Learning on the road

Camps Education
The Town Crier Guide to
AND
January 2015
Learning on
the road
Girls breaking
through
in science
Why summer
camp is great
for kids
A Special
Publication
of the Town Crier
Community
Newspapers
TCOWN
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www.MyTownCrier.Ca
Central
Edition
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Young female students are getting
the chance to show they’re at home
with science and technology
LENORE LOCKEN
Town Crier
T
he Merriam-Webster dictionary defines “glass ceiling”
as an unfair set of attitudes
that prevents some people, such as
women, from obtaining upper-level
positions. Will young women pursuing science and technology careers
face unseen barriers? Or is the glass
ceiling finally shattering?
A recent Angus Reid survey of
more than 1,000 Canadian adults on
the topic of women in technology
revealed some participants, though
not the majority, think barriers
exist. Of the women questioned, 28
percent believed a lack of encouragement was a barrier to young women
who wish to pursue science and
math degrees.
Many schools are trying to change
this perception.
“At Branksome Hall, nobody
assumes you cannot do science,” said
Michelle Yang, a Grade 12 student
planning for a career in either environmental engineering or environmental science who believes there is
Camps
plenty of encouragement to students
in the STEM (Science, Technology,
Engineering, Math) courses. “Teachers show us every day we can do
many things in the science and technology fields.”
A full 100 percent of the women
surveyed by Angus Reid indicated
they believed more curriculum at
the high school level is needed to
encourage young women to consider
technology careers.
This isn’t an issue at either Branksome Hall or Havergal College.
Both midtown Toronto independent
schools offer STEM courses beyond
the public school requirements.
“We provide a strong traditional
science curriculum,” said Havergal’s
Petrusia Kowalsky, who teaches
Grade 11 and Grade 12 physics.
Heather Friesen, a former science
teacher who is now head of academics at Branksome Hall, says her
school offers the traditional sciences
plus Sport, Health and Exercise Science and Environmental Systems.
It’s a program that lets every girl find
“the right science course” for her
Continued on next page
Education
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CENTRAL EDITION
January 2015
Branksome Hall’s Michelle Yang,
a Grade 12 student, is happiest when in
a science lab. COURTESY GILLIAN MINSKY
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JANUARY 2015 TOWN CRIER CAMPS AND EDUCATION
3
Girls’ ideas
have potential
to redefine
computer
science
Michelle Yang with chemistry teacher Deepa Raj, left,
and Oksana Jajecznyk, head
of science at Branksome
Hall. The teachers are Yang’s
role models and mentors.
COURTESY GILLIAN MINSKY
interests, she says.
Among Toronto public schools, Marc Garneau Collegiate Institute in Flemingdon Park has
a strong STEM emphasis. Its TOPS (Talented
Offerings for Programs in the Sciences) program
immerses students in an intensive science-based
curriculum.
Women mentoring women
Mentorship by other women was seen by a
large majority of the survey participants as one
of the keys in encouraging girls to enter STEM
studies.
“It’s one of the greatest sources of inspiration
and guidance,” Yang agreed, adding that her science teachers have been highly influential in her
academic success.
She also demonstrates mentorship with her
own actions, supporting younger students with
their STEM interests as co-head of the Science
Enrichment Club as well as being a math tutor.
The Angus Reid survey also found that only 18
percent of the women responding had considered
a career in technology and 57 percent had no
interest in such a profession now.
Yang doesn’t find that figure surprising, and
admits she was at first disinterested in science.
“In Grade 9, it was not one of my favourite subjects,” she said. “I didn’t yet have an idea of what it
really was like.”
Her advice to women is to give STEM careers
a chance. She believes, as does Karishma Singh,
a Grade 12 student at Havergal, that science can
become a “passion” for women.
And what of that glass ceiling? Students are
prepared to shatter it.
“When I tell people my parents’ age or older
that I’m applying to engineering, I get continual
looks of surprise,” added another Grade 12 Havergal student, Lauren Wilcox.
However, she is optimistic.
“In the future, women interested in STEM will
be taken just as seriously as men,” she said.
Singh agrees.
“I believe females are not only fully capable of
working in STEM professions but their contributions will further the development of ideas just as
much as any male,” she declared.
Yang believes her generation will have experiences much different than older ones, as young
women enter the STEM fields in greater numbers.
