scary-music

/theVCM @theVCM

FUNDING PARTNERS:

Sept/Oct 2013 13

Jocelyn Westfall

3 Preschool program for 3–5 year olds 3 Full-day and half-day options 3 5 days a week SPACES AVAILABLE FOR SEPTEMBER 2013! To learn more and to register for the information/registration session visit: www.victorianatureschool.com

A Case for Immunizations B

efore my youngest daughter got sick, I didn’t care whether you vaccinated your children or not. I was going to vaccinate mine, so I figured at least I was protecting my children. My feelings were, “They are your children, therefore it’s your choice, your risk to take.” Of course the decision is still up to you, but I would like to offer a different perspective. In doing so, I hope I may help persuade you to have your children immunized.

infections on her fingers and toes. She had an enlarged heart from extremely high blood pressure. In short, she was fragile. So are so many others in our communities. Newborns, preemies, pregnant women, the elderly, and so many more who have compromised immune systems. I was shocked recently reading a Vancouver Island online swap and shop post regarding immunization. I could not believe how many parents were not vaccinating their

When my youngest daughter was seven months old she was diagnosed with Idiopathic Infantile Spasms. It is a rare form of epilepsy, and it is often referred to as a “catastrophic diagnosis.” Basically her brain was having continuous seizures. Left untreated she would never develop beyond seven months, the kicker being that treatment often doesn’t work. When she was undergoing (successful) treatment for Infantile Spasms, the medicine she was taking destroyed her immune system. A minor illness would have sent her to hospital. The side effects of the drug she had to take for months were numerous and terrible. She was so swollen, she suffered from repeated

children. It is becoming too normal to forgo vaccinations. According to a recent study by UNICEF, only 84 per cent of Canadians are immunizing their children. This is well below the 95 per cent suggested level to achieve “herd” immunity. Herd immunity occurs when a significant portion of the population are immune to an infectious disease, thus reducing the chance that an infected individual will come in contact with a susceptible individual. The result is an entire community that is protected. When you are immunosuppressed, the immune response to vaccinations is not optimal, leaving these individuals in our communities at greater risk of contract-

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14 Island Parent Magazine

www.kidsinvictoria.com

ing the very illnesses they are vaccinated against. If they do fall victim to an infectious disease, they have an increased risk of becoming seriously ill and even dying. Newborns also don’t receive their first immunizations until they are two months old. During this time their immune systems are just beginning to develop, leaving them susceptible to infectious diseases. So even if you feel strongly with regards to vaccinating your own children, if your child

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Whatever your reason may be, when you don’t immunize, you might expose the weak, the fragile, the immunosuppressed. Your child may fight these diseases easily, but others may not. is immunosuppressed or just starting his or her life, sometimes you are at the mercy of those in the community around you. If you are one of the parents who has chosen not to vaccinate your children, I implore you to reconsider. You may not worry about your child, because they are healthy, or you want them to develop a natural immune response. Or maybe you yourself had chicken pox or rotavirus, and you think it’s not that bad. Whatever your reason may be, when you don’t immunize, you might expose the weak, the fragile, the immunosuppressed. Your child may fight these diseases easily, but others may not. They will need to be hospitalized, they will have to fight for their lives, and sometimes they won’t win. I believe it is our responsibility to help protect others in the community. Be wise… Immunize. Get your children vaccinated on schedule, and don’t forget to get the flu shot each year as well. You may save somebody else’s life. Thanks for hearing me out. My daughter and I thank you for taking the time to read our perspective. If this is something you have been debating, we hope we may have been able to sway you towards immunizing your children.

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Jocelyn Westfall is a stay-at-home mother of three girls aged 5, 4, & 2. She and her husband live in Langford. www.IslandParent.ca

Sept/Oct 2013 15

Tim Collins

Reading, ’Riting & ’Rithmetic R

ecently, I made a purchase at a local grocer. My bill came to $17.18 and, harbouring a totally old-fashioned aversion to carrying unnecessary coinage, I gave the girl behind the counter $22.20. She looked at the money. Then she looked at me. Her expression was akin to a goat staring at a new fence; she could recognize the situation but the next step escaped her. She tried to pass back the two loonies I’d given her. “You’ve given me too much,” she proclaimed with a smile. I took a deep breath and politely suggested that she enter the whole amount into the cash register. She did, and when the change

calculation was done for her she smiled and handed me a five dollar bill. “Neat!” she exclaimed. “Where’d you learn how to do that?” Now, this would be a good time for me to say that I have a steadfast respect for teachers. To my mind they have one of the toughest and most thankless jobs in the world. I also believe that parents (and grandparents) have a role in making teachers’ jobs easier. Having said that, when I told my daughter Kara about my experience, she wasn’t surprised. She’s been doing her own research into what’s happening in our public schools and what she’s found has her concerned. “Do you know that they’re still using

Need more Dough? Health • Will you outlive your money or will your money outlive you? • Paying too much tax? Saving enough money?

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16 Island Parent Magazine

‘whole language’ in some schools?” she asked. “What is the matter with these people?” Her strong feelings about the issue are understandable. When Kara was in the primary grades she had the misfortune of attending a school where the principal had drunk the “whole language” Kool-Aid and insisted that her teachers follow that misguided educational philosophy. Simply stated, it was a concept that did away with phonetics. Advocates maintained that learning to read was a “natural process” and that if they created “reading centers” in classrooms, stocked with good, fun books, and encouraged children to read, they’d eventually get it. This astounding logic, if you’d asked me, was like surrounding your spouse with auto parts and counting on them to discover a way of fixing that “clunk” in the family car’s transmission. After a fruitless period of complaining, it was only through some pretty intensive home schooling to supplement the school day that either of my children learned to read. But my daughter is right. Whole language survives, despite being totally discredited after three decades of disastrous results. These days, its proponents use euphemisms like “reading recovery,” “guided reading” or “balanced literacy.” (Look up the book Whole Language High-Jinx by Louisa Moats for a great discussion on the issue.) But it’s not just how reading and language are taught that should cause some concern. A 2011 study by the Frontier Centre for Public Policy reported that the current fad of using “problem based” or “discovery” techniques to teach math were “largely failing to give students a solid math foundation.” Those methods are the math equivalent of whole language in which students don’t get drilled in the times tables or learn standard algorithms the way I did when I was in school. The result has been that the skills no longer come automatically to them—which goes a long way in explaining my encounter with the confused young cashier. The resulting drop in math literacy has raised concerns of parents, universities, and even governments. In June of 2013, Manitoba’s Education Minister announced that students from kindergarten to Grade 8 would be returning to the old methods, admitting that the new math wasn’t working and citing poor national test results as proof.

www.kidsinvictoria.com

Tim Collins is a writer and freelance journalist living and working in Victoria.

www.IslandParent.ca

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Another dreadful educational experiment that seems to be making a comeback is the “open area school.” This is a concept that does away with classroom walls and advocates a freewheeling and open physical space. It was tried in the 1970s with unsuccessful results that led to the hurried retrofitting of open area schools and a return to manageable classrooms. Still, “visionaries” and “educational futurists” like school design architect Prakeesh Nair have convinced school divisions across North America to return to the approach. Recently, a new Vancouver school (Lord Kitchener Elementary) was constructed on this basis. The problem is that education is a complicated issue; a science, if you will. Unfortunately, school administrators are not required to follow scientific methods to test and evaluate new concepts before trying them out on our children. As a result, we have educational trends that come and go, and while some are wonderfully successful, others are not. The problem is that the failed fads in education can leave behind a wreckage of children who have been failed by the system. So what can parents do? Well, the first thing is to talk to your children. Look at the work they’re doing at school and find out what is actually happening in the classroom. Had I not done that 25 years ago, my children might still be sitting in a room full of books, waiting for the “ah ha” moment that would give them the capacity to read. Talk to your child’s teachers and the school administrators. Ask them about issues like trends in language and math education, class sizes and composition, no-fail policies, grading methods, zero tolerance for violent and bullying behaviour, and even the ever-lurking specter of the infiltration of religious mythology into science classes (an issue that recently surfaced in Kamloops). Find out how your children’s teachers feel about these issues, and if the answers are disturbing, get involved. I know that when my granddaughter starts school in a year’s time, her mother, and maybe even her grandfather, intend to be supportive advocates of her education. I hope that involvement is welcomed by the teachers and school administrators. If they’re as good as I think they are, it will be.

2013 | 2014 Season Registration at the Studio: Thursday, September 5th, 3:30 -7:30 p.m.

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Sept/Oct 2013 17

Fall Programs From art classes to wellness programs—and everything in between—our community offers many programs, resources and services for families. For more details on the following listings, please refer to the ads in this issue of Island Parent.

Art The Children’s Art Studio—Fall Session (October-December, 2013) at the Art Gallery of Greater Victoria. Open your child’s eyes to the world of art through innovative weeklong classes in the Children’s Art Studio. Drawing inspiration from the lives and work of famous artists, our dedicated teachers lead a range of hands-on sessions for ages 2-12 designed to build confidence, develop skills, and encourage creativity. 1040 Moss Street. Register at 250-384-4171 ext 0. For more information, email tmuir@aggv.ca. Artistic Statement Gallery & School of Fine Art. Back-to-school art classes. One-

or two-hour session, one, two or three times per week. Day and evening classes Wednesday, Thursday, Saturday. Ages 5 and up. Drawing: pencil, pastel, charcoal. Painting: acrylic & water colour. Sculpture: clay & wire. Portfolio preparation: ages 14 & up. Emphasis is placed on technique and everyone works at their own level. Register now. Call Joan at 250-383-0566. www. artisticstatementgalleryandschool.com. Fiddlesticks Studio of Fine Arts for Young Children. Music and art education for children 2 1/2-8 years of age. Early childhood integrated arts program, after-school classes, workshops and private lessons. Early learning through expressive artistic experience encourages children to build confidence in their own creativity and awakens a life-long connection with the arts. Lessons at Fiddlesticks are filled with wonder-inspiring activities designed to engage, delight and challenge the whole child. www.FiddlesticksChild.ca.

Dance/Drama/Performing Arts Arabesque Dance Studio offers Classical ballet instruction for students aged 4 to advanced levels. Class sizes are limited to ensure students receive personal attention. Valerie Grant, owner and teacher, is a Licentiate member of the Cecchetti Society of Canada, the Imperial Society of Teachers of Dancing, and Cecchetti International. Ballet examinations are available in the Cecchetti Method. Classes begin in September and finish with a recital in June. Students training with Valerie may enjoy dancing for recreation and fitness, or may choose to pursue a career in dance. For more information, visit www.dancearabesque.ca, call 250-595-3107, or email arabesq@telus.net. Established in 1989, Centrepointe Ballet School provides a nurturing environment for dancers of all levels. Our sunny studio is located at St. Margaret’s School, 1080 Lucas Avenue. Easy parking and safe welcoming environment. RAD ballet taught by registered teachers. Children and adult ballet. Beginners welcome. Examinations and year-end recital offered. For further information, see www.centrepointedance. com, phone Peggy Bain at 250-592-4260, or email centrepointe@shaw.ca.

Emily Saves the O Orchestra SUNDAY, NOVEMBER 3 PM ROYAL THEATRE 2:30 P During a performance of Beethoven’s Ninth Symphony, Emily, a spunky 10 year old, is drawn out of her seat and on to the stage by strains of beautiful music. But her bold behaviour brings her more than she bargained for as she soon finds herself face to face with the lord of darkness and noise, the terrible monster Cacopholous, and lands in a battle to save music! Join our heroine in a battle that explores musical elements of rhythm, melody, harmony and dynamics through the music of the world’s greatest composers.

The Victoria Symphony

presents

symphony story time A program designed for pre-schools that brings music, instruments, puppets and more into the classroom. For more information, call Sandy at 250-412-1977.

Come early for the VS Instrument Petting Zoo and other activities in the lobby.

victoriasymphony.ca or 250.385.6515 18 Island Parent Magazine

www.kidsinvictoria.com

Kate Rubin Theatre & Drama Studio specializes in dramatic training for children, young people and adults. Classes, workshops and individual coaching are offered throughout the year. Within a professional and supportive learning environment with experienced teachers, students flourish with improved acting skills, stronger confidence, creative thinking, public speaking skills, spontaneity and versatility in physical and vocal expression. For more info, or to register, contact katerubin@telus.net or 250-386-8593. www.katerubintheatre.com. facebook.com/ KateRubinTheatre. Larsen Music is a local family business committed to promoting healthy communities through music. We offer sales, repairs and rentals of a large selection of instruments, accessories and print music. Our School of Music is home to 35 dedicated musicians who love making and teaching music. Exciting new programs are always in the works. Please visit the shop at 1833 Cook Street, the school at 1808 Cook Street, and on the web at www.larsenmusic.ca. Lighthouse Academy of Dance. Pure, pleasing, positive. Classes in RAD Ballet, ISTD Modern, jazz & tap, contemporary, Acro, fitness, musical theatre and more. Preschool classes from age 2, kids, teens, adults. Beginner to professional. New specially designed studio spaces in the fall. Plenty of free parking. Qualified, experienced teachers, fun, challenging lessons with clean music and moves, and modest dress. Smaller class sizes for individualized tuition. Come and join our family. Register now. 250-595-8705. info@ lighthouseacademyofdance.com. www. lighthouseacademyofdance.com. The O’Brien School of Irish Dance offers both recreational and competitive dance programs for children to adults. Registration is open all year for classes both in Victoria and Nanaimo. Dancers are taught the basics of traditional Irish step dance and ceile dancing, as well as show steps similar to those seen in Riverdance and Lord of the Dance. Opportunities to perform around the community especially around St. Patrick’s Day! See www.ocobirishdance.com for more information or email irishdance@shaw.ca. StageCoach Theatre Arts. For almost 25 years, we have seen young people gain confidence and stretch themselves, building essential life skills while learning tools to sing, dance and act, and most importantly have fun. Suitable for all abilities, StageCoach offers the chance for kids to pursue a career in the arts, or just learn new skills to share with friends and family. Register www.IslandParent.ca

1040 MOSS ST

Is your child getting enough Vitamin “A”? Art enriches. Nourish your child’s creativity with Fall Studio Classes at the Gallery. Register today in person or call 250.384.4171 ext. 0.

| aggv.ca

Come Swim With Us! Lightning fast Swim Series, Levels 1–5: Learn to swim faster than regular swim lessons and learn the techniques of competitive swimming right from the earliest levels.

Registration BBQ: september 13, 5pm–Dark at Beaver Lake Park To register please contact: Commonwealth Place 250-727-5300 Gordon Head 250-475-7100 UVic Vikes Rec vikesrec.uvic.ca Oak Bay Recreation 250-595-7946 Esquimalt, Panorama and Sooke call 250-727-9243

www.pacificcoastswimming.com Sept/Oct 2013

now for fall 2012. Call 250-743-0858, email langford@stagecoachschools.ca. www. stagecoachschools.ca. Since 1980, STAGES Performing Arts School has offered professional instruction in jazz, ballet, lyrical, tap, musical theatre and hip hop for all ages and levels of experience; preschool to professional. It is our goal to promote self-confidence, self-esteem and fulfilment in each student. 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 responsibility, discipline, inspiration, creativity and pride in their accomplishments. For more information, please call STAGES at 250-384-3267 or visit www.stagesdance.com. Veselka Dance is for everyone! Veselka is a not-for-profit dance school specializing in Ukranian dance as an art form. Under the artistic direction of Lisa Hall, Veselka offers a nurturing environment for aspiring dancers of all ages. This fall, in addition to regular classes in Ukrainian and Classical (ballet) dance, Veselka is offering sessional parent-tot Creative Dance classes (with Lori Hamar), classes for kids on Saturdays, as

well as classes for adults. To enquire about classes or to register, visit veselkadancers. com. Victoria Academy of Ballet is widely recognized as a leading Canadian dance school. The faculty of internationally qualified and award-winning teachers are dedicated to giving children dance experiences designed to develop imagination, musicality, kinesthetic awareness and self-confidence. Students age 4 to professional are assisted to develop to their full potential. VAB is celebrated for its sense of community and dedication to developing in students lifelong transferable skills. Like us on FB www. victoriaacademyofballet.ca The Victoria School of Irish Dance offers Irish dance classes in Victoria at Dance Victoria Studios, in Nanaimo, and in Cedar, for ages 4 years to adults, beginners to champion, competitive and recreational. VSID dancers compete at the world, national and regional level. VSID develops confidence, self-esteem, practical skills and lifelong friendships. The Victoria Irish Dancers perform locally year round in many community events. Receive a lesson from certified instructors for jigs, reels, and lots of fun. 250-888-9421. www.victoriairishdancers.com

Ukrainian dance

Gymnastics Falcon Gymnastics, Victoria’s leader in gymnastics, is offering 2013-2014 recreational gymnastics classes for school age kids starting on September 9, and preschool gymnastics starting on September 16. Falcon promises your child will have a great time. Whether on the vault, bars, beam, 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 number 1! Phone 250-4796424. www.falcongymnastics.com Do you have a little girl who likes to dance, jump and juggle? Register her for a class at Island Rhythmic Gymnastics. The nationally certified coaches at Island Rhythmics will provide a fun, safe and nurturing environment where she will learn the beautiful sport of rhythmic gymnastics. Rhythmic gymnastics is an Olympic sport that combines dance and gymnastics and is performed to music with ball, ribbon, rope, hoop and clubs. Visit us online at Islandrhythmics.com. Victoria Gymnastics provides Greater Victoria with gymnastics instruction that is safe, well structured, and most importantly,

Creative movement

Ballet

Character dance Artistic director: Lisa Hall

info@veselkadancers.com www.veselkadancers.com 20 Island Parent Magazine

250 - 475 - 1174 artistic director: Lisa Hall www.kidsinvictoria.com

fun. Our 7,200 sq. ft. facility, which is naturally lighted and acoustically insulated, provides a learning environment that will allow children to maximize their potential as they move through our non-competitive skills development program structure. Boys and girls ages 2-17, beginner through advanced, all benefit from the strength and flexibility that gymnastics develops. Visit www.victoriagymnastics.com.

MID-ISLAND The Cowichan Therapeutic Riding Association (CTRA) provides therapeutic riding and equine-based therapeutic services for persons with disabilities. We promote and facilitate access to horses as a therapeutic alternative, recreational/sport opportunity, and agent of well-being in the lives of all participants. Through the power of the human-equine bond, CTRA brings together individuals, families, and the community in the spirit of healing, inclusion and human growth. 250-746-1028. Email info@ctra. ca. www.ctra.ca. Brigadoon Dance Academy is excited to offer new six-week beginner classes this fall. These Highland Dance classes will be taught by qualified BATD instructors in Nanaimo and Comox. Tartan Tots is for our youngest dancers (2.5 years) and we encourage parents to participate. We also have a very strong championship training program, which produced two provincial champions and a runner up in 2013. Contact Diena and Charles today at 250-756-3661 or brigadoondanceacademy@shaw.ca.

