September2014

Contact us11642 142 Street NW Edmonton, AB T5M 1V4 T 780.421.READ (7323) Toll free 1.866.421.7323 F 780.421.7324 E info@famlit.ca W www.famlit.ca

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Our Vision:

A healthy,

literate society

where all

are able to

contribute and

succeed.

Celebrating Ten Years on the Road

Golf Tournament Raises Money for C.O.W.

In August, 112 golfers hit the Links Golf Course in Spruce Grove to raise money for the Centre’s local C.O.W. (Classroom on

Wheels) program.

For the second year, the team with the lowest score was presented with green jackets. The winning team, from Qualico, comprised of Mike Saunders, Mike Shankaruk, Willem Kellerman and Cameron Haldane.

We were pleased to have the Honourable Laurie Hawn, MP for Edmonton Centre, and Dr. Eric Newell, Honorary Chair of the

Centre, join us again this year at the tournament. Premier Hancock’s busy schedule prevented him from playing, but he did join our guests for the banquet.

The Links fore Literacy Golf Tournament began as a replacement for Premier Hancock’s annual charity golf tournament in support of Success by 6®. His tournament ran for 10 years and raised substantial funds for early childhood programs in Edmonton, a cause he is very passionate about.

The Centre would like to thank everyone who participated in our tournament, especially our sponsors:

The Alberta Prairie C.O.W. (Classroom on Wheels) Bus was launched on a bitterly cold day in January 2004 at Government

House, with The Late, the Honourable Dr. Lois Hole and Premier Dave Hancock, then Minister of Advanced Education, in attendance.

Over the past 10 years, the C.O.W. Bus has travelled the length and breadth of the province promoting family literacy and providing parents with fun and inexpensive activities to support their children’s literacy development at home. The bus has gone as far north as Rainbow Lake and Fort Chipewyan and south to Milk River, visiting urban and rural communities, Hutterite Colonies, First Nations and Métis Settlements.

In addition to raising public awareness and supporting family literacy, a visit from the C.O.W. Bus leaves a permanent gift for the community in the form of a Legacy Library. Each Legacy Library contains approximately 50 children’s books with an emphasis on Canadian authors and Aboriginal stories.

Here are a few facts about the program’s activities last year:

• Visited 96 communities • Distributed 4,710 books • Welcomed 5,307 visitors

Left to right: Willem Kellerman, Mike Shankaruk, Cameron Haldane, and Donna Lemieux standing in for Mike Saunders

Centre for Family Literacy

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Continued

Celebrating Ten Years on the Road

Golf Tournament

Eagle Sponsor: Jacobs

Banquet Sponsor: Nearctic Group

Cart Sponsor: Canadian Western Bank

Flag Sponsor: Qualico

Caddy Sponsors: Ernst & Young LLP Bryan & Company LLP Dialog

Gift Bag Sponsor: Deloitte

Print Sponsor: PricewaterhouseCooper

The Centre would also like to thank our Hole Sponsors, Hole-in-One Sponsors, and all of the businesses and individuals who provided prizes and gifts for the tournament.

Multiply these numbers by ten and you can see what an incredible resource this is for families across Alberta.

Quotes

“I believe it is so very important to promote reading and reading appreciation at a very young age and the COW does that and also involves the parent which is very important as well.” – Town Councillor

“I left the bus with so many new ideas to use at home.” – Parent

CanadaHelps Launches New Website

CanadaHelps is a registered charity and nonprofit social enterprise that provides charities across Canada with a safe and

secure platform to accept online donations.

They recently launched a new look and feel to their website with the goal of making giving easier for the donor and allowing charities to provide more information about their work.

The Centre’s page has a number of options which include supporting our annual or endowment campaigns, and a special campaign to raise funds for the Alberta Prairie C.O.W. Legacy Libraries. Donors also have the option of donating monthly, or creating their own fundraising page to raise money for the Centre.

Check out our new page at https://www.canadahelps.org/en/charities/centre-for-family-literacy-society-of-alberta/

www.famlit.ca

The Centre for Family Literacy gratefully acknowledges the ongoing support of the following:

An Edmonton Community

of LifELong LEArnErs

Online donations to the Centre can be made through CanadaHelps.org

Important DatesAlberta Early Years ConferenceOctober 6 - 7 Edmonton Marriott at River Cree Resort

Literacy & Learning SymposiumOctober 22 - 24 Edmonton Marriott at River Cree Resort

Lois Hole Memorial Literacy Leadership AwardDeadline for nominations - November 14 The Centre for Family Literacy is seeking nominations for the 2015 Lois Hole Memorial Literacy Leadership Award. The nomination form and criteria are on the Centre’s website.

Building the foundation for lifelong learning occurs between the ages of 0-6, and parents, as their child’s first teacher, play a critical role

in supporting their children’s early language and learning skills.

Family literacy programs provide parents with practical information on how to actually support this literacy development. Parents learn that literacy is more than reading, writing and math – it includes communication, cooperation, problem solving and much more. Both parents and children participate in the programs, which provides parents with the opportunity to model new approaches in a supportive group setting.

Oral language is the foundation of all literacy development, so parents are encouraged to sing with their children, tell stories, and recite nursery rhymes. Talking about daily activities, such as

folding laundry, cleaning up toys or making cookies, provides parents with an opportunity to expose their children to lanuage and how it is connected to daily life.

Parents learn the difference between reading a book to their children and sharing the book. They learn that sharing involves talking about the pictures, colours, letters, and shapes in the book. Asking children what they think will happen next, or why they think something happened, will help develop problem-solving skills.

They learn the importance of play in building vocabulary, cooperation, and problem solving. The interaction and bonding that happens between parents and children when they do crafts together, play a game or create a grocery list, supports an environment of learning.

Family literacy programs support the entire family’s learning. Parents are made aware of all the learning opportunities and connections around them and how to share and explore these with their children. Parents learn how important they are to the process of preparing their children for success in school and how to actually go about building the foundation for lifelong learning in their family.

Family Literacy Programs Support Children’s Literacy Development

The Centre for Family Literacy is dedicated to helping Alberta grow and prosper. Our innovative programs, training and research help Alberta families achieve what they imagine—improved education, jobs and health.

Privacy PolicyIf you do not wish to receive Centre Page or information about the Centre for Family Literacy, you may call, write or e-mail us. A copy of our privacy policy can be found on our website at www.famlit.ca

Literacy Develops in Families First

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Fall Program SeasonIn September look for the following programs:

• Local C.O.W. Bus will visit 10 neighbourhoods on a weekly basis

• Rhymes that Bind will begin their drop-in programs throughout the Edmonton area

• Books for Babies program will be offered at Primrose Place Family Centre.

October will see the start of:

• Learn Together – Grow Together at One World…One Centre.

• More Books for Babies programs in a variety of locations.

All of the programs are free – some require registration and some are drop-in. Check our

website at www.famlit.ca for more information on any of these programs, or call our office at 780-421-7323.

CFL BlogAre you wondering about the Centre’s programs – what actually happens at Books for Babies, Rhymes that Bind or a visit to the Edmonton C.O.W. Bus? The Centre’s blog provides you with insight into our programs and keeps you up to date on the many literacy activities that our staff share with parents.

Check us out and share with family, friends and colleagues - http://www.famlit.ca/blog