“I think the stereotypical assumption is lessening in recent years,” she said. “Girls can be equal
to guys.”
4 CAMPS AND EDUCATION TOWN CRIER JANUARY 2015
Mississauga all-girls private school Holy
Name of Mary College School introduced
a Week of Code and then an Hour of Code
into its Computer Science Education Week
observance in mid-December.
It was an effort designed to let students
experience a basic introduction to coding
and encourage them to consider computer
science as a field of study.
Quoting figures from websites Code.
org and Codeweek.eu, school officials
noted that it is estimated by 2020 there
will be 1.4 million computing jobs and only
400,000 computer science students in the
U.S. In the European Union, the estimate is
that 900,000 computer jobs will go unfilled.
Also quoted was research by tech giant
Intel that suggests girls involved with making, designing and creating things with
electronic tools may build a stronger interest, and greater skills, in computer science
and engineering.
Citing a report on PBS Newshour (pbs.
org/newshour/rundown/science-engineering-and-the-gender-gap/) that points out
only 19 percent of software developers are
women, HNMCS officials said they are well
aware of gender gap issues in the field.
“Girls have a different approach to
problem solving that is really needed in
the field of computer science,” says Andy
MacLeod, director of technology and
instructional innovation at the school.
“Their ideas have the potential to redefine the whole industry.”
Grade 12 student Zac Harrison, right, shown chatting with
schoolmate Chris Kitchen, says while he faced problems with
other students in his grade a month earlier, Royal St. George’s
social worker Andrea Kaye helped resolve them.
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COURTESY TOM STEVENS/RSG
Private and independent schools approach
the challenges of being a student
ERIC EMIN WOOD
Town Crier
L
ike many teenagers, Sarah
Gilchrist felt awkward in Grade
9, unsure of herself and where
she wanted to go next. She was ultimately guided by some older students
on her school’s rowing team, an example of what perhaps can be described
as a culture of connection at Havergal
College.
“Having those role models and
people to look up to and leading the
way for you — that to me was the
biggest help,” Gilchrist, now in Grade
12 and a student council prefect, said
recently.
Like many independent and private schools, the North Toronto all
girls school creates opportunities for
students to connect with each other
through its numerous clubs, but vice
principal Lois Rowe says her school’s
commitment to maintaining a culture
that welcomes everyone “for who they
are and what they believe in” goes
much deeper than that.
Social angst is part of the challenges experienced by teenagers in most
Canadian schools, but private schools
in particular appear to have tools in
place to meet those challenges.
“I think independent schools are
blessed with a better ratio of staff to
students,” said Garth Chalmers, who
is head of Foundation Years at University of Toronto Schools, where an
interventionist approach to bullying
is part of a “strength-based resilience”
program currently being tested.
“They’re better equipped to combat
these issues because they have enough
people on the ground to do it.”
At Havergal, a Grade 7 student
begins her journey at its middle
school — and there are twice as many
grade sevens as sixes, thanks to yearly
transfers from other schools — with
a luncheon, where she’s introduced
to the 10-house system, which Rowe
describes as “like Harry Potter but
even better.”
Every student and teacher is
assigned a house. In September, the
student is contacted by some peers in
Grade 8. In October she’s introduced
to school clubs.
In Grade 9, when the student is
Continued on next page
JANUARY 2015 TOWN CRIER CAMPS AND EDUCATION
5
Rewiring the brain for better performance
BY BRUNA SIMOES
Arrowsmith School
Royal St. George’s
College students
playing soccer.
COURTESY TOM STEVENS/RSG
discover
develop
thr ve
Montcrest
School
www.montcrest.on.ca
more comfortable at school than she is in her own
skin, she and a handful of housemates are assigned
a teacher advisor, who remains their advisor for the
rest of their high school careers.
At every stage, this mix of familiar authority figures and accomplished peers combines to create the
sense of welcome that Gilchrist remembers so well,
Rowe says.
“We unfold parts of the school one element at a
time, rather than hitting them all with it in the first
couple of weeks,” she said. “It’s our way of making a
big school small.”
At Royal St. George’s College, social worker
Andrea Kaye practises an open-door policy to
ensure that as the boys begin adolescence they feel
as comfortable around her as they do with their
friends. As if to demonstrate her policy’s effectiveness, three Grade 12 boys visit her office during this
recent interview.
