Family Literacy

Annually on January 27 Family Literacy Day is held to celebrate adults and children reading and learning together and to encourage Canadians to spend at least 15 minutes every day enjoying a learning activity as a family.

Over its 60 year history the Junior League of Calgary has developed many projects focused on Family Literacy, most recently Calgary Reads. One component of our current Treasure Trunk Program at Brenda’s House is Kids in the Story (KITS), and the planned Babies in the Story (BITS), inspired by a program of Calgary Reads.

Family literacy refers to the many ways families develop and use literacy skills, from enjoying a storybook together during the day and at bedtime, to playing with word games, singing, writing to a relative or friend, or to sharing day-to-day tasks such as making a shopping list, addressing an envelope or using a recipe ("Family Literacy in Canada: Profiles of Effective Practices" by Adele Thomas, Soleil Publishing Inc., 1998).

Some interesting facts:
 Research shows children have a better chance of becoming fully literate adults if reading is encouraged in the home (Literacy BC).
 Many studies have shown that improving parents’ skills directly and positively affects the language development of children (Literacy Skills for the Knowledge Society, IALS 1997, pg 62).
 Studies show beyond dispute that children’s achievements in school improve with increased parent involvement in education (Henderson, 1998).
 Children raised in literate households are likely to enter grade one with several thousand hours of one to one pre-reading experience behind them (Literacy BC).
 Having a parent or other caring person read aloud with their children helps children learn listening skills, vocabulary and language skills, as well as develop imagination and creativity (Family Literacy Foundation, 2001).
 By spending a minimum of 15 minutes a day engaged in a literacy activity as a family, Canadians have the ability to make positive changes both in their own lives and in the future potential of their children.

So on January 27, as well as throughout the year, consider the part you are playing in promoting family literacy!

Alice Gardner-Boreta
President, Junior League of Calgary
(reprinted from President's Message in the Jan 2011 Lasso)

Calgary Reads Presents at January General Meeting

Steacy Collyer and Madeleine Baerg of Calgary Reads were the guest speakers at our January 10, 2011 General Meeting.  Steacy introduced Calgary Reads and presented its new logo, and Madeleine presented the importance of the first 2000 days in developing a child’s reading readiness. The key concepts for the first 2000 days, the approximate time from birth to kindergarten, are Sing, Read, Talk, and Play. Madeleine informed members that the majority of neural pathways for language are formed early and need to be reinforced with language in the early days before school. Children with a literacy-focused environment in the early years have greater academic success, professional success, social success, health, confidence, employability and income.

Calgary Reads is an early literacy initiative changing the lives of struggling Grade 1 and 2 readers and their families in Calgary and area schools. In 1996 the Junior League of Calgary researched and identified the need to support emerging readers who experienced difficulty reading but who did not require intensive, professional support. In collaboration with the Calgary Board of Education, the JLC designed a program to recruit and train volunteers who could deliver consistent reading support in schools. This program was called Calgary Reads and it was piloted in 1998. Calgary Reads (An Early Literacy Initiative) Society became an independent community-based not-for-profit society in 2001 and was recognized as a Canada Revenue Agency registered charitable organization in 2002.

Marilou Mitchell (L) introduces Steacy Collyer (center) and Madeline Baerg (R) from Calgary Reads

Steacy is a founder of Calgary Reads, a passionate reader, life-long volunteer and most importantly a proud mom of three daughters, all of whom are her best teachers. She is a recognized specialist in innovative teaching practices, literacy, leadership, resiliency and the intentional use of hope in learning communities, and is a past president of the JLC!

Madeleine is the Early Years Project Coordinator for Calgary Reads. She also works as a communications consultant and freelance writer. Most importantly, as a parent of a young child, she passionately believes in the importance of the 2000 days before kindergarten.

Angela Hutchinson—Program Manager, Brenda‘s House Leads Training at November General Meeting

Angela Hutchinson, Program Manager, Brenda‘s House, Children‘s Cottage Society, was our guest speaker at the November General Meeting.  Brenda‘s House is a re-housing program with a sheltering component aimed at moving families toward independence and their own sustainable housing. The JLC is partnered with the Children‘s Cottage Society to provide developmentally appropriate activities for the children in residence at Brenda‘s House through our
'Treasure Trunk" activities, which target nutrition and healthy eating, literacy, music and movement and the arts.

Angela spoke to JLC members about Brenda‘s House and its goal of providing developmentally appropriate activities to their children and modeling for parents on how to deliver these activities. She stressed the important role that the JLC "Treasure Trunk" program plays in helping Brenda‘s House achieve its goals and how it is helping to nurture and enrich the development of the children.

