Words can Shape the Destiny of Children

NEWSLETTER
Words can Shape the Destiny of Children
On the wall in my office I have the following words from an anonymous wise soul that reads:
*Watch your thought, they become your words,
*Watch your words they become actions,
*Watch your actions they become habits,
*Watch your habits, they become your character,
*Watch your character, it becomes your destiny.
These thought provoking words remind me that what we think, say, and do really does matter.
Reflecting on these words emphasises the crucial impact we have on the lives of children. After
all we are there role models.
*If children are constantly given directions, how will they find their own path.
*If children are told “we will have to talk to Mommy and Daddy about this behaviour”, how will
they learn to trust in their own ability to change inappropriate behaviours.
*If children hear harsh and demanding words from adults, we should not be surprised when they
begin to speak the same way.
*If children watch our body language, will we be happy when they mirror us?
I have often wondered why adults don’t stop to think how they would feel if they were spoken to
the way they speak to children.
If they are spoken to with respect, would they not feel a sense of pride in their abilities? Would
they not feel confident to share their opinions?
If they are spoken to with contempt or spoken to harshly would they not feel angry? Would they
not feel insecure, confused, and belittled?
Take time each day to reflect on how your words, actions, habits and character have made an
impact in a child’s destiny.
Did you know that Jubilee has approximately 235 licensed spaces from Infants to School Age Children and approximately 100 spots in our
Village In Home program.
Each time I have the opportunity to write
this article I always am pleasantly surprised
and left wanting to know more. I hope after
you read this article you will feel the same
too. Sometimes when we work with people
we tend to forget that they are more than
just educators. By me taking the time to get
to know people I have found that I have
more in common with them then I thought.
Or I find out that person I thought was kind
of snobby was just shy and is an amazingly
creative person with the heart of gold. Or
the co-worker that I labelled as a mom, dad
or grandparent is a world traveller, is well
educated, has big dreams, so many things.
There is more to us than our labels of
educator, supervisor, maintenance
executive director, parent, grandparent etc.
Take the time to get to know those around
you and those from our other sites we are
all amazing men and woman but you will
never know if you don't take the time to see
that. Here are a handful of the amazing
people at Jubilee.
Kaytlin Cacciotti(St.Francis) - Kaytlin lives
on a farm with horses, goats, rabbits,
chickens and cows. She has been working
with special needs children since she was
15. Her first experience was when she did a
placement in the special needs class when
she went to Chippewa Secondary School.
She loves doing anything outdoors she
enjoys snow machining in the winter and
quading or mud bogging in the summer.
Jodee Duguay (Macleod) - Jodie enjoys
spending most of her time outside, and if
she is not outside she is spending it inside
decorating for Christmas (as of right now).
She has her tree up and most decorations
up and presents wrapped. Her favorite
colour is purple, she is CRAZY for purple!
Brianna Nadjiwon (Board Member) Brianna has 2 Golden Retrievers, Rocky (2
years old) and Roody (4 years old) and they
are brothers with the same mother. They
are amazing and gentle dogs that love to
cuddle, often in her bed! They are like
children and they spoil them a lot! She is a
big sports fan and she was a goalie in
hockey and ringette for most of her life. She
played for the Northeastern AAA Ringette
team at the Ontario Winter Games in 2000.
She can often be found dancing to jazz
music or watching the Toronto Blue Jays
while cooking up something new and fun!
Carole Brunet (Jubilee Best Start Hub
Coordinator) - Carole has 3 grown children,
25, 23 and 16 and she is a Nan to her
granddaughter who is 4. Jubilee has been
her first and only employment. She has
been here since 1997 and wouldn't want to
work anywhere else! She started at Jubilee
Playtime Co-op which was located off site at
1960 Paris St. That ran for 2 years. She then
worked with SAC for 4 years and made her
way to the Toy Library which is now Best
Start Hubs. She has been Hub Coordinator
for 4 1/2 years now and loves it. Her dream
since she was a very young girl was to
become a Police Officer!