Kaye said her goal at the independent boys
school in Toronto’s Annex is to make talking and
thinking about adolescent struggles normal. That
includes discussions about bullying.
Grade 12 student Zac Harrison said he felt
comfortable approaching Kaye when he recently
faced problems with other students in his grade.
She helped arrange what he called “a very pleasant
meeting” with the other boys involved.
“It almost completely resolved the problem,
because we were able to have an open dialogue
about it,” Harrison said.
Another cornerstone of the adolescent experience is stress. According to Susan Elliott, executive director of Learning Forum at TFS, it can be
especially acute for someone attending a bilingual,
IB-certified school.
“I think with teenagers the worst feeling is that
nobody else is having this challenge,” said Elliott,
whose department teaches learning skills such as
time management and exam preparation at the
bilingual school.
Many of the Bayview and Lawrence area school’s
efforts involve implementing relevant programs or
conducting seminars. Students from senior kindergarten to Grade 12 receive the MindUP program,
which teaches how stress is triggered and how it
affects the brain and body, along with self-regulation techniques such as meditation and breathing
exercises.
Their school-wide use helps create a positive
social environment, Elliott says.
The UTS “strength-based resilience” program is
designed to help kids develop what Chalmers calls
a growth mindset, teaching them to be more reflective of their relationships.
“If they have strength in their resilience, they
might be more prepared to be more reflective about
what they’ve done, and then later if someone has
been unkind to them they might be more forgiving,” he said.
Chalmers says students at UTS typically face
their toughest challenge in Grade 7, the first year
they can attend the prestigious university prep
school, alongside classmates who are drawn from
some 70 different schools.
It often requires work to integrate these new
students with each other and with a school culture
which, he admits, is often open-minded in ways the
often-public schools they’re coming from may not
be, he said.
In December, Havergal Big Sisters and Little Sisters
met for a lunchtime event of friendly competition
and bonding — one of the school’s stressreducing initiatives, matching girls in Grades 7 and
COURTESY HAVERGAL
8 with those in Grades 10–12.
6 CAMPS AND EDUCATION TOWN CRIER JANUARY 2015
Neuroplasticity, while not a new science, is beginning to transform the
ways in which we look at learning
disabilities and education.
As students return to school in
January, parents are reminded of the
issues that are hindering their child’s
success in the classroom. Today, one
in every 10 Canadians has a learning
disability. Depending on the type of
learning disability, and its severity,
academic performance for students
can be a challenge.
Imagine straining to understand.
Imagine missing important instructions, subtle comments and the tone
of a teacher’s voice when delivering
instructions. Imagine being only
more aware that everyone else
understood, while you were miles
behind. This is what life is like for
those affected by learning disabilities.
Joanne’s daughter Elizabeth was
one such student.
“We worried about it all the time,
we dreaded school reports, we
dreaded when
the school called,”
Joanne said. “She
was doing homework all night
— every night —
with absolutely
no gain and no
benefit.”
Then Joanne
enrolled Elizabeth
at the Arrowsmith School in Toronto. The school operates a cognitive
program founded on the science of
neuroplasticity that addresses the
underlying causes of learning disabilities.
The Arrowsmith Program
employs a suite of cognitive exercises designed to strengthen the
underperforming regions of the
brain. These areas of the brain are
treated like weak muscles and are
intensely stimulated in order to produce strengthened learning capacities, essentially rewiring the brain for
better performance.
Reading and understanding relationships and concepts was nearly
impossible for Joanne’s daughter
Elizabeth before
starting the
Arrowsmith Program, but soon
that began to
change.
“She started
the program
never actually
having completed a book,”
Joanne recalled. “After two months
she picked up her first book — it
was about 700 pages long — and
she read it in a couple of weeks.
“It was unbelievable.”
Joanne is just one of thousands
of parents worldwide seeing the
benefits of a neuroplastic intervention in their children’s education.
“It allows these children to
realize their dreams,” says Barbara
Arrowsmith Young, founder and
director of the Arrowsmith Program
and School, who herself suffered
extensively with learning disabilities
before developing the program, a
journey chronicled in her bestselling
book The Woman Who Changed Her
Brain. “What these students talk to
Column
me about is that at a certain point
they stopped daring to dream.”
She says having a learning disability is “not a life sentence.”