In the second part of her presentation, Angela provided members with sensitivity training and trauma informed practice. The training was aimed at helping volunteers understand the children at Brenda‘s House and how their parent and family backgrounds are the context for their behaviour. She provided examples of interpersonal and external personal trauma and discussed complex trauma.

JLC members learned about the common signs of trauma in children, the triggers that can cause outward manifestation of trauma-induced behaviour, and helpful hints on how to deal with the children. Angela further outlined the impact of working with trauma survivors and stressed the importance of self-care in one‘s personal responses to working with trauma survivors.

(Angela earned her BA degree in International Development from the University of Guelph and her Masters of Social Work from the University of Calgary.)

Teen Totes Done-In-A-Day: Santa's Workshop at the JLC Office!

The Junior League of Calgary and its members helped bring holiday cheer this past Christmas to 300 Calgary teens by providing tote bags filled with both must-have personal hygiene items as well as many fun things. On November 22, 2010 members joined the Fall 2010 Provisional Class at the DIAD to assemble the totes and get into the holiday spirit with carols and sweets!

JLC members (a.k.a. Santa‘s Helpers) at the DIAD

Totes were filled with hand sanitizer, toothpaste, deodorant, shampoo, store gift cards, movie passes, library cards, candy, toques, gloves, notebooks, hockey tickets and some miscellaneous items. They were later distributed to the teen clients of The Alex Youth Health Centre and various Community Resource Centres via the efforts of Drew Brown of Saint Jude's Health Management Institute.

AJLI President Visits Brenda’s House!

Delly Beekman, President of The Association of Junior Leagues International, spends a lot of her time visiting Junior Leagues in Canada, the United States, Mexico, and England. With each League she always aims to learn about their programs and Community Impact.

During her October 17-19, 2010 visit to the Junior League of Calgary (JLC) she toured Brenda’s House to learn about the "Housing First" concept being implemented there and the unique Treasure Trunk program that the JLC has developed for Brenda’s House residents and staff.

Carrie Kerr, Team Lead - Child Support Program, Children's Cottage Society - Brenda's House, conducted the tour of the house, explaining that Brenda’s House is a family-centred facility that welcomes homeless families with children to come and live there while they work towards the goal of moving into their own sustainable housing.

President Alice Gardner-Boreta and VP Community Marilou Mitchell accompanied Delly on this tour, giving us the opportunity to share details of our collaborations with both Children’s Cottage Society, Brenda’s House and Highbanks Society and the tremendous work both the Brenda’s House and Highbanks Society Program Planning Groups and JLC members are doing.  Delly was very impressed with the programs we are developing and will take this knowledge back to AJLI and onwards to other Leagues.

At the JLC Annual General Meeting later on October 18 are (L to R): Alice Gardner-Boreta, Delly Beekman, Carrie Kerr and Marilou Mitchell

Dialogue and Donuts and with Delly!

The aroma of coffee and pastries filled the morning air as a group of Junior League of Calgary Sustainers gathered at the JLC office the morning of October 19, 2010 to meet AJLI President Delly Beekman. Sustainers representing many eras listened as Delly again described the issues that have led to the AJLI’s undertaking of the Roadmap for the Future Strategic Plan. A number of the targeted issues sounded very familiar to our Sustainers and there was a bit of the feeling of “what’s old is new again”!

At the conclusion of the formal presentation, Delly and the group conversed about their league experiences and the future of the organization. As Delly dashed off to the airport, the conversation continued and was supportive and optimistic that this roadmap will strengthen and revitalize the Junior League.

Business and Fun at the Annual General Meeting!

Annual General Meeting

The Junior League of Calgary was honoured to have Delly Beekman, President of the Association of Junior Leagues International (AJLI), as our special guest at our Annual General Meeting (AGM) on October 18.  Delly presented the AJLI Roadmap for the Future, the organization’s Strategic Plan for the next three to five years and the unique opportunity it offers to breathe new life into the Junior League Movement that began 109 years ago!

Junior League Jeopardy

Dividing members into three teams, VP Membership Philippa Gear lead the group into an exciting game of Junior League Jeopardy. Similar to the televised Jeopardy, after selecting a category and dollar amount, teams vied to answer the corresponding question, with the first team to ring its bell being the first to answer. There were five categories - Junior League and JLC History – JLC Projects – AJLI – Junior League Trivia – JLC Governance - and questions within each category were worth $200, $400, $600, $800 and $1000 each.