Rob Longarini (maintenance) - Rob played
organized football for 5 years in High school
and coached hockey and football for
fourteen years. After that in the Kinsmen
Minor Football League and High School
Level and Copper Cliff Minor Hockey
League. He was married at the age of 18
and had four children by age 23. Kris, Ryan
and twin girls Kelly and Kara. On November
24/1012 Rob and his wife Kathy will have
been married 39 years. Rob graduated high
school at age 18. He started his career with
the City of Sudbury. Over his 37 year tenure
with the City he progressed through the
work force and spent his last 15 years as
Manager of the Water Wastewater
Treatment, Operations and Maintenance
Division. During this time he also owned
and operated a home improvement and
construction business. Through Continuing
Education Programs he now possesses 21
different Provincial and Federal
certifications and licenses including a
Masters Certificate in Municipal
Management from York University.
Cheryl Duhaime(St.Alberts/relief) - Cheryl
likes to travel. Some of the places she has
been are Finland, Sweden, Latvia, Estonia,
Lithuania and Poland where she visited
Auschwitz. It was a very humbling
experience. She has always been fascinated
with the Holocaust. She also has been to
South Korea to visit her daughter Erynn. She
has Braille part 1 and taught it to a visually
impaired student when she was an
Education Assistant before becoming the
Attendance Counsellor with the Superior
Greenstone District School Board. She can
only read Braille visually as most sighted
people do. She can play the flute and was in
the Sudbury Public School orchestra from
grades 5-7. She then played in the North
Shore Community Band in Terrace Bay
where she lived for 27 years before moving
back here 4 years ago.
I leave you with this quote, “Judging
someone is easy. Getting to know someone
for who they really are takes effort, that’s
why it means something. Unknown~~”
Brandy Mergeart
Happy Holidays from Home Child Care.
Since joining Jubilee, Providers have been enjoying the closeness of the agency "family". They feel very welcomed and an important part of
the agency. They are happy to be invited to and involved in our Professional Development Days as well as other events.
Many have been with other agencies in the past and many have been in HCC for over 25 years. They worked in a variety of settings so they
evaluate their present situation with experience.
I would like to acknowledge the dedication they have to their careers and the long hours they put in daily.
Depending on the individual, Home Child Care Providers provide child care for 7 days a week up to 24 hours per day, including evening,
week-end, and holidays, for children from birth to age 12 !
They are a great attribute to our family.
Cheers !
Did you know that Jubilee has had 3 Executive Directors since opening in 1988 as the Toy Library, Penny Earley, Eve Kremyr and Elizabeth Hamilton.
Why be Active?
Being active has a lot more benefits then just losing weight and gaining muscles. Scientific
studies show that regular physical activity helps:
 decrease stress
 relieve depression and anxiety
 increase energy and happiness
 improve mood
 improve sleep
 improve digestion
 strengthen the immune system
 reduce blood pressure
 improve body composition by reducing fat
 improves cholesterol levels in the blood
 prevent type 2 diabetes and heart disease
 prevent osteoporosis and some forms of cancer
All of which contribute to better health. Fitting in physical activity does not need to be
hard; it can be as simple as parking further away, taking a walk on your lunch, or even
dancing with the kids. (Information from www.mhp.gov.on.ca the Ontario ministry of
health.)
Andrea Villeseche
Wellness Team
Continuing our Professional Development
When I was young (ages 5 to 9) and growing up in Nova Scotia I lived in the most wonderful place on earth. This
was my child’s view of the world. I lived on the last street of a very tiny subdivision outside of Halifax (12 streets in
all). My road was surrounded by forests on 3 sides, 2 ponds, and a large rock mass. It was a child’s dream
playground. The forests trees when bended, became houses, the ponds became fishing holes (tad poles, frogs, and
minnows) and a skating rink in the winter. The rock mass was a mountain to climb and a toboggan hill to slide on.
Adults never entered our world. They simply believed we were capable to create our own play and work. They
also had confidence in our decision making skills to conduct ourselves safely.
How can we offer the same opportunities to the children at Jubilee?
Create spaces that include: water, vegetation, animals, insects, creatures in ponds, sand, natural colour, diversity
and change, places and features to sit on; in; under; lean against; provide privacy; shade; shelter, different levels,
nooks, crannies, places to hide, structures or objects that can be changed, and including lots of loose parts.
Take the indoor classroom outside.