“You can change very particular
parts of the brain to allow them to
function and it’s just amazing what
happens when you do that,” she
said. “Learning that (once) was a
challenge becomes effortless and
pleasurable.”
By engaging in the Arrowsmith
Program students like Elizabeth are
provided with a new capacity to
acquire, absorb and retain information, not only allowing them to learn
but also giving them the opportunity to change their outlook on their
future.
“I couldn’t read,” says Elizabeth.
“I’d never read a full book at the age
of 13. I hated reading.
“I never thought these doors
could be open for me, and now they
are wide open and I can do anything.”
Bruna Simoes is communications
coordinator with Arrowsmith School
in Toronto and Peterborough.
The early years are so important for your boy
because they are when fundamental learning and
skill development begin. That is why you should
consider sending him to Sterling Hall, starting
in JK. Our full-day JK/SK program focuses on
numeracy and literacy through the use of best
practices such as the Fountas and Pinnell Guided
Reading Program and prepares boys for the
Singapore Math teaching method in Grade 1.
It is balanced with daily Phys Ed as well as Art,
Music, French and Drama taught by specialists.
We will nurture your son’s mind, body and spirit right
up through Grade 8, with boy-friendly programs
as well as leadership, mentorship and character
development opportunities that are all part of the
equation. 416.785.3410 sterlinghall.com
Where boys belong.
JANUARY 2015 TOWN CRIER CAMPS AND EDUCATION
7
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technology spar
Health concerns were
expressed when the
technology was first
introduced into schools,
but parents now seem to
accept it without qualms
technology in their classrooms,
though are vigilant about maintaining safety in their schools.
Toronto public school board
trustee Shelley Laskin, Ward 11,
argues that WiFi technology is
an essential tool for teaching and
learning, and until such time as
the World Health Organization or
Health Canada says otherwise the
board will consider it safe. Sheila
Ward, her Ward 14 colleague, says
she believes there is no danger or
harm to students from WiFi use.
LENORE LOCKEN
Town Crier
S
afety Code Six may sound like
a top-secret spy alert from a
covert organization, but there
is nothing mysterious at all about
Health Canada’s guideline that recommends the limits for safe exposure to radiofrequency electromagnetic energy.
The limits to RF energy from
equipment like cell phones and
wireless Internet devices, recommended by Safety Code Six and
regulated by Industry Canada, are
actually science-based and consistent with those in the U.S., Japan,
Australia and other countries.
Concerns have been raised by
some organizations, such as WiFi in
Schools, The Safe School Committee
and Canadians for Safe Technology, that the limits of RF energy
exposure are inadequate to protect
children in our schools. They claim
students in facilities with wireless
Internet access are exposed to
harmful emissions from the equipment on a daily basis.
While in support of the use of
technology in schools, the C4ST
organization, which is led by former
Microsoft Canada president Frank
Clegg, believes children are unnecessarily exposed to constant danger
from WiFi equipment. The group
also maintains that Safety Code Six
itself is flawed.
Prior to the Oct. 27 municipal
elections, C4ST used its website
to urge school trustee candidates
across Ontario to educate themselves on this issue, stating they
should “invest the time to understand the significant flaws in the
Girls at Annunciation
Catholic School enjoy
sharing time on the
computer system.
PHOTO COURTESY TCDSB
process Health Canada uses in its
update of SC6.” It also issued a
media release claiming 100 school
trustee candidates cited this as an
area of strong concern.
According to data posted to the
C4ST website, while some candidates did agree, of 72 candidates
running for school trustee positions
in Toronto only 22 indicated they
shared those concerns.
Howard Kaplan, trustee for Ward
5 and at the time chair of the Health
and Mental Well Being Committee
at the TDSB, was quoted in the
release saying, “I sit at the intersection of technology and health and
there are enough warnings that we
can’t ignore them any more.”
No local schools contacted for
this report expressed concerns
regarding this issue. And their private and independent counterparts
say they will continue to embrace
Students at Annunciation Catholic School
spend part of their class time on technologyPHOTO COURTESY TCDSB
based activities.
8 CAMPS AND EDUCATION TOWN CRIER JANUARY 2015
Parent’s concerns
proved unfounded
Maria Rizzo, Toronto Catholic
District School Board trustee for
Ward 5, says her board is operating
at safety levels that fall well below
the limits set out in Safety Code Six.
She is also skeptical of claims about
Safety Code Six being unsound.
“You can Google something and
make an issue, depending on your
point of view,” she said.
Jo-Ann Davis, TCDSB trustee
for Ward 9, recalls the issue first
being brought up at parent council
meetings in the fall of 2010, when
she was a new trustee, but says the
queries didn’t last.
St. Bonaventure
Catholic School is a
participant in the non-profit
Students in Science program
that encourages hands-on activities
in technology. PHOTO COURTESY TCDSB
“At that time we were just starting to put it in our schools,” she
said. “Parents understandably had
questions about the safety, as with
any new technology.”
Since that time, she adds, she has
received no questions or concerns
from parents in her ward about
WiFi.
Davis, who has a child attending
a school with WiFi, notes that some
schools do operate equipment at a
reduced power level that does not
disrupt coverage, plus mount equipment in hallway ceilings as often as
possible, rather than in classrooms.
Havergal College, an independent girls school in North Toronto,
monitors the electromagnetic frequency readings within its buildings
and all readings are well below the
Safety Code Six limits, according to
communication director Young Um.
“The wellness and safety of our
students, faculty and staff are a
priority at Havergal,” she said. “To
ensure we provide a safe learning
environment, we stay current on
technology research, including
WiFi.”
Julia Drake, executive director
of communications at private girls
school Branksome Hall, agrees. She
says the Rosedale school is “always
conscious about health and safety”
and purchases equipment from top
technology providers, installing
WiFi technology used in the healthcare field..
Drake said in the years she’s been
with the school there have been few
queries from parents about WiFi
routers and equipment.
While quoted in the C4ST media
release as saying “there are enough
warnings that we can’t ignore them
any more,” Kaplan now says the
research he has seen was done several years ago, and acknowledges
“the technology is changing all the
time.”
He said he believes the exposure
is not that much different from a
television or other electronic equipment, including WiFi, already in
most homes.
Is this an issue where parents
have strong beliefs? Rizzo doesn’t
believe it is an issue with parents. In
her 11 years as a trustee, representing more than 20 schools, she says
she has never been contacted about
the subject.
“If any parent or parent group
has talked about this, they sure haven’t talked to me about it,” she said.
Confident voices live at Linden.
Here, girls, grades 1–12,
find learning exciting.
Our mission encourages
OPEN HOUSE
13, 9–11am
students to lead today and Friday, February
RSVP to
[email protected]
in the world tomorrow.
Girls, Grades 1-12
10 Rosehill Avenue, Toronto
Ontario M4T 1G5
[email protected]
416.966.4406
www.lindenschool.ca
JANUARY 2015 TOWN CRIER CAMPS AND EDUCATION
9
SCHOOL NEWS
Local students go on the road
for international math contest
College’s hockey program preparing
girl athletes for life on and off ice
Since being introduced in 1998,
Appleby College’s varsity girls’ hockey
program has attracted outstanding
players from across the country, and
this year’s team is no exception, with
players from Newfoundland, Nova
Scotia, northern Ontario and, closer
to home, Etobicoke — with Sydney
and Samantha McCluskey.
Focusing on the total development
of the player — including skill, character and academic development —
Appleby’s student-athletes are afforded
every advantage in pursuing university hockey.
“The program emulates a university-level experience, both in academic
rigour and athletic dedication,” said
head coach Kim Devereaux. “Encompassing skill development, nutrition
workshops, off-ice conditioning, mental training, athletic therapy and CIS/
NCAA guidance, the program allows
for a holistic developmental approach
catered to each player.”
Much like a university model,
teams look to practice three or four
times a week while playing a 35–40game season. Practices and at-home
games take place in Appleby’s on-campus J.S. Gairdner Arena.
Given the busy schedule of Appleby student life, game schedules are
designed not to overpower player
development.
The team also competes in the
Conference of Independent Schools
of Ontario Athletic Association league
and has the opportunity to participate
at the Ontario Federation of School
Athletic Association. Numerous
opportunities to play exhibition games
against other Canadian or U.S. schools
are also organized throughout the
season.
Players understand that academics
The GirlTech club at The York School feels it
has the code to help close the gender gap
COURTESY THE YORK SCHOOL
in technology.
Girls
getting
techie
Female students at The
York School, at 1320
Yonge St., are working
together to close the
gender gap in technology through a new initiative called GirlTech.
