Education and Camps Guide Winter 2012 - Central Ed.

EDUCATION AND CAMPS WINTER 2012

• Gender gap

Should girls and boys be taught differently?

Play time Artistic camps hit all the right notes

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• Failing the report card

Schools experiment with new ways to keep parents in the know

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EDUCATION AND CAMPS WINTER 2012

Inside the Education Guide 4

Teaching girls vs. teaching boys Does gender really matter when it comes to how our children should be taught?

• Gender gap

Should girls and boys be taught differently?

• Failing the report card

Schools experiment with new ways to keep parents in the know

time Plticay camps hit

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New ways Imagine a parent/teacher meeting where it’s the student in charge

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Different strokes

Does gender matter?

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photo courtesy bishop Strachan school

LET’S TALK: Some educational experts say female students are more comfortable with conversational learning that allows them to ask questions as they go.

Experts divided on if there is an optimal way to teach boys and girls

• BY Ann Ruppenstein oys and girls are different, so it makes sense that they learn differently too, doesn’t it?

While there is no consensus on the matter, private and independent schools — be they single sex or coed — all have a different take on the topic, which informs how their students are taught.

Mary Gauthier, executive director of the Wernham West Centre for Learning at Upper Canada College, says her school is committed to creating an atmosphere where boys feel a connection to their education and a sense of passion and purpose.

Although she’s cautious not to generalize or create any gender-based myths, she believes relationships and being able to relate to what they are learning to be key when it comes to teaching boys. Gauthier says boys tend to respond well to teachers who care about them as individuals and says they like to be included in lessons by being asked to share what they know.

Boys also respond well to clear and consistent boundaries like having their shirts tucked in and wearing a tie to school.

She says it’s also important that lessons aren’t always structured the same way and that they incorporate a variety of lecture, group work and inquiry-based instruction where boys can investigate and develop their own questions.

“We work really hard to make sure our teachers know the boys in the room,” Gauthier says.

“You take time when you’re teaching to know their interests, that you know what they care about in their world and then actually include that in your teaching.”

Gauthier says teachers who can adjust their teaching according to engagement levels also do

EDUCATION AND CAMP GUIDE Town Crier WINTER 2012

really well with boys so they feel connected to the content, have a sense of independence and feel that their questions matter.

St. Michael’s College School principal, Terence Sheridan, who used to teach at a coed school, says he typically finds boys are more hands on when it comes to learning and can benefit from a structured environment.

While the school caters to boys, he says, they also address individual learning styles and use different mediums like computer labs to encourage boys to learn.

“There’s a variety of assessment too, whether it be presentations or individual communication, so it’s not all just writing a test,” he adds.

He says boys also respond well to initiatives and positive competitiveness, which is why they implement things like a competition for who racks up the most points in the school’s accelerative reading program.

Havergal College’s director of admissions Maggie Houston-White believes girls are more comfortable having conversational learning that allows them to ask questions and have a need to develop relationships with their teachers.

“It’s important for girls to feel that they are in an environment where they will be mentored and monitored,” she says. “Girls tend to need time to pause and think before answering questions and they like to have eye contact when they’re having dialogue and conversation.”

She says it’s important to have a curriculum that is both challenging and interesting and takes into account what’s meaningful to the girls in order to engage them deeply into each subject matter.

But not all schools believe learning styles are gender-based.

“I think there are many auditory, visual, kinesthetic learners and I think that would account for boys and for girls,” says Bayview Glen’s head of school Eileen Daunt. “I think that’s across the gender divide — all different styles of learning.”

She says her school finds ways to personalize their students’ learning environment.

“I think what good schools do, whether they be coed or not, is they teach the individual,” she says. “They look at ways to reach each child and make sure that they have the skills they can take with them once they leave school to be successful in the world.”

Psychologist Michael Leatch, who is also Crescent School’s director of student services, says it’s important to avoid generalizations when discussing how boys and girls learn best.

“Just as there are many ways to be a boy or girl there are many ways to teach boys and girls,” he says. “Individual student need should be the predominant factor that educators consider when determining the best way in which to teach students.”

While some boys are active and like to move while they learn, he says, others may learn better through contemplative reflection and debate.

He believes educators need to be skilled in assessing a full range of learning styles and have a repertoire of strategies they can draw from to educate boys or girls as unique individuals.

However, Sterling Hall’s director of curriculum Nick Szymanis says brain science proves that mentally boys and girls are built differently.

“Boys are operating from curiosity-driven, often kinesthetic intelligence and have better spatial memory,” he says.

In addition to having different colour and sense perception, he says they also have a different threshold for attention. “Boys also don’t hear as well as girls, their fine motor skills develop later and they can overestimate their abilities,� he says. “Boys in general, read later than girls by as much as 12 to 18 months.�

Since boys are kinesthetic by nature, he adds, learning often occurs with movement like swinging feet, tapping and fidgeting. He says the school encourages boys’ natural curiosity through the use of educational props such as interactive games, dice and cubes. The majority of boys at the school also have daily physical education classes so they can expend their energy and focus better in class. “What the best research is showing us is that boys thrive when they can figure out their way around a problem, often in a small group,� he says. “The most impactful learning seems to be a combination of processes where information is unpacked by a combination of natural curiosity and group interaction.�

Bishop Strachan School grade 12 student Carly Walter believes the different learning styles boys and girls have are innate and obvious. “Girls and boys are both distracted

photo courtesy st. michael’s college school

WE CAN WORK IT OUT: Research suggests boys prefer to figure out a problem through trial and error whereas girls talk more about it before starting.

by different things and have different natural abilities,� she says. “From my experience, girls seem to spend more time talking about a task or abstract principle before actually attempting it, whereas boys often execute tasks in a trial and error method.�

Among her classmates in the allgirls school, Walter says, she sees a lot of differences in study habits as some are visual learners and others excel with auditory instructions.

“A lot of my peers like to simplify abstract principles with concrete examples,� she says. “Other differences are as simple as enjoying listening to music while studying or preferring to work in silence.�

Bishop Strachan School’s head of school Deryn Lavell says the individual learner is most important, whether in an all girls, all boys or coed environment.

She does note a different kind of

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energy among the girls and says they develop and mature at different times than boys, which needs to be taken into account. “We talk about a culture of power of learning and that’s really important for the girls,� she says. “For the girls it’s really important to find ‘where am I as an individual and how do I fit in with this group and where does that matter?’ �

When it comes to competitiveness, Bishop Strachan School’s senior school principal Angela Terpstra says rather than measuring girls against each other they perform better by striving for their personal best and not in the same cutthroat spirit that may motivate boys.

Another important difference, she says, when it comes to the notion of learning is girls like narrative, particularly fictional narrative, where as boys gravitate more to real life.

Finally, just as courses are taught in different ways, Terpstra says, students are also assessed in a variety of ways. “The evaluation is really important because for some people a paper pencil test might be the right thing to do whereas others they might actually need some pictures, they might need it read to them and some girls they actually need more time than others,� she says.

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WINTER 2012 EDUCATION AND CAMP GUIDE Town Crier

Classroom shift

New school design

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From glass walls to balls for chairs photo courtesy bishop strachan school

• BY Karolyn Coorsh

Optimal learning spaces and classroom design became major considerations at Bishop Strachan around 2004, when it began the process of building a new junior school.

School administrators and educators insisted the school’s style of teaching — inspired by the Reggio approach — was to be reflected in the physical design of the new building.

The Italian-developed Reggio approach is an education philosophy that encourages the development of the individual student through self-guided learning.

“It’s about seeing the child as being able to be resourceful,” says kindergarten teacher Mary

Murray. “When you see them that way, that informs how you set up your environment, what you leave for them. You want them to be autonomous, so everything is at their fingertips for them to be thinking.”

The new school, as evidenced in a bright kindergarten classroom, now nurtures that notion of independent learning.

Nary a blackboard in sight, everything from markers to construction paper to building blocks are within reach, and inspiration can be found in every corner, says Murray.

The nature centre, complete with a pile of leaves collected by the students, overlooks the

torontonewschool.com

ishop Strachan’s junior school girls are learning in a fishbowl, but it’s a good thing.

With hallways that sport floor-to-ceiling glass windows, parents, educators and fellow students can peek into bright, spacious classrooms to see the young minds at work.

A long way from the traditional blackboarddesk set-up, the fishbowl-like classrooms are one of the ways the all-girls school is designed to facilitate open-concept learning.

Increasingly, schools are moving away from the traditional blackboard, desk and chair environment in an effort to foster innovative collaboration among students.

EXPLORATION: Bishop Strachan School’s adaptation of the Reggio approach to primary education has inspired the physical design of its new junior school.

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school playground, where students can compare what they see outdoors to work they’re creating indoors.

At the building blocks station in the centre of the room, a student has built a city skyline model. Behind it, are posted photos of Toronto, New York and Hong Kong’s skylines.

The students are encouraged to choose their own workstation each day, and explore at their own pace. Teachers help by asking questions and guiding discussion, Murray says. Students don’t need to be told to tidy up, she says, as they take ownership of their classroom.

“That’s a very empowering thing for young children to feel that they know how to take care of their space, they really feel like this is their space and their ideas are important and they can pursue them,” says Murray.

The new building is certainly a far cry from the old junior school, says vice-principal Catherine Hant, which was a wing built onto the upper school in 1931.

“It was a very traditional space, long narrow classrooms, bulletin board and chalkboard at the front, not a lot of flexibility,” Hant said. “You really were limited to desks.”

Blocks away from Bishop Strachan, students at Upper Canada College are also moving away from traditional blackboard-desk classrooms.

When UCC began renovating class-

photo courtesy matthew plexman

STUDENTS OF THE ROUND TABLE: Upper Canada College has placed large oval tables into some of its English and history classrooms to stimulate discussion.

rooms a few years ago, Mary Gauthier, executive director of the school’s Wernham West Centre for Learning, took it as an opportunity to experiment with the notion of optimal learning environments. The research centre examined the effect of colour, lighting, classroom size, and flexible use of space on learning.

“We don’t actually have to be in what we think of a traditional classroom space so we’re really thinking of where are these other (learning) spaces in the school,” Gauthier says. “It’s a really fun time.”

Over at UCC’s preparatory school,

students began experimenting with new types of furniture, including stability balls and air-filled exercise balls, as a replacement for chairs.

“Some boys like it and some boys don’t, so having an option about what you’re going to sit on is I think a really wonderful thing to offer,” Gauthier said.

Innovative classroom set-up is also reflected in UCC’s upper school, where five classrooms sport Harkness tables, large oval tables with spots for 16 students. Typically history and English lessons are conducted at these tables.

“It’s about conversation,” Gauthier

explains. “You actually come to the table — literally — with questions and you contribute.”

Educators at Bishop Strachan and Upper Canada College agree technology has also driven new notions of learning spaces.

Handheld tools like an iPad or laptop, in daily use at schools like Bishop Strachan, means learning can be conducted just about anywhere in the classroom, or the school.

The kindergarten class is equipped with an iPad, and is used for group storytelling and research, Hant says.

“The physical set up of the computers in the classrooms is set up really to be a collaborative area where a group of children can be huddled around the computer and be creating knowledge and doing some research together rather than thinking of it as an isolated experience for one child,” Hant says.

Stark contrast, she says, to the old days of labs in schools when using a computer was a timetabled experience, Hant says.

It’s unlikely schools will completely abolish the blackboard and desk classroom environment, but it’s important to have the freedom to change from one year to the next, Hant says.

“Having the flexibility with the furniture and the materials, everything that you use for the classroom needs to be responsive to the learners that you have.”

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WINTER 2012 EDUCATION AND CAMP GUIDE Town Crier

e-grades

Grading report cards

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Personalized comments ensure better understanding of children’s progress • BY Shawn Star

t can be tiresome to read the same cookiecutter comments on report cards term after term, when trying to gauge your child’s successes and failures. That’s why some schools are taking steps to make understanding a child’s progress more personalized.

Having personalized comments enhances the instructors’ abilities give both students and parents a better understanding of the student’s progress and how they can build upon their strengths, says Marilena Tesoro, principal of Holy Name of Mary College School. “Our teachers compose and use personalized comments focusing on what the student has learned, while identifying significant strengths and next steps for improvement, typically describing what the students know and can do,� she says. “The personalized comments on our report cards provide meaningful feedback.�

Upper Canada College has found another way to bring children’s progress to parents’ attention: after a three-year process, the school will be giving parents the option of viewing their children’s grades online, IT director Jim LaPlante says. “We’ve tweaked our reporting process a bit, so it’s the first year of two being mailed and two being online,� he says, noting the midterm reports would be online, while the final reports would still be mailed. “For this year, we didn’t actually do it online, but we did use all of the online tools to produce the report cards, which makes it easy next year just to kind of flip the switch and put them online.�

While online report cards aren’t unique to his school you aren’t likely to find them in the publicly funded schools, LaPlante says. “(The public school) systems usually aren’t as customizable as ours are,� he says. “But if you polled the local indepen-

• Gearing comments individually provides meaningful feedback.

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EDUCATION AND CAMP GUIDE Town Crier WINTER 2012

Ages 1.5years - 12years.

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YOU CAN DOWNLOAD, BUT YOU CAN’T HIDE: With report cards being available online at some schools, it eliminates the possibility of children being able to hide their bad marks from their parents.

dent schools ‌ they’re all kind of dabbling in it, working with the parents, seeing what works and what doesn’t.�

Communicating with parent groups is key to finding what works best, and for his school it has shown them that flexibility is the way to go, LaPlante says. “You get some people who are saying we should do them all online, we get some parents who say they would like them all mailed right to them,� he says. “We try to give them as much flexibility in these kind of things as we can give them.�

For those who are concerned about their children’s grades being posted online, LaPlante says the site is secure in the same manner as email or banking is. “We don’t post any information that’s not authenticated. We’re giving a unique username or password to the parent, so it’s as secure as the parent will keep it. We can see when they come in, we can monitor what’s going on that way.�

While some schools are changing the way report cards are written and distributed, Country Day School’s Junior School is changing parent-teacher interviews so students now make presentations to their parents and teacher.

Student-led conferences are a real role reversal compared to parent teacher interviews, junior school director Ann Wildberger says. “It’s a shift for parents, it’s a shift for teachers and it’s a shift for children,� she says. “They

all play a different role in the student-led than in the traditional one, but in this model, it’s childcentred and it’s strength-focused and it builds self-esteem for the children.�

Wildberger says she sees the need not only to include the child, but to have the child lead the conference simply because no one understands a child better than the child him or herself. “Most children know exactly where they are,� she says. “Children know where they’re struggling, how they’re struggling, what’s causing their struggle, and it’s very empowering for them to talk about that and be reflective because when they own their learning, that’s when learning happens.�

The presentations last for about half an hour and involve work that’s been collected in a portfolio since the first day of school.

The children also write a reflection on their work, their progress, and then set goals for themselves for the year.

Most importantly, Wildberger says the conferences are absolutely not graded, which she says helps ease the pressure when the children know they aren’t being critiqued on the presentation. “I think a child feels more empowered, I think a child feels there’s more purpose to what they’re doing and why they’re doing it because it’s more focused on the goal as opposed to the mark,� she says. “You put the child in control of their learning.�

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WINTER 2012 EDUCATION AND CAMP GUIDE Town Crier

Bye bye blackboard

photo courtesy John Carson

RIGHT FOR HER: Greenwood College School student Nicole Toole describes herself as a hands-on, visual learner who says the school’s smartboards and laptop usage suits her learning style quite well.

No more pencils

T

Classrooms go high tech

• BY Tristan Carter wo decades ago the Internet and cellphones were unknown in most school hallways, but nowadays students have the Internet on their cellphones.

Yes, the information age is fully upon us.

But how are new technologies being used to teach our children?

While not much has changed in some schools save for upgrades to the computers in labs and libraries, others have made the available technology a part of everyday classroom life.

At Greenwood College School every student has a laptop, says Johnathan Tepper, the school’s director of information technology.

“When the school was first conceived they wanted to use a one-to-one laptop program to give students the 21st century skills to prepare them for their next careers,” he said.

The school doesn’t provide the laptops, but does suggest which ones would be most suitable. Grade 11 Greenwood student Nicole Toole said that while accessing sites such as

10

EDUCATION AND CAMP GUIDE Town Crier WINTER 2012

Facebook is prohibited at school, other social networking sites are actually incorporated into the curriculum.

“Greenwood does use Twitter and Tumblr for in class assignments and work,” she said.

“For example, in English class we do blog posts as we’re reading a book.”

Not only has technology at her school replaced former mainstays such as notebooks, but Toole said blackboards are also a thing of the past now that smartboards are in every classroom. The boards are a cross between a traditional blackboard and projector screen, with content easily altered and edited from a computer at the teacher’s desk.

“With the smartboards your able to do a lot more on there,” said Toole. “You’re able to show video clips and put in other links to different websites that could help you.”

Toole identifies herself as a hands-on, visual learner and said the smartboards are perfect for her learning style. St. Michael’s College School’s vice principal, David Lee, said his school acquired smartboards to reach students

like Toole.

“We’ve got about 20 smartboards in the classrooms so we’re working on trying to target more of the visual learners and more interactive learning with those,” said Lee. But not all schools see using new technology as being the best way to educate their students.

Director of research and innovation at Country Day School, Karen Sumner, said laptops are not always the best learning tools. Sumner, who has been teaching English and film at the school for 12 years, said they can actually hinder a child’s development.

“I don’t actually like having computers in my classrooms,” she said.

“Research tells us that computer applications do not develop slow and deliberate thought. They’re really based on speed.”

According to Sumner, Country Day School takes a balanced approach to using technology, something Amy Dvorkin, a grade 12 student at the school, said she is thankful for.

“Personally, writing notes, I find I remember a lot more when I write it with a pen and paper,” Dvorkin said. “I don’t remember it as much if I type it.”

But some of her friends have embraced technology’s new role in education by enrolling in what are termed flipped classes. Rather than have the teacher lecture in class and then assign homework, flipped classes operate in the opposite way. Student’s access their teacher’s pre-recorded lecture via the Internet and watch it at home. The next day they work in class on an assignment and the teacher addresses any questions about the video lecture.

At Greenwood, Toole takes two such courses.

“I really like it,” she said, later adding, “When you come to class, if you don’t understand something, there’s always a teacher there to work with you and make sure you understand all the concepts.”

One drawback for the teachers is preparing lessons for flipped classes involve a lot more work, but as Sumner points out, once a lesson plan has been made, it can be reused for future classes.

As technology continues to evolve so do school policies concerning how it is regulated and incorporated into school life. Also, students can often be more in tune with new technologies than their teachers.

“I think one of the best things a teacher can do now to embrace the new technology is don’t claim that you know everything about it, but be part of the learning,” said Tepper. “Take a step back and work with the students and learn together.”

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en 2001

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SPACE AGE TECH: Robert Waldron teaches his grade 6 class at Country Day School about planets using a smartboard.

WINTER 2012 EDUCATION AND CAMP GUIDE Town Crier

11

Learning language

It’s all French to me

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Schools find different ways to help their students learn our other official language

• BY Ann Ruppenstein arlez-vous français?

In light of French immersion being rolled out at an applied level at public schools as of September 2013, what are private and independent schools doing to make learning the language more accessible to students?

Mirna Hafez, principal of La p’tite école at TFS says they now offer French for those as young as 18 months.

The Jardin d’eveil program, which launched in 2010 and is geared at two year olds, was designed to stimulate social, emotional, physical, linguistic and cognitive development through play and exploration activities.

“At this age they just want to know the why and to touch,” Hafez says. “They are exposed to many things in the French context to really learn and address the five senses.”

TFS also runs an Intro to French Program, which students can join up to grade 7 without any prior exposure or knowledge of French. Its goal is to transition students to the same level of French as their peer group in the school’s regular bilingual academic stream. Although students have separate classes to start, they are slowly integrated in courses like art or phys-ed, which are less speaking based.

Hafez says they also encourage learning through music, drama, technology, games and treasure hunts and focus on ways to make students want to speak fluently.

Many schools have also adopted the Accelerative Integrated Method to teach French. Patrizia Rizzo, a French coordinator at The Sterling Hall School, says she uses gesture instruction with other vocabulary acquisition tools in order to bring variety and fun to the classroom.

“I introduce basic vocabulary and language through games, songs, artwork, role-playing and gestures,” she says. “The use of stories and songs in second language instruction allows students to connect and become engaged with the content of the program.”

Rizzo says their French curriculum is designed to prepare stu-

dents for success in corresponding programs at the secondary level.

Along with grammar conventions, she also teaches students about French culture so they can make connections between what they are learning and the real world.

This year she also started inviting French-Canadian singer/ songwriters to come to the school and perform songs the students sing in class. The school also has a pen pal program in place that pairs grade 7 students with children in France.

Havergal College also uses Accelerative Integrated Method to teach French as a second language starting in senior kindergarten.

“This is especially helpful to students who have little or no exposure to French, as the majority of the gestures reflect the meaning of the vocabulary,” says Jennifer Peirce, who teaches French in grades 5 and 6. “They are able to enter a French classroom where only French is spoken and yet understand and be supported in their learning of the language.”

She says the school also offers extra help in French and also runs clubs like a French Lunch Club. Her colleague France Gareau has been teaching Accelerative Integrated Method to students in grades 2 to 4 since 1999, when the method was first introduced.

“New students to Havergal, who often enter in grade 4 or grade 7, tend to adapt easily to the program,” says Gareau, who has been teaching French for 20 years.

Gareau’s colleague Louise Cholette-Rees says through the method the language is contextualized with stories and short plays about children and young adolescents to help the students learn.

“Stories, theatre and songs are a way to scaffold language production and ease students into a new language without anxiety,” she says. “When students gain new vocabulary using gestures and much practice, students start speaking naturally without the teacher

• “We know students have to be engaged.”

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always using gestures.�

Country Day School’s junior school head of French Lori Pella says the methods used to teach French with Accelerative Integrated Method resembles the way students acquired their first language. After teaching French for 24 years, she says she would never go back to the traditional approach because it doesn’t compare. “We know students have to be engaged, they have to be involved, that’s how they retain the material and that happens in an (Accelerative Integrated Method) classroom,� she says. “The language becomes part of the children.�

At Holy Name of Mary College School, Meaghan DeCourcy says they integrate visual art, music and technology into the French program to foster a higher level of student engagement and enthusiasm. “There is no shortage of creativity in the French room, where students speak, sing, draw and dance their way through the adventure of second-language learning,� she says. “Activating the auditory and kinesthetic areas of the brain allows for the formation of new pathways in the mind, while also creating a fun and engaging atmosphere.�

She says they enhance vocabulary and language development through a variety of visual aids and oral practice. Throughout the first months of school they introduce students to common words that exist between languages in French, Spanish, Italian and English. “By making connections and seeing similarities between other languages, students build their confidence with the French language,�

francis crescia/town crier

ACTING OUT: The Accelerative Integrated Method for teaching French uses songs, artwork and gestures to connect the students to the language. Above, Patrizia Rizzo and her pupils at Sterling Hall School use puppets to tell a basic story.

she says.

Branksome Hall’s Sarah Craig, the head of the junior school, says while French is mandatory from junior kindergarten to grade 6, the school also has an extended French stream for those who want to pursue the language further.

The Extended Middle School program allows students to take 25 percent of their course load in French, including social sciences like history and geography.

In addition to using Accelerative Integrated Method to teach French in

the junior school, the French program includes fieldtrips where students can gain real-life experiences in French.

The school also has an International Languages Program, which was originally for students in grades 7 to 12, but as of this year expanded to grades 1 through 12. It allows students whose first language isn’t English to maintain their mother tongue with courses taught in 14 languages including Swedish, Italian, Mandarin and Urdu.

For those students set to join Branksome Hall’s Junior School with

little or no background in French, Craig says they provide the family with Accelerative Integrated Method-based DVDs so they can begin learning the gestures and vocabulary before the school year begins. “Once they start the year, the teachers provide weekly individual or small group sessions to help them catch up either before or after school,� she says. “Sometimes students opt to get a Senior School student tutor to encourage conversation and help them to enhance their comfort in the language.�

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Sporting chance

photo courtesy argonauts.ca

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• BY Brian Baker

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t’s not always easy to give kids 60 minutes a day of physical exercise.

Or to provide equipment to start a football team that becomes the glue for students not just on the field, but through their classes.

In order to help tackle those obstacles, people in the community and charities chip in.

And one source who often goes unnoticed is Mayor Rob Ford.

In a moment of repose, the mayor sat in his office with the Town Crier and spoke about how the Rob Ford Foundation came to be.

It started upon returning from Carleton University, when his Scarlett Heights coach was retiring and the football team needed a new bench boss.

After five years at Scarlett Heights and three years at Newtonbrook, he left to take the helm of Don Bosco Catholic Secondary School’s squad, where he’s been ever since.

In 2001, the then councillor spent $15,000 on 50 sets of football gear to establish a brand new team for the Don Bosco Eagles. That action, with the help of his father, was the catalyst in the gridiron charity.

“People started calling me, ‘You started a program at Newtonbrook. You started a program at Don Bosco. How do you do this?’ ” he said.

“Then other people, businesses, asked, ‘Why did you just spend $15,000 of your own money? We could have donated it.’

“The logistics of it all. If you give me money it will look like I’m asking for donations, and at this time I was a councillor. It just didn’t look right,” he added. “And if you send it to the school, the school board couldn’t guarantee it would get to the football program because it’s going into a great big pot.”

And Ford’s foundation has been a factor in kicking off 10 Toronto school football programs raising about $100,000.

“My goal, and it might be an unrealistic goal, but I’d like to have every school in Toronto to have a football team,” Ford said. “If not one, but two.”

Ford has found an ally in helping to fulfill students’ pigskin dreams with the Toronto Argonauts and their charitable programs.

Already involved in the community via their

• “Football’s not just about

the players on the field.”

brian baker/town crier

NON-POLITICAL PASSION: Mayor Rob Ford, who has been coaching high school football for many years, also has a charity that brought the sport to several schools across the city.

Huddle Up program for the prevention of bullying for 11 years, the Argos started their Level the Playing Field charity in 2008.

Manager of community relations for the Argos, Jason Colero, noted that in three years the Double Blue have raised nearly $250,000.

But it’s not about the money for the Argos.

“We’ll do the funding, and that’s the kick-off to it, to get them going,” he said.

“But we’ll ensure that these teams can exist after the fact.

“That’s the most important part, you can always start a team up but you have to keep them going.”

Argos players, cheerleaders and staff return to the schools, help develop coaches and also immerse themselves within the school’s entire community including business and music classes.

“Football’s not just about the players on the field, it’s about everybody around,” Colero said. “It’s really good to see that people are saying, ‘You know there’s more to sports than just running around on that field’.”

Ford concurs.

“We’re going into our ninth year,” he said. “Kids that graduate want to come back from university, they want to help.

“We always have coaches and we’re one big happy family,” he added. “It turns kids’ lives around.”

Colero adds it piques students’ interest in athletics.

“There’s never enough to get people engaged in high school sports and that’s what’s part of our program,” he said. “We’ll do a pep rally at the school to engage the rest of the student body with the football team.”

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Urban issues

Planning ahead

A

University of Toronto Schools’ Maximum City

• BY Ann Ruppenstein lthough it was the middle of summer, Josh Fullen got a number of students to take a week off their vacation to take part in a pilot program on urban design and civic sustainability.

“We had over 50 applications, I accepted 30 students and they were all there the first day of the program in August,” he says. “Not only is there a need for students to study these kind of topics, these city building issues, there’s a desire, there’s a huge appetite amongst students to learn about this stuff and engage in it.”

Fullen, a teacher at University of Toronto Schools, developed Maximum City for high school students to learn from industry experts and hands-on experience about how things are built, planned and governed in the city. Last summer, students in grades 8 to 12 from University of Toronto Schools and Marc Garneau Collegiate learned about different topics like cycling, city planning, architecture and design from experts like Jane Farrow, the executive director of

On air

U

Jane’s Walk.

“All of the problems that we have now as municipal populations ... are going to become amplified when my students who are 15 or 16 now are having careers and families in 20 years because there will be more and more people living in the cities,” Fullen says. “So if we’re trying to prepare students to be global citizens or prepare them to have successful futures, I think we have to teach them how to live in cities more sustainably.”

Fullen says Maximum City, which will run again this summer, wasbrought to life after he received a grant from the Ontario Teachers’ Federation. He says his ultimate aim is to formalize urban studies at the high school level.

“The goal is to start sharing this curriculum now that we’re developing it with other teachers, other professionals so we can spread it around to other schools and eventually maybe grow it into a unit of study to be dropped into a geography

photo courtesy uts

DEVELOPING MINDS: Students from University of Toronto Schools and Marc Garneau Collegiate took part in Maximum City during the summer.

course or a civics course or a world issues course,” he says. “Then ultimately to grow it into a full course in urban design.”

Through a series of evaluations and research methods, he says he was able to track what skills the students learned, how their attitudes toward urban issues changed and what knowledge they gained throughout the week. For example, he says, at the beginning of the cycling module he asked the students if they were comfortable cycling in the city and the majority answered no.

“We had a cycling expert come in, go over safe cycling in the urban environment and what the rules of the road are,” he says. “We brought the students out and had a safety

talk with them with a police officer who was there and then the students actually got to go out and ride in the school neighbourhood at Spadina and Bloor.”

After the students returned from the cycling trip, he did a follow up survey and discovered the majority of students were now willing and comfortable biking in the city.

“That’s essentially the model the program works on,” he says. “That pentagonal model where you partner with an expert, you help that partner shape his or her material for a student audience and then you deliver the content and then you also have a hands-on creative activity so the students are actually learning by doing.”

Going live

Upper Canada College’s CHOQ-FM French radio club

• BY Ann Ruppenstein pper Canada College students have been hitting the airwaves to showcase their French speaking abilities.

In partnership with CHOQ-FM, a Torontobased French radio station, students in Christine Kouremenos’s grade 10 French class and members of the school’s CHOQ-FM club get the chance to speak the language on air.

“They enjoy using French outside of the classroom and it gives meaning to what they are learning,” says Kouremenos. “The highlight for the boys is being on radio and having their friends and family listen in.”

As part of her class, someone from the nonprofit community radio station comes to the school for a training session and then the boys prepare their program prior to heading to the

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EDUCATION AND CAMP GUIDE Town Crier WINTER 2012

station for a live broadcast. A former student in Kouremenos’s class, Omar Abboud, liked the experience so much he got more involved with the radio station, which airs on 105.1 FM. “I decided to continue going on the air throughout the year in order to keep up my French throughout my final years of high school,” says Abboud, who is currently the president of the school’s CHOQ-FM club. “The experience is very exciting for all of us — we get to practise our French in a casual and fun atmosphere while simultaneously performing to a large audience in Toronto’s francophone community.”

Kouremenos says she has been involved with the radio station for several years and helps coordinate the sessions as well as running through the programming with her students.

photo courtesy matthew plexman

AND WE’RE LIVE: Students at Upper Canada College take to the airwaves as part of French class.

And her students appreciate her efforts.

“All of this could never have been possible without the help of Ms. Kouremenos,” adds Abboud. “I truly appreciate her effort to implement the real-life application and social interaction that makes learning French all the more enjoyable.”

Good works

Never too young

I

Principal’s Club at Children’s Garden School

• BY Ann Ruppenstein nstead of just fun and games, students at Children’s Garden School are spending their extracurricular time doing some good.

Stemming from a desire to lead a club focused on global awareness and community outreach, principal Marie Bates started the aptly named Principal’s Club.

Students involved in the twoyear-old club, which focuses on understanding the needs of others and giving back through fundraising, work to learn about the country they are helping, its culture, the people and their living conditions.

“Students learn that they can indeed make a difference,” says Bates. “If you asked any of the members of the club what they have learned from Principal’s Club, over-

whelmingly they would answer, ‘That no matter how young we are, we can change the world.’ I am very proud of that.”

In its inaugural year, the club raised enough money to build two water wells and equip two classrooms in Andhra Pradesh, India. This year the club has chosen to partner with Canadian World Education Society and will help provide free and quality education to children in Sanitar, Nepal.

Over the last term, Bates says the kids have already gained a good understanding of Nepal and more specifically the Mount Everest English School, which will benefit from their fundraising efforts.

“The students are involved in the entire process from determining

photo courtesy children’s garden school

MAKING THE WORLD BETTER: Members of the Principal’s Club at Children’s Garden School raise funds for projects around the world.

what our fundraisers will be to making the goods, setting up and selling their finished products,” says Bates.

“They even do all the advertising themselves.”

Bates says her goals for the club have surpassed her expectations. She also says she enjoys being able to interact and instruct students, which she had missed when working in administration and doing office work.

Fundraising initiatives to date by the Principal’s Club include bake sales, movie nights and most recently a holiday sale where kids sold home-

made gingerbread tree ornaments that they worked on for weeks, holiday greeting cards and decorations.

“The students have many plans for their fundraising efforts in the New Year,” she says. “They are entirely committed to (Canadian World Education Society) and the children of Nepal and really want to make a difference. In our fundraising goals the students are learning, firsthand, that the best gifts come from the heart.

Every week I am amazed at the maturity in thought and understanding of such young people. Somehow they just get it.”

Character education

Moral questions

T

Ethics class at Country Day School

• BY Ann Ruppenstein o cheat or not to cheat, that is the question.

Country Day School’s Ethics and Society, a course developed by Tony Young and Walter Guerra, gets grade 9 students talking about moral and ethical dilemmas in a way that is relevant to their lives and allows the kids to learn from each other.

“A health course might talk about issues that impact teens but what we try to do here is also teach them decision making strategies when faced with ethical dilemmas,” says Young, head of social sciences at Country Day School. “I think that makes the course pretty unique because we go into good detail about how they should approach ethical dilemmas,

reason through it, apply different strategies, that sort of thing.”

He says the course is also special because it would be difficult for parents to replicate a similar learning environment where their children can learn from one another through these in-class discussions.

“Some of it is relationship based just like honouring a commitment to a friend or to a girlfriend, boyfriend,” he says. “Some of it is bullying, how to treat others and then we get into other situations where if you were at someone’s home and someone offers you a drink and you are underage, those situations and trying to get them to reason through it.”

Young says he came up with the idea after reminiscing about

photo courtesy country day school

WHAT SHOULD I DO? Students in Country Day School’s Ethics and Society class examine and discuss the dilemmas they may face throughout their lives.

the older days of education, which included some character development, and talking about how great it would be to have a course devoted to ethics as an academic subject. Once his school was interested in pursuing the project, he got it approved as a locally developed course with the province’s Ministry of Education.

Although the course is taught in a variety of ways like case studies, he says students also benefit from being surrounded by positive role models.

“I’ve seen a number of cases where when we’ve had discussions, there’s this really positive peer pressure that happens,” he says. “Where

there are students whose moral compass is a little off, they actually hear what might be the right way to approach the situation from their peers, which as you know can be a very, very strong influence.”

Young hopes students will benefit from the course by applying what they learn to their everyday life and any future decisions.

“I always tell them you never know it but there might be a time in life when you have to make a really hard ethical decision which really can impact your life so just make sure you take the time to think it through.”

WINTER 2012 EDUCATION AND CAMP GUIDE Town Crier

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Giving back

Seeing first hand

O

Day of Hope at Holy Name of Mary

• BY Omar Mosleh

n Nov. 3, 2011, students from Holy Name of Mary College School learned that hope comes in small packages.

The students traveled to shelters, seniors’ homes and community organizations as part of their Day of Hope, an outreach project that aims to show students they can create change through small acts of kindness.

Chaplain and religion teacher at the Mississauga school, James McLevey, said it was inspiring for him to see students get involved and make a connection between the small act of help and the effect it can have on somebody else’s life.

“It was an opportunity created to make a collective impact through simple gestures, working through different agencies to create hope in small simple ways,” McLevey said.

“Anything from sweeping a floor to peeling a potato, it came to be because it was a desire to make change in a practical way.”

Going green

S

A group of students called Senior Outreach spearheaded the project.

Participants were bused out in small groups to 12 agencies throughout the GTA to help others and create change in a tangible way. The school took about six weeks to prepare.

Grade 11 student Colleen Fernandes volunteered at The Daily Break Food Bank in Etobicoke and Wenleigh Long Term Care Residence in Mississauga. Her favourite part was seeing seniors’ faces light up as she played the piano for them.

“To see what I can do can actually make a difference for them, it was really nice,” she said.

Fernandes says volunteering at the Daily Bread Food Bank changed her perspective on poverty.

“You see all these people that need help, you know they’re there but you just don’t get to see them as much,” she said. “So by going out there as a school, we definitely got to see that there were people that needed our help, and it made me

Photo courtesy Holy Name of Mary College School

COMMUNITY WORK: Students from Holy Name of Mary College School spent a day volunteering with several GTA social service agencies.

thankful for what I had.”

Student Isabella Olivares, also in grade 11, expressed similar sentiments after her time at the Good Shepherd Shelter in Toronto.

The most memorable part of the day for her was sitting down in the to eat rice, curry and chick peas alongside people she didn’t know she had anything in common with.

“It just opened my mind to the fact that even though these people don’t go back to the same things that me and my classmates do, they’re equal to us,” she said. “That’s what was so great about eating in the cafeteria together, it didn’t matter who you were sitting with, everybody was just equal.”

In the past, she “kind of tried to

ignore” the homeless.

No longer.

“Now when I see people on the street ... I’ll acknowledge them,” she said.

For McLevey, it’s a perfect example of how the Day of Hope urges students to create change not only in others’ lives, but also their own.

“After the debrief, students were sort of more aware of how some small gesture can create a big ripple of hope into somebody’s life, whether they’re a lonely senior or somebody who just needs some work done and can’t get it done,” he said.

The ultimate hope is the sentiment lasts much longer than 24 hours.

“It could lead to the Week of Hope,” McLevey said.

Cleaning up

Environmental action at Crescent School

• BY Ann Ruppenstein tudents and staff at Crescent School have gone green.

The school recently received a gold award from the Recycling Council of Ontario for their environmental efforts and commitment to recycling and sustainability.

The chair of the school’s Environmental Action Committee, Jayme Nadolny, says he’s been working on revitalizing environmental programs over the last two years by promoting recycling and organizing school-wide initiatives.

“This award is important because it shows the progress made by the Crescent community in their constant effort to become more environmentally responsible in all aspects of school life,” says the grade 12 student, adding they

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EDUCATION AND CAMP GUIDE Town Crier WINTER 2012

received a bronze award at the annual awards ceremony last year.

Taking home gold meant Crescent was the only school in the province to be recognized at that level.

To date, the impact of the Environmental Action Committee includes helping Crescent School’s waste management process by reducing garbage output by 50 percent, doubling recycling and tripling the amount of organic waste collection. The school has also implemented green cleaning supplies and a collection program for used batteries and electronics.

Facilities manager Lorne Rabinovitch says a lot of their changes have had a positive impact on the school’s culture, community

photo courtesy crescent school

WASTE MANAGEMENT: Crescent School received a gold award from the Recycling Council of Ontario.

and budget.

“My role at this school demands particular attention towards the environment,” says Rabinovitch. “I am happy to be part of a hard-working, student-run committee that is always working to reduce Crescent’s ecological footprint.”

Big money

Over a million

Y

Sterling Hall School’s Terry Fox Run

• BY Omar Mosleh

ou could say Sterling Hall School has had a good run for its money.

Following their 18th annual Terry Fox Run, the school now has a unique claim to fame: the only elementary school in the world to raise more than $1 million dollars for the Terry Fox Foundation.

The North Toronto institution also holds the title of top fundraising school for seven years in a row, says the Terry Fox Foundation’s provincial director for Ontario, Martha McClew.

Even some of the smallest kids got involved in a big way, including a grade 1 student who baked brownies to raise money.

“One of the things that works with Terry Fox is that it’s a very human and tangible cause,” said Sterling Hall’s principal Ian Robinson. “As a consequence even the youngest boys really seem to understand what

we’re doing and why we’re doing it.”

All together, more than 800 parents, students, staff and even some pets took part in the run. All 309 boys participated and were encouraged to raise 13 pledges each from family and friends.

Students went door-to-door and hosted lemonade stands alongside other creative methods of fundraising. Robinson said the kids took to the event with gusto.

“The boys get a genuine sense of satisfaction because they know they’re doing something good that affects all of us,” he said.

The run has grown over the years from raising $3,000 at their inaugural event in 1994, to more than $104,000 in 2011.

“It’s achieved a prominence that we haven’t necessarily anticipated,” Robinson said. “It became a real

francis crescia/town crier

FAMILY CAUSE: Cancer patient Katie Hoffman and her son Spencer helped Sterling Hall School raise over $1 million for the Terry Fox Foundation.

urgent cause for the boys and their families too.”

The cause is especially urgent for Katie Hoffman and her son Spencer, a grade 7 student at the school. she is currently undergoing treatment for breast cancer, but that didn’t stop her or her son from participating.

“It felt really good to be part of a community that’s so dedicated to the Terry Fox Foundation,” she said.

Hoffman has successfully defeated the disease twice before — once when she was in university, and more recently in 2007. She said her current treatment is going well.

Seeing his mom struggle with cancer inspired Spencer to raise

money any way he can.

“I felt close to this topic, and wanted to make a difference, so that’s why I got involved,” he said.

“For me, any donation helps, and if we try hard enough maybe cancer will be cured for everyone.”

An ambitious effort, perhaps, but a genuine one. For Hoffman, the annual run is an opportunity to show young boys they can make a big contribution to cancer research and other causes.

“Terry Fox is such a great role model, for boys especially,” she said. “It starts with that idea that Terry Fox had this dream and he took the steps to make that dream come true.”

After school

Close to home

T

Right to Play and Runnymede Collegiate

• BY Brian Baker

he organization Right to Play may be better known as a charity that traditionally works in developing countries, but you may be surprised to hear the group also has a project at Jane and Dundas.

Runnymede Collegiate is home to a pilot project where high school students organize an after-school program for neighbouring George Syme Community School.

“It really does build a really safe and caring community,” said teacher Kristina Kotsopoulos, who leads the program at Runnymede. “That’s part of the goal with the program.

“Especially where our schools are located, there may not be a lot of opportunities for kids to get involved and go outside.”

In its first year in 2008 the program had 40 George Syme students take part in the once-a-week evening of fun and games.

Runnymede student-leader Lisa Ramraj has been teaching games to the elementary kids since the beginning and has seen the benefits.

“You just feel the energy and they love that you’re there playing games with them,” she said. “They actually want us there every day.

“It’s really taught me a lot. It’s

photo courtesy Kristina Kotsopoulos

FUN TIMES: Students from Runnymede Collegiate partner with Right to Play in organizing a recreational program for kids at George Syme Community School.

taught me how to lead, how to deal with different situations.”

Her classmate and fellow instructor Alisa Persaud is happy with the one-hour of joy she can bring to George Syme.

“It’s taught me to be more patient with people, to understand their feelings and emotions, how they cope with things, the situations they’re put in at home,” she said. “We can help them here. If their situation is not so great at home, they can still

let loose and have fun.

“We’re a part of that, I’m proud of that.”

Kotsopoulos is happy with the change she sees in high school students teaching sports to their younger peers.

“It’s great to have this avenue where it’s not just high school kids in their own school making a difference,” she said. “They really get to reach out and extend in their community.”

WINTER 2012 EDUCATION AND CAMP GUIDE Town Crier

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Montessori education is internationally established as one of the most effective methods to help children "learn how to learn", thus gaining independence and self-confidence.

During various stages of our Casa program, emphasis gradually shifts from basic motor skills and languages to development

of concentration, coordination, independence and sense of order. This leads the child to grasp writing, reading and mathematical concepts much more quickly. In our Elementary classrooms, we introduce hands-on material to assist in understanding concepts before they are committed to memory. Physical education, arts, French and various extra curricular activities help our students to achieve a holistic higher standard of education.

The schools follow a high quality, accredited Montessori curriculum, which helps each child to reach their full potential. The daily

activities promote the development of social skills, cognitive ability, self-esteem, emotional and spiritual growth, and a love for learning.

Central Montessori Schools is pleased to add a new Casa French Program at our Willowdale Campus. This program, for children 3-6 years of age is offered fully in French, taught by a certified Montessori teacher and follows the Montessori philosophy. The CMS Casa French class offers five half days (a.m./ p.m.) of five full days.

For information please visit our website at www.cmschool.net.

CGS-Children’s Garden School The Best Prep School Choice for Your Child Children’s Garden School on Eglinton has been providing outstanding Preschool to Grade 3 education in Leaside for 25 years. CGS students are among the most highly regarded applicants to the top private schools, well-known for their academic skills, poise and character.

Families also choose CGS to give their

child a solid academic and social foundation before they join the public system in Grade 4. To help students reach their full potential programming is enriched and tailored to each student’s needs.

Class sizes are small to ensure that your child receives the attention they need to succeed in all areas of the curriculum

whether it is in classroom, on the stage or on the field. Apply now for Kindergarten.

Due to high demand afternoon Early Start (preschool) classes now available Fall 2012/13.

To book your tour, please call 416 423 5017 or visitwww.cgsschool.com to learn more.

Children’s Garden Nursery School We are now 25 years young!

In our original location since 1986, Children’s Garden Nursery School has been providing a vibrant, loving and nurturing atmosphere where children are introduced to both academic and social life. The ultimate goal of the school is to foster the things that enable young individuals to reach their full potential; independence, confidence, cooperation and respect.

Bright and friendly classrooms, small group ratios, exceptionally dedicated

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EDUCATION AND CAMP GUIDE Town Crier WINTER 2012

teachers, specialty programs that include French (AIM Gesture Program), Sportball, Music and Drama are just an example of what makes Children’s Garden Nursery School the perfect foundation for any Nursery or Kindergarten aged child.

• Looking for a Kindergarten program that will help prepare your child for Grade One? We offer both five morning and five afternoon Kindergarten programs.

• For those children enrolled in morning

Public School for French Immersion or Regular Kindergarten, we also offer two or three afternoon Kindergarten Enrichment.

A unique individual learning philosophy provides the children with an opportunity to develop reading, writing and math skills at their own pace. We are located on Bayview Ave, 1 traffic light north of Eglinton. For more information about our programs, call 416-488-4298 or visit our website at www.childrensgarden.ca

Your Perfect School Crescent School A School for Boys for Since 1913 A school for boys since 1913, Crescent is committed to developing and implementing the most current research into how boys learn. Faculty members, rated by parents as Crescent’s greatest strength, consider teaching boys their job, and educating boys their responsibility. They combine a challenging academic program with a superior array of co-cur-

ricular opportunities allowing each boy to find and develop his unique abilities.

Students strive for excellence and actively seek leadership opportunities in some aspect of school life. Community service and global outreach are integral components of Crescent’s broad educational program. Our school values, respect, responsibility, honesty and compas-

sion, guide the actions and decisions of faculty and students alike. We encourage our community to ask of themselves and of others, locally, nationally and internationally, “How can I help?” Looking at oneself through others’ eyes enables a Crescent student to progress from a boy of promise to a man of character. visit www.crescentschool.org

Hudson College Dedicated to developing the whole child Looking for a new school? At Hudson, we offer a challenging, nurturing and rewarding learning environment that allows students to reach their maximum potential.

Recognized for our excellence in delivering a balanced curriculum, our small class sizes and promise of a Total Personal Support system dedicated to developing the whole child — academically, socially, and emotionally

— ensure that all students receive the kind of individual attention needed to develop their special skills, strengths and interests.

Our dedicated and experienced faculty care deeply about our students and their education. They share a true passion for teaching, participating in all aspects of school life as mentors, coaches and leaders.

Situated on a large, quiet, air-

conditioned campus in central Toronto, our modern facility features spacious classrooms, state-of-the-art computer and science labs, large gymnasium, music and fine arts rooms. We also offer Advanced Placement courses in senior-level Math, English, Business and Science. Our graduates leave us with a strong sense of character, dedication to community and leadership qualities. visit www.hudsoncollege.ca

La Citadelle La Citadelle International Academy of Arts & Science La Citadelle International Academy of Arts & Science is a unique bilingual private school in Toronto that was founded in September 2000 on a clear vision of international education and rooted in the fundamental concepts of Canadian bilingualism, holistic education and a spirit of excellence in education. La Citadelle International Academy of Arts & Science offers an efficient educational setting based on student-centered classrooms with an optimal student to teacher ratio, attention to individuals students, experienced and devoted teachers and specialized facilities.

The growing reputation of La Citadelle, acknowledged by its IB accreditation, is founded on an exceptionally caring environment, an advanced curriculum from Pre-Kindergarten (2 years old) to university entrance and a comprehensive and balanced program leading to mastery learning in French, English and a third language (Spanish or Mandarin), Liberal Arts, Mathematics and Science and some unique courses such as Computer Music, Method of Study and Character Education.

With three years of total French instruction at the Kindergarten level and eight years of

bilingual instruction at the elementary level, students acquire the skills and knowledge required to start an advanced secondary education that has been customized to offer them a very solid foundation to successfully pursue higher learning in the most prominent universities around the world.

Open House: Last Thursday of every month at 10:00 a.m.

15 Mallow Road, North York, M3B 1G2 tel/fax: 416-385-9685 info@lacitadelleacademy.com www.lacitadelleacademy.com

Maria Montessori School Maria Montessori - a unique alternative to traditional learning As with all schools, academic facility is important to the Montessori philosophy. Maria Montessori School graduates consistently enjoy success at schools throughout Toronto and beyond. However, while this claim can be made by many schools, for our children it is the path to this success that is markedly different.

Within specially equipped classrooms, guided by teachers trained by the Association

Montessori Internationale, children happily work developing the skills that will prepare them for a lifetime of learning. Without competition, extrinsic rewards or punishments, artificially segmented work periods, restrictive uniforms, or hours of homework our children eagerly meet the challenges of the world around them. Whether it is learning to tie their own shoes or, in later years, to master the

complexities of algebra, all development is supported and encouraged with equal enthusiasm and respect.

If you are interested in exploring a truly unique alternative to traditional education, for children two and a half to twelve years of age, we invite you to call us and arrange a personal meeting and tour.

Please visit www.mariamontessori.ca.

Marilyn Webb Nursery School Learning, friendship and fun at Marilyn Webb Operated by Upper Canada Child Care, Marilyn Webb Nursery School is named in honour of our first teacher who retired in 1995 and set the high standards continued in our program today. The Nursery School operates Monday to Friday from 9:00 to 11:30 am.

Parents may choose 2 to 5 mornings per week.

The Marilyn Webb Nursery School is located in Three Valleys Public School, in a quiet neigh-

bourhood in the York Mills and Don Mills area.

Our trained and experienced staff provide a variety of learning opportunities throughout the morning. Children are encouraged to develop social and communication skills, pre literacy, letter and number recognition and basic math concepts. Self help skills are developed through many of our classroom routines. We offer children an environment in which they have the

maximum potential to experience secure, stimulating, healthy and enjoyable opportunities for growth. The emphasis of our program is learning, friendship and fun. Registrations are made on a first come, first served basis. Register early as spaces fill up fast.

For more information, please contact Fran at 416-443-9414, or visit www.uppercanadachildcare.com.

Marilyn Webb Nursery School

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Perfect School YourYour Perfect School Your perfect school Metropolitan Preparatory Academy Metro Prep Academy: A strong foundation for the future Metropolitan Preparatory Academy offers semestered, co-ed Middle School (grades 7-8) and High School (grades 9-12) programs in the DVP and Eglinton area.

Walking through the hallways of Metro Prep, you’ll quickly notice that it’s not an “oldfashioned” private institution.

The academics are structured and challenging, yet the environment is supportive and

nurturing. Faculty and administration doors are open, encouraging strong relationships with students and their families.

And, no uniforms are in sight, allowing young men and women to express their individuality.

In this comfortable setting, Metro Prep’s students are taught to trust their instincts, to think both critically and creatively, ask ques-

tions, and seek the help they need to succeed.

Extensive athletic and extracurricular opportunities foster the physical and social potential of each child.

For over 29 years, Metro Prep’s has been preparing children for the academics of university and the skills needed for life-long success.

Preparation begins NOW! Please visit www.metroprep.com.

Montcrest School Montcrest School - 50 Years and Growing Strong Montcrest School is a co-educational, elementary day school, overlooking Riverdale Park in the Broadview and Danforth area of Toronto.

The challenging core curriculum is taught in a structured and nurturing environment.

Students receive individual attention and excellent instruction in small class sizes. The arts are an integral element of the curriculum.

Students benefit from the teaching expertise

and enthusiasm of specialists in art, drama, music, French, physical education and technology.

A dedicated faculty provides a caring environment that is conducive to a child’s growth and instills a love of learning by stimulating individual interests and imagination.

Students participate in a wide variety of cocurricular sports and clubs. Exposure to cultural

activities both within and outside the school community enrich the students’ experience.

Emphasis is placed on leadership, character education and community service.

Small classes for children with learning disabilities are offered from Grades 2 to 8.

For more information please call 416-469-2008 ext 230 or visit us at www.montcrest.on.ca.

ricular program, ensure that “Clementines” are prepared for the challenges of the world’s leading universities.

The school’s vibrant facilities include a performance and lecture hall, a dance/drama studio, two gymnasiums, state-of-the-art science laboratories, and more – all reflecting the varied activities of SCS students. SCS has

recently developed and launched LINCWell, a comprehensive program of student enrichment and support. With its motto, “Learn well, Lead well, Live well,” LINCWell offers a school-wide integrated approach to education helping students to sustain high academic standards, creativity, health, and wellness.

Visit www.scs.on.ca for more info.

St. Clements School I am Prepared Since 1901, SCS has developed women of character by encouraging academic excellence, self-confidence, leadership, and independent thinking in an enriching, supportive environment. Known for its strong academic program, SCS has Ontario’s most extensive Advanced Placement program. Comprehensive academics, combined with the school’s rich co-cur-

Sunnybrook School Why parents are excited about Sunnybrook School The IB Primary Years Programme is the core of learning at Sunnybrook School.

Our international curriculum is designed to foster active, caring, knowledgeable citizens of the world. This learning begins close to home, and over the primary years it grows in ever larger circles to embrace the world. At Sunnybrook we teach 21st century skills and knowledge to boys

and girls from JK through to grade 6. Our graduates, who all move on to the schools of their choice are our best ambassadors.

We are thrilled to announce that in the Winter of 2012 our facilities will be expanding. The addition will include 4 new classrooms, as well as an art/drama studio, a French room and a Music room.

We also look forward to the expansion of

our beautiful playground. Enrolment will remain the same, as we believe that small schools are best suited to fill the learning needs of young children and their families.

Our dynamic, nurturing school is about to become both bigger and better. Please visit, so you can experience the Sunnybrook community of learners in action. www.sunnybrookschool.com.

The Bishop Strachan School Girls Can Do Anything BSS stands apart as a school that rejoices in creativity and empowers girls to become smart, independent, compassionate young women. We are singularly noted as the architects of a unique and powerful version of the ‘whole girl’ approach to learning, which is based on in-depth knowledge of how girls learn

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EDUCATION AND CAMP GUIDE Town Crier WINTER 2012

best. Founded in 1867, BSS is among the most respected and sought after girls’ schools in Canada. We have earned a reputation for placing a high value on self-expression, building confidence and instilling a joy for learning that endures a lifetime. BSS prizes academic excellence and ensures girls not only develop mastery

over scholastics, but also confidence in themselves and the value of their voice.

A warm atmosphere, full range of cocurricular activities, leading technologies, Advanced Placement opportunities, and superb faculty that challenges girls to reach their fullest potential, are hallmarks of the BSS experience. www.bss.on.ca

Your Perfect School The Dunblaine School Focus on learning disabilities at Dunblaine School The Dunblaine School is a small independent school offering a curriculum designed to motivate and meet the needs of elementary school children with learning disabilities, attention deficit disorder, as well as speech and language difficulties.

Through individualized programs and a low

student-to-teacher ratio, The Dunblaine School helps students realize their full potential.Direct Instruction methodology, individual tutorials, music, social skills and other professional services are emphasized features of our program.

We are accepting applications for the

2012-2013 school year. Please join us for our Open House on Feb. 23, 2012, and April 19, 2012 from 9:30am - 11:30am or 5:00pm - 7:00pm.

For more information, please contact the school at 416-483-9215 or visit us at www.dunblaineschool.com

learn best at every age and stage of development. Linden’s small classes allow our teachers to embrace the individual learning style of each student.

The strong relationships Linden girls develop with their teachers and peers generate a strong sense of belonging throughout the school community.

These connections stimulate our

students to take ownership of their education and to believe in their ability to impact the world around them. When a girl finds her voice at Linden, she knows it can make a meaningful difference.

To discover if Linden is the right fit for your daughter, visit www.lindenschool.ca or call us at 416-966-4406.

The Linden School Where girls find their voice Since 1993, The Linden School has inspired girls to develop confidence in themselves through innovative teaching methods, empowering experiences, and meaningful connections to their peers and their community.

Our evidence-based approach to teaching is girl-centred, incorporating the most current research about how girls

The Sterling Hall School The Sterling Hall School. You’ve come to the right place.

At The Sterling Hall School we genuinely care for your boy. We have the lowest student to teacher ratio of any boy’s school in Toronto, with specialists on-hand in art, physical education, science and technology. Your son will receive the individualized attention he deserves in a small class setting where his voice will not just be heard, but recognized.

The Sterling Hall School is home to excellent academics, leadership opportunities and a stimulating array of extracurricular activities – all designed to create students who become today’s critical thinkers and tomorrow’s innovative leaders.

Our dynamic, accessible teachers are extraordinary mentors, truly committed

to our guiding principle of providing an environment that nurtures your boy’s mind and spirit.

Founded in 1987, the school now has an enrollment of 310 boys. For further information, contact Claire Reed at 416.785-3410 ext. 238, email admissions@sterlinghall.com or visit us at www.sterlinghall.com.

TFS - Canada’s International School TFS is Canada’s International School TFS - Canada’s International School is bilingual, co-educational and non-denominational. Renowned for its academic excellence and emphasis on personal development, TFS educates students from age 2 to university entrance.

Our outstanding English and French curriculum is designed to provide students with a world view. We are accredited by the Ministry of

Education of Ontario, the Ministry of Education of France and the International Baccalaureate organization.

Students require no prior knowledge of French when applying up to and including Grade 7. Our Introductory French Program gives students intensive French language instruction, following the same curricula as their peers.

Athletics and the arts are an integral part

of a TFS education. Our students also benefit from our rich array of co-curricular programs.

All students prepare for the International Baccalaureate Diploma and have the unique opportunity to pursue an IB bilingual diploma.

Want your child to be prepared to be a global citizen of tomorrow?

Learn more about TFS’ Toronto and Mississauga campuses at www.tfs.ca.

Toronto New School New School in Historic Setting The Toronto New School, Located in the historic Massey Mansion, is an intimate learning environment in which each student acquires confidence, intellectual tools, life skills and adaptable habits of mind.

Our teachers and students are on a first name basis, promoting trust, accountability

and, most of all, engagement.

Our school encourages students to be themselves and recognizes that instruction is only effective when it can be attached to meaningful experience.

Not only do we promote thought, we also promote thoughtfulness. We don’t believe in

cliques. We don’t believe in labels. You see the result in our students’ respect for their teachers and each other as individuals. We prepare students, better than all others, for success at the post secondary level. We treat our students like the adults that they will become. www.torontonewschool.com WINTER 2012 EDUCATION AND CAMP GUIDE Town Crier

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Perfect School YourYour Perfect School Your perfect school Toronto Prep School Experienced faculty engages minds at Toronto Prep The Toronto Prep School is a new, independent, co-educational, university preparatory, day school for discerning students and parents.

We are dedicated to creating an academic and social environment designed to prepare students not just for admission to university, but for success - both in the post-secondary arena and in later life.Toronto Prep is built upon the

belief that a talented, experienced, dedicated, passionate, and well-prepared teaching staff is one of the most important ingredients for students’ success in school. Teachers’ knowledge and skill make a crucial difference in what students learn and how well they are prepared for the rigours of post-secondary school education.

We are committed to engaging each one

of our students and will provide them with the best learning environment. Let us help your child achieve and maintain academic success.

Consider our program if you are interested in an academically rigorous and structured environment dedicated to challenging and nurturing your child. Contact us at www.torontoprepschool.com.

The YMCA Academy The YMCA Academy: Learning that makes a difference The YMCA Academy is a small, innovative secondary school in the heart of downtown Toronto. Created to respond to the unique learning needs facing many young people today, the curriculum integrates academic credits with practical life skills. Our personal approach and specialized programs are ide-

ally suited for students with mild learning disabilities, learning style differences or need for remediation.

Small class sizes, a team of highly skilled teachers and up-to-date computer and science labs ensure a high quality of learning strategies that work for our students.

Enrolment at the school includes: membership at YMCA Health, Fitness and Recreation facilities, adventure camp experiences, workplace internships and mentors, co-operative education and small group remediation.

Call us at 416-928-0124 or e-mail us at: tracey.addison@ymcagta.org

Open House Schedule for Private & Independent Schools

SCHOOL

DATE

TIME

CONTACT INFO SCHOOL

Bayview Glen Sat., Feb.4, 2012 1:00pm - 3:00pm www.bayviewglen.ca Blyth Academy Please call for information www.blytheducation.com Central Montessori Schools Thurs. at all 5 locations 9:00am - 11:30am www.cmschool.net 1:00pm-3:30pm CGS - Children’s Garden School Please call to book tour www.cgsschool.com Children's Garden Nursery School Fri., Feb. 24, 2012 5:00pm - 7:00pm www.childrensgarden.ca Crescent School All Grades

www.crescentschool.org Thurs. May 24, 2012 9:30am - 11:30am Hudson College 7:00pm - 9:00pm Wed., Feb. 11 , 2012 www.hudsoncollege.ca Sat., Feb. 25 , 2012 12:00pm - 4:00pm

Sat., Feb. 9 , 2012 12:00pm - 4:00pm La Citadelle Open House Last Thursday of Every Month www.lacitadelleacademy.com 10:00am Maria Montessori School Tues., Jan. 17, 2012 6:00pm - 8:00pm www.mariamontessori.ca Tues., Feb, 21, 2012 6:00pm - 8:00pm

Tues., April 17, 2012 6:00pm - 8:00pm Marilyn Webb Nursery School Please call for information www.uppercanadachildcare.com Metropolitan Preparatory Academy Thurs, Feb. 9, 2012 4:00pm - 8:00pm www.metroprep.com Thurs, Apr. 19, 2012 4:00pm - 8:00pm Montcrest School Fri. Jan. 20, 2012 9:30am - 11:00am www.montcrest.on.ca Our Kids Camp Expo www.campexpo.ca Sun, Feb. 26, 2012 12:00pm - 4:00pm St. Clement’s School Please call for information www.scs.on.ca Sunnybrook School Thurs., Feb. 2, 2012 1:30pm - 3:00pm Wed., April 11, 2012 1:30pm - 3:00pm www.sunnybrookschool.com

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EDUCATION AND CAMP GUIDE Town Crier WINTER 2012

DATE

TIME

CONTACT INFO

416-443-1030 The Bishop Strachan School Please call for information 416-483-4325 www.bss.on.ca 416-960-3552 The Dunblaine School Thurs., Feb., 23, 2012 9:30am - 11:30am 416-483-9215 www.dunblaineschool.com & 5:00pm - 7:00pm 416-250-1022

Thurs., April 19, 2012 9:30am - 11:30am

& 5:00pm - 7:00pm 416-423-5017 The Linden School Fri., Feb. 17, 2012 9:00am - 12:00pm 416-966-4406 416-488-4298 www.lindenschool.ca Please call for information 416-785-3410 The Sterling Hall School 416-449-2556 www.sterlinghall.com Please call for information 416-928-0124 416-631-0082 The YMCA Academy www.ymcaacademy.org TFS -

416-385-9685 Canada’s International School Age 2 to Grade 1

416-484-6980 www.tfs.ca Wed., Jan. 18, 2012 9:30am - 11:30am ext. 4247 416-423-9123

Junior School: (Grade 2 - Grade 5)

Thurs., Jan. 12, 2012 9:30am - 11:30am Senior School: (Grades 6 - University Entrance) 416-443-9414 9:30am - 11:30am

Wed., Jan. 25, 2012 416-285-0870 Toronto New School Tues., Feb. 28, 2012 6:30pm - 8:30pm 416-960-1867 www.torontonewschool.com Wed., April 4, 2012 6:30pm - 8:30pm 416-469-2008

Wed., May 9, 2012 6:30pm - 8:30pm

Tues., June 5, 2012 6:30pm - 8:30pm Toronto Prep School Sat., April 21, 2012 11:00am - 2:00pm 416-545-1020 www.torontoprepschool.com 416-483-4835 416-487-5308

KIDS CAMPS AND ACTIVITIES

• All music, all the time

Spend the summer playing a different tune

• Lessons from camp The important life skills children can gain from spending time outdoors

Photo Courtesy: our kids media WINTER 2012 EDUCATION AND CAMP GUIDE Town Crier

25

Strike up the band

Rock out at music camp photo courtesy Guitar workshop plus

LEARNING TO SHRED: Students at Guitar Workshop Plus spend a week learning the finer points of both their chosen instrument and preferred style of music.

H

Programs give students a way to hone their skills and have fun

• BY Shaheer Choudhury

er first brush with music came at age three when Irene Harrett’s parents enrolled her in a music program at Humber College.

Since then she’s become an avid musician who spends part of her summers at various music camps.

Harrett, who currently plays the double bass and bass guitar, has gone to about

seven or eight music camps.

“I usually try different ones each year,” says the grade 11 student. “They all offer different things and have different teachers.”

Harrett says unlike music lessons you get a more intense experience at music camp as well as an honest opinion from the instructors since it’s not coming from a private tutor.

Three A+ students.

She suggests looking into a few camps before choosing one as they all offer different things. But she also warns that music camps aren’t for everyone.

“Kids that don’t feel like they want to do music will not enjoy the programs because they are so music focused,” says Harrett.

“And if kids aren’t used to that or they really don’t feel comfortable doing that, it doesn’t really work.”

Gerry Barker’s

North Toronto Basketball Camp Week 1: July 2 - July 6, 2012 Week 2: July 9 - July 13, 2012 9:00 am - 3:00 pm

You can't change the wind...but you can adjust the sails.

Achieving below potential?

• Attention Span is Short • Distractibility • Difficulty Organizing & Completing Work • Impulsivity • Learning Difficulties • Asperger’s syndrome

26

Which one has ADD? Neurofeedback plus coaching in Learning Strategies can provide a lasting improvement in learning.

Research results are available.

Director: Dr. Lynda M. Thompson (416) 488-2233 Co-author with pediatrician Wm. Sears of The A.D.D. Book www.addcentre.com

EDUCATION AND CAMP GUIDE Town Crier WINTER 2012

Northern Secondary School 851 Mount Pleasant Rd. Cost $250.00 per week Boys & Girls 8 - 15

Register online at www.barkerbasketball.ca or call 416-690-4587 gerry4barker@hotmail.com

For Harrett, Guitar Workshop Plus, which she attended last summer, provided the best experience. She said she learned more from their program than any camp she’s attended.

Guitar Workshop Plus holds two sessions at Appleby College in Oakville in the last two weeks of July. Followed by one more session in Vancouver in mid-August.

The camp’s founder and director Brian Murray says the program is for those who are serious about music. According to Murray, half of the campers are between the ages of 12–18 and the other half are anywhere from 20–70 years old.

“We do rock, blues, jazz, acoustic, classical,” Murray says.

“Basically every style of music and students choose their major.”

Students can also choose to major in the bass guitar, percussion, keyboard, vocals and song writing. They are free to attend special clinics centred on their own particular interests throughout the week, in addition to their other work.

“You’re living, breathing, eating music, morning noon and night for a week,” says Murray.

He adds that you can’t help but get inspired when like-minded people who all hold the common interest of music surround you and are all trying to better themselves and their art.

However, as Harrett pointed out, a fully music-focused camp is not for everyone, but some programs, like that at the National Music Camp, offer music along with a more traditional camp experience.

The camp’s music director Michael Ferguson says it’s important to have both music and non-music activities.

“For those serious students, those who want to do more in-depth music at the camp can do so,” says Ferguson. “But also those who feel that the base courses we have is enough for them can choose to do other things.”

The camp offers a variety of musical disciplines and styles mixed with waterskiing, kayaking, wall climbing, archery and sports.

“It is a great way to be introduced to music because you are in an environment that is totally focused on music education,” says camp director Bruce Nashman. “But you’re also having fun and a great time making friends, doing camp activities, so it’s an ideal situation for anyone interested in music.”

Like Harrett, Ferguson suggests parents look at different music camps and see what each has to offer to find one best suited to their child.

“This is an overnight camp and there are music day camps that go on in bigger cities,” says Ferguson. “But I think in terms of a summer camp that has a focus, but still gives the kids a summer camp experience, really it can’t be beat.”

• “You’re living, breathing (and) eating music.”

photo courtesy national music camp

COME BLOW YOUR HORN: National Music Camp mixes musical instruction with more traditional camp activities such as waterskiing, kayaking and archery.

A creative home for young bodies, minds and spirits since 1983!

416-924-5657 ● schoolofccdt@ccdt.org www.ccdt.org ● 509 Parliament Street, Toronto WINTER 2012 EDUCATION AND CAMP GUIDE Town Crier

27

Decisions, decisions

", -/Ê Ê 1, Ê- / Ê 1 Learn to skate at any age!

UÊÊ+Õ> ÌÞÊà >Ì }Ê«À }À> ÃÊÌ>Õ} ÌÊLÞÊ - >ÌiÊ > >`> ViÀÌ wi`ÊV >V ià UÊ À Ê«Ài ÃV ÊÌ ÊV «iÌ Ì ÛiÊ

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Finding the right camp for your child

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• BY Ann Ruppenstein

>ÃÃiÃÊV i ViÊ Ê-i«Ìi LiÀ

ÀÊ ÀiÊ v À >Ì ]ÊV Ì>VÌÊÕÃÊ>ÌÊ 416.481.7325 or foresthill1@bellnet.ca

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28

Choosing well

EDUCATION AND CAMP GUIDE Town Crier WINTER 2012

t may be winter but it’s not too early to start thinking about summer camp.

With a plethora of choices, Camp Kandalore’s director Dave Graham suggests parents call potential camps to find out more about their programming and philosophy in order to help figure out what would be a good fit for their kids.

Graham suggests parents gather and share information with their kids prior to any overnight excursions so they know what to expect and are excited and looking forward to the experience.

“Every child is unique and what I would encourage families to do is be very honest in your appraisal of your child,” he says. “Don’t stop your child from going to camp because you as a parent aren’t ready for them to go. Look at your child and if they’re ready to go, then do it.”

When it comes to choosing a camp Power Soccer’s director Liam Power says parents should look into the camp’s schedule to find a breakdown of the activities planned to see what kind of content their kids may learn and benefit from.

“I think it’s important for parents to consider the whole package of the camp, considering the price and stuff like the reputation of the camp and also just to talk to their friends because word of mouth is such an important method of communication as well,” he says.

Power says one of the benefits of choosing a specialized camp is it

• “It’s an adventure to go

away to a residential camp.”

C a n a da’s L a rg e s t summe r C a mp e x po February 26, 2012 · roy thomson hall · toronto 12:00 - 4:00 pm

photo courtesy our kids media

FUN TIMES: Camp can be a great experience, if you and your kids pick the right one for them.

engages kids with a subject they’re already interested in and allows them to develop their skills and knowledge in the process.

Though he runs a general camp Graham says campers get the chance to try out many activities and potentially discover a passion for something they never knew existed.

“We’ve produced world-class athletes in kayaking out of our program from kids who just came to try all kinds of activities so you get that in a general camp,” he says. “If your child already has a very focused specialization that you want to take advantage of and progress even further, then you can look to a specialized camp.”

The Hollows Camp’s founder and co-director Stephen Fine believes picking a camp should be a family affair. He says parents can present potential options to their kids and ask which they’d be interested in attending or simply ask for their input in the first place. When choosing between day and overnight camps he says a day camp often serves as a stepping-stone to the residential experience.

“I think that at a certain age kids can really benefit from time away from that which they are really familiar with,” says Fine. “It’s an adventure to go away to a residential camp and it doesn’t have to be very far just getting out of the house and having some new surroundings and some new friends other than the ones that you see all the time.”

It may be hard for parents to envision warm weather during this time of year but Graham says booking early guarantees more than just discounted rates.

“Camps that are popular and good quality and well known are going to fill quite quickly,” says Graham. “The longer the delay you have in registering for camp, the less options you will have registering for camps. If you have a sense that’s something you want to do … get it out of the way and do it right now.”

PRESENTED BY

Find the best march break program or summer camp For your kids and teens.

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o.ca www.campexp WINTER 2012 EDUCATION AND CAMP GUIDE Town Crier

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Beyond memories

Benefits of camp

A

Many important life skills can be gained over the summer

t first, the campers were only familiar with the digital realm of text messages, Facebook and video games. But by the end of camp, a new study found they experienced significant growth, connecting with the world beyond electronic screens and smartphones.

“The major changes on their growth speaks tremendously of the summer camp experience,” says Troy Glover, the director of the University of Waterloo’s Healthy Communities Research Network, who spearheaded the Canadian Summer Camp Research Project.

Camp counsellors had observed the positive change in children by the end of their sessions, according to researchers from the project.

“Sending kids to camp allows children to grow and learn good citizenship, social integration, personal development and social development, exploring his or her capabilities and being in a safe environment where they can grow, gain independence and take risks,” Glover says.

And in the age of overprotective parents wanting to shelter their children from all risks, camp can offer a safe place for kids to experience the kind of freedom their parents enjoyed when they were young.

“My parents were much more open to allowing me to play wherever I want … (as opposed

• BY Christl Dabu to) today, despite our communities being statistically safer,” says Glover, a father of two.

“Because we want to protect kids from harm … we are less likely to give kids their freedom.”

By allowing children to take risks, the study found camp helps children develop important skills and build their independence, resiliency and self-esteem in a safe, supervised and supportive environment.

“Camp does a really good job of teaching kids it’s okay to fail and helps them recognize their limitations and see these are things that are not fixed and can be improved upon,” Glover says.

Before making it big, Josh Bailey, the 21year-old New York Islanders player from Bowmanville, was just a kid playing the game he loved. At hockey camp in Aurora, his parents and grandparents would cheer from the stands as Bailey, his cousin and brother teamed up and usually won the championship trophy at the end.

While seven summers at hockey camp helped him develop the technical skills he needs today, for Bailey, camp was about the fun of the game.

“I was learning a lot, but I was a lot more focused on having fun,” he says. “We just went to have a good time, and it makes you love the game even more.”

Camps can also provide the bond with nature

that is sorely missing in the lives of many children today, Richard Louv writes in his book, Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder.

“Children need nature for the healthy development of their senses, and therefore, for learning and creativity,” Louv says.

Steve Paikin, Canadian journalist, author and host of TVO’s The Agenda, fondly remembers jumping off a 12-foot mini-cliff, learning to build a fire, and falling in love with one of the kitchen girls while at camp.

“Getting outdoors, in the bush, particularly if you live in an inner city, is essential to becoming a better person,” he says. “It’s an essential building block in allowing children to become more independent. And let’s not forget the obvious: it’s good for parents as well to have some time on their own, knowing their kids are thriving in a spectacular environment.”

Camp can also be a place where youth gradually build leadership skills.

“You’re often having to rely on your teammates or cabin mates to complete an activity,” says Moira MacDougall, who heads teen and young adult strategies for the YMCA of Greater Toronto, a charity providing community support programs.

For Trefor Munn-Venn’s family, camp is the most important event after Christmas and Easter.

Since his first child was born seven years ago, the consultant has been taking his entire family each year to Cairn, a traditional overnight camp in Baysville.

The 42-year-old father says camp has helped his two boys, ages 7 and 5, become more confident and proud of themselves for doing things they didn’t think they could do such as wallclimbing, canoeing and living outdoors for a week.

“They’re encouraged to be themselves and the staff help them discover who they are,” he says. “We see them come back always more relaxed, confident and independent.”

- With files from Lisa Van de Ven and Caroline Maga Christl Dabu is the editor of camps.ca and Our Kids Canada’s Summer Camp Guide, produced by Our Kids Media (www.ourkids.net). Our Kids will be hosting a Camp Expo (www.ourkids.net/campexpo) on Feb. 26, 2012, at Roy Thomson Hall, featuring March break, year-round and summer camps from across Ontario. For a handy camp search engine, camp alumni profiles and more tips, visit www.camps.ca/2012.

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EDUCATION AND CAMP GUIDE Town Crier WINTER 2012

Not just a stage

W

Seven skills How the arts can help you succeed

hat if every child had the confidence to handle any of lifeâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s challenges? Growing up in todayâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s world presents challenges that didnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t exist 20 years ago, so how are parents going to equip their children with the tools to overcome roadblocks and launch them on a path to success?

The answer is simple: the arts. Engaging in music, dance, theatre or visual arts provides kids with the competitive edge they need to achieve success in every aspect of their lives. The arts deliver seven keys that can unlock a future that is bright, fulfilling and prosperous.

â&#x20AC;˘ 1. Creative Thinking:

Employers are looking for creative thinkers who can move their business forward. Being able to think on your feet, approach tasks from different perspectives will distinguish your child from others. In an arts program, your child may be asked to recite a monologue in six different ways, create a painting that represents a memory, or compose a new rhythm to enhance a piece of music. If your children have practice thinking creatively, it will come naturally to them now and in their future careers.

â&#x20AC;˘ 2. Confidence:

A lot of people get physically ill at the thought of speaking in front of their colleagues or making a presentation. The skills developed through theatre not only train you how to deliver a message convincingly, but also build the confidence you need to take command of the stage. As a child, I was extremely shy. But practising stepping out of my comfort zone in improv and allowing myself to make mistakes and learn from them in rehearsal, gave me the confidence to perform in front of large audiences.

â&#x20AC;˘ 3. Problem-solving:

The only way to achieve success is to see a problem as a challenge that we can overcome. So, how do we teach young people to solve problems? When you break it down, artistic creations are born through the solving of problems. How do I turn this clay into a sculpture?

How do I portray a particular emotion through dance?

Without even realizing it, kids who participate in the arts are consistently being challenged to solve problems.

â&#x20AC;˘ 4. Dreaming Big:

Whether itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s financial success on Bay Street or discovering a cure for cancer, one needs to learn how to dream big in order for incredible things to happen. As a teenager, my theatre troupe had an improv show at The Second City. I recall being struck by the fact John Candy and Catherine Oâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;Hara stood on the same stage and launched incredible careers. After that night my fellow cast and I spent hours writing scripts for Saturday Night Live. At age 15, our success on stage taught us to believe our dreams were possible. Okay, so I am not a scriptwriter for Saturday Night Live, but when I decided to start my own arts organization I wasnâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t afraid, despite people telling me I was nuts. Through my arts experiences, I learned to push beyond the boundaries of what I thought I was capable of achieving.

â&#x20AC;˘ 5. Finding Your Voice:

Young people are bombarded with thousands of messages every day to look a certain way, listen to a type of music or buy a certain product. Their minds are crammed with information influencing their decision making at every turn. The arts allow children to

unplug from these messages and go inside themselves to explore what is there. Through abstract painting and character work, to contemporary dance and music composition, young people can test out what kind of person they would like to be without having to commit to the role. Many kids discover who they are and what their passions are through these experiences and ultimately find their voices so they can share them with the world.

â&#x20AC;˘ 6. The Art of Conversation:

Do your kids spend more time texting and tweeting than talking? Many young people do not have the communication skills to express themselves effectively. On The X-Factor we hear Simon Cowell telling contestants to express the emotion of the song, so they can connect with the audience in a way that gives them goose bumps or makes them want to buy the song. Although Simonâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s responses are sometimes harsh, he teaches a valuable lesson about the importance of communication. Experience in any performing arts discipline teaches the very same lesson.

â&#x20AC;˘ 7. Work/Life Balance:

This one is simple. The arts teach you how to play.

They can help manage stress and provide an outlet for expression. I, myself, am a dancer and nothing fuels my creativity and releases stress more than hitting the dance floor. If children become accustomed to having an outlet for expression and release for frustration when they are young, they are more likely to adopt these important habits as adults.

Lisa Phillips is the Executive Director of Horizon Arts Camp, a professional performing and visual arts camp in Toronto. Check out her blog at www.theartisticedge.org.

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WINTER 2012 EDUCATION AND CAMP GUIDE Town Crier

31

Camps and After School Activities

ADD Centre New Year’s Resolution: Improve brain function

by Lynda Thompson, Ph.D., C.Psych.

Perhaps your child’s fall report card was not all you hoped for and you want him or her to do better in 2012. If one factor contributing to underachievement was difficulty with paying attention consistently, then training can be done to improve that skill. Just like you go to the gym to build up muscles, you can exercise the brain a couple of times a week and

strengthen the neural pathways that are activated when a person practices a calm, yet alert, mental state. This learning technique, called neurofeedback, involves a brain-computer interface that lets a person know instantly if their brainwave pattern (EEG) indicates calm focus or drifting attention. Research studies going back to 1976 have documented lasting improvements in behaviour and learning in

children with ADD/ADHD. Increasingly, these techniques are being used to give athletes and executives the mental edge, too.

To add to your child’s skill in paying attention, whether he has a diagnosis or even if he is just an energetic kid or a bright daydreamer, contact The ADD Centre at 416 488-2233. see www.addcentre.com for more information.

Barker Basketball Camps

Gerry Barker’s North Toronto Basketball Camp

Qualified instructor makes camp even more fun The Gerry Barker North Toronto Basketball Camp has been in existence for the past ten years. Our camp philosophy stresses equal participation for campers, skill development, and a positive atmosphere and above all make it fun. A typical day’s schedule includes a skill session, a guest instructor, two games, and 3 on 3, 1 on 1 games and shooting competitions.

Gerry is proud to welcome on board this year as a co-director his son Brad Barker. Brad has coached in the NTBA for the past five years

and is the site co-ordinator at Northern S.S. for the NTBA House league during the winter.

Brad brings enthousiasm and a love of teaching to the camp.

This year the camp will be held at Northern Secondary School and the permits have been confirmed for the summer. The camp runs for 2 weeks July 2 - July 6 and July 9 - 13 from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm. Campers can come for one or two. Gerry Barker has been involved in Basketball for over 40 years, as a player and

a coach at all levels including university, high school and community. He was co-founder of the North Toronto Basketball Association and is still an active member of the association as coach and Director. This program involves over 800 boys and girls during the winter. Basketball is a great passion for Gerry and the opportunity to share that passion with young boys and girls is the driving force behind the camp. You can register online at www.barkerbasketball.com or please call 416-690-4587.

Centauri Summer Arts Camp A Sleep-over Camp for the Arts!

Centauri is an exciting summer camp community created especially for young people with arts interests.

Now entering our 18th exciting summer, we offer 40 specialist arts programs for young people to choose from, all located at a residential camp facility in the Niagara Region.

With programs for ages 8 all the way to

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EDUCATION AND CAMP GUIDE Town Crier WINTER 2012

pre-university, a special club for younger campers away from home for the first time and challenging leadership programs for older teens, Centauri has something for everyone!

Choose from theatre, dance, art, film, creative writing, photography, design, musical theatre and stage combat, or make a movie with us in Wales!

With an outstanding faculty of arts instructors, fun-loving and creative counsellors, exciting camp activities and a nurturing, community focus, Centauri is the place to be if you love the arts.

Join us this summer for memories, skills and friendships that last a lifetime.

Visit www.centauriartscamp.com or call 416 766 7124.

Camps and After-School Activities Forest Hill Figure Skating Club Forest Hill Figure Skating Club programs It’s never too early – or too late – to learn to skate! Forest Hill Figure Skating Club, located at Forest Hill Memorial Arena (340 Chaplin Crescent, two blocks north of Eglinton) offers an array of group and private lessons taught by a team of enthusiastic and skilled Skate Canada Certified Coaches.

Programs include Preschool and Mini-tot (age 2 and up), Start-Right, Hockey Skills, CanSkate, Junior Development, Double Digit (age 10-16), Intermediate, Advanced and Adult Learn-to-Skate programs. Register now for the upcoming season sessions. We also run half-day skating camps for all ages

and abilities during Christmas, March Break and Passover holidays.

Come skate with us! Earn badges and ribbons and have fun! For more information or to download registration forms, visit our website at www.fhfsc.ca or pick up a registration form at the arena.

Interplay School of Dance Interplay School of Dance - Two downtown locations The Interplay School of Dance, is under the direction of Karen Davies Thomas, located at 250 Davisville at Mt. Pleasant. Karen is a graduate of the National Ballet School and holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts Honours Degree from York University. Since its humble beginnings in 1983 when Interplay first opened its doors, the school has grown to over 300 students and continues to focus on teaching classical ballet in Cecchetti and Royal Academy of Dance methods. Interplay offers recreational and intensive classes forages 3 to adult in Creative Movement, Ballet, Contemporary, Jazz, Lyrical Hip-Hop, Acro, Tap, and Musical Theatre.

Among its finest dance teachers are John Ottman, Director of the Quinte Ballet School, Bretonie Burchell, Faye Rauw, Lucie Ward, Martine Lusignan, Christina Neves Tughan and Erin Poole.

Interplay offers intensive dance training for talented students who wish to pursue a professional career in dance or perform with our in-house dance company and competitive team.

Because of the excellent dance training provided at Interplay, many of our students are accepted at Canada’s most prestigious schools such as the National Ballet School of Canada, Royal Winnipeg Ballet School, Alvin

Ailey School, Boston Ballet and many others.

Our students are rewarded with high school credits, university scholarships, dance teacher’s qualifications and professional training.

Interplay also works in partnership with Bishop Strachan School, Branksome Hall, and Mooredale House to provide quality after-four dance programs.

Whether your child is the next prima ballerina or simply loves to dance, Interplay has a space for you.

If you would like more information on our school, please visit our website at www.interplay-dance.ca

All camp staff have CPR and First Aid certification, and a passion for providing quality programs.

Your child will have the opportunity to jump into swimming lessons in Mooredales’ private heated pool under the supervision of lifeguards and pool instructors who all hold NLS and Instructors Certification.

Our camper parents are satisfied that our

small community day camp provides a nurturing and exciting place for the campers during each two week session. Included in our camp fee is a hot healthy lunch and two snacks each day!

If you have any further questions, please visit our website at www.mooredale.org or call Joanna Ingram, the Camp Registrar at (416) 922-3714 ext. 103.

Mooredale Day Camp Mooredale Day Camp Mooredale Day Camp has been a place of wonder and excitement since its inception in 1968.

Geared towards children age 4 to 14, Mooredale boasts a wide variety of sports, music, environmental, arts & crafts, swimming, and camping programs. With their extensively trained staff, your child is sure to experience a safe, fun summer.

Our Kids Camp Expo It’s a camp wonderland in the middle of winter.

The Our Kids Camp Expo, the largest one of its kind in Canada, is a one-stop shop to help families find the best camp for their child.

“It’s very interesting and very informative—we got a lot of information we never knew about,” says Nadia Carter, who attended the expo last February with her

son, Dibonte, 11, and her husband.

Our Kids is hosting its annual Camp Expo on Feb. 26, 2012, from 12 a.m. to 4 p.m. at Roy Thomson Hall in Toronto.

The expo features over 50 different types of March break, year-round and summer camps from across Ontario and Quebec.

The free information seminars will help you choose and prepare for summer camp.

Register online for a 50 per cent off admission voucher: www.campexpo.ca.

While families have to do a little research, there is a right camp for every child.

WINTER 2012 EDUCATION AND CAMP GUIDE Town Crier

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Camps and After Camps school and After-School activities Activities Power Soccer Power Soccer School – advanced technique training Power Soccer provides a comprehensive range of training programs from the beginner to the elite player.

We emphasize fair play, skill development and the maximization of each child’s potential. Our programs are presented through a creative age appropriate soccer training model.

We focus on giving players the opportunity to express their individuality while

providing clear feedback on how improvements in their game can be made.

Clinics and camps focus on ball control, movement with and without the ball, dribbling, shooting, defending and accurate passing.

Players experience soccer sessions which are rewarding and enjoyable. Power Soccer coaches conduct challenging sessions which provide an opportunity for

full participation for each player. We build player confidence through a program includes lots of game play.

Improved ability level and a marked increase in game enjoyment are the results of participation in Power Soccer programs. Please visit our web site at www.powersoccer.ca or call us at 905.829.0562 (local call) to learn more about the Power Soccer School.

ment possibilities in modern, jazz, tap, hip hop, ballroom and ballet. For those pursuing dance as a profession, the School’s proven balance of Limón modern and Royal Academy ballet will instill the versatility demanded by today’s finest companies and post-secondary programs.

Young dancers are invited to audition for the cutting-edge performance company,

Canadian Children’s Dance Theatre, to experience the life of a professional dancer. Try our SummerArts program in creative dance, visual art, music and theatre for ages 4-8.

SunDance is an intensive course of study for experienced dancers ages 8-20 (application required).

Visit our website at www.ccdt.org for more information.

The School of CCDT The School of CCDT

 All ages  All styles  All levels  In 43 countries  Parking & Subway www.yamahamusicschool.ca

y YAMAHA MUSIC SCHOOL

 All ages  All styles  All levels  In 43 countries  Parking & Subway

416-224-5590

E ! r FRE r you lesson Call for preview ne begin

5075 Yonge St. YAMAHA MUSIC SCHOOL

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416-224-5590

Whether your destination is fun and fitness or the world’s greatest stages, the School of CCDT has the ideal program.

Classes are designed by Canada’s leading youth and dance specialist, Artistic Director Deborah Lundmark.

Beginner classes are led by select children’s teachers, pianists and assistants.

Recreational classes present endless move-

Yamaha Music School 2012 Yamaha Music School Yamaha believes that everyone can create, perform and enjoy music, resulting in an enriched life.

World-famous Yamaha courses are designed for specific ages: Tunes For Twos (age 2-3) encourages singing, movement and rhythmic play. Junior Music Course (age 3-5) develops aural/music skills using the keyboard.

Young Musicians Course (age 6-8) develops musicianship/keyboard skills. Piano Club (age 8-10) teaches piano styles and keyboard

ensembles. Guitar Course (age 7-adult) teaches strumming/solo/ensemble playing. Violin Course (age 8-adult) teaches classical/alternative music with motivating software accompaniments.

We also offer cello lessons! Flute and Sax Courses (age 10+) develop basic technique through solo/ensemble playing with motivating software accompaniments. Drum Course (age 10+) teaches today’s popular beats with motivating software accompaniments. Keyboard

Club (teens/adults) teaches all about today’s electronic keyboards. Seniors Keyboard Course (age 65+) - making music improves quality of life – it’s an ideal way to learn a new skill while meeting new friends. We also offer lessons for seniors at the Japanese Canadian Cultural Centre (@ DVP and Wynford Dr.). Yamaha courses also available at 88 Keys - 9011 Leslie St. (at Hwy7) and Wizz Kids, 660 Eglinton Ave. E (at Bayview). For more information, visit www.yamahamusicschool.ca

E YWCA Camp Tapawingo r FREsson! u o y r e l o f Call r preview ne Tap into Tapawingo… begin And tap into an 80 year tradition of adventure and fun. For girls 6-15 years of age, the Y.W.C.A.’s Camp Tapawingo turns a summer exper ience into a summer of life-time memories. The relaxed atmosphere of an all-girl’s setting creates the perfect environment for embarking on a girl’s road to self-discovery, confidence, achievement and FUN.

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EDUCATION AND CAMP GUIDE Town Crier WINTER 2012

Our Georgian Bay location provides for a broad range of activities-swimming, canoeing, sailing, kayaking as well as climbing, crafts, paddlemaking, dance, drama and woodworking.

Whether it is making friends, singing by a campfire, special events, games, or sportsevery day is a new adventure. A range of trips

are offered from overnight canoe trips to a five day trip. Our sessions run 2 or 3 weeks with a one-week option for younger girls and a special 6 week leadership program for 16 year old girls.

For slide show information or a brochure call the Camping office at 416-652-9374.

Please visit www.ywcatoronto.org

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