Create storage bins that include writing materials, paint, chalk and blackboards. These materials should be as easy
to access for the children as the pails, shovels, balls, and skipping ropes. Provide spaces for woodworking, clay,
artwork, and exploring loose parts.
Look at the play space that you are providing. Is it inviting? Are there invitations to explore? Is children’s work
visible? Are there items from nature being used in a sensorial, creative and for cognitive experience?
Reflect on this space: How are you going to change to make the changes happen?
Heather Margerison RECE
Welcome to Jubilee Best Start Hubs!
When arriving for the first time, you are
greeted by warm welcoming staff eager to show you around and make you feel part of a small
community. You may be an expectant parent or a new mom, dad, grandparent, childcare worker or just
curious to see what happens here. You will see an early learning environment set up with many
opportunities for children to explore a little world of their own. A place where they can develop the
skills they will require socially, emotionally and physically to reach their fullest potential. It is the perfect
transition to school. Parents have the opportunity to meet other parents and become their own
support system. Relationships are made here, conversations are shared and support is given in all areas.
It is a one stop centre with many doors that open to other services. If you are wondering about your
child’s development and have questions or concern, you have come to the right place. Staff are trained
in assisting families in completing Developmental Checklists and connecting them with the proper
services such as Wordplay, Community Children’s Network, Children’s Treatment Centre, Child and
Family Centre, Children’s Services, Sudbury District Health Centre and Child and Community Resources
(formerly Childcare Resources).If you are having challenging behaviours, staff is trained in delivering the
Triple P parenting program. If you are looking for a specific age related program, topics, outings or
community outreach, you won’t be disappointed. We offer: Baby’s Day Out, Toddler’s Rhymes to
Reading, Preschool Readiness, Parent Discussions, Field trips, Community Kitchen @ Christ the King
Church, Intergenerational Program @ Alzheimer’s Society, Community Gardens and Special Guests. If
you can’t make it in the daytime, well you can certainly join us once a month at our Family Fun Nights.
Here you will have the opportunity to have a meal with us and join a special activity such as, Zumba,
Gross Motor Fun, Yoga, Star Lab, Science North to name a few. A Saturday may be just what you are
looking for. We are open the 1st Saturday of each month at our South End Hub and the 2nd Saturday of
each month at our West End Hub. Please visit the new Best Start website at
http://www.sudburybeststart.ca/ Here you will find the new Best Start video…featuring staff from the
West End Hub!
Please keep December 13th in mind and join us at Science North from 6-7pm. We will be singing
Christmas Carols, enjoying the lights while sipping on Hot Chocolate and crunching on a cookie.
Please register with the South End Best Start Hub.
Carole Brunet
Hub Coordinator
A special Thank you to our Communication Committee…
Frank Mahon, James Suchoplas, Heather Margerison,Marnie
Managhan, Sandie Manitowabi, Elizabeth Hamilton,
Vickie St.Denis, Andrea Villeseche, Carole Brunet, Brandy Mergeart,
Janene Parr, Tammy Veevers and Karrie Yake
Did you know that the Aboriginal Daycare used to be our Toy Library, now known as our Best Start Hubs.
Did you know that Jubilee Heritage Family Resources grew from a dream by the Sudbury Women’s Centre and the Association of United Ukrainian Canadians.
St. Francis Daycare
Welcome Danlinda to our Infant Program at ST. Francis Daycare. Her
years of experience with the infants at our St. Albert site, has given
her knowledge that she has agreed to share and mentor with us as
we begin our new journey with our expansion at St. Francis. Her
nurturing ways, her gift of music and love for the children has
complemented our program. How wonderful is it to be able to
mentor each other within our own agency!
Carole Brunet-St. Francis Daycare
A Welcome Change
Early in the summer the educators at the main site were asked to plan and design an eco-friendly playground
for the side yard. With the help of Pierre Harrison of Play, Learn, Think we met and discussed what we would
like to see in the play-yard. The children’s likes, needs and wants were taken into consideration. A plan was
developed and work has begun. The first step which was cleaning out and taking down of the old shed is
completed. Pierre and Rob Longarini (our handy man) have started on the storage shed part of the climber.
Also included in the new playground will be a water feature, bike path, teeter-totter, seating area and a climbing
wall. The playground will be constructed of all natural materials as much as possible. The completion date will
be early spring when the final touches will be added.
Jubilee will be closed on Dec. 24th at
5:30 until January 2nd 2013
Please register for our Family
Christmas PARTY on December 8th
[email protected]
N
National Children’s Day Nov. 20th 2012
Hi everyone from Jubilee Heritage Family Resources! Hope you enjoyed your Back Care presentation. Our
names are Melissa and Ryan and we are third year nursing students from Laurentian University here with
Jubilee for the months of November and January for our community clinical placement. We have started
touring our way through the different daycares and hubs, so you can expect a visit from us in the near
future. Also, if you have any ideas for us in terms of teaching at one of the sites, we are more than willing to
put something together. Lastly, just wanted to thank everyone for being welcoming and making us feel like a
part of the Jubilee Family. See you soon!
Planning is Key!!
The Board of Directors strive to implement and follow policies, bylaws and recommendations. This is done with great care and in
the best interests of the organization. However, like any important endeavour, this cannot be successful without careful
planning. It is through such planning that great ideas, like this very newsletter, originate. Every year, the Board takes part in a
Strategic Planning session in order to review our accomplishments, assess the needs of the organization, and set our goals for the
year. In the past, these goals have ranged from enhancing communication to keeping up with changes in the childcare field.
This year, our focus is to build on our accomplishments, while keeping up with the positive momentum
we have been experiencing. First, while communication remains strong among all levels of the
organization, we continue to look for new ways to reach out to staff, clients, and the general public.
Secondly, we have decided to review our Board processes and use this information to assess our various
functions. Thirdly, we are looking forward to developing a long-range plan that predicts future trends to
adapt to ongoing changes and ensure financial stability. Finally, we recognize the strong relationships
that Jubilee has with its community partners within the City of Greater Sudbury. It is one of our goals to
continue building on these relationships to further enhance Jubilee's presence within the community.
In the end, our goal is always the same; to provide affordable, high quality, anti-bias learning
environments that support the needs of children and their families in the community. A goal as
important as this can be met in a number of different ways, but in order to truly be successful.....this, of
course, takes careful planning.
James Suchoplas
Board Chair
Did you know that our West End and South End Best Start Hubs serviced approximately 1045 children and 842 adults in 2012.
The number of times they visited our Hubs is, 13,772 for children and 10,585 for adults.
Once again, on behalf of the Communication Committee, I would like to thank the Board, Management and
Staff for their continued support with moving our organization toward ongoing effective communication at all
levels. Two years ago the Board set a goal to improve communication within the organization. This will be an
ongoing goal however we should be proud of what has been accomplished to date. As Julie Denomme has
reminded us during her two very enjoyable presentations on communication, there are many aspects to this
art. She has given us the opportunity to reflect on our own communication skills and think about how we
interact with others. Through the following statements we can further reflect on our own communication skills
as we perfect our own ability in this area.
1. “The single biggest problem in COMMUNICATION is the illusion that it has taken place.” ~George Bernard
Shaw
2.
“COMMUNICATION - the human connection - is the key to personal and career success.” ~Paul J. Meyer
3. “Good COMMUNICATION does not mean that you have to speak in perfectly formed sentences and
paragraphs. It isn't about slickness. Simple and clear go a long way.” ~John Kotter
4.
“The most important thing in COMMUNICATION is to HEAR what isn't being said.” ~Peter Drucker
5.
“We have two ears and one mouth so that we can listen twice as much as we speak.” ~Epictetus
6. "Developing excellent COMMUNICATION skills is absolutely essential to effective leadership. The leader
must be able to share knowledge and ideas to transmit a sense of urgency and enthusiasm to others. If a leader
can't get a message across clearly and motivate others to act on it, then having a message doesn't even
matter."
~Gilbert Amelio, President and CEO of National Semiconductor Corp.
7. “Civilization grew in the beginning from the minute that we had COMMUNICATION – particularly,
communication by sea that enabled people to get inspiration and ideas from each other and to exchange basic
raw materials.” ~Thor Heyerdahl
8. “Deep LISTENING is miraculous for both listener and speaker. When someone receives us with openhearted, non-judging, intensely interested listening, our spirits expand.” ~Sue Patton Thoele
9.
“COMMUNICATION works for those who work at it.” ~John Powell
10 “COMMUNICATION leads to community, that is, to understanding intimacy and mutual valuing.” ~Rollo
May
As we enter the holiday season I would like to communicate the following to everyone at Jubilee
Heritage Family Resources:
Thank you for everything you do for Jubilee. Never doubt that you have and will continue to make a
difference in the lives of every person that you touch, both adult and child. The Sudbury community is a
better place because of you.
Frank Mahon
Communication Committee Chair
Here's a great Science idea that a staff member at St. Albert’s found
on Pinterest!
We have made quite a few of them at our site and the children really
enjoy them.
You will Need:
Cut up Pipe cleaners
Magnet
Clear bottle
Cut up pipe cleaners. Use magnetic wands to draw the pipe cleaners up
the side of the bottle.
Apple Crisp
Minutes to Prepare: 20
Minutes to Cook: 30
Number of Servings: 15
Ingredients
4 cups cooking apples, sliced
1/3 cup flour
1 cup oatmeal, uncooked
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
1/3 cup melted butter
Directions
National Children’s Day Nov. 20th 2012
Peel apples; slice into 13x9 buttered pan. Combine dry ingredients into bowl. Mix melted butter with
dry ingredients until crumbly. Sprinkle crumb mixture over apples. Bake at 350 degrees for about 1/2
hour or until apples are tender.
Enjoy…From the Macleod Site
Finding That Special Place
It was early May and I was pushing a three-month old baby girl about the west end of Sudbury. I had
heard (somewhere) about this place called The Best Start Hub. I looked up the address and was on a
mission to find it. After half an hour of walking, I arrived at the front door of the Jubilee Heritage
Daycare on Apple Grove. I knocked on the front door and was greeted by a woman with a warm smile
and a gentle personality. She regretted to inform me that I was not at ‘The Hub’ and looked genuinely
disappointed that I was at the wrong place for a playgroup. I remember leaving disheartened but also
with the feeling that I had arrived at a special place.
It wasn’t until years later that I found myself back at that front door (and I’m pretty sure, I was
looking at that same warm smile) registering my two children for childcare at a place that was indeed
very special.
I have two incredible children who mean the world to me. The idea of leaving them with people I
didn’t know was an incredible challenge, but one I needed to embrace. The staff at Jubilee reassured
me that I was making the right decision leaving my most prized possessions in their care.
Throughout that year, I watched my children flourish under the care of the Jubilee staff. It was not
hard to find evidence, that indeed, I had made the right decision. For example, one day that first week,
I arrived to pick up my son from the toddler room and he was sitting on the floor with an educator
playing. I wasn’t sure who was learning more, the educator or my son. The two of them looked so
engaged in what they were doing it warmed my heart. On another day, I arrived to find an educator
dancing with so much enthusiasm that she was out of breath. The kids were smiling ear to ear and so
was she!
I loved how all of the staff took the time getting to know my children. It amazed me how everyone
greeted my children by name and with genuine affection.
As the school year came to an end, so did our time at the main site. (Our adventures at the MacLeod
site have just begun!) My children were very sad to say good-bye to the children and staff. I wanted to
thank everyone for the amazing care they gave my children, but I found it hard to do so because there
were so many people who had touched their lives and influenced their development.
On their very last day, they came home with the most amazing treasures. My daughter proudly
showed me her diploma and framed ‘graduation’ photo. It is a beautiful picture of her in a gown and
cap, she is nestled against a tree, wearing the proudest smile I’ve ever seen.
Next, my son sat me down on the couch to show me his new book. I snuggled up with him as we flipped
through an incredibly touching scrapbook that displayed his learning and adventures at Jubilee. Both
his educators wrote little letters to him, demonstrating once again how they had taken the time to get
to know him. I couldn’t help but get teary eyed as my children proudly showed me their new
treasures. Today, they are prominently displayed in our living room. I love looking at them, knowing
that these treasures reflect such a happy and positive time in their lives.
So, thank you Jubilee. Thank you for taking such amazing care of my most prized possessions.
Tammy Veevers