It is a student club
where girls in grades
9–12 get together
during lunch and learn
the language of “code.”
Beyond coding, they
receive leadership
training and are given
opportunities to act
as role models in the
school community, as
teaching and coaching
assistants.
Tapping into the
power of supportive
networks, GirlTech also
participates in Mentor
Lunches, where professional women are invited to speak to students
about their perspective
as female leaders and
how they found success
in their current roles.
Graduate
comes
home
The Junior Academy,
at 2454 Bayview Ave.,
had a visit Dec. 16 from
John Douramakos,
one of its 2010 graduates, who came back
to share his most fond
10 CAMPS AND EDUCATION TOWN CRIER JANUARY 2015
SHAWN STAR
Appleby alumna
Jennifer MacAskill
in action in 2014.
Town Crier
COURTESY APPLEBY COLLEGE
and involvement in a broad school
experience are the primary goals of
the girls’ hockey program. Attracting highly skilled hockey players to
Appleby is the school’s commitment
to supporting student-athletes as they
strive for excellence not only in hockey, but in their academic pursuits as
well.
All players are matched with an
advisor who provides encouragement,
guidance and support in all of their
school endeavours. Players also have
regular meetings with a guidance
counsellor, concentrating on the university selection process.
Dalhousie University, Dartmouth
memories of his time in
elementary and middle
school.
John attended Junior
Academy from Junior
Kindergarten to Grade
8, thriving both academically and socially.
“There were so many
opportunities in terms
of sports teams, community involvement and
academics,” he said as
he reminisced about his
days at Junior Academy.
He shared his appreciation of the small
class sizes, family feel
and teacher relation-
College, Boston College, Cornell University and Princeton University are
some of the prestigious post-secondary schools team alumnae have gone
on to play for, as well as Team Canada.
Notable alumnae playing on
Team Canada include Hailey Browne
(2011), Kristyn Capizzano (2013), Brianne Jenner (2009), Jennifer MacAskill (2014), Savannah Newton (2014),
Nicole Paniccia (2010), Jill Saulnier
(2011) and Sarah Steele (2013).
For more information on Appleby’s
hockey program you can contact Matt
Sheridan-Jonah, executive director,
admissions at 905-845-4681 ext. 169,
or [email protected].
ships.
Today, John is a
disciplined, polite
and ambitious young
man who is studying
Humanities in his first
year at McMaster University.
Day of
giving
Operating from the
point of view that
volunteerism is at
John Douramakos, left, with
teacher Cathy Hibbert
during visit to his old school.
COURTESY JUNIOR ACADEMY
the heart of shaping
compassionate women
leaders, all students and
faculty of Holy Name
of Mary College School
took part in Giving
Tuesday on Dec. 2. The
annual event for the
school, held during the
season of Advent, saw
240 people volunteering
for a total of 844 hours
at 15 local locations.
Senior School students, teachers and parent volunteers stepped
out of their comfort
zone and immersed
themselves in compassionate service to create
their own momentum
of giving. Whether on
a street walk handing
out sandwiches and
warm clothing to the
homeless on the streets
of Toronto or giving to
14 community agencies, the compassionate
face of Jesus was very
much alive.
At the same time,
Middle School students
joined in the spirit of
giving by sharing their
Holy Name of Mary
students took part as volunteers
during Giving Tuesday in December.
COURTESY HOLY NAME OF MARY COLLEGE SCHOOL
creative talents in decorating and infusing
the spirit of Christmas
throughout the school.
Some of the locations where the valuable gift of helping
hands was shared
included the Archdiocese of Toronto, Salvation Army, Habitat
Restore, St. Felix Centre
and Chartwell retirement home, along with
various food banks
and parishes. The tasks
included sorting and
packing food, serving
lunch, distributing bags
for food drives, sorting
toys and clothes, toiletries and baby formula,
tree decorating and
other administrative
tasks.
The girls completed
them with no complaints and a lot of
compassion for those
they were helping.
“What stuck with
me was the one girl
who gave her own
gloves off of her own
hands, even though
she was out in the cold
handing out gloves,
coats, etc.,” said Julie
Springer, manager of
volunteers at St. Felix
Centre in Toronto.
“That gesture alone
speaks volumes.”
Sharbani Khan,
of Mississauga Food
Bank, called the girls
“energetic, engaged and
committed volunteers
who exhibited exemplary team spirit and
generosity.”
“They will go on to
Students Alexandra Fernandes,
left, and Elyse Ring hard at
work during Hour of Code.
COURTESY HOLY NAME OF MARY COLLEGE SCHOOL
become ideal citizens of
the future,” Khan said.
Sr. Maria Louise,
Chaplaincy and Mission leader at HNMCS,
received positive feedback from the various
agencies the school
partnered with.
A week
of coding
Holy Name of Mary
College School ran its
own Week of Code
Dec. 8–12, as part of
Computer Science
Education Week. The
objective was to expose
every student at the
2241 Mississauga Rd.
all girls school to an
hour of computer programming.
The Hour of Code
was a one-hour introduction to computer
programming, designed
to demystify code. All
students undertook
the hour challenge,
with many having progressed much further
than the original hour.
The coding included
making the characters from Angry Birds
move and perform
tasks. Some girls also
went on to redesign the
Flappy Bird game and
some are even exploring the ability to code
and deploy their own
smartphone apps.
For the last four years, a team of students led by Deirdre Timusk, Upper
Canada College math department
head, has made a February trip to
Boston to compete in the Harvard
MIT math contest.
Though the contest can be done
online, Timusk says it’s more thrilling
for the students from the Forest Hill
private school to be there in person.
“When the kids associate mathematics with a fun trip and with a sort
of thrill … I think it becomes more
palatable for a lot of kids,” she said. “It’s
good to make it fun. It’s sexing it up.”
Students who make the trip pay
their own way. While the financial
aspect might seem like an advantage
that private school students have over
public school students, Timusk says it
is not just about money. It also comes
down to the passion of the teacher
involved in the programming.
“It really has to be driven by a
teacher who’s passionate and who
wants to spend their time that way,”
she said, adding there are some public
schools that get great results at these
contests. “If I was a betting woman,
I’d say there are probably two or three
faculty members [at those public
schools] who are running the show.”
At Branksome Hall, students are
given several opportunities to be
involved in contests and work outside
of Canada, including debate championships and service work in Costa
Rica and South Africa. The Rosedale
school offers financial assistance to
students who may not be able to pay
their own way, as well as endowed
bursaries from donors.
“We recognize the importance of
travel opportunities,” said Julia Drake,
executive director of communications
at Branksome Hall.
While not an international program, UCC Math Select, an afterschool math program for boys and
girls in grades 5–9 that was started
in September by Timusk, is intended
for both private and public school
students. Still, of the 25 students in
the Tuesday evening math contest
training program, almost all are from
private schools.
She says she’s hoping to grow the
program, particularly with more kids
from public schools.
“A lot of people see the UCC name
and assume it’s going to be a fortune
— but, no, it’s free,” she said. “It would
be awesome to have a whole bunch
of kids just arguing about math problems.”
JANUARY 2015 TOWN CRIER CAMPS AND EDUCATION
11
Find the School
that’s just right for your student!
ARROWSMITH SCHOOL
tive capacities associated with learning difficulties.
Established in 1978 by Barbara Arrowsmith
Young, the Arrowsmith Program is founded on the
principles of neuroplasticity, neuroscience research,
and over 35 years of experience.
With a dedicated teaching staff and customized
curricula, the Arrowsmith Program provides students
with the capacity to acquire, absorb, and retain infor-
mation, changing the way they learn and allowing
them to succeed in becoming life-long learners.
We offer a full-time and part-time program, as
well as detailed assessment process outlining a student’s individual learning profile.
For more information contact Incia Zaffar
at [email protected] or visit
www.arrowsmithschool.org.
of the Montessori method while achieving true fluency
in French.
Our students achieve superior results duirng
Canadian Aptitude Tests, demonstrating their achievements, which go well beyond the norms for students
nationwide.
An in-depth exploration of the Catholic faith fosters
a strong moral compass and rich spiritual life in each
girl. Hawthorn girls are courageous, confident and ready
to face the challenges of adult life in the 21st century.
Contact us by phone at 416-444-2900 or by email at
[email protected].
You can also visit us at our website at
www.hawthornschool.com.
Metropolitan Preparatory Academy is a semestered, coeducational, university preparatory day
school located in Don Mills. Since 1982, Metro Prