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Website
www.earlylearning.ca
Main Office
2115 Athol Street
Regina, SK
S4T 3E8
Phone: 757-3744
Fax: 522-0040
e-mail:
KidsFirst Office
3528 13th Avenue
Regina, SK
S4P 1P9
Phone: 522-7044
Fax: 757-0147
e-mail:
Inside this issue:
Executive Director’s News
Board of Directors’ News
Preschool News
Family Outreach News
KidsFirst News
Cover Art by
Aliya, Age 5
Spring 2013Newsletter
Regina Early Learning Centre
Brighter Futures
For Children 2013 Thank you to all our sponsors and supporters.
The Centre will receive over $35,000.
P a g e 2 2 0 1 3 S p r i n g N e w s l e t t e r
Executive Director’s News
Education is not the filling of a pail, but the lighting of a fire. William
Butler Yeats
These words from the poet William Butler Yeats seem particularly
appropriate as I reflect upon our work here at the Regina Early Learning
Centre. In a play based, child centred curriculum, children light up with
enthusiasm as they explore the world around them, engage in imaginative
play, experiment with a wide range of materials and take the time to
express themselves through language, music and art. In the process, they
gain and refine a wide variety of skills. Some of these are obvious to all of
us: language skills, cognitive skills and literacy skills. Equally important to
these “pre-academic skills” are a range of other skills and aptitudes:
problem solving skills, the ability to regulate emotions in acceptable ways,
a sense of self-efficacy and confidence, pride in each child’s unique
cultural background and, perhaps, most importantly, a love of learning.
We live in a world where accountability has become a paramount concern.
The Early Learning Centre receives significant investments of resources
from the Provincial Government, the City of Regina, the United Way of
Regina, the supporters of our fundraisers and our donors. One of my
responsibilities as the Executive Director is to ensure that the Centre
remains accountable to all our supporters and to the families with whom we
work.
Accountability occurs at a number of levels. First, through sound financial
management and accountability for all the funds we receive. Second,
accountability is demonstrated through the development and stewardship of
effective programming. Programming decisions need to take into account
both effective and evidence based practice and the unique needs, goals and
values of the community where we work. Thirdly, the recruitment and
retention of qualified and committed staff. Finally, accountability can be
demonstrated through a demonstration of the successful outcomes of our
programming. Are children meeting milestones in all developmental areas
(language, cognitive, social emotional, fine and gross motor)? Are they
prepared for kindergarten? Are parents building strong, nurturing
relationships with their children?
I believe we are doing a good job at the Early Learning Centre at
addressing accountability at all levels. I hope in this newsletter, you will
see examples of the careful consideration and significant skills that we are
utilizing to create brighter futures for children, families and our whole
community.
In closing, I reflect again on the importance of the first years of life.
At his 90th birthday celebration, one of our donors and volunteers,
Jack Boan reflected upon his life: a life filled with many significant
P a g e 3 2 0 1 3 S p r i n g N e w s l e t t e r
accomplishments and much success. What was really significant to me
was the importance Jack placed on how lucky he was in his family and
his experiences during his earliest years and the love of learning that
began in those years.
Mary Ann McGrath
Executive Director
Introducing the
Early Years Family Centres
The Early Learning Centre has
been one of the many
community partners involved in
establishing Regina’s first
Early Years Family Centres.
Two locations opened on
March 11th:
Scott Collegiate (3350 7th Ave)
The Gathering Place
(4001 3rd Ave. N.).
The Centres are a drop in place
for families with children ages
newborn to six. They are a place
for families to:
Play, interact and learn together
Make connections with other
parents, caregivers and families
Participate in programs
Meet with health-care and
educational professionals.
For more information check us
out at www.reginakids or on
Facebook at Regina Early Years
Family Centre.
P a g e 4 2 0 1 3 S p r i n g N e w s l e t t e r
Board of Directors’ News
The Board of Directors is composed of parents of children at the Centre
or who have recently attended the Centre. We are committed to
ensuring that other children and families will be able to benefit from the
programs offered by the Early Learning Centre. There may be other
programs out there, but we believe that what the Centre offers is the
best that we can give our children.
As a Board, we continue to see the recruitment and retention of highly
qualified and committed staff as one of our central responsibilities and
challenges. While we are very pleased to acknowledge that the Centre
has a long history of retaining a strong staff and that the current staff is
excellent, we recognize that we need to be proactive in order to ensure
we maintain a strong staff.
As a result, one of our ongoing priorities as a Board is to negotiate with
our funders for enhancements to our funding which will allow us to
improve the salary and benefits that we can offer the Centre’s staff.
Recently, the Ministry of Social Services has taken positive steps in this
area and we applaud this direction. However, we have yet to see a
similar initiative from the Ministry of Education which funds both the
Preschool and KidsFirst programs. In the short term, this may mean
that the Centre will have to rely more heavily on fundraising and
donations to be able to offer all staff similar salary increases. In the
longer term, we are hoping to negotiate a more equitable funding
agreement with the other funders.
On a more positive note, the Board is excited to announce that funds
from the Tim Hortons’ Smile Cookie Campaign will be used, in part, to
improve our outdoor play space.
Finally, on behalf of the Board and the families at the Centre, I would
like to thank all our volunteers, donors and funders. Without your
ongoing support and partnership, the Centre would not be able to do its
vital work.
Aaron Clarke
President
Board of Directors
P a g e 5 2 0 1 3 S p r i n g N e w s l e t t e r
Preschool News
Spring is exciting, changeable, and unpredictable. Some years it is gentle
and welcoming. Other years it is fierce and frustrating. One constant is
that spring is most certainly wet.
For the children at the Early Learning Centre that means that spring is
prime puddle-stomping time. As soon as the snow begins to melt and the
early puddles emerge, the children bound outside — free to stomp, and
splash, and spray. Is there anything more symbolic of childhood
spontaneity and fervor than running at full-speed into a glistening spring
puddle? We spot joy, pure unmitigated joy, on the children’s faces as
they splash about on our spring walks along city sidewalks and through
city parks. As we approach a bigger, deeper puddle, they pause and
glance up; waiting for the teachers to suggest that this puddle is off limits.
Hearing nothing, they leap, they spin, they celebrate.
Celebrate they should. These first puddle-stomping days have become
our springtime markers, our signals that a long, dark Saskatchewan winter
is ending and outside time will once again surpass inside time. These wet
days lead us to reconnect with the natural world awakening into a new
season, guiding us to take notice of the sleepy earth unfolding. As the
soil warms and the springtime rain falls more gently, the kids throw off
their rain boots and race barefoot across the fresh grass, splashing through
puddles along the way. The kids create their own games, their own fun as
they hop from one puddle to the next. No rules, no expectations guide
their play. They are free to invent as they choose. Sometimes the
puddles are swamps with large crocodiles, sometimes they are ponds with
swimming fish, sometimes they are craters on the moon.
Watching the children and their puddle-stomping, I am awed by their
creativity when given the unstructured time to interact with the natural
world in a meaningful way. With the inevitable limits of childhood, the
no’s and can’t-dos, allowing our children the simple freedom of
springtime puddle-stomping is a gift. It is also a reminder. It reminds us
of the importance of childhood play: unstructured, child-driven,
imaginative, outside play. In a world that is increasingly fast and
complex for children and adults, springtime puddle-stomping reminds us
to slow down and simplify, to make time for the simple pleasures of
childhood. It reminds us of our important role in reclaiming these
unfettered moments of natural play for our children, of carving out the
time and space to help our children explore a changing landscape. And it
reminds us to celebrate a new season by standing back and watching our
little ones.
Thanks to the Tim Hortons’ Smile Cookie Campaign, the Centre is
improving its outdoor space. The children will be included in the
P a g e 6 2 0 1 3 S p r i n g N e w s l e t t e r
planning process. The plans include adding more plant life, natural wood
and stone, and a redeveloped water feature. These plans will increase
opportunities for imaginative play and encourage a love and respect for
nature in the children. This is an exciting time for us at the Centre, and we
are proud to have such amazing community support
Kelly Thornton
Preschool Supervisor
Preschool News Cont...
Watch for Tim Hortons’
Smile Cookie Campaign
in September 2013.
All proceeds will go to the
Regina Early Learning Centre!
P a g e 7 2 0 1 3 S p r i n g N e w s l e t t e r
Family Outreach News
Finally spring is here! Often this is a season for renewal and growth. It seems
fitting to share our exciting news about the Centre’s Spirit of Peace program.
As many of you are probably aware, family violence is an ongoing and
intergenerational challenge facing many of our families. Over the past ten years,
the Women’s Support Group provided participants with a safe place to talk about
the violence and abuse in their lives. However, it is often a long and difficult
journey for women to make the changes in their lives necessary to create a
violence free home for themselves and their children.
We are once again offering a more in depth program. Spirit of Peace, for women
wanting to create positive changes in their lives. One of the most exciting pieces
of this program today is that Elder Norma Jean Byrd has joined the circle. In her
role as an Elder, Norma Jean is able to teach, encourage and inspire women in a
very unique way. It’s been amazing to watch the women build a bond with Norma
Jean in a few short weeks.
Through this program, we will be looking at abuse: the different types, the myths,
the cycle of violence, the abuse wheel, healthy relationships, and the impact on
children. We hope participants will share stories with one another, finding
common bonds, and supporting each other in the healing process. An important
part of the healing journey is spiritual and Norma Jean will be incorporating
ceremonies such as smudge, sweats, and feast into the program and sharing
traditional teachings and values.
We are also pleased that we had a social work student doing her mini practicum
working with this program. In the fall, she will be completing her major
practicum. Joanna and the other students who have worked with us have been a
positive addition to our programming; they bring new insights and tremendous
enthusiasm. At the same time, they have had the opportunity to practice their
professional skills and experience first-hand what strength based, community level
programming looks like.
It is an exciting time for us in Outreach. We are grateful for the opportunity to be
part of the healing journey that the women are experiencing.
Teresa Seel
Family Outreach Coordinator
2 0 1 3 S p r i n g N e w s l e t t e r Page 8
KidsFirst News The KidsFirst Home Visiting program at the Regina Early Learning Centre
and at our sister agencies – Open Door Society, Aboriginal Family Services
and Rainbow Youth – will have a Life Skills Coach joining the
interdisciplinary team to support families to provide environments to
promote child development and family well-being. We look forward to
Annie Ewenin moving into the Life Skills Coach position in mid-May.
Annie will carry a caseload of 10 to 15 families to provide individualized
in-home support which may include skill development related to values
clarification and goals around employment, education and assistance in
dealing with basic needs around health, housing, food security and safety.
This will allow the home visitors more time to focus on child development
and parenting.
I was lucky enough to attend a conference in Toronto in April on Infant
Mental Health, and learn about the latest research in the area. The main
message reinforces what our programs are all about:
Start Early
Love Builds Brains
Playing Builds Brains
Health Builds Brains
Baby’s World Matters
(HealthyBabyHealthyBrain.ca)
Lorna Wesaquate
KidsFirst Supervisor
Our Lantern made it into the
Architecture of
Saskatchewan
A Visual Journey, 1930-2011
text by Bernard Flaman