MUSIC Guitar in Motion. Since 2004 bringing guitar lessons right to your door. No more worries about drop-offs and pick-ups, or bringing the other kids along in tow. We show up, teach, and leave… simple. A great service for adults wanting to learn, too. Lessons are available to all age groups, at all levels, in a wide range of styles. Special introductory rate for home-schoolers. Call Steve at 250-217-2316, www.guitarinmotion.com. Music Together ® : Bringing Harmony Home™ Sing, dance, play, laugh, learn and have fun sharing music with your child while connecting with other families. Music Together® is an internationally acclaimed

www.IslandParent.ca

mixed-age family music program for children ages birth to 5 and their important adults. Started in 1987, Music Together® is now delivered by hundreds of teachers to thousands of families worldwide. Come join Music Together®, Victoria’s welcoming music community at five locations throughout Greater Victoria. www.musictogethervictoria.com or 250-217-2477. Success in music, success in life… a winning combination for your family. The Tom Lee Music Learning Centre at Millstream Village offers professional, friendly instructors, state-of-the-art teaching equipment, in-house performance hall with sound/ lighting/stage, plus a wide range of private and group programs for beginner through to advanced musicians. Lessons available on piano, guitar, drums, bass, violin, voice, flute, ukelele, trumpet and saxophone. Enrol today! 250-383-5222. The Victoria Conservatory of Music continues to enrich children’s lives through music. Studies show that when children take part in group music classes or private lessons, their social and cognitive skills are impacted in extremely positive ways. Discover the wonderfully creative and innovative collection of music classes the VCM offers both at our school and around the community. Learn more at vcm.bc.ca/departments/childrensmusic, or call 250-386-5311.

Scary Fun!

sept. Daily Cave exploring • Cave Theatre & Museum • Family Cavern Tours • 3 hr. “Wet & Wild” Spelunking • Self-Explore Caves

october Halloween events! • BC’s Wildest Haunted House • Ghost Story Cave Tours • Every Weekend in October

Open Daily – Year Round

hornelake.com

250-248-7829

PARENT PROGRAMS & EDUCATION Dr. Anke Zimmermann, ND, Naturopathic Pediatrics. Fall seminar schedule: September 12: CEASE Therapy—a New Treatment Method for Autism. September 26: Vaccination—Confused? October 17: Natural Medicine at Home. October 31: The Healing Power of Prayer and Intention. November 14: Homeopathy for Children. November 28: CEASE Therapy. December 19: Vaccination—Confused? At Dr. Zimmermann’s office, #304-2250 Oak Bay Avenue, 7-9pm. Please RSVP. For more information, please visit www.drzimmermann.org or call 250590-5828. Lifeseminars.com will give you the details you need to view the selection of courses, including the very popular Wednesday night programs. LIFE also provides individual coaching to parents for ongoing support. Their books, Sidestepping the Power Struggle and The Parent Child Connection, are available for purchase through the site, at Bolens Books and Munro’s. 250-595-2649.

Sept/Oct 2013

FALCON GYMNASTICS “Where FUN

#208 - 721 Vanalman Avenue Victoria, BC V8Z 3B6

FITNESS are

• Ongoing registration • Classes for boys and girls starting at 18 month of age • Beginners through Advance gymnastics • Preschool drop ins • Adults drop in • Best birthday parties in town. We have it all!

”

For more information please call

250- 479-6424 or visit our website at www.falcongymnastics.com

O’Brien School of Irish Dancing *Traditional Irish dancing classes including ceile and step dancing *Classes in Cadboro Bay, Esquimalt and Nanaimo *Recreational and competitive classes

Come dance with us in parades, performances, and ceiles to your favourite Celtic tunes!

604-340-2370

irishdance@shaw.ca

www.obrienirishdance.com 22 Island Parent Magazine

Recreation 89 Pacific Squadron Royal Canadian Air Cadets is a program for youths starting at age 12. This program develops the attributes of good citizenship, leadership, and physical fitness while stimulating the interest in aviation and aerospace of the Canadian Armed Forces. This program includes great opportunities such as music, outdoor survival, effective speaking, as well as experiencing familiarization in glider flying. Inquiries 250-363-8150, September 9. Open house: September 16, 7pm, Bay Street Armouries (parking off of Douglas at Field Street). City of Victoria. Back to school can mean busy schedules for the family, so don’t forget to make time for fun. We’ve made sure there is something for everyone. Preschoolers: Tiny Toes Ballet, art, soccer, swimming lessons, skating. School age: ballet, soccer, Home Alone, music, tennis, swimming, skating. Teens: Red Cross Babysitter, Lifesaving/First-Aid, skating. Adults: kayaking, day-trips, Bootcamp, dance, swimming, skating. For more information, visit victoria. ca/recservices or call 250-361-0732. Esquimalt Recreation equals family fun. Whether it’s registered programs like swim, skate, sports or art lessons/classes that allow parents to take advantage of the Children’s Fitness and Art Tax Credits, or public swimming or skating, we’ve got the activities to keep your infant, preschooler, school-aged or teenaged child—and yourself, the child at heart—engaged. Follow us on Facebook to receive special offers and be the first to know about our free events. For program/ schedule information: www.esquimalt.ca or 250-412-8500. G.R. Pearkes Recreation Centre welcomes new skate lesson levels. Join us in welcoming the Greater Victoria Active Communities Learn to Skate Program to G.R. Pearkes Recreation Centre. This program will be introduced at all the facilities in Greater Victoria this fall. The new levels are: Preschool 1-4, for 3- to 5-year-olds; and School Age 1-7 for 6- to 12-year-olds. The original level names will be made available to view next to the new names so that parents will know what level to register their child in. For more information, please check online at www.recreation.saanich.ca, or pick up a brochure at any Saanich Recreation Centre. For questions, please contact Lisa Hackwell at 250-475-5468. Panorama Recreation introduces a new annual pass for any youth 18 years and www.kidsinvictoria.com

under at a cost of $59. Panorama is excited to announce this bold effort to improve community health and make recreation more affordable and accessible for families and youth. Wait, there’s more… with the purchase of a regular $392 Annual Pass, all dependent youth (18 years and under) living at the same address as their parents (legal guardians) receive a free Annual Youth Active Pass. Check out all the details including more Pass benefits at www. panoramarecreation.ca. Live well, have fun! Sportball helps children develop socially and physically through a curriculum designed to reinforce self-confidence that is free from competition. Working with children 16 months to 12 years old in a high-energy, fun-filled environment, Sportball provides the basic concepts and skills behind 8 popular sports. Programs are carefully designed to focus on the development of balance, strength, coordination, stamina and timing through professional instruction and positive encouragement using customized equipment. For more information, visit our website at www.sportball.ca, call 250490-4625 or email van.island@sportball.ca. Victoria Sea Cadets. Activities for ages 9-18. Free teen sailing and music programs, weekend and summer camps, international exchanges, leadership training, marksmanship, first aid, power boating, friendship, fitness and more. Programs for ages 9-12 and 12-18. www.victoriaseacadets.com. 250-363-0864 or 1-800-661-8733. 95 years of youth leadership in Victoria.

LIFE Seminars presents

Sidestepping LIFE the Power Seminars Struggle presents

For parents with children of any age – this course Sidestepping takes the guesswork out of the Power parenting and creates long lasting positive changes. Struggle

Wednesday Evenings The Eight Week Course

April 28 –Evenings June 2 Wednesday 2010 from 7:00 to 9:30, Starting October 16 Spectrum School

The LIFE7:00 team – will support 9:30 you to work with the material and create positive and meaningful shifts in your family.

For more information on other courses or counselling go to lifeseminars.com 250-595-2649or call:

with Dr. Dr. Allison Rees with Rees

lifeseminars.com 250-595-2649

Riding Westside Stables is located 15 minutes from downtown Victoria. If you have a horse-crazy kid, we have a program for you. Register now for fall riding programs. We have many well-schooled, wonderful lesson horses and ponies. Our programs are all run with safety and fun in mind following the Horse Council of BC guidelines for advancement. We have a large indoor and outdoor riding ring offering year-round riding lessons and camps. Come join the fun. Call Tiffany at 250-652-1462 or visit www.westsidestables.ca.

Science Mad Science brings several weeks of exciting hands-on activities, fascinating demon-

www.IslandParent.ca

Sept/Oct 2013 23

Classical Ballet for ages 4 to advanced

Registration for 2013–2014 Season

Wednesday, September 4 4:00 – 7:00 pm Valerie Grant

Licentiate C.S.C.-C.I.C.B., L.I.S.T.D. (Cecchetti Faculty)

www.dancearabesque.ca 250·595·3107

strations, inquiry based discussions, group and individual activities, and spectacular take-homes to the students in your school. This year we will explore space and comets. A bright comet is expected to be visible in our night sky and our program is to help to understand this phenomenon. Check our after-school programs, science shows and birthday parties. Info at vancouverisland. madscience.org or call 1-888-954-6237.

Swimming & Diving Boardworks. Join one of Canada’s most successful springboard and platform diving clubs this fall at Saanich Commonwealth Place. Learn how to dive in a fun and safe atmosphere, and possibly follow in the footsteps of ’08 and ’12 Olympian and OlympicGarten graduate Riley McCormick. We offer a variety of diving programs for all ages and abilities, including OlympicGarten (5-9 years), FunDive (8-15 years), Swim’n Dive (6-12 years) and Adult FunDive (16+ years). Visit www.boardworks.ca to register or for more information. Pacific Coast Swimming is a community swim club that fosters each participant to become the best swimmer they can be through quality coaching and fun around swimming pools. We focus only on swimming and have levels for swimmers from age 3 and up to the Olympics. Programs are being run out of most pools in Victoria so there is always a Lightning Fast Swim Series near you to get started with. “All kids should swim!” so go sign up today. See our ad for sign-up information, or check our website at www. pacificcoastswimming.com.

Other Andrea’s Sew Easy. Can you imagine how excited your child would be to make their own clothes? Andrea Bailey has been teaching children to sew from the age of 7, including teens, for over 22 years. Small classes, maximum of four, allow students to work at their own speed. Friends and family will be amazed at the clothes they are able to make for themselves. Classes are held after school and on Saturdays. Homeschool classes also available. For more information call 250-592-7879, email aseweasy@shaw. ca, or visit www.andreasseweasy.com.•

24 Island Parent Magazine

www.kidsinvictoria.com

Weekend Away

Sightseeing in Seattle 7 Kid-Friendly To-Dos

1. Visit Pike Place Market. Watch the salmon toss (at the seafood shop by the main entrance), put a coin in Rachel the Piggybank (proceeds benefit the childcare centre and the food bank), or go “DownUnder” to the four-level labyrinth of funky shops below. Don’t miss the ABC (Already Been Chewed) gumwall. 2. Drop by the Seattle Aquarium and explore the underwater world of the Pacific Northwest and tropical Pacific Coral Reef. www.seattleaquarium.org. 3. Go further afield to Woodland Park Zoo, accessible from Seattle by city bus, and see more than 1,100 animals at this 92-acre zoo, one of the best in the Pacific Northwest. www.zoo.org. 4. Check out Experience Music Project, a one-of-a-kind music museum combining interactive and interpretive exhibits that tell the story of the creative, innovative and rebellious expression that defines popular music. Phone 1-888-EMPLIVE or visit www.emplive.com. 5. Get inspired at the Children’s Museum and see exhibits for kids in eight permanent galleries, one temporary gallery and three studios. For information phone 206-4411768, www.thechildrensmuseum.org. 6. Ascend the Space Needle. Towering above Seattle, the observation deck offers a 360˚ view from 520' above the city. Phone 1-800-937-9582 or visit www.spaceneedle. com. 7. Get curious at Pacific Science Centre where you’ll find hands-on science exhibits, planetarium, laser light shows and an IMAX theatre. For information phone 206-4432001 or visit www.pacsci.org. Getting There. From Vancouver Island, the easiest and quickest way to get to Seattle is aboard the Victoria Clipper. Departing twice daily from Victoria’s Inner Harbour, this passenger-only ferry will have you in downtown Seattle in less than 3 hours. Tickets: adults $101-$130 round-trip; children, 1-11 years old, $25 (one child per adult at this rate). For information and reservations phone 250-382-8100 or visit www.victoriaclipper.com. www.IslandParent.ca

Children/Teen (from 7 years)

Sewing Classes! Emphasis is on sewing clothes they can wear! Home School Classes also available Fernwood/Bay area

Your child/teen can SEW! It’s SEW Easy! Andrea Bailey

Andrea’s

22 years experience

Call

www.andreasseweasy.com

250-592-7879

or email aseweasy@shaw.ca

Sept/Oct 2013 25

Ellen Kierulf

The Trick for Safe Halloween Treats

Formerly Goosey Gander Kindergarten

Full Day Preschool Arbutus Grove Children s Centre, Openings for a part of the community for over ﬁfty years is having an open house September 1st from 1:00 to 4:00 p.m. September 2013

We offer full and halfoftime Preschool in a special and professional environment. Children’s curiosity, sense wonder and innate Limited Positions stillthrough available for Sept. 2011-2012 desire to learn is nurtured and supported inquiry, exploration, play and creative expression.

3905 Haro Road, Victoria BC 250 477 3731 www.arbutusgrove.ca 3905 Haro Road, Victoria B.C. V8N 4A8 250-477-3731

Irish Dance Classes

Classes in Victoria, Nanaimo and Cedar BC, ages 4 years to adults, beginners to champions.

250-888-9421 26 Island Parent Magazine

henever I begin a tale about something that happened to me when I was young, my eldest son hunches his back, puts on an old man voice and croaks “Back in my day…” I roll my eyes and proceed with my tale. So, back in my day, Halloween was different. At some houses we actually had to perform a “trick,” like tell a joke or sing a song, although I don’t think this was really what was meant by the “trick” in “trick-or-treat.” Also, I began trick or treating before the razor-blade-and-pinsin-the-apples scare, so we often got apples as treats. I remember the first year of the scare when my mother made applesauce with our apples, just to be sure they were safe. Sometimes we got homemade candy and maybe even a caramel apple. Mini chocolate bars were rare and coveted, but the yank-your-teeth-out Halloween toffees were always in abundance. One thing that was very much the same for me then as it is now with my kids is that treats were not eaten until getting home. For my kids it’s not about inspecting apples for pins, it’s about reading ingredient lists. My youngest son, Gavin, has severe allergies to dairy, eggs, peanuts and many tree nuts. Every year my two boys come home and sort their candy into piles of Gavin-Friendly and Not Gavin-Friendly. Anything without an ingredient label goes in the Not GavinFriendly pile. Then the trading begins. Four mini Aeros for one pack of Swedish Berries doesn’t sound like a fair trade to most kids, but since Gavin can’t eat the chocolate anyway, it feels fair to him. In the end, the trading doesn’t really matter and both wind up with more candy than any kid should eat in a year.

www.victoriairishdancers.com www.kidsinvictoria.com

Halloween doesn’t have to be a fretful time for families dealing with food allergies. Even if there is no sibling to trade candy with, parents can have enticing alternatives on hand to trade with their allergic child. A special toy or book may be the desired treat for some children, but for others, there is no substitute for an edible treat! If store-bought treats are too risky for your food-allergic child, maybe a batch of cupcakes kept in the freezer that only they get to eat would be a good option. If the food treat is made ahead and brought out on Halloween night to make the post-trick or treat trade, then the loss of collected candy should lose its sting. One year I traded a super fancy battery operated toothbrush for a bunch of candy, but this was more about lessening the sugar load and really only worked because the boys were pretty young. I don’t think they would have gone for it last year. When buying treats to hand out, have a variety on hand if possible and remember that there are other treats besides candy: • Lays plain potato chips are good for many kids with allergies and come in trick or treat sized bags at Halloween. • Gum, such as Chicklets, is also a good option for many with allergies, and again, they come in trick or treat sizes. If candy is your choice, there are many options that food-allergic kids would appreciate: • For those with peanut allergies, there are mini chocolate bars available that are clearly marked as peanut free and they are made in a dedicated peanut-free facility. • A popular brand of red licorice is also labeled as peanut free. • Gummy candies like Swedish berries and sour gummies may also be a good choice for many food-allergic trick or treaters. Whatever you decide to hand out at your door this year, one thing you can do to make it easier on parents of food-allergic children is to hand out treats that have ingredients listed on the individual serving. Not always possible, but very much appreciated! Trick or treating 40 years ago or today, children’s Halloween frights should be from eerie music and spooky costumes, not pins in apples or allergic reactions. Happy Halloween. Ellen Kierulf is a teacher, a blogger and most importantly a mom of two wonderful teenaged boys. Visit www.foodallergyparent.com.

www.IslandParent.ca

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 • Taking over space from Dr.Luc Magne • Accepting new patients now (infants to teenagers) • Referral not needed • Member of Cleft Lip and Palate Team at Queen Alexander Centre for Children in Victoria Special Services: oral sedation • hospital dentistry • nitrous oxide

Victoria Pediatric Dental Centre 210–3930 Shelbourne St, Victoria 250-383-2133 www.victoriapediatricdentalcentre.ca

Emmanuel Preschool 2121 Cedar Hill Cross Road (by entrance to UVic)

Openings for 2013–2014 Classes! Children learn through play in our all inclusive, non-denominational Christian preschool. Great facility; outdoor play area and a gym for rainy day play! Two teachers with ECE certification plus assistant teachers to help with special needs children. A competent and caring teaching team!

Opportunities:

Mon / Wed / Fri morning class Tues / Thurs morning class 5 mornings a week

Phone 250-598-0573 preschool@emmanuelvictoria.ca www.emmanuelpreschool.ca

Coming in October! Our annual Family Resource Guide with listings of over 700 services and programs for parents and families from South Vancouver Island to Parksville. Be sure to pick up your copy at your favourite Island Parent location or view it online at kidsinvictoria.com Sept/Oct 2013 27

Kim Bannerman

Art Experience Living Classes History at U’mista Now Registering for Fall Ages 5 & Up Day & Evening Classes Emphasis on Technique – Fabulous Results

Artistic Statement Gallery & School of Fine Art Call Joan at

250-383-0566 www.artisticstatementgalleryandschool.com

Come Join the Fun

Fall Programs • Year round lessons for children and adults • Safe well schooled lesson horses with qualified instructors • Indoor and outdoor riding facility

250-652-1462

www.westsidestables.ca 28 Island Parent Magazine

s the ferry pulled away from Port McNeill, we climbed onto the upper deck and looked south, across the Georgia Strait to Cormorant Island, where the tiny community of Alert Bay stretches along the eastern shore. In all directions, we saw icons of the West Coast: orcas and seals in the water, morning mist rising amongst the fir trees, and more bald eagles than we could count. As the ferry approached Alert Bay, the individual buildings grew visible. Colourful fishing cottages, a walkway, businesses and the Big House, its front decorated with a Kwakwaka’wakw-style orca, stretched along the shore. The brick facade of the old Residential building had been left to crumble, but next to it stood the sleek, modern cedar front of the world-renowned U’mista Cultural Centre. “Kwakwaka’wakw culture is a living culture, and an essential part of present day; it’s not something that you read about in a book but no longer exists,” says Sarah Holland, executive director of U’mista. The cultural centre holds the community’s collection of masks and regalia, some of which are hundreds of years old, and these remarkable pieces represent a story of loss, reclamation, and pride. After the masks were confiscated in 1922, they were distributed to museums, art galleries and collections around the world, but in 1980 the repatriation of these objects began. Gathering them home was not an easy feat. “U’mista’s collection is powerful in telling an epic tale of resistance and resilience,” says Holland. “Getting this collection back from museums and organizations around the world was an incredible feat. The Kwakwaka’wakw were even able to negotiate and reclaim items from the British Museum—something which the government of Greece is still trying to accomplish with the Elgin marbles.” The upper hall provides a children’s area and an informative film about potlatch traditions, while the lower hall has art displays and a spectacular array of masks, from

animals and humans to mythological figures. “The masks here don’t just sit on the shelves, but are living history in object form,” says Holland. “They provide a direct link to ancestors, and are a vital way of telling a family’s history. They are still used in potlatches, and are still an integral part of a living tradition.”

Image courtesy of U’mista Cultural Society.

• Drawing  • Painting     • Sculpture  • Cartooning  • Portfolio Preparation

To accommodate families with young children, along with the children’s area, there are plans to build up the hands-on exhibit over the next year, adds Holland. “Right now there are books, a craft table, educational toys, and as the area grows, we’ll have regalia to put on, things to touch like ermine pelts, ways to make it more interactive. We also have free educational programs for classes, school groups, and organizations.” U’mista is located in Alert Bay, a short ferry ride from Port McNeill, five and a half hours north of Victoria. Although the museum is open, the main collection—the Potlatch Collection—is not available for visitors until early next year due to a fire in the main gallery which requires substantial building work and conservation work to the masks. For more information, visit www. umista.org or phone 1-250-974-5403. Kim Bannerman’s work has appeared in 100 Stories for Queensland (eMergent Press, 2010) and the Paraspheres Anthology (Omnidawn Press, 2006). Her most recent novel, Bucket of Blood (Fox&Bee, 2011), is a Vancouver Island-based murder mystery. Visit www.foxandbee.com or www.kbannerman.com. www.kidsinvictoria.com

Jerri Carson

Lullabies for Little Ones I

n our fast-paced world, it’s easy to overlook the tradition of singing lullabies to our little ones. Lullabies provide a joyful, soothing way to calm your fussy baby or over-tired toddler and help lull them to sleep. Hearing soft, rhythmic lullabies brings a sense of calm to children and provides quiet moments of connection. Make lullabies part of your child’s bedtime routine. Begin by humming or singing simple nursery rhymes such as “Twinkle, Twinkle, Little Star,” “Are You Sleeping,” or “Rock-A-Bye Baby.” There is no need to feel that you must be a great singer and don’t worry about pitch or phrasing. None of that matters. Sing high or sing low. Sing fast or sing slow. Just sing, and over time you will gain more confidence in your singing skills. As you sing, you might remember songs and lullabies from your own childhood. There are many excellent books with a sleepy-time theme that will help toddlers relax and drift into sleep. Cuddle up together—on the bed, the rocking chair,

whatever’s comfiest—and read. A good book to read is Lullaby Berceuse: A Warm Prairie Night by Canadian writer Connie Kaldor. It’s a beautifully illustrated bedtime story about the prairies at dusk, with English and French lullabies, and it also comes with an accompanying CD. Another story to read before bedtime is the classic Goodnight Moon by Margaret Wise Brown. This quiet rhyming book has gentle, soothing illustrations of three little bears sitting in chairs, of clocks and socks, and of mittens and kittens. In the story, a little bunny says goodnight to everything in the bedroom one by one. There is also a wonderful CD recording of this story which children can listen to while turning the pages. A similar version of Goodnight Moon is Goodnight Gorilla by Peggy Rathmann. It’s a humourous story about bedtime at the zoo with delightful pictures of the zoo animals. If your child likes board books, then you will enjoy Baby’s Lullaby by Canadian

singer-songwriter Jill Barber, and you can download the song for free when you buy the book. The book has colourful pictures by Canadian illustrator Hilda Rose with baby animals getting ready for bed. If your toddler can’t sit still, then skip the books and pop some favourite lullabies into the CD player instead. Canadian singer and songwriter, Raffi, has an excellent album, Quiet Time, with a collection of songs designed for use during “a pause, a cuddle or a nap.” These gentle songs include favourites such as “Fais Do Do,” “Listen to the Horses,” and “Douglas Mountain.” Another Canadian singer and composer, Charlotte Diamond, has a well-known album, Diamonds and Daydreams, which contains sleepyhead melodies such as “Hush Little Baby,” “Morning Town Ride” and a “All Through the Night.” So get comfortable in your rocking chair or favourite easy chair, and enjoy a few moments of peace and quiet as you sing to your babe. Jerri Carson is a primary music teacher for SD #61. She is a member of the CRD Arts Advisory Council. Jerri plays the cello in the Victoria Conservatory Cello Orchestra.

/littlespiritsgarden @LittleSpiritGdn

www.IslandParent.ca

Sept/Oct 2013 29

Wendy Dyck

Why Study with a Registered Music Teacher? Because your children deserve the best ! Assurance of knowledgeable, competent and qualified instruction • Performance opportunities • Workshops and Master Classes • National, Provincial and local competitions • Scholarship opportunities

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30 Island Parent Magazine

The Power of Practice

here is something magical about the piano—maybe it’s the beautiful curves of a baby grand, the complexity of sound it can produce, or the wonder of fingers moving with speed and accuracy across the keyboard. And while it’s certainly not portable and can cost a small fortune to move or maintain, the romance continues. Parents spend hundreds of dollars on lessons, hoping that their son or daughter will make the dream come alive, but the results are mixed. Every year I watch bright, musicloving, musically-gifted children slouch their way through the year making minimal progress despite my best efforts during our lesson time and I am humbly reminded that I am not central to their success—you are.

frame it. Record them playing and send it to family—make a CD! But don’t be surprised when the interest wanes. Seemingly low interest times are the plateaus where students are consolidating new skills, playing music that they really love and don’t want to give up, or just taking the space they need in a life that is full of other interests. Another wave will come. Watch and be ready! At our house, practicing is linked to other activities—no screen time until practicing has been done. One child loves to practice first thing in the morning so he’s “done” and can use all of his after school time to play. The other child prefers playing in the evening when he’s more likely to have an

Success at the piano exists in direct relation to practice at home, and with children, parents play the most obvious role in making sure this happens. Very few children are self-directed enough to pursue music on their own, but many more who love music also need the full support of a parent to practice. How? You will notice waves of interest in practicing—surf them! These are critical times for students because the intensity they bring to practicing can help them make significant leaps in their technical expertise, reading ability and playing strength, which feeds back into their desire to practice. Make sure your child has music that she enjoys playing, buy a new book or download some fun sheet music. Join them at the piano and play a duet, even if it’s only Heart and Soul. Get out a guitar or a drum and play with them. Arrange a mini-concert for friends, take a picture of them at the piano and

audience. Is your child a morning person? Does she prefer a quiet household when practicing? Be consistent. If you have a routine, tag practicing on to another task. Leave flexibility for weekends and accept that a day away from the piano can be helpful. One day, that is—more than one day away from playing can make the return an uphill slog as students struggle to recall skills that were only recently acquired. And any time at the instrument is good time, messing around is better than not being there at all and sometimes it’s all you can ask. It’s great when the piano is centrally located. It’s easier to monitor what’s going on during the practice session and to offer lots of praise for a good performance. Resist the urge to correct—unless you’ve established a successful way of doing this with your child, it can be counter-productive. Practicing can be the time when your child www.kidsinvictoria.com

is taking ownership of acquiring a skill, so leave the corrections to the teacher. The proviso here is that if there is a wrong note that is making the music sound terrible, an intervention can make everyone feel better. Accompany your child. If your piano is situated in a basement or side room, consider taking a book or some work and sitting in the room while your child practices. For many children, one of the hardest things about practicing is being alone. And if the piano is in the same room as a stereo, computer or television—not a preferred situation—make sure there is a policy with regard to how these different media interact. What gets priority? Will there be resentment on the part of other family members when the practicing commences? Rewards for practicing should be intrinsic—playing piano better is the best reward for time spent at the instrument. But sometimes an exterior motivator can be helpful. Knowing someone else is listening can be a strong motivator for some children (“I really like that song you play in a minor key. Can you play that one for me?”), as can praise (“That is the best I’ve ever heard you play that!”). Children can be encouraged to develop their own external rewards as part of taking ownership for learning their music, maybe taking time for a snack midway through practicing when they’ve finally mastered a difficult bit, or as a reward for using correct fingering in a scale. And although parents are key to success for young musicians, the goal must always be to move children towards ownership. Playing piano is their skill and at some point, they must make the commitment. This doesn’t happen in one day, it’s a process whereby parents need to be constantly assessing how much they need to intervene, when they can back off and see what happens. It’s a function of maturity, of skill, of interest and lots of things we don’t see. Be patient, but encourage those moments when a child takes on something difficult without being told, or practices longer than is required. Remember that music-making is a joyful experience and part of that joy springs from knowing that you’ve worked hard and the beauty you have to share is your own. Wendy Dyck has taught piano for almost 20 years and has a music studio that includes students ranging in age from seven to 87. She believes that making music is empowering and dreams of learning to play the accordion.

www.IslandParent.ca

The South Island Distance Education School (SIDES) is a K -12 public school specializing in distributed learning. SIDES offers BC curriculum to students through a variety of courses, on-site activities and outings. Parents of elementary students partner with SIDES teachers to support students as they learn at home. Secondary students may supplement their in-school course schedules with one or two online classes or choose SIDES for their entire learning experience. Please join us this fall as we celebrate our 25th anniversary as an innovative leader of distributed learning in BC. For more information, check our website (www.sides.ca) or call us at 250-479-7125.

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Sept/Oct 2013

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Family Calendar For calendar updates throughout the month visit www.kidsinvictoria.com September FRI 6 & SAT 7 Puss in Boots Auditions at St Luke’s Hall. Based on the well-known story, this is a traditional British panto with a large cast requiring experienced and inexperienced actors of all ages. Fri: 8pm, Sat: 3pm. Call-backs Mon, Sept 9 at 3pm. 3821 Cedar Hill X Road. Contact Director Dave Hitchcock, 250-370-1291 or email hitch@shaw.ca. www.stlukesplayers.org.

SAT 7 Moon Harvest, Season of Mist at Witty’s Lagoon Regional Park. Guest naturalist Joe Percival will take you through the trails of Witty’s to discover how autumn brings about changes in food and habits for all. Meet at Nature Centre off Metchosin Rd at 1pm. 8+ years. BC Transit #54 or #55. 250-478-3344. www.crd.bc.ca/parks.

WED 11 Music Together Demo Class for parents and children from birth to 5 years. Free. 10am at Mothering Touch (register at 250-595-4905) and Gordon Head Recreation Centre (register at 250-475-7100). For more free demo classes this month in Esquimalt, West Shore and Oaklands, visit www.musictogethervictoria.com.

WED 11 – SUN 15 Victoria International Chalk Art Festival in

32 Island Parent Magazine

the Bay Centre. A celebration of the unique medium of chalk art. Enjoy 2D and 3D chalk art in the making, in addition to music on stage, a food village, local artisans, an expanded kids’ chalk area and more. Free. 9am-6pm. www. victoriachalkfestival.com.

MON 16 Stories at Fern. Monthly storytelling evenings with the Victoria Storyteller’s Guild. Doors open at 7:15pm, stories start at 7:30pm. $5; $3/ students (includes tea and goodies). 1831 Fern St. 250-477-7044. victoriastorytellers.org.

SAT 14 Mount Work-Out at Mount Work Regional Park. Join a CRD Regional Parks naturalist on this vigorous hike from marshy lowlands to rugged rocky outcrops. Bring a lunch, water and rain gear, and wear sturdy hiking shoes. Meet at Munn Rd parking lot at 10:30am. 12+ years. 250-478-3344. www.crd.bc.ca/parks.

SAT 14 & SUN 15 James Bay Art Walk in James Bay. 18 painters, potters, photographers and crafters of wood and plant material invite you to come and see what they do all year. 11am-5pm. www. jamesbayartwalk.ca.

SUN 15 West Coast Ramble at East Sooke Regional Park. Join a CRD Regional Parks naturalist for a hike along the breathtaking West Coast. See the turkey vulture migration, petroglyphs and more. Stop for lunch at Beechey Head and take the inland trail back to the parking lot. Meet at Aylard Farm kiosk off Becher Bay Rd at 10am. 8+ years. 250-478-3344. www. crd.bc.ca/parks.

THUR 19 Giggles and Wiggles at Central Branch Library. For young children and their families; children under 3 must be accompanied by an adult. Wiggle your way to the library for a 20-minute storytime for little listeners with extra energy. Dance and giggle and learn new action stories and action rhymes chosen just for you. No registration required. 10:30-10:50am. 250382-7241, ext. 601.

FRI 20 Global Village 20th Anniversary Celebration in Market Square. Refreshments, entertainment including Mufar Marimba playing music of Southern Africa, and Kumbia playing Latin American rhythms. Noon-4pm. 535 Pandora Ave. 250-380-1530.

SAT 21 Explore, Galore in Autumn at Thetis Lake Regional Park. The summer crowds have left the lake, giving a renewed opportunity to enjoy the peace and quiet of this gem of a park. Join a CRD Regional Parks naturalist for an exploratory stroll. Meet at main Thetis Lake

www.kidsinvictoria.com

parking lot at 1pm. 5+ years. BC Transit #50 or #53. 250-478-3344. www.crd.bc.ca/parks. 2nd Annual Multicultural Food & Health Fair at CDI College. Promotes multiculturalism and awareness of the diverse cultures within Greater Victoria. The fair focuses on the preparation of cultural food, with demonstrations and sampling. Live performances. Free. 10am-4pm. 950 Kings Rd. 250-361-9433. www.vircs.bc.ca.

SUN 22 Seasonal Safari at Mill Hill Regional Park. The leaves are turning yellow, and the air feels crisp. Animals know it is time to prepare for winter. Join a CRD Regional Parks naturalist as we play games, look at leaves, and explore how raccoons, squirrels, bears and more are collecting food in the fall and preparing a safe place to rest. Meet at kiosk in parking lot off Atkins Ave at 10:30am. 7 years and under. BC Transit #50 or #53. 250-478-3344. www. crd.bc.ca/parks. Spider Websites at Uplands Park. Frolic with naturalist Margaret Lidkea of the Friends of Uplands Park, through the rocky meadows of Uplands Park finding spider webs of different shapes and maybe their builders. Discover local spiders, their habits and which ones can bite people. Play spider games and make your own arachnid to take home. Suitable for all ages. 1-3pm. Donations appreciated. Meet in the grassy field on the Beach Drive entrance to Cattle Point. 250-595-8084.

mon 23 Lego at the Library at Esquimalt Branch Library. Like stories and Lego? Then this is the program for you. We’ll supply the Lego and you will use your imagination to construct your own crazy creation to display at the library. For a project that you can take home, please bring your own Lego. For ages 7-10. 2:30-3:30pm. Register online at www.gvpl.ca or call 250-414-7198 for more information. Story Club at Oak Bay Branch Library. Listen to stories, talk about your favourite books, and enjoy fun activities. Snacks included. This

club is for kids who love stories regardless of reading ability. For ages 5-8. 2:30-3:30pm. Register online at www.gvpl.ca or call 250592-2489 for more information. Victoria Children’s Literature Roundtable at Nellie McClung Branch Library. Sean Rodman, teacher, author and consultant, will talk about writing thrillers for teenage boys. His interest in writing for teenagers came out of working at schools around the world. His books are Night of Terrors, Dead Run, and Infiltration. Doors open at 7pm. Browse the Schoolhouse Teaching Supplies and Children’s Bookstore table before the meeting begins at 7:30pm. VCLR is open to the public. Members free; $5/drop-in; $4/student. For more information call 250-598-3694.

activities, discovery and appreciation of arts and culture. Free. Fri 6-9pm; Sat noon-8pm; Sun noon-5pm.

TUES 24

SAT 28

Story Club at Esquimalt Branch Library. See MON 23 for details. For ages 5-8. 3:154:15pm. Register at www.gvpl.ca or call 250-414-7198.

Hawk Watch at East Sooke Regional Park. Have you ever seen turkey vultures “kettling”? Join CRD Regional Parks and the Victoria Natural History Society for this annual migration event complete with live raptor demonstrations and activities at Aylard Farm. Experts with spotting scopes will be at the viewpoint above Beechey Head. The hike up to the viewpoint requires sturdy footwear and a 20-minute trek up a steep and rocky trail. Bring binoculars, water and a lunch. Drop in anytime between 11am and 3pm. Meet at kiosk in Aylard Farm parking lot off Becher Bay Rd. All ages. 250-478-3344. www.crd.bc.ca/parks.

WED 25 Giggles and Wiggles at Juan de Fuca Branch Library. See THURS 19 for details. No registration required. 11-11:20am. 250-391-0653.

fri 27 Stamp Scavenger Hunt at Bruce Hutchison Branch Library. Join local stamp enthusiasts for an introduction to stamp collecting. Be prepared to be amazed at how many stamps you’ll see at one time. You’ll hear about stamps, stamp clubs, library resources and participate in a stamp treasure hunt. For ages 6-10. 3:30-4:30pm. Register at www.gvpl.ca or call 250-727-0104. Story Club at Central Branch Library. See MON 23 for details. For ages 5-8. 3:304:30pm. Register at www.gvpl.ca or call 250-382-7241, ext. 601.

FRI 27 – SUN 29 Culture Days in Centennial Square. Les Journées de la culture, three days of interactive

Go LocalfirBC! st. We pick BC

sun 29 Birding in Uplands Park. Join birder Geoffrey Newell of the Friends of Uplands Park in a bird walk from Cattle Point through Uplands Park. Bring binoculars, bird books or checklists or simply show up to enjoy the outing. Meet at Cattle Point by the first boat launch at 8am. Rain or shine. 250-595-8084. Check Out the Green Scene at Elk/Beaver Lake Regional Park. Ever wanted to learn survival skills or check out the world of outdoor leadership? Maybe try your hand at canoeing or edible plant ID? Youth from around the region are gathering again with the Youth In Parks team to gain skills in outdoor

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Sept/Oct 2013 33

workshops offered throughout the day. Gather together with like-minded youth and spend the day outside! Meet at kiosk in Beaver Lake parking lot. Noon-4pm drop-in. 13-18 years. BC Transit #70 or #72. 250-478-3344. www. crd.bc.ca/parks.

Open House You and your children are invited to meet the Principal and Staff of your local StageCoach Theatre Arts School at

Lighthouse Christian School

Seed Day at Swan Lake Christmas Hill Nature Sanctuary. In the autumn, Mother Nature is planting her garden for next year—come see what she has planned. Includes crafts, hands-on exploration, seed scavenger hunt, and seed displays. Plant a seed to take home. Admission by donation. Noon-3pm drop-in. 3873 Swan Lake Rd. 250-479-0211. www. swanlake.bc.ca.

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TUES 1

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Nurturing and developing young peoples potential through dance, drama and singing

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Guys’ Night Out Baby Time at Saanich Centennial Branch Library. For dads, stepdads, foster dads, granddads, uncles, and male caregivers with babies 0-15 months. Calling all babies and the men who love them. Join us for fingerplays, puppets, stories and songs. 6:30-7pm. Register at www.gvpl.ca or call 250-477-9030.

WED 2 Pete the Cat Loves the Library at Oak Bay Branch Library. Pete the Cat loves his shoes, his four groovy buttons and the library. Join us

for Pete stories, other cat stories, songs, activities and a craft. For ages 3-5. 10:30-11:30am. Register at www.gvpl.ca or call 250-592-2489.

FRI 4 Lego at the Library at Bruce Hutchison Branch Library. Like stories and Lego? Then this is the program for you. We’ll supply the Lego and you will use your imagination to construct your own crazy creation to display at the library. For a project that you can take home, please bring your own Lego. For ages 7-10. 3:30-4:30pm. Register at www.gvpl.ca or call 250-727-0104.

SAT 5 Quintessence Breastfeeding Challenge at Uptown Mall. Join GVPL staff and public health nurses for storytime at 10:30am, and the official breastfeeding count at 11am. Families, breastfeeding children, and siblings welcome. No registration required. 10:30am-noon. For information, call 250-382-7241, ext. 601. Brought to you by Vancouver Island Health Authority and Greater Victoria Public Library.

SUN 6 12th Ultimate Hobby & Toy Fair at Pearkes Arena. BC’s biggest hobby and toy show. 200 tables with items for sale, including action figures, vintage toys, models, trains, comics, Barbie, dolls, bears, LEGO, video games, Star

See the Woolly Mammoth Come to Life!

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34 Island Parent Magazine

www.kidsinvictoria.com

Wars and much more. Door prizes every half hour. Silent auction to benefit the MS Society. Charity Carnival Games with all proceeds to the BC Children’s Hospital. Special guests. 9am-3pm. $5/adults; kids are free. Early bird entry for the serious collector at 8am for $15. 3100 Tillicum Rd. www.ultimatetoyfair.com.

MON 7 Story Club at Nellie McClung Branch Library. See MON Sept 23 for details. For ages 5-8. 3:30-4:30pm. Register online at www.gvpl.ca or call 250-477-7111 for more information.

TUES 8 Giggles and Wiggles at Central Branch Library. For young children and their families; children under 3 must be accompanied by an adult. Wiggle your way to the library for a 20-minute storytime for little listeners with extra energy. Dance and giggle and learn new action stories and action rhymes chosen just for you. No registration required. 10:30-10:50am. 250382-7241, ext. 601.

WED 9 Baby Signs with Layla: A Baby Sign Language Program at Bruce Hutchison Branch Library. For parents, educators and children ages 0-24 months. Program participants will learn the basics of using nonverbal signs with children aged 0-24 months old. Benefits of signing with your baby or toddler may include fewer tantrums, greater cognitive and language development, and improved communication with your baby. 11am-noon. Register at www.gvpl. ca or call 250-727-0104. Lego at the Library at Juan de Fuca Branch Library. See FRI Oct 4 for details. For ages 7-10. 3:30-4:30pm. Register at www.gvpl.ca or call 250-391-0653.

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FRI 18 Story Club at Central Branch Library. See MON Sept 23 for details. For ages 5-8. 3:304:30pm. Register at www.gvpl.ca or call 250-382-7241, ext. 601 for more information.

SAT 19 Music with Heidi at Esquimalt Branch Library. Spin around, clap your hands, sing and make magical music and movement with musician and early childhood educator Heidi Crocini. For ages 4-7. 2:30-3:15pm. Register at www. gvpl.ca or call 250-414-7198. Victoria Writer’s Festival Reading & Workshop for Teens: Author Christine Walde at Central Branch Library. Inspired by the language of contemporary street art and graffiti, Victoria author Christine Walde is pleased to present a reading from her latest book, Burning from the Inside (DCB, 2013). Following the reading, Walde will conduct a workshop

www.IslandParent.ca

Sept/Oct 2013 35

for teens on the creative process and how to find inspiration in the stories that surround us. For ages 13-18. Time to be announced. Contact teens@gvpl.ca for more information. 250-382-7241, ext. 601.

SAT 19 & SUN 20 Broom Bash at Uplands Park. Become stewards of the Garry Oak Ecosystem. Bring your family, tools (loppers and pruners) and gloves to join in the fun of weeding out Scotch Broom, ivy and daphne. Meet on Beach Drive at the entrance to Cattle Point and sign in at the information and registration table. This is supported by Oak Bay Parks and helps this endangered ecosystem and the 31 rare plant species. Some tools and gloves are available. Refreshments. 1-4pm each day. 250-595-8084.

MON 21 Victoria Children’s Literature Roundtable at Nellie McClung Branch Library. Meet awardwinning author Kenneth Oppel, well known for his Silverwing and Airborn series, Half Brother, This Dark Endeavour and more. He will present an illustrated talk about his career as an author, starting with his earliest writings in school, what inspired him, and how he got his first book published at age 17. Doors open at 7pm. Browse the Schoolhouse Teaching Supplies and Children’s Bookstore table before the meeting begins at 7:30pm. VCLR is open

to the public. Members free; $5/drop-in; $4/ student. Call 250-598-3694. Stories at Fern. Monthly storytelling evenings with the Victoria Storyteller’s Guild. Doors open at 7:15pm, stories start at 7:30pm. $5; $3/ students (includes tea and goodies). 1831 Fern St. 250-477-7044. victoriastorytellers.org.

THURS 24 & FRI 25 Changing the Course of Autism Webcast on Ustream. For those unable to attend the conference in person. No advance registration required. To view, visit ustream.tv/channel/ autismcanada. For a conference brochure, visit www.autismcanada.org/conference/pdfs/ CTCOA2013Brochure.pdf

FRI 25 Show me a Story at Saanich Centennial Branch Library. Storytelling starts here. Join us for a creative storytelling program. We’ll listen to stories, craft a story starter to spark our imaginations, and then listen to each other’s story. For ages 6-9. 10:30-11:30am. Register at www.gvpl.ca or call 250-477-9030. Art with Andrea: What Does Home Mean to You? at Nellie McClung Branch Library. Home is where the heart is, so what would it be like to live without a home? Explore media, look at art, and create your own mini-masterpiece on the theme of “home” with Art Gallery of

Greater Victoria instructor Andrea Soos. For ages 6-9. Supplies generously provided by Art Gallery of Greater Victoria. You could enter your art in GVPL’s Home is a Beautiful Word Art Contest for Kids, too. For more information about the contest, see www.gvpl. ca/programs-and-events/contests-and-games. Time to be announced. 250-477-7111. Music with Heidi at Bruce Hutchison Branch Library. See SAT Oct 19 for details. For ages 4-7. 2:30-3:15pm. Register at www.gvpl.ca or call 250-727-0104 for more information. Halloween Spook-tacular at Juan de Fuca and Oak Bay Branch Libraries. Calling all goblins, ghoulies, ghosts and other denizens of the night. Come in your halloween costume and join in the frightful fun. Scary stories, a creepy craft and other spooky activities will get you in the mood for the big night. For ages 6-9. 2:30-3:30pm. Register online or call the hosting branch for more information. Juan de Fuca: 250-391-0653; Oak Bay: 250-592-2489. Falstaff for Kids at Central Branch Library. Explore Shakespearean comedy and drama with Pacific Opera Victoria. Learn to project the voice for speech and song and perform in a mini play about the portly scoundrel Sir John Falstaff. Family and caregivers are welcome to attend the last 10 minutes of the program to observe the mini play. For ages 6-9. 2:30-3:30pm. Register at www.gvpl.ca or call 250-382-7241, ext. 601.

CONSIDERING EDUCATING YOUR CHILD AT HOME THIS YEAR?

36 Island Parent Magazine

www.kidsinvictoria.com

SAT 26 Japanese Cultural Celebration at the Esquimalt Recreation Centre. Japanese entertainment, Japanese cuisine, kids’ activities, and craft tables. Bon Odori dancing, Taiko drumming, live music and martial arts demonstrations. Ikebana flower arrangement, a Japanese tea ceremony, traditional calligraphy. Bento lunch boxes, sushi, manju (a Japanese sweet cake) and other baked goods for sale. 10am-4pm. Free. 527 Fraser St. 250-384-2654. Leukemia & Lymphoma Society Light the Night Walk at the University of Victoria. Gather to walk with lanterns at twilight to celebrate and bring hope to those battling blood cancers and honour loved ones who have passed. Live entertainment, activities, and food. 4-8pm. www.lightthenight.ca/bc.

SUN 27 Birding in Uplands Park. Join birder Geoffrey Newell of the Friends of Uplands Park in a bird walk from Cattle Point through Uplands Park. Bring binoculars, bird books or checklists or simply show up to enjoy the outing. Meet at Cattle Point by the first boat launch at 8am. Rain or shine. 250-595-8084. Wild Mushroom Show at Swan Lake Christmas Hill Nature Sanctuary. A special presentation by the South Vancouver Island Mycological Society. Discover the wacky and wonderful world of mushrooms of Vancouver Island. The huge variety found in our forests, fields and gardens will be on display. Bring your specimens for identification by members of the Mycological Society. Drop in anytime between 10am-4pm. Admission by donation. 250-479-0211. www.swanlake.bc.ca.

TUES 29 Batwings & Broomsticks: A Halloween Program for Preschoolers at Goudy Branch Library. Try out your Halloween costume before the big night. Join us for a Halloween storytime filled with not-so-scary stories, fun songs, an easy holiday craft and a not-toospooky film. For ages 3-5. 10:30-11:30am. Register at www.gvpl.ca or call 391-5702.

S ome p e opl e th i n k l e ar n i ng dis abi liti es are li fel ong .

We d on’t .

At Eaton Arrowsmith School we help students with learning disabilities and attention difficulties rewire the weaker areas of their brain that have been causing academic and social struggles. Instead of accommodating for learning weaknesses, students get to the cognitive root of their challenges, thereby leaving their learning difficulties behind. Upcoming information session: Monday, September 23, 12:30–2:30pm #200-3200 Shelbourne St, Victoria RSVP: 250-370-0046 or victoria@eatonarrowsmithschool.com

Strengthening Learning Capacities

Please join us at our Annual Sale.

20% Off Absolutely Everything

October 15th – 19th (Tuesday – Saturday) Once a year for five days only. Buddies Toys • Sidney

2494 Beacon Ave 250-655-7171

Buddies Toys • Victoria

2533 Estevan Ave 250-595-6501

*No VIP points earned during the sale*

Story Club at Esquimalt Branch Library. See MON Sept 23 for details. For ages 5-8. 3:15-4:15pm. Register at www.gvpl.ca or call 250-414-7198 for more information.

WED 30 Halloween Spook-tacular at Nellie McClung and Saanich Centennial Branch Libraries. See FRI 25 for details. For ages 6-9. 3:30-4:30pm. Register online or call the hosting branch for more information. Nellie McClung 250-4777111; Saanich Centennial 250-477-9030.

www.IslandParent.ca

Sept/Oct 2013 37

THURS 31 Batwings & Broomsticks: A Halloween Program for Preschoolers at Oak Bay Branch Library. See TUES 29 for details. For ages 3-5. 10:30-11:30am. Register online at www.gvpl. ca or call 250-592-2489 for more information.

ONGOING BABIES, TODDLERS & PRESCHOOL Drop-in Storytimes for Babies, Toddlers & Families at the Greater Victoria Public Library. Caregivers are welcome and encouraged to participate. Storytimes are free and drop-in. Please come early to find a space. For a complete list of drop-in programs, call your local library, or visit www.gvpl.ca. Drop-in Preschool Storytime at Saanich Centennial Branch Library. For ages 3-5. Preschoolers are invited to fun and interactive storytimes that will help foster early literacy development. We’ll share enriching stories, sing songs, learn rhymes, and have fun playing with language. Parents and caregivers are welcome to participate. No registration required. Tuesdays September 17-December 3, 10:30-11am. 250-477-9030. www.gvpl.ca. Parent/Tot Drop-in at Gordon Head United Church. A safe place where young children can play while parents in the community connect

Made with Caramel, Vanilla & Fresh Espresso!

with each other. Lots of space and toys. Tea or coffee is available for caregivers, and a healthy snack for the children. Parents are responsible for the care of their own children. Mondays 10am-noon. More info, call the church office at 250-477-4142, or Maisie at 250-477-0388.

Children Sea-Shirt Sundays at the Shaw Ocean Discovery Centre. On the first Sunday of each month, create your own fish fashion. Be sure to bring a pillow case, cloth bag or t-shirt (or purchase a t-shirt from the centre) and your creativity. $2 donation for fabric paint. 1-4pm. 250-665-7511. Chess in the Library at Juan de Fuca Branch Library. Do you enjoy playing chess but have nobody to play against? Then come on down to the Chess in the Library. Players of all strengths welcome. Games are casual and chess sets are provided. A volunteer program leader/chess teacher is required for this program to go ahead. Please contact the Juan de Fuca Library for information on how to volunteer to lead this program. For ages 6-18. Wednesdays, September 25-October 30, 6:30-7:30pm. Register online at www.gvpl.ca or call 250-391-0653 for more information. Reading Buddies: Little Buddies at Bruce Hutchison, Oak Bay and Nellie McClung Branch Libraries. For children in Grades 1-4. Does your child need a little help with

reading? Reading Buddies provides reading practice, literacy-based activities and fun with volunteer teen Big Buddies. Please notify us in advance if your child is unable to attend a session. Register online at www.gvpl.ca or call the hosting branch for more information. Registration begins September 3. Program runs on Saturdays from October 26 to December 14, 2-3pm or 3:30-4:30pm. Bruce Hutchison 250-727-0104; Oak Bay 250-592-2489; Nellie McClung 250-477-7111.

YOUTH Belfry 101 Scholarship at the Greater Victoria Public Library. New this fall, GVPL is offering a full Belfry 101 scholarship for one teen in Grade 10, 11 or 12. Enter a draw to win a scholarship to the Belfry 101 program. From October to May, Belfry 101 introduces students to the world of professional theatre, critical thinking, social awareness and the creative process during workshops and Belfry productions. For full details and how to enter, see www.gvpl.ca/programs-and-events/ contests-and-games. Latin Class for Teens at Nellie McClung Branch Library. For ages 13-18. Want to learn Latin? Latin is not a dead language—and with a little effort, you can learn to read it. This is a rigorous course in classical Latin for committed teens taught by Dr. Gregory Rowe (UVic). By year’s end, you will be able to read poems by Catullus, the medieval Byeux Tapestry, and the Latin translation of Harry Potter. The course is free, but a text book is required; contact teens@gvpl.ca for information about purchase, second-hand, or borrowing options. Course runs for eight months, please register for the September-December term and you will be automatically registered for the January-April term. Register online at www.gvpl.ca or call 250-477-7111 for more information. Reading Buddies: Teen Volunteers at Bruce Hutchison, Oak Bay and Nellie McClung Branch Libraries. For ages 13-18. If you like working with children, enjoy reading, are a fluent English speaker and want to help emerging readers, we need you. Reading Buddies teen volunteers mentor children in Grades 1-4 with reading practice, literacy-based activities and fun. We provide training and, upon completion, a reference letter outlining your volunteer hours. First-time volunteers must attend a Big Buddy Training session too. Don’t forget to bring your completed Teen Volunteer Referral Form. Register online at www.gvpl.ca or call the hosting branch for more information. Program runs on Saturdays from October 26 to December 14, 1:45-3pm or 3:15-4:30pm. Bruce Hutchison 250-727-0104; Oak Bay 250592-2489; Nellie McClung 250-477-7111. Tech Buddies: Teen Volunteers at Juan de Fuca Branch Library. For ages 13-18. Volunteer using your skills with computers and other new

38 Island Parent Magazine

www.kidsinvictoria.com

technologies, and connect with someone in your community. Teens earn volunteer hours and help adults with their questions about computers and gadgets. Is this the first time you have volunteered as a Tech Buddy? If so, you must attend a Tech Buddy Training Session too. Don’t forget to bring your completed Teen Volunteer Referral Form. Fridays October 4-November 15, 3:15-4:45pm. Register online at www.gvpl.ca or call 250-391-0653 for more information. Teen Council at Saanich Centennial Branch Library. For ages 13-18. Have your voice heard. Teens looking for an interesting volunteer opportunity are invited to join the GVPL Teen Council. Work on special library projects, meet other teens, have fun, boost your resume and earn volunteer hours. Teen Council meets monthly September-June, and members help out at events and work on additional projects as well. Saturdays September 21, October 26, November 16 and December 7, 3-5pm. Register online at www.gvpl.ca, contact teens@gvpl.ca, or call 250-477-9030 for more information.

FAMILIES Ready to Rent BC offers a free course to help find and keep a rental home. Six-week courses run at different times, days and locations. We help renters identify and deal with any barriers they may have to housing. Includes bus tickets, child minding and a healthy snack. To sign up, call 250-388-7171. readytorentbc.net. Parent Sports Drop-in at James Bay Community School Centre. Parents need time to have fun and get back in touch with their inner child. Mondays, Wednesdays and Thursdays, 7-9pm. $3.50/person. www.jamesbaycentre.ca.

STAGES Performing Arts School since 1980

Come Dance With Us

• Offering classes in Jazz, Ballet, Lyrical, Tap, Hip Hop & Musical Theatre in a non-competitive atmosphere. • Not sure which class to take? Try a Drop-In: No hassle, No Obligation

Cl as se

s Be g i n

Septem

ber 9 t h

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STAGES Performing Arts School

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Weekly Bird Walk at Swan Lake Nature Sanctuary (meet in the parking lot). Every Wednesday and Sunday noon-3pm. Moss Street Market at Moss and Fairfield. Local, organic farmers, craft and food vendors, local musicians, great coffee, special event days and more. Saturdays until October 26, 10am-2pm.

(behind the Shelbourne MacDonalds)

Even the littlest angel can dance

For more information call 250-384-3267, Email us at stagesdance@shaw.ca Or visit our website: www.stagesdance.com

Metchosin School Museum is open Saturdays 1:30-4:30pm and Sundays 11am-4:30pm. An original one-room school house built in 1871, it is set up as a classroom with old wooden desks. Families can enjoy perusing the hundreds of artifacts on display. Free. 4475 Happy Valley Rd. Wonder Sunday at the Royal BC Museum. Bring your family on the last Sunday of each month for activities and explorations inspired by different parts of the museum. Make crafts, join special tours, and let your imagination wonder away with you. Suitable for children ages 3-12 years and is included with admission or free with membership. www.royalbcmuseum.bc.ca.•

www.IslandParent.ca

Offering mixed-age family classes for 25 years. Research-based - internationally acclaimed - kid-tested! Come join our community of music-makers at our six Greater Victoria locations.

Music Together Victoria 250-217-2477 Website: www.musictogethervictoria.com Sept/Oct 2013 39

Around the Island

Visit www.IslandParent.ca for these and other events and resources for families from Cowichan Valley north to Campbell River and west to Tofino

September Cowichan Exhibition at Exhibition Park, Cowichan. Come and enjoy the carnival midway, animal displays, entertainment, food, exhibits and more. Fri & Sat: 8am-10pm; Sun: 8am4pm. 250-478-0822, www.cowex.ca.

pool? at Ravensong. Working as a lifeguard/ swim instructor is a great job for youth. Work in a great team environment, learn valuable leadership and life skills, but most of all, have fun working with kids. Come to the information session to find out everything you need to know about working in a pool. 3:45-4:45pm. Free. Pre-register with RDN Recreation and Parks, 250-752-5014. www.rdn.bc.ca/recreation.

SUN 8

SAT 14

P-ART-Y on the Drive 2013 in Parksville’s Resort Drive community is a great big street party. Six stages feature musicians from all over the Island, delectable cuisine from mobile food vendors, painters, photographers, potters, carvers, sculptors, puppet makers, jewelry makers and much more. Activities for the young and young at heart, including nonstop dancing in the street all afternoon. 1-5pm. Free admission. www.resort-drive-events.ca.

Fall Fair at Knox United Church, Parksville. Garage sale, entertainment, children’s activities, concession, silent auction and more. Free. No pets. 8am-2pm. 345 Pym St. 250-586-7080.

FRI 6 – SUN 8

WED 11 Lifeguard Seminar: How do I get a job at the

40 Island Parent Magazine

Nanaimo Harvest Festival in Downtown Nanaimo. Educational displays and interactive presentations focused on the local food movement. Food trucks, baby animal petting farm, and live music. 10:30am-3:30pm. Free. Bubble Bonanza Welcome Back Swim at Ravensong Aquatic Centre, Parksville. Step right up and join the fun with bubbles. Have a great

time creating the largest bubbles and seeing how long they last. 1:30-5pm. 250-752-5014. www.rdn.bc.ca/recreation.

SUN 15 Terry Fox Run at Rathtrevor Beach Provincial Park. Walk, ride or run 3.3k, 5k, or 10k to support the Terry Fox Run for cancer research. Registration begins at 9am and run starts at 10am. Register and pledge online at www. terryfox.org. No entry fee, and no minimum pledge. Volunteers needed. 250-248-3252.

TUES 17 Pond Rascals Learn to Skate at Oceanside Place Arena. All you need is a helmet and gloves, skates will be provided. Free. 4-5pm. For more information, call RDN Recreation and Parks at 250-248-3252. www.rdn.bc.ca/recreation. Mini Golf Tourney for Youth and Seniors at Paradise Adventure Mini Golf. A chance for youth and seniors to bridge the gap over a free game of golf and a bite to eat. Great prizes to be won. 4-6pm. Space is limited, so pre-register with RDN Recreation and Parks at 250-248-3252.

SUN 21 Giant Yard Sale at St. John’s Church, Cobble Hill. Bring your children to enjoy the Bouncy Castle and fun and games with the Girl Guides while you shop at one of the biggest recycling

www.kidsinvictoria.com

events of the year. Live music. 10am-3pm. Free. 3295 Cobble Hill Rd. 250-743-3095. Torpedo Test Range Open House at Canadian Forces Maritime Experimental Test Ranges. Watch air force planes in action, tour naval vessels including HMCS Ottawa, climb aboard army vehicles, go for a wet and wild zodiac ride, or watch your children enjoy themselves in the Kiddy Commando Zone complete with slides and bouncy castles. Free. 10am-3pm. 3400 Fairwinds Drive, Nanoose Bay. 250-468-5011.

WED 25 Youth Career Night at Oceanside Place Arena. Eat pizza and get the inside scoop on finding employment in Oceanside. Prepare to find work with the help of this fast, fun and free workshop with Career Centre staff. 6-8pm. Pre-registration required at RDN Recreation and Parks, 250-248-3252. www.rdn.bc.ca/recreation. Tropical and Tasty! Sno Cone Swim at Ravensong Aquatic Centre. Everyone loves sno cones. We turn up the tunes and turn on the sno cone machine for you to taste your favourite treat at the Everyone Welcome swim. 6:30-8pm. Regular admission. RDN Recreation and Parks, 250-752-5014. www.rdn.bc.ca/recreation.

SUN 29 Parksville Lion’s and Save-on-Foods Free Family Skate at Oceanside Place Arena. Free admission and skate rentals. Children under 19 must be accompanied by an adult. Pond hockey is not available. 12:15-1:45pm. 250248-3252. www.rdn.bc.ca/recreation.

October SAT 19 2nd Annual Autism Expo at Beban Park Social Ctr. Over 40 service providers plus games, crafts, stories, cookie decorating, face painting and complimentary lunch, both gluten-free and regular. Hosted by the Autism Society Central Vancouver Island. Free family event. 11am-3pm. 250-716-6110. www. autismsocietycvi.ca.

There will be adult and children’s categories for prizing and bragging rights. All competing pumpkins must be grown in compost without artificial fertilizers to qualify for prizes. 1-2pm. 4795 Headquarters Rd. 250-898-1086.

ONGOING PRESCHOOL LaFF at the Aggie. A safe play-based learning environment for families and caregivers with children newborn to age 6. Reading centre, craft area, Brio train station and snack table. Indoor car and toy riding area. Mon to Fri, 9:30am-noon and Thurs 12:15-1:45pm. $2 suggested donation per family (punch cards available). 250-210-0870, laffexecutivedirector@shaw.ca, www.familyandfriends.ca. Adventures in Early Literacy at the Ladysmith Resource Centre. A parent-child, fun program for children ages 3-5 years. Participants learn and have fun doing crafts, games and singing. A book is read, lunch and snacks are provided. 9:45-noon. Space is limited, so call 250-2453079 to get on the list. 630 2nd Ave.

YOUTH Teen Swims at Ravensong Aquatic Centre, Parksville. Join your friends for age-appropriate games or just chillin’. This swim is for the 13- to 18-year-old crowd. 9pm. Regular admission. 250-752-5014. The Youth Zone in Ladysmith. A fun and safe place to hang out, meet new friends and enjoy games tables, internet kiosk, TV, movies, board games, karaoke and more. Play sports in the gym. Energized leaders will challenge you to try new activities. Tuesdays, 3-6pm in the Rec Room; Wednesdays, 3-5pm in the gym; Fridays 6-10pm in the Rec Room or gym. 250-2456424. www.ladysmith.ca. The Zone Youth Hang-Out at Beban Park Complex, Nanaimo. Come and hang out with your friends and participate in a different activity each week. Movie nights, dodge ball, soccer, or electronic night. For 11- to 13-year-olds. $6/drop-in. Fridays, 7-9pm. 250-756-5200.

SAT 26 – FRI NOV 1

FAMILY

Spooky Haunted Coal Mine at Cumberland Museum. Explore the deep, dark and spooky underground of the coal mine. Be prepared for spirits, apparitions, voices, rats, bats and other scary surprises. Suitable for 6+ (if they like the thrill of being spooked). Parents requested to accompany all kids under 10. 10am-5pm. 2680 Dunsmuir Ave. 250-336-2445.

Errington Farmers’ Market at Errington Community Park. Seasonal produce, baked goods, yarn, quality arts and crafts, and more. Saturdays 10am-1pm until September 28. www. erringtonfarmersmarket.ca.

SUN 27 Great Compost Pumpkin Weigh-in at Comox Valley Compost Education Centre. Bring your biggest pumpkins to be weighed in for prizes.

www.IslandParent.ca

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

Family Frolics at the Community Centre, Ladysmith. Bring your parent or caregiver for open gym fun. Burn off some energy with soft toys (balls and nerf-type games), mini-trampoline, ride-on toys, hula hoops and more. Tuesdays, 5:45-6:45pm. $2 suggested donation/family. 250-245-6424. www.ladysmith.ca.•

Send Us Your Stories! Island Parent is looking for articles for upcoming issues. Some of our best content comes from people just like you—Vancouver Island parents who are passionate about their families and are dealing with the day to day issues of raising children in our community. Share your experiences, your thoughts on a particular issue, your ideas on places to see or projects to do—anything related to parenting. Check our Writer’s Guidelines at www.islandparent.ca for specific information on submissions. We’d love to hear from you. Please email submissions to editor@islandparent.ca.

Sept/Oct 2013 41

Party Directory We put the ART in pARTy! You’ll Flip Over Our Birthday Parties

Birthdays, Corporate Events, Showers, Stagettes, Kids Camps and more!

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Enter Our Online Contests Every month at Island Parent and Kids In Victoria you can enter to win some great prizes! Prizes include:

• Family Getaways

• Gift Certificates

• IMAX Passes

• Books, CDs and More

One entry per family per week. Check out the prizes and enter the contests by visiting

www.IslandParent.ca or www.kidsinvictoria.com 42 Island Parent Magazine

www.kidsinvictoria.com

Party Directory Bring your party of Bring your party of Grubs and Larvae for a Grubs and Larvae Bugtastic Adventure for a Bugtastic Adventure atatthe Bug Zoo! the Bug Zoo!

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Sept/Oct 2013 43

The Times Are Changing

y eldest daughter is going into Grade 7. Her time at elementary school is over. Her younger sister is hot on her heels, entering Grade 6 this year. All of this is happening in the year I turn 40. I don’t say this, however, to begin to convey the feelings of getting older. The only part of turning 40 and having two preteen daughters that really scares me is the fact that they are smarter than me. Part of the egotistical identity as an authority figure in our house has been taken from me, and there is nothing I can do about it. Last night, I sat watching TV with both daughters—an experience I relish these days because I know how special and rare these times spent together are. My youngest daughter commented that she really liked the way “they had edited” the show. I was dumbstruck. Rewind back to age 10 for me: my favourite thing to do was draw snakes, bug girls, play outside with my friends, and watch some TV. I would watch things like Bugs Bunny, or any number of after-school cartoons. I can’t recall—no matter how hard I compel my powers of recollection—ever

noticing something like the editing on a show or a cartoon. I don’t remember ever being savvy enough to know what was happening on the screen in terms of the editing. I did not know you could edit film to give a specific point of view or feeling—I thought it was all genuine. My daughter liked the editing because she knew it made the mundane events on a cooking show much more dramatic and suspenseful. Through their own efforts with friends, and with the aid of technology, my daughters make videos of themselves lip synching that would rival the videos I watched back when Much Music still played such things. They make instructional videos on how to make lip balm, and where to find the best deals on back-to-school supplies. I climbed trees and played tag. This is not to besmirch my preteen activities—we were active, busy kids and that is a good thing. My daughters and their peers, however, have absorbed so much in such a little amount of time compared with me at that age. Now, as a dad, this has changed my role significantly. I am occasionally asked to

Danielle’s Paint-your-own Pottery and Glass Fusing Studio * Pro-D Fun Days * March Break Specials * * Classes and Workshops * * Birthday Parties * Corporate Events * Diva Nights * * Summer Camps * Drop-ins always welcome… no experience necessary! 129-735 Goldstream Ave Langford, BC V9B 2X4 250-590-7949

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2758 Peatt Road 778-265-5955 or 250-818-9225

www.leapforwardlangford.com info@leapforwardlangford.com 44 Island Parent Magazine

explain situations to the girls, including why people are the way they are. The girls will wonder about a person’s behaviour, or the more complicated questions like why people

Dadspeak Frank o’Brien appear to be “bad” to them, but technical knowledge is at the touch of a button now; they know they can learn from the most accomplished in any field. I taught them to ride bikes, I have helped with projects for school, but they have shown me how to properly edit videos for advertising purposes, store files on the cloud for free so as to not use up a lot of space on my computer, and program my phone settings to the way I like. Some of my peers lament this change, saying that too much information is being distributed. They don’t like how kids are exposed to so much nowadays. Some other dads I know have a hard time watching the world watching their daughters grow up online—their every phase and stage documented with a seemingly endless stream of ‘selfies’. For some reason, I am enjoying this level of openness now so readily available to anyone who wishes to embrace it. I am a part of my daughters’ lives, in ways my own father would never have dreamt of. I know who their friends are, and accept that my role is changing. The hard part is making sure I do not overstep this. In the grand scheme of things, this is really no different than things were 100 years ago. Fathers still wondered, I am sure, what their roles should be, and what they should be in their children’s lives. With the exception of harsh conditions which call for harsh reactions, I am sure dads will always wonder at their ever changing roles; I have found the best thing is to accept. Accept the change brought on by growth, and accept the change brought on by those external factors that affect all of us. Frank O’Brien is an entrepreneur and writer, currently finishing a book on the restaurant and finance industries, and on learning how to succeed. He is happily married with two daughters, and enjoys writing about the adventure that is fatherhood. www.kidsinvictoria.com

Best Feeding for Babies You can help!

Child, Youth & Family Community Health South Island Health Units Esquimalt 250-519-5311 Gulf Islands 250-539-3099 (toll-free number for office in Saanichton)

Peninsula 250-544-2400 Saanich 250-519-5100 Saltspring Island 250-538-4880 Sooke 250-642-5464 Victoria 250-388-2200 West Shore 250-519-3490

ne of the most important gifts that a baby can receive is the gift of breastmilk. Health Canada, the Canadian Pediatric Society and the World Health Organization all recommend exclusive breastfeeding for the first six months of life, and continued breastfeeding for two years and beyond. The reason for this recommendation is that breastmilk protects babies from infections and illness and promotes optimal growth and development. Protection from many chronic diseases is based on the amount of breastmilk a baby gets—every day, week, month and year of breastfeeding provides more protection. Most women leave the hospital breastfeeding and plan to continue as long as possible. Unfortunately, many women are unable to meet their own breastfeeding goals and stop too soon. One of the biggest hurdles for mothers is a lack of support—some of the people around new moms may not understand why it is important to breastfeed and how to support a breastfeeding mother.

Central Island Health Units Duncan 250-709-3050 Ladysmith 250-755-3342 Lake Cowichan 250-749-6878 Nanaimo 250-755-3342 Nanaimo Princess Royal 250-755-3342 Parksville/Qualicum 250-947-8242 Port Alberni 250-731-1315 Tofino 250-725-4020

North Island Health Units Campbell River 250-850-2110 Courtenay 250-331-8520 Kyuquot Health Ctr 250-332-5289 ‘Namgis Health Ctr 250-974-5522 Port Hardy 250-902-6071

www.viha.ca/prevention_services/

46 Island Parent Magazine

There is professional help available for mothers who are having breastfeeding difficulties. Most health units have trained support staff who can help with breastfeeding issues. Breastfeeding doesn’t have to be ‘all or nothing.’ Every amount of breastmilk has great value and disease prevention properties. If there are breastfeeding concerns, it is best to ask for help as soon as possible. In Canada, we celebrate World Breastfeeding Week in October. The 2013 theme is “Breastfeeding Support: Close to Mothers.” This theme was chosen to highlight the importance of family, friends, peers, health care workers and community support for breastfeeding moms. Here are some ways to help:

1. Listen, just listen • Listen to Mom’s concerns and worries • Listen to her triumphs, her hopes and her plans • Listen to her fears. 2. Love the baby and remember to love Mom too! • Tell her you love her • Tell her she is wonderful • Give her a hug. 3. Help with baby • Bathe, burp, change or dress the baby • Settle, walk, sing or read to the baby • Go with them to appointments. 4. Encourage Mom to take daily breaks • Watch the baby while Mom has a bath, goes for a walk, calls a friend • Remind her that someone working at a regular job gets breaks! 5. Help Mom to have reasonable expectations. Remind her: • Looking after herself and her baby is high priority • House cleaning is low priority • All her baby needs is food, warmth, sleep, and love • Nobody is perfect and it is okay to ask for help. 6. Help Mom get sleep • Take care of baby so Mom can sleep • Encourage Mom to sleep or rest whenever baby sleeps • Do the evening chores so Mom can go straight to bed. 7. Bring or prepare food • Make or bring lunch, supper, and snacks • Put something in the slow cooker • Bring a snack basket or frozen casserole. 8. Help with chores and shopping • Do the dishes or the laundry • Vacuum, take out the garbage • Do grocery shopping. 9. Help with “social” work • Return telephone calls and emails • Take pictures, update FaceBook • Help her to limit visitors when she is tired. 10. Set up a feeding corner with: • A comfortable chair, pillow, blanket • Water, snacks, tissues • Books, phone, magazines, TV/stereo remote. Ask the Mom how you can help. If there are feeding challenges or other questions, www.kidsinvictoria.com

encourage her to seek help. Let her know she can get help from: • Doctor or Midwife • Local public health nurse (see health unit numbers beside article) • Local Breastfeeding Clinic (call your health unit for an appointment)

Healthy Families; Happy Families Child Y outh & Family Community H ealth

Eileen Bennewith, Janet Krenz & Swati Scott

• Island Health’s Right From the Start— Infant Feeding and New Parent Support Line: 1-855-339-6825 • HealthLinkBC at 8-1-1 • Local lactation consultant www.ilca.org •La Leche League 1-800-665-4324 • Friends, family, counselor or support group. There are many great online resources. Two great websites are: www.breastfeedingmadesimple.com www.bestforbabes.org/ Remind Mom to relax while she and baby learn how to breastfeed. It may not be easy in the beginning. Many mothers are afraid they will do something wrong. If a mother is feeling frustrated, encourage her to focus on her relationship with her baby. Breastfeeding will get easier. Like everything, it gets better with practice. Encourage mothers to trust their bodies to provide and let baby do the rest. Babies are hardwired to know what to do. They say it takes a community to raise a child. This need for a supportive community starts long before the baby is born and continues until the child becomes an adult. The mother’s body is a baby’s natural habitat. This is where the baby lived and was nurtured throughout pregnancy and this relationship continues after the baby is born. It is the mother’s role alone to breastfeed the baby. All other tasks involved in caring for the baby and keeping the household can go to other people. Recognizing this unique relationship between the breastfeeding mother and her baby is the first step. Anything that can be done to support this relationship will ensure that baby gets what is needed for optimal growth and health. Eileen Bennewith, Janet Krenz and Swati Scott are registered dietitians with Vancouver Island Health Authority Public Health Services. www.IslandParent.ca

Impulse Control Workshops “For when it’s hard to stop…” Tourette Syndrome Attention Deficit, Hyperactivity Disorder (ADD/ADHD) Sensory Processing Dysfunction Disruptive Behaviour Disorders Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

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Sept/Oct 2013 47

The Taste of Summer at the Start of Fall

uiet now, and listen: there is the rapid beat of a hummingbird’s wings, zipping from begonia to scarlet runner to jewel-red feeder, and back again. There’s the sultry drone of bees, bumbling through the flower beds, clumsily bashing into windows, tipping and stumbling into coffee cups and dog’s water dishes. There is the muted murmur of children, settled into a tree house, or a corner of the yard or deck, deeply immersed in games that began eons ago (way back in June). And finally, underneath it all, if you are sitting still enough, you will hear the sliding click that tells you that September is here again. The world has shifted on its axis once more, away from the sunshiny go-go-go into the introspective months of the year. Time slows down again in September, as we draw our blinds earlier in the evenings and turn up our collars against the dewy chill of the autumn mornings. For every thing, there is a season, and fall urges us into a gentler pace, nudging us away from late-night star-gazing back to regular bedtimes, from beach potlucks to sit-down dinners, and from road trips and ramblings to five-day weeks of school and work. Summers turn us inside out—we direct our energy outwards, fizzing and sparkling like bare skin tracing a watery path through phosphorescent seas. Autumn reminds us that we need to recharge and replenish our inner selves as well, keeping some warmth to nourish us through the long, dark season. Roast some vegetables, and store up the last bit of summer!

Spinach, Yam, Feta Salad 1 small bin baby spinach 3 medium sized yams, peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks 1 small orange, peeled and cut into cubes 1 small basket cherry tomatoes (organically grown, if possible), cut in half 1⁄4 cup sesame seeds, toasted in small skillet until golden and fragrant 125 grams feta cheese, crumbled 1⁄4 cup olive oil, and a few Tbsp for cooking yams and tomatoes 3 Tbsp sesame oil, and 1 Tbsp separate for yams 48 Island Parent Magazine

3 Tbsp cider vinegar 1 Tbsp lemon juice 1 Tbsp Dijon mustard 1 garlic clove, minced 1 Tbsp brown sugar 1⁄2 tsp paprika salt and pepper Preheat oven to 375˚F. Spread yam cubes onto baking sheet. Drizzle with some olive oil, and 1 Tbsp sesame oil. Sprinkle with a dash of salt, then toss. Roast yams until golden and tender, roughly 45 minutes. Place cherry tomatoes on baking sheet, cut side up, and dribble a bit of oil over. Cook the tomatoes until tender and deeply red, about 30 minutes. These two can be cooked separately, but if time or energy conservation demands, place baking sheets on different shelves in the oven, rotating at least once during cooking time. Allow to cool after cooked. Meanwhile, whisk olive oil, sesame oil, vinegar, lemon juice, garlic, brown sugar, mustard, paprika, and salt and pepper together. Place spinach into large bowl. Scatter yams, orange cubes, tomato halves, feta cheese, and sesame seeds over. Pour dressing over all, and toss to combine well.

Quinoa & Roasted Veggie Salad 1 cup quinoa, prepared according to package directions 1 yam, peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes 1 bunch of fresh baby beets, scrubbed well 1 small bunch kale 1⁄2 cup feta cheese 1⁄4 cup fresh pistachios canola oil salt and pepper 1 Tbsp brown sugar 1 tsp cumin 1⁄4 cup olive oil 1⁄4 cup apple cider vinegar 3 Tbsp lemon juice 1 garlic clove, crushed 1 tsp prepared mustard 1⁄2 tsp paprika zest of one lemon (organically grown) Preheat oven to 375˚F. Spread yam cubes onto baking sheet. Drizzle with canola oil,

and sprinkle with brown sugar, cumin, and salt, to taste. Trim tips and tops of beets, and place in small ovenproof dish. Drizzle with oil and sprinkle with a dash

Just Eat It! Kathy Humphrey of salt. Cover with foil (or a lid), and place in the oven, alongside the yams. Bake for about 45 minutes to one hour, stirring the yams occasionally to allow even browning. Meanwhile, fluff the cooled quinoa with a fork. Finely chop the kale, and stir into the quinoa. Crumble the feta cheese, also stirring into the quinoa. Whisk together the olive oil, vinegar, lemon juice and zest, garlic clove, mustard, paprika and salt and pepper, then set aside. Allow the yams and beets to cool to room temperature. Roughly chop the beets into similar-sized pieces to the yams, then add all to the quinoa mixture, along with the pistachios. Pour dressing over, and stir well. Serve immediately, or allow to sit in the fridge, letting the flavours meld.

Warm Beet & Chevre Salad small bunch of fresh baby beets, with greens attached 1⁄2 small log of plain chevre (the honeyimbued flavour is good, too) generous sploosh of olive oil 1 clove garlic, minced salt and pepper, to taste scant tablespoon of balsamic vinegar Scrub beets well, trim away any rough ends and thick peel. Sort beet greens well, discarding any that are yellowing, tough, or nibbled. Slice beets very thin. Heat skillet over medium flame. Add olive oil to pan, then sauté garlic. Add the beets, stirring and turning until slightly tender. Toss beet greens in, then sprinkle with salt, and some pepper if desired. Remove from heat. Crumble chevre over all. Drizzle balsamic vinegar over, being careful not to over-do it. Serve hot, or warm, over a bed of mixed salad greens, if desired. Kathy Humphrey lives in Victoria with her husband and two children. She tries to see cooking for a family not as a chore but as a creative outlet. www.kidsinvictoria.com

www.IslandParent.ca

Sept/Oct 2013 49

Opening September 2013 Early Care and Learning Programs for Preschoolers

Our mission: to provide high quality, accessible early care and learning experiences in a Safe Nurturing Playful Environment Located at Saanich Neighbourhood Place, in Pearkes Recreation Centre, Full o’ Beans Preschool offers • Licensed programs for 3 and 4 year olds • Part – time, flexible scheduling • 2.5 – 4 hour programs • Competitive rates, subsidy available • Qualified Early Childhood Educators

We Have Space! For more information contact

Saanich Neighbourhood Place 250-360-1148 ext 101 Corinne@snplace.org Saanichneighbourhoodplace.com

FIDDLESTICKS {studio of fine arts for young children} Music, art and happy times in the life of a child

www.FiddlesticksChild.ca “I often describe walking into Fiddlesticks as walking into a fairytale... where the kids are inspired to dream, discover, imagine possibilities and become exactly who they a r e. ” - a mother

50 Island Parent Magazine

Henry’s Turn Dear Henry, You made it! You’re two! What a great age two is. You are brimming with curiosity, and practically exploding with cuteness. Even your temper tantrums are still cute. You have proven to be terrible birth control for my child-free friends…one look at you, and boom! I wouldn’t mind me one of those, they think. You are so chatty, and social. “Henry didn’t sleep at naptime today,” your daycare teacher told me with great seriousness and concern yesterday. “He was too busy talking to his friends.” I was supposed to furrow my brow, I guess, and wonder how to do a better job enforcing your naptime. But all I heard was “talking” and “friends,” which filled me with joy and, I must admit, relief. You see, Henry, your big brother Callum has autism. You have no idea what that means right now. (But in a nutshell, it means that I don’t ever get reports from school about him “talking” to his “friends.”) All you know about Callum in your mind is that he is the single most awesome human being in your universe. You follow him around devotedly, and imitate even his kookiest noises and mannerisms. You love him more than anything. From my end of things, though, it means that it’s been a tumultuous couple of years. Your brother was diagnosed just before you were born, so much of the time since then has been spent dragging you around to his appointments, and popping a soother/ breast/cracker in your mouth whenever you squawked. You spent a disproportionate amount of time strapped into car seats, strollers, carriers, and high chairs while I dealt with the latest meltdown, or chased your brother into the middle of the street, snatching him out of the path of an oncoming car. “Henry never gets any attention,” I would say quietly (and guiltily) to my friends, to which they would respond, “Don’t worry! He won’t remember this part.” So our lives continued to revolve around Callum’s disability. But at night, after you fell asleep, I would go into your room and watch you sleep. Many times I would pick you up out of your crib and cuddle you, because it was the only quality time we had together. Now, though, you’re two. And I think that you’ve had enough of the status quo, as have I. “Mine!” you say indignantly

as Callum snatches something from your hand, instead of just forlornly letting him take it. “Yes, Henry, that is yours,” I now say as I take the toy from your brother. “It’s Henry’s turn.”

Is There an App for This? Carly SUTHERLAND I am trying, Henry. I know that it might be a challenging road ahead. Your big brother will always take up a lot of space in the room; there’s no getting around it. There will be times we won’t be able to do certain things that other families can do with ease. There will probably be times when your brother embarrasses you in public. I expect you will feel stress and responsibility, especially down the road. I don’t know if these are things that I’m able to change, and I’m sorry. However, a few other things are also inevitable. Such as having a first-hand experience that makes you genuinely more understanding and empathic about people’s differences. And having parents who don’t take a whole lot for granted: when you ask “Whassat?” we answer. And getting special one-on-one attention for outings to the types of places that your brother wouldn’t enjoy, like big busy festivals, or fireworks displays. Also, I expect you’ll get away with all kinds of mildly bad teenaged behaviour, since we probably won’t have the energy or desire to die on “You broke curfew by 20 minutes!” mountain. (However, we will be discussing this in more depth in 12 years… mark my words!) Most importantly, I want you to know how much you are loved and adored. If things are tough, please tell me. I will try to make them better. We will always do our best, Henry. I promise. You are a shining star in this family, a breath of fresh air, and an endless source of joy. I love you, Mama Carly Sutherland is not unlike every other newly minted mother of two who is trying to figure it all out. www.kidsinvictoria.com

Family-Friendly Cowichan/Mid-Island

Morning Glory School Pre-School to Class 8

OPEN HOUSE

Pre-School and up Friday, Sept 13, 1–3pm Activities and refreshments with the teachers

Tartan Tots (2.5 years) to Championship Classes Qualified B.A.T.D. Instructors

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Beginner 6 week sessions starting soon!!

Half and Full Day Kindergarten Available

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Child, Adolescent & Family Psycholog� Mental Health Ser�ices

Assessment and evidence-based t�eat�ent.

Psychoeducational Assessments

Dr. Shannon Barnsley Registered Psychologist

BC College Registration #2071 204–1125 Dufferin Cres. Nanaimo, BC

250.591.0701 contact@drbarnsley.com drshannonbarnsley.com

Evaluations for lear�ing disabilities, achievement testing and most school-related academic problems.

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DOES YOUR CHILD LOVE HORSES? The     roie theraec riin an eine-bae theraec erice. Or rora roie a hih enain rearin an fn theraec aternae for chiren ith ecia nee. To earn ore abot hat the CTRA rora can o for or chi contact the CTRA toa.

Volunteers Needed!

onteer are eena to ain thi rora oibe. No exerience i reire an a the trainin i roie. Fin ot ho o can ae a iﬀerence toa!

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Common Childhood Concer�s

Anxiet�, g�ief, depression, behaviour problems, school lear�ing and behaviour problems, ADHD, family and step-family relationships, bullying, low self-esteem, sleep diﬃculties. Fa Intae on No!

www.IslandParent.ca

Sept/Oct 2013 51

Pushing the Boundaries

henever a really hot book hits the stands there seems to be an endless dialogue over what the appropriate readership age is. Not surprisingly, there are plenty of opinions. I have struggled to determine where I personally stand on this issue, thinking that on the one hand there are so many incredible books available that there is no need to allow kids to read books prematurely, while on the other believing that kids will be more motivated to read when they have autonomy in their reading choices. My eldest son loves to push boundaries. He is influenced by older cousins, considers himself a very capable and mature reader, and insists on making his own choices. So I wasn’t surprised when he picked up Harry Potter in Grade 3 and read it. It was the first book that he would sneak his light back on to keep reading after we had gone to bed. He loved it so much that I decided to read the entire series again, out loud, to both him and his little brother. They loved it and the time we spent together reading it.

And then came The Hunger Games. It took him months to wear me down and allow him to read it, which I did, but only after I had read it myself. Many people disagree with me, but having read it I felt that it led to many great discussions about democracy, different forms of government and youth empowerment. Yes, there is violence in the book, and it invokes anxiety at times, but it made my son excited to read (in part because he knew he was pushing the boundaries), led to some great conversations and so far hasn’t led to an increase in delinquent behaviour. Recently, this same son spent countless hours curled up on the couch absorbed in Divergent, a fast-paced adrenaline-inducing story. When he was finished I picked it up and read it myself and…along with many of the same themes in The Hunger Games, found a few references to sex, and many scenes filled with adolescent sexual tension. This book was definitely not written for a 10-year old boy and I wondered what he had made of it. When I asked him, his response

was that nothing ever actually “happened” in the book besides kissing and what he liked about it was the intense, suspense-filled plot, and the main character, who is a strong girl much like Katniss in The Hunger Games. I

Book Nook Paisley Aiken wondered how much he really understood or thought about the relationship aspects, whether it mattered and where I should draw the line. Instinctively, I am inclined to let my kids read whatever they want to read, though I am strict with their movie and gaming options. Though this was never really a conscious plan it is actually backed by research. Michael Norris, an American publishing expert, published an article in the Book Publishing Report, showing that well-meaning parents who are dictating what books their children read are one of the largest deterrents to building a habit of

An amazing program open to all youth starting at age 12 Knowledge. Experience. Confidence. The Air Cadet program develops the attributes of good citizenship, leadership, and physical fitness while stimulating an interest in the aviation and aerospace fields of the Canadian Armed Forces. Along with familiarization in glider flying, this program includes great opportunities such as music, outdoor survival, biathlon, and effective speaking. Training and equipment provided.

Open House Sept 16, 7pm Inquiries Sept 9 • 250-363-8150 At the Bay Street Armouries

89 Pacific Squadron: Armouries at 715 Bay Street, Victoria • Parking off Douglas at Field Street 52 Island Parent Magazine

www.kidsinvictoria.com

Paisley Aiken reads extensively to her three energetic young boys. She is founder of The Story Studio Writing Society, a charity that grows kids’ relationship with literacy. www.IslandParent.ca

GNS. Family. “GNS is, in every sense, a family school.

When Kristjan and Taylor return And it’s my family’s school.” to GNS in September, they'll bring – Jean ‘71, Junior School Principal (grandmother) their rubber boots. That's because the Junior School is on the beach and, as everyone knows, when you're busy exploring inter-tidal life—shovels, buckets and boots are required items! There are a few spaces left in some classes for September 2012. Call Admissions, 250.370.6801.

Annie ‘97, Middle School teacher (mother)

Evie and Elise, Class of 2027

Three generations of confidence in GNS.

Find out what Evie and Elise are doing in JK this year at our

See what Evie andHOUSE Elise willonbeOctober doing in18 JKfrom next 9:00 year:a.m. http://ow.ly/hgKYY OPEN to noon.

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reading among children. His advice is to let children choose their own reading material, regardless of the age recommendations on the book. He even goes so far as to recommend that parents leave their children alone to discuss options with booksellers and librarians without their parents’ bias and input. Reading Rockets (www.readingrockets. org), an American literacy association offering information and resources on how young kids learn to read, why so many struggle, and how caring adults can help, says that letting kids pick their own books is the number one motivator in encouraging them to read. My hope is that my kids will experiment and try reading all kinds of books, likely drawing different things from each one, depending upon what stage they are at themselves. And if they read some terrible books, well, I believe the best antidote will be reading good books, too. After all, I know I wasn’t the only one completely absorbed in Flowers In The Attic when I was young, and it has no literary value and a shockingly terrible theme. While I understand that kids may miss out on language or ideas that they would appreciate more if they read a specific book later, I also think they are likely to return to great books again in their lives. And yes, they may miss out on some wonderful books that are age-appropriate in lieu of their chosen material and may even be introduced to concepts that they aren’t quite prepared for yet. Sad, but if it keeps them engaged in a literary world, then perhaps worth it. When I do dare pick a book for my kids I try to pick something I know will intrigue them. For my eldest that means fast-moving and intense. And, as is generally recommended, I try to make the protagonist, at the most, three years older than him. But the reality is many kids are not going to be keen to read the books their parents want them to read. They want to feel their independence and find their own style, which will likely mean they read books of varying quality and subject matter. So I keep an eye on what my son is reading, try to discuss it with him, keep plenty of great options for us to read together, and have faith that letting him push the boundaries will keep him engaged in a life-long relationship with reading.

www.mygns.ca • 250.370.6801

COMPREHENSIVE FAMILY DENTISTRY family centered practice extended hours evenings and weekends the latest equipment and caring staff request an appointment online

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Victoria’s favourite dentists believe a healthy smile starts early. Free first visit for children under 5.

Sept/Oct 2013

Family Services Directory This directory, sponsored by Thrifty Foods, features not for profit agencies and organizations serving children, youth and families. BC Families in Transition (formerly the Separation and Divorce Resource Centre) is one of three non-profit agencies in North America that offers professional counselling, legal support and education for people who are having problems in their relationships. Each year we help 10,000 adults, children and youth through family changes, separations and divorces, remarriages, and complex family situations. Whether you wish to separate or remain together, call us at 250-386-4331 or visit www.bcfit.org to see how we can help. Some evening and weekend appointments available. Beacon Community Services is a community-based non-profit agency providing social, employment, and health services to Saanich Peninsula, Greater Victoria, and Southern Gulf Islands residents. Beacon offers: child, youth, and family services; a drop-in family resource centre; counselling; employment services for adults, youth, and people with disabilities; home support; volunteer services and opportunities; community events; affordable assisted living for seniors; referrals, information, and resources; thrift shops. For Home Support information call 250-658-6407; for all other inquiries call 250-656-0134, or visit www.beaconcs.ca. Big Brothers Big Sisters of Victoria is a non-profit organization that provides mentoring programs for children and youth between the ages of 7 - 17. Adult volunteers (“Bigs”) are matched with children (“Littles”) based on shared interests, respect and trust. No special skills or experience are needed to be a mentor to a child, just a willingness to be a friend and commit to being a

consistent, positive adult role model. Make a BIG difference in the life of a child in as little as 1 hr./ week. Contact us at 250-475-1117 or visit www. bbbsvictoria.com or ‘LIKE’ our page at facebook. com/bbbsvictoria. Boys & Girls Club Services offer after-school and evening social, educational and recreational programming for children and youth at 4 locations. We also offer support to parents (Parents Together) and programs at our Outdoor Centre in Metchosin. For more information on all programs and services visit www.bgcvic.org or call 250.384.9133. The Child Abuse Prevention & Counselling Society/Mary Manning Centre is the primary provider of therapy and victim support services for children and youth in Greater Victoria who experience sexual abuse, physical abuse, and other serious trauma, or who may be at risk for sexual abuse. Therapy services include individual and group sessions for children and youth and group sessions for parents. Victim services include intake and referral, accompaniment and support for children and youth being interviewed by police, and court preparation and support for those testifying as victims or witnesses in criminal cases. No charge for clients. Contact: 250-385-6111 or admin@ marymanning.com. Community Living Victoria supports people with developmental disabilities and their families by providing residential services, day and community supports (supported employment, parent support and independent living). Our Host agency provides direct supports for those with Individualized Fund-

ing and Home Share service. We also provide Autism Services for youth between 13 and 19. Our family support program offers advocacy, conflict resolution, education, newsletters, workshops, support groups and a resource library. Please call 250-477-7231 ext 233. Esquimalt Neighbourhood House Society. Our Family Services offer family resource programs with a focus on early childhood development and learning, parenting education and pre and post-natal services. Our Counselling Services are free to adults and youth (12-18 years); adult and short term clinical counselling is offered for acute mental health problems. For more information call 250-385-2635 or visit 511 Constance Ave. in Esquimalt. Inter-Cultural Association of Greater Victoria (ICA) is a service agency for immigrants and refugees. Programs offered include cross-cultural counseling, parenting programs (child care available), family violence programs, employment services, interpretation and translation, diversity workshops and training, ESL instruction, volunteering, youth programs and tutoring, as well as intercultural arts programming and the Diversity Health Fair. 930 Balmoral Rd, 250-388-4728, info@icavictoria.org, www.icavictoria.org. Learning Disabilities Association of BC, SVI Chapter, educates, supports and advocates for children and youth with learning disabilities and related conditions. Services include a public lending library, individual/ group support for parents and children, professional/educational workshops for parents and professionals. Child and youth programs include: reading/writing, academic skills, social/emotional skill development and Fast ForWord. 1562 Fort Street, Victoria, BC V8S 5J2. Ph 250.370.9513. Fax. 250.370.9421. www.ldasvi.bc.ca. www. knowyourrights.ca

Visit us at the Vancouver Island Baby Fair! Be sure to visit the Island Parent and Kids In Victoria booth at the Vancouver Island Baby Fair: Saturday, September 28 and Sunday, September 29 at the Pearkes Recreation Centre. There will be a draw for some great prizes for new moms and dads. 54 Island Parent Magazine

www.kidsinvictoria.com

Military Family Resource Centre (MFRC) provides programs and services to the military family community. Services include: 24 Hour Information Line, Deployment Information and Workshops, Short Term Intervention/Crisis Support, Welcome/ Relocation Services, services for families with special needs and responsibilities and childcare services and support to parents. Exciting Volunteer opportunities available! Call the MFRC: 250-3632640 (1-800-353-3329) for information. www. esquimaltmfrc.com.

Le français au CSF, c’est bien plus qu’une langue !

Parent Support Services Society (www. parentsupportbc.ca) provides support circles, parenting resources and referrals to all in a parenting role including grandparents raising grandchildren. Our training in peer group facilitation is open to the community. Support circles are free with child minding and transportation assistance available. Volunteers are always needed. Call 250-3848042; email parent-support@shaw.ca. 1Up: Victoria Single Parent Resource Centre (www.1-up.ca) provides support, education and resources for parents in the Greater Victoria area through free counselling, volunteer training for reception and peer helper positions, a mentoring program for single moms, and a support group for dads. The Centre also offers over 20 integrated life skills and parenting courses which are open to the whole community (fees are on a sliding scale). Child care assistance is available based on financial need. The Centre provides a bread pantry and free clothing for single parents. Donations of gently-used clothing, small household items, books, and toys are very welcome every Monday and Wednesday. Centre hours are 9–4 weekdays. 602 Gorge Rd. East; call 250-385-1114 or info@1-up.ca. South Island Centre for Counselling & Training is an affordable, non-profit, counselling agency serving individuals and families from all social, ethnic, and financial backgrounds. We help people with a wide range of issues including low self-esteem, depression, grief, marital and family conflict, abuse and spiritual direction. We also offer helpful “life” courses. For more information contact us at 250-472-2851; info@southislandcentre.ca. Victoria Epilepsy & Parkinson’s Centre supports families living with epilepsy by providing tutoring and one on one professional consultations to help your child to live up to their full potential. We offer epilepsy education workshops in private and public schools, and keep you up to date on the latest research about medications, lifestyle and safety for your child. Visit us at www.vepc.bc.ca to find out more, and to explore our bursaries for Camosun College. Calls are also welcome at 250-475-6677. www.IslandParent.ca

Depuis sa création en 1995, le Conseil scolaire francophone de la Colombie-Britannique offre des programmes et des services éducatifs valorisant le plein épanouissement et l’identité culturelle des apprenantes et apprenants francophones de la province. Le conseil compte aujourd’hui plus de 4 600 élèves, 36 écoles publiques et dessert plus d’une centaine de communautés réparties dans l’ensemble de la province.

Inscrivez votre enfant dans une école du CSF !

Nos écoles publiques daNs l’île de VaNcouVer Campbell River École Mer-et-montagne École secondaire Phoenix École secondaire Carihi

250-923-3359 1102 South Alder 250-923-3359 400, 7th Ave. 250-923-3359 350 Dogwood St.

M-6 7-9 10 - 12

Comox Valley

École au Cœur-de-l'île

250-339-1848 566 Linshart Rd.

M - 12

Nanaimo

École Océane 250-714-0761 1951 Estevan Rd. M - 7 École secondaire de Nanaimo 250-714-0761 355 Wakesiah Ave. 8 - 12

Port Alberni

École des Grands-cèdres

250-723-5614 4645 Helen St.

M-6

Victoria

École Victor-Brodeur

250-220-6010 637 Head St.

M - 12

csf.bc.ca

Sept/Oct 2013

development and to give them the energy to endure the strains of giving birth. However, these hormones can shut down the areas in your brain that would allow you to think more clearly. Disrupted sleep patterns can

Baby Brain

very new mother I know has had a “baby brain” moment. Maybe you have run up the stairs only to wonder why you are there, or perhaps you forgot your neighbour’s name. During the exhausting and confusing first months of motherhood, brain freeze can become a familiar feeling. Many women feel brain-deficient in the post-partum period, and lack of sleep is probably the easiest link to make. Missing out on just a little bit of sleep over a long period of time has shown to cause cognitive difficulties, particularly with complex brain functions like multi-tasking, planning, and taking in and organizing a lot of different pieces of information. Some sleep experts say that sleep is where we assemble the happenings of our days and store them into long-term memory banks. It is sleep fragmentation that affects your memory—you may be accumulating a decent number of hours across the night, but if you are getting interrupted you are probably not getting the deeper, more restorative stages of sleep. It is not just frequent wake-ups that take

3-5 yrs Pre-primary School

a toll on your brain function. New moms are required to quickly learn a wide array of new skills and tasks in order to take care of their babies: there are more demands on the postpartum brain as one navigates the new role of parenthood. Unfortunately, the postpartum brain is usually sleep deprived and dealing with the emotional effects of the transition. Moms may feel more forgetful regarding things which are not baby-related, considering all the changes they experience in their life during the first few months postpartum. As the duties of motherhood become more routine and sleep gets more regular, the demands on your brain are lessened, which should mean you can start thinking more clearly. Hormones like cortisol have been proven to have the ability to have a negative effect on your brain function. Cortisol is our major stress hormone, which provides us with the energy to cope with any increase in demand or any threat at hand, which is a good thing. Pregnant and post-partum moms have an excess of cortisol, which is necessary for fetal

New Parent Pages Diana Hurschler, BScN cause a rise in cortisol levels. Every time you wake up in the middle of the night, your cortisol level can spike. This is a good thing because it gives you the energy to get up and get going in the morning, but of course in the middle of the night, it is not helpful. This might explain why it can be so hard to get back to sleep after settling baby. For some women, disrupted sleep can become a chronic problem, even once children start to sleep better. Despite past research in humans suggesting that up to 80 per cent of new mothers can suffer memory loss for up to 12 months after giving birth, the findings suggest infant-related memory may improve

A gentle learning opportunity for young children: - learning naturally through play

The joy of learning - naturally.

http://oakandorca.ca 250 383 6609 56 Island Parent Magazine

- nature awareness and respect - compassionate communication - experience with math and science - exposure to books and language arts

www.kidsinvictoria.com

during these early months of parenthood. There may be scientific truth in this “baby brain” syndrome—and perhaps there is a very good reason why expectant mothers develop short-term memory loss. The suggestion is that women’s brains change during pregnancy so that they will be better able to concentrate on their newborn’s needs after the birth, with the result that they become less focused on other things, such as where the car keys might be. Even though there may be a physiological reason for this forgetfulness, the lack of memory can be frustrating. If you find yourself forgetting an appointment or leaving your phone or house keys at home, try some strategies to help you remember what’s important: • Leave reminders in your phone or a small notebook. • Keep a detailed daily calendar (and review often!) • Put items you use often, such as keys, in one place. If you are becoming very forgetful, this may be your cue to simplify your life. It is easier said than done, of course. Try to prioritize the important things. I have a to-do list a mile long but I circle only the things that absolutely have to get done in a particular day. This helps to reduce the feelings of overwhelm and stress. You do not have to repaint that room you have been meaning to, right now. Or declutter your entire house. This self-imposed stress can over-tax you and lead you to forget things. Absent-mindedness is one of the many hallmarks of being a new parent. If you cannot think straight, please take some time out to clear your mind. We think of nutrition and exercise as the key components to health, and sleep is undeniably a necessary third piece. To stave off the potentially damaging effects of too much cortisol, make sleep a priority. Try as best you can to get back to a healthy sleep-wake pattern with a sufficient amount of sleep that would allow your system to recover from the stresses that occur during the day. Take a long bath, go for a walk. Once baby is asleep, have a leisurely dinner with your partner, or put your feet up. And ask for help from family and friends. Take good care of yourself! 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. She can be reached at diana@hurschler.com. www.IslandParent.ca

STAGES Performing Arts School since 1980

s e s s a l C e h o o l Da n c nd up

Pre -S cfor ages 12 months a

t a rt th Se s sio ns S 0 1 r e S e p te m b

s, To t C la s s e & t n e r a P p, e t, H ip H o ll a B , z z a J la s s e s & C o m b o aClle t Ta p & Even the lit tlest angel can dance

z, B (w it h J a z h e a t re ) Mu s ic a l T

For more information

Call 250-384-3267 Email us at stagesdance@shaw.ca Or visit our website: www.stagesdance.com

Sept/Oct 2013 57

Preschool & Child Care Directory CENTRAL SAANICH

Highlands

Chrysalis Child Care..........................250-652-0815 A nurturing and stimulating environment for a small group of 3–5 year olds. Qualified ECE promotes learning through play. www.chrysalischildcare.ca.

Lexie’s Little Bears’ Child Care Inc....................................250-590-3603 Our Outdoor Nature program provides your child with an experience un-like no other in the elements! Our program boasts our OWN 2 acre forest for your child to explore and learn while our ECEs provide a strong Reggio Emilia Influence. Like us on Facebook. www. lexieslittlebears.com. Space available. Waitlist for September being taken now!

Colwood/LANGFORD Almosthome Childcare/Preschool...250-590-7666 Quality childcare with a preschool curriculum/kindergarten readiness program. Experienced Early Childhood Educators. Nurturing environment for ages 10 months to 5 years old. www.almosthomecare.com. Caring Touch Daycare.......................250-478-4886 A warm, loving, fun family daycare in a safe, nurturing environment. Infant/toddler care for ages 1–5 years. Jenn’s Little Bears.............................250-478-8999 A safe nurturing environment for children from infancy to kindergarten. Our Infant and Toddler Program enriches each child’s development while our 3-5 Program prepares children for kindergarten. Two separate buildings allow each age group space to grow! Leap Forward Childcare...................778-265-5955 or 250-818-9225 Infant Toddler Program and Three to Five Program offering childcare for children six months to five years old. 2758 Peatt RD. www.leapforwardlangford.com. info@leapforwardlangford.com Miles of Smiles Nature Junior Kindergarten..............778-265-4374 Come see why learning in nature rocks! Reggio Influenced Philosophy for ages 3-5. Have your child become a nature detective today! www.naturejuniorkindergarten.com Music Makers Child Care Centre.....250-294-3916 Offering an innovative environment that develops musical abilities and encourages a love of music while following a preschool curriculum/kindergarten readiness program. Group care for children 2 to 6 and infant/toddler care for ages 12 to 36 months. www.musicmakerschildcare.com

CORDOVA BAY Carrot Seed Preschool......................250-652-2311 Where children can discover, imagine, construct and learn through play. Wondrous natural playground. www.carrotseedpreschool.com. Cordova Bay Preschool....................250-658-3441 A bright and cheerful parent-participation preschool with a philosophy of “learning through play.” www. cordovabaypreschool.org.

ESQUIMALT CIARA Early Childhood Centre.........250-386-7369 Education and fun hand in hand. Exceptional care for little ones ages 12 month-5yrs in an inclusive centre with Christian values. Island Kids Academy Esquimalt.......250-381-2929 High quality child care (ages 1-5). Preschool curriculum offered within a warm, caring all-day program. Character development using the Virtues Project. Access to community programs including swimming, skating, Victoria Conservatory of Music. Part-time spaces available. www.islandkids.ca. La Pre-Maternelle Appletree Preschool..........................250-479-0292 French immersion program. 30 months to school age. Licensed Christian centre. www.prematernelleappletree.com. Simply Fun Childcare Centre............250-881-3958 A warm, loving, fun and nurturing place for children to grow and learn. We have spaces available for registration ages 2.5 to 12 in our Licensed Group Facility. We offer extraordinary childcare, before and after school programs and a preschool. Our teachers are extremely qualified with ECE training and have lots of experience. Call Brenda to set up a tour. Let your child’s light shine bright with us!

58 Island Parent Magazine

METCHOSIN A Growing Place................................250-391-1133 Half day program (AM or PM) for 2.5-5 yrs. ECE educator, small class size. Our own petting farm. Summer program for July. Metchosin Co-op Preschool.............250-478-9241 Come and visit our stunning natural outdoor playspace, warm, nurturing, play-based,inclusive program allowing parents to grow and learn alongside their child. Exceptional ECE Staff provide an enriching experience for 2.5 - 5 year olds. Come grow with us! Est.1960. Reg. begins Mar.1 @ 9am. www.metchosinpreschool. wordpress.com.

North SAANICH In The Garden Childcare Centre.......250-654-0306 A GREAT PLACE TO GROW. Offering preschool, full day care, before and after school care for children aged 2.5 to 12 years old. Open all year.

OAK BAY Creative Child....................................778-679-0076 Montessori inspired childcare balanced with a playbased approach. Self-motivated learning for a small group of 2.5-5yr olds. www.creativechild.ca Emmanuel Preschool........................250-598-0573 Children learn through play in our non-denominational Christian preschool near UVic. Bright attractive setting. www.emmanuelpreschool.ca. Gonzales Co-op Preschool...............250-727-1003 Children explore their imaginations in our learning-throughplay environments and large natural playground. Our Reggio-Emilia inspired program focuses on art, nature and music. Over 50 years serving Victoria’s families. Nuturing and highly qualified ECE and ECE Assistant. Parent participation level options available and allergy-aware. Join us! www.gonzalespreschool.com. Kindred Spirits Children’s House........250-590-6966 Now accepting registration for a small group of 2.5–5 year olds in a purpose built Montessori classroom. The prepared environment stimulates and engages the children at their own pace with hands on, size, age and developmentally appropriate materials. www.kindredspiritschildrenshouse.com Oak Bay Co-op Preschool..................250-592-1922 Children Learn Through Play in this parent participation school. Our bright facility is allergy-free with a large outdoor playground. www.oakbaypreschool.com. Recreation Oak Bay..........................250-370-7200 Fully licensed, qualified ECE Daycare and Preschool with play based learning. After school care also available. St. Christopher’s Montessori School............................250-595-3213 A beautiful, warm environment, steps from beach and park in Oak Bay. We offer an enriched Montessori program – half days for 3 and 4 year olds and half or full day Kindergarten. www.stcmsoakbaybc.com.

SAANICH Arbutus Grove Children’s Centre.....250-477-3731 Formerly known as Goosey Gander Kindergarten. Half Day and Full Day Preschool Programs. Children’s learning is supported and nurtured through inquiry, exploration, play and creative expression. www.arbutusgrove.ca

Cloverdale Child Care.......................... 250-995-1766 Preschool for 3 & 4 year olds, Come grow with us and learn through play. www.cloverdalechildcare.com. Full o’ Beans Preschool........................ 250.360.1148 Opening September 2013. We offer ‘learn through play’ programming designed to foster your child’s natural curiosity and imagination. Flexible scheduling, 2.5 and 4 hour programs, qualified staff. Registration is ongoing!www.saanichneighbourhoodplace.com. Island Montessori House..................250-592-4411 Inclusive, integrated and nurturing preschool, kindergarten, Grade 1/2 program. Located in a lovely rural setting. Extended day available. www.islandmontessori.com. Lakehill Co-op Preschool.................250-477-4141 Where children’s development is nurtured through a child centered inclusive, play based program. Come visit our out natural outdoor playground and meet our loving qualified ECE team. Multiple Levels of participation available, please enquire. www.lakehillpreschool.org. Lambrick Park Preschool & Childcare............................................250-477-8131 Gordon Head’s only parent-participation preschool and childcare centre. Flexible options, play-based learning and outdoor play. Allergy friendly. Celebrating 40+ years. www.lambrickparkpreschool.ca. Little Readers Academy....................250-477-5550 An enriched learn-to-read program for your 3-6 yearold! Reading, Writing and Math. Half-day, weekend and evening sessions available. www.oxfordlearning.com. Montessori Educare..........................250-881-8666 Beautiful learning environments in Broadmead and Saanichton. 30 months – 5 years. Summer program available. Special needs are welcome. www.montessorieducare.com. Neighbourhood Junior Kindergarten..250-479-4410 Offering an early literacy program 4 mornings/wk. (TF) for 4 year olds in an attractive, culturally-sensitive learning environment in Lake Hill School. Oakcrest Preschool...........................250-472-0668 • Two fully qualified teachers, AM classes • No duty days, wide variety of parent jobs • www.oakcrestpreschool.org Playtime Preschool...........................250-383-3101 AM or PM preschool classes up to 20 hrs/wk. Tillicum. Spacious facility, qualified ECEs. Let’s Talk About Touching Program. www.playtimepreschool.com. Puddles & Paints Playschool............250-658-6573 Introduce your children to Nature with our outdoor nature-lovers program. Our centre backs up to 15 acres of our “secret-garden” parkland where we can learn and explore! Strong environmental awareness with a “Naturalplay-based” philosophy. ECE staff, and a strong Reggio Emilia Influence! Celebrating and supporting your child’s world and successes! Like us on Facebook! Rainbows & Dreams Preschool........250-479-1966 Small classes for 3-5 yr olds in a safe nurturing environment. Children learn through play and fun–developing a sense of confidence, independence and creativity. Highly qualified ECE teacher. Ready Set Grow Preschool...............250-472-1530 A warm, caring, quality Learning Through Play environment. Gordon Head area with a highly qualified ECE. heosc@pacificcoast.net. Rogers Child Care Centre.................250-744-2343 Trusted High Quality Programs since 1991. Early Learning and Out of School Care. www.rogerschildcare.com. St. Joseph’s Catholic Preschool..............................250-479-1232 ext 120 • A Christian child centre for 3–5 year olds. • A warm nurturing and challenging program • Offered by St. Joseph’s Catholic School.

www.kidsinvictoria.com

Preschool & Child Care Directory St. Margaret’s Preschool & Junior Kindergarten..........................250-479-7171 Our programme for 3 and 4 year old girls offers a nurturing and educationally stimulating curriculum provided by experienced ECE staff and specialist teachers. Our state of the art facility is located in beautiful environmental surroundings. www.stmarg.ca. Strawberry Vale Preschool...............250-479-4213 Children learn through play at our parent participation preschool. Programs for 3 and 4 year olds at “The Little Red Schoolhouse.”

www.strawberryvalepreschool.org.

Wiseways Preschool & Daycare.......250-477-1312

Fully licensed Christian preschool for 3 and 4 year olds. Designed to meet the needs of the whole child. Subsidized fees welcome. www.wiseways. lambrick.com.

SIDNEY Adel’s Play N Discovery House........250-655-4888

Licensed childcare, 3-5 years, Reggio Emilia inspired. Mon–Fri, 7:30am–5:30pm. 2146 Beacon Avenue W. www.adelplayndiscovery.com Positive Path Early Learning............250-655-7244

Year-round quality child care where preschoolers explore and learn in a culture of Christian values and virtues. positivepath@shaw.ca.

VICTORIA ArtsCalibre Academy........................250-382-3533 Comprehensive programs for Preschool through Grade 5, delivering academic excellence through music, dance, drama and visual arts. Outstanding educators, locations and facilities. www.ArtsCalibre.ca Babies to Big Kids Childcare............... 250-590-5540 949 Fullerton Ave. Daycare owner, 250-818-9225 Licenced group childcare for children 6 months to 12 years old. Three programs offered: Infant toddler program, Three to Five Program and Before and After School Care Program. Open 6:30am-5:30pm. Weekly music and movement classes. www.babiestobigkids. com, info@babiestobigkids.com. Butterfly Corner.................................... 250-381-4845 Licensed family day care in James Bay. Since 1998. ECE. Ages 1–5. Full time. Fun & Educational. http:// ButterflyCornerCreativeLearningCentre.com Castleview Child Care.......................250-595-5355 Learning Through Play & Experience. Licensed nonprofit, qual. ECE staff. Since 1958. Preschool and full-time care. www.castleviewchildcarecentre.com. Cedar Daycare...................................250-479-2032 Community oriented, NFP Child Care facility. Wide variety of activities offered including the use of a private outdoor pool during the summer months. Licensed ECE educators devoted to nurturing children aged 30 months – 5 years. www.cedardaycare.com. Christ Church Cathedral Childcare.. 250-383-5132 ECE and specialist teachers provide an outstanding all day licensed program for 3 and 4 year olds in our spacious and welcoming facility in James Bay. www. cathedralschool.ca.

Downtown Y Child Care Centre.......250-413-8869 Enriched program, for children ages 3-5 years, supporting healthy child development and future school success. www.victoriay.com. Lansdowne Co-op Preschool...........250-370-5392 An extraordinary learning environment for families with young children. Parent participation. wwwlansdownepreschool.com. Nightingale Preschool and Junior Kindergarten...................250-595-7544 – Taking children’s learning forward – One of Victoria’s leading preschools and Junior Kindergartens. Balanced approach to play and education. Programme supports literacy, numeracy. Visit www. nightingalepreschool.com. Fernwood. Parkdale Early Childhood Centre.....250-382-0512 We offer quality care and positive experiences for children in our diverse daycare and preschool programs. Our rich curriculum includes music classes from the Victoria Conservatory of Music. parkdalechildcare@shaw.ca. Rainbow Express Daycare................250-382-2314 Enriched preschool style program in a daycare setting. Visit our website at www.rainbowexpressdaycare.com. Ross Bay Preschool..........................250-383-7445 Positive/supportive program motivating children to learn and discover. Curriculum builds on interests of the children. www.rossbaypreschool.com The Sir James Douglas Playschool.250-389-0500 Fun, creative and educational ECE program for 3-5 year olds to grow and develop life long skills. Come play and learn in our bright and modern centre in Fairfield. Victoria Montessori...........................250-380-0534 Unique, innovative learning environment combining the best of Montessori and Learning Through Play. Open yr. round. 30mths–grade 1. www.victoriamontessori.com.

VIEW ROYAL A Secret Garden Preschool..............250-380-8293 Program built on Christian values. Monthly themes, weekly topics and daily activities. asecretgardenpreschool@shaw.ca. Island Kids Academy View Royal.....250-727-2929 High quality child care (ages 1-5). Preschool curriculum offered within a warm, caring child care environment. Character development using the Virtues Project. Access to community programs including swimming, skating, Victoria Conservatory of Music. Part-time spaces available. www.islandkids.ca. Little Friends Childcare Center........250-479-8423 For a creative learning environment. Licensed group facility. Infants/Toddlers/Preschool. Little Wonders Preschool (VROSCS)...........................................250-744-2718 A creative and suuportive program that will prepare your child for a lifetime of learning! OSC also available. www.viewroyalosc.com.

View Royal Preschool........................250-479-8067 An exciting inclusive program in an exceptional care environment. Licensed 3–5 year olds. Outside play and themes enrich this program. viewroyalps@ uniserve.com.

Mill Bay / Cobble Hill Starchild Centre..................................250-929-3240 Unique infant/toddler daycare, combines the best of Montessori and Waldorf. Our 9 acre hobby farm enables each child to have a garden plot, participate in planting trees, picking fruit, feeding animals, and other outside adventures. www.starchildcentre.ca.

DUNCAN Angel Care Christian Preschool.........250-746-5919 A quality, enriched program for preschool children. Located in Queen of Angels Catholic School. Maple Tree Play House Licensed Family Childcare...............250-746-5060 A daycare program that provides enriched outdoor play time and activities that build on a child’s intrinsic love of nature. Healthy meals and snacks are provided. mapletreekids@telus.net.. Sunrise Waldorf School, Kindercottage Preschool Nursery......250-743-7253 A morning program for 3 and 4 yr olds in a warm natural atmosphere where wonder is nurtured and outdoor play is abundant. Details at www.sunrisewaldorfschool.org. Parent & Child programs also available!

Chemainus Cherry Tree Child Care Centre.........250-246-9195 Preschool program nurturing creative play and engaging learning activity. 30 months to age five. Qualified and experienced Early Childhood Educator. St. Joseph’s Preschool.....................250-246-3191 A Christian learning environment for 3–5 year olds. Active participation in the life of the school. Parental involvement.

Qualicum Beach Children’s Discovery Centre.............250-752-4343 Our program recognizes the uniqueness of each child and provides a nurturing, safe and creative learning environment. Preschool, Groupcare, Out of School care. ECE qualified staff. childrensdiscoverycentre@ hotmail.com. Little Star Children’s Centre.............250-752-4554 Earth friendly preschool education inspired by nature. Kinder-Prep classes. Licensed group care. ECE instructors. www.littlestardaycare.ca. littlestar@shaw.ca.

Port Alberni John Paul II Catholic School............250-723-0637 “Where children grow and learn through play.” We provide a program that will inspire development physically, socially, emotionally, cognitively, creatively and spiritually.

Looking for child care? Taking care of children?

Call your local Child Care Resource & Referral for free referrals and resources.

Child Care

Resource & Referral Your community’s best source of child care information and resources. www.IslandParent.ca

Victoria & Gulf Islands: 250-382-7000 or 1-800-750-1868 Sooke: 250-642-5152 Westshore: 250-391-4324 Cowichan Valley: 250-746-4135 local 231 PacificCare (Ladysmith north): 250-756-2022 or 1-888-480-2273 Funded by the Province of BC

www.islandfamilyinfo.ca www.ccrr.bc.ca Sept/Oct 2013 59

Third Time’s a Charm?

his is my third sleep column in two years, I realize that. Since Angus was born I have expended more energy on sleep than on anything else—not actually sleeping of course, but analyzing, strategizing, fantasizing. I’m obsessed. From the beginning I tried not to compare our little family to others. I wasn’t jealous of the moms pushing high-end strollers, their coordinated babies in sleepers more expensive than our rent. I tried hard not to be jealous of the moms whose little chubsters had thigh rolls—babies flaunting their weight-gaining skills. But never in my life had I felt envy so intense as the kind that struck whenever a mom claimed her little angel slept through the night. I assured myself that I would soon be among these moms. Maybe tomorrow. Or next week. Next month, at least. But my forced optimism became more difficult when the moms around me started having second children. When they inevitably moaned: I forgot how hard the night wake-ups are!

I was afraid I’d never have the chance to forget. Why does he wake up? friends would ask. I shrugged. But I knew. Angus continued to wake in the night because he wanted to nurse. And I’d nurse him. Certainly he would sleep longer if I put a stop to these night feeds, and I did try. I stretched my response time to five minutes, then 10. But it was rare that Angus reacted to the wait by returning to sleep. Generally he cried harder, and it took longer to calm him. I could only imagine what we all would endure if I made him go cold turkey. If I went downstairs immediately, I was usually only out of bed for 10 minutes. That wasn’t a big deal, right? But it was a big deal. I hadn’t had a solid sleep in over two years. Even on the sprinkling of occasions Angus had managed to sleep through, I hadn’t. I had laid awake dreading the inevitable. I had a plan: for night feeds we would switch to water. Not until he was old enough to understand, though. Old enough for some

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60 Island Parent Magazine

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kind of conversation. I figured this would occur sometime around his second birthday, but that day rolled around, and Angus still only spoke in nouns. A couple of months later and there was the occasional two-word phrase. He wasn’t ready.

Maternity & Beyond Laura TRUNKEY But was that actually true? Angus isn’t a great articulator, but he understands a lot. For example, if I show him the snack I’ve packed before we go to the park, he’ll eat it contentedly and not ask for anything else. If I forget to show him in advance, he’ll repeat snack peese, snack peese until we’re home, assuming I’m holding out (which sometimes I am). If I mention shoes while on the phone with a friend, he’ll appear with a pair in his hands. If I say it’s almost bath time, he’ll scream and run. The wake-ups had gone on too long, that was obvious. Especially when those moms of two started announcing that their babies were now sleeping through the night as well. On the big day, I talked about it constantly: milk in the morning, milk after tub, water at night. I even set the rules to music. By bedtime Angus was able to answer correctly the question “What do you get if you wake up and it’s not morning?” Mike had taken the lead in all previous sleep training attempts, but this time I decided I’d do it. It was my bright idea—I might as well deal with the consequences. I armed myself with a water bottle and wore a heavy sweatshirt. Initially, it did not go well. When Angus tried to nuzzle in for a drink and was met with impenetrable fabric he began to cry. When I offered him water he became hysterical. Full-fledged two-year-old temper tantrum at one in the morning. But the first night was the worst of it. Slowly, things improved. It’s been a month. And no, it’s not a complete success yet. Full disclosure: I am writing this article at 3:30 a.m. But I can be patient. It’s amazing how much easier patience is after a couple of eight-hour stretches! Laura Trunkey is a writer, editor and mother of the amazing Angus. She can be reached at laurajtrunkey@gmail.com. www.kidsinvictoria.com

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Sept/Oct 2013 61

Ad Directory 89 Pacific Air Cadets......52 Andrea’s Sew Easy.........25 Arabesque Dance..........24 Arbutus Grove................26 Art Gallery of Greater Victoria......................19 Artistic Statement..........28 Dr. Shannon Barnsley.....51 BC Registered Music Teachers Assoc..........30 BC Transit......................17 Bellies in Bloom.......... BFG Boardworks...................24 Brigadoon Dance...........51 Buddies Toys.................37 Centrepointe Ballet.........17 Children’s Health Foundation............. BFG Conseil Scolaire.............55 Cowichan Therapeutic Riding........................51 CRD Parks.....................14 Dance Unlimited............63 Danielle’s Pottery Studio........................44 Discovery School.............4 Dora the Explorer...........15 Early Pregnancy Assessment Centre....31 Eaton Arrowsmith School.......................37 Emmanuel Preschool.....27 Erin Wallis Photography..............37 Esquimalt Recreation.......9 Falcon Gymnastics.........22 Maxine Fisher..................7 Fiddlesticks...................50 Full o’Beans Preschool...50 Girl Guides....................63 Glenlyon Norfolk School.......................53 Guitar in Motion.............22 Happy Island Diapers.. BFG Horne Lake Caves..........21 IMAX Theatre.................34 Investor’s Group.............16 Island Farms..................32 Island Montessori...........63 Island Rhythmic Gymnastics................12 JamTots..................... BFG Kate Rubin Theatre and Drama................12 Larsen Music.................25 Leap Forward Dance......44 Life Seminars................23 Lifestyle Markets............56 Lighthouse Academy of Dance......................8 Little Spirits...................29 Mad Science.................21

Morning Glory School.....51 Mothering Touch....BFG, 57 Music Together..............39 Dr. Anita Myers, Pediatric Dentist.........27 North Island Distance Education School.......36 O’Brien Irish Dance........22 Oak & Orca................7, 56 The OCEAN 98.5...........45 Pacific Coast Swimming.................19 Pacific Dance Centre........5 Panorama Recreation....IBC Pemberton Holmes........34 Restart Computers.........47 Royal BC Museum...........2 Saanich Dental..............53 Saanich Recreation.......IFC Scallywags...................IFC Scouts Canada..............40 Serious Coffee...............38 The Shipley Group............9 Sleep Sense..................15 South Island Distance Education School.......31 Sportball.......................IFC St. Margaret’s School...............BFG, 64 Stagecoach...................34 Stages....................39, 57 Strikerz...........................9 Sylvan Learning...............1 Thrifty Foods..................33 TJs The Kiddies Store.....60 Tom Lee Music..............35 Tourettes Society...........47 Tourism Nanaimo...........49 Veselka Dance...............20 Victoria Academy of Ballet.....................35 Victoria Children’s Choir.........................24 Victoria Conservatory of Music....................13 Victoria Gymnastics....... BC Victoria Kid’s Consignment.............23 Victoria Nature School....14 Victoria Recreation........IBC Victoria School of Irish Dance................26 Victoria Sea Cadets..........8 Victoria Symphony.........18 VIHA..............................46 Vitamin Shop...................3 Welcome Wagon............41 Westcoast Academy of Performing Arts......26 Westside Stables...........28 Dr. Anke Zimmerman.....35

62 Island Parent Magazine

Duck Days of Summer… & Fall

he Mallard Duck (Anas platyrhynchos) is one of the most common resident ducks to see at Swan Lake Christmas Hill Nature Sanctuary and is one of the best known waterfowl in the world. Duck is the common name for a large number of species

vegetation, grasses and bushes. From March onwards, the 10-12 smooth and waxy eggs will begin to hatch and should be ready to fledge within seven to eight weeks. By July, Mallard ducks go through their first molt of the year. The male ducks, or

in the Anatidae family of birds, which also includes swans and geese. The Mallards, however, are a sub family in the Anatidae family and are mostly aquatic birds, mostly smaller than the swans and geese, and may be found in both fresh water and sea water. They are known as dabbling ducks as they commonly feed on the surface by “dabbling” their bills in the water or by upending to reach deeper. They rarely dive for their food. Swan Lake offers an abundance of rich food for these dabblers, including dragonflies, beetles, worms, tubers and roots, seeds, frogs, small fish and fish eggs. Considering this and the perfect nesting conditions that the lake and the lake edge provide for brood rearing in the early summer, the Mallard duck is a very common sight. The nests are built by the female Mallard and are usually in cover on the ground among tall

drakes, molt first and the females, or hens, molt a little later when their ducklings are a bit older. The ducks molt and replace their feathers synchronously, meaning they will lose and replace all of their feathers within about a month’s time. Since ducks cannot fly while their new wing feathers are growing in, molting can be a very dangerous time. The ducks will often form large groups and spend most of their time hiding in tall grass or floating out in deeper waters for the month long process to run its course. During this molt, ducks need large quantities of high protein food, as feathers are largely made up of proteins and account for almost one-third of all protein in the body. That is what makes Swan Lake such a great place to be when you are a Mallard duck. The lake is full of many different species of insects and it is that extra protein food source that

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helps a duck through times like this. When they begin their molt, the ducks begin by losing their body feathers. New feathers grow in, but they are dull brown and a bit scraggly looking. At this time, the drake is going through what is termed as wearing his “eclipse” plumage. This lack of colour is important as the Mallard needs to blend in with the environment while the next

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phase of losing its wing feathers occur. As the new wing feathers grow, they are filled with blood and are quite heavy. They will grow fast, about the length of your little finger nail each day, but once they stop growing and the blood is no longer flowing to them, the feathers become light and hollow. This is when the molting is complete. The Mallard will wear their summer feathers for only a few months before they will molt again sometime in September. At this time, only the body feathers fall out and the drakes grow their bright breeding plumage again. So, if you see our fine feathered or featherless friends out there on the lake

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Cut It Out!

Tips from Parent Educator Allison Rees of LIFE Seminars

All Pooped Out

When your child shows interest or has a success, be careful with your praise! Your child needs to feel in charge of the process and doesn’t need the added pressure of pleasing you. Praise is often the hidden culprit to success. Once the issue has simmered down, go back to basics: • Get familiar with your child’s body rhythms and routines • Keep the potty in sight and situated in just the right place • Keep your child’s diet high in fiber • Read books about using the toilet Remember, just because your child has shown that he/she can use the toilet, doesn’t mean all systems are go. It is normal for kids to resist and regress. Be supportive and patient and all will work itself out.

ny time between 18 months and four years of age is normal for kids to start using the potty. Often demands of a preschool or a parent’s own embarrassment can push the potty issue into a power struggle. If you are pushing for the potty—CUT IT OUT! In order for your child to let go, you have to let go. No rewards or reprimands will work when a child feels pressured. Your first step is to let potty training be

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64 Island Parent Magazine

8/15/2013 9:56:14 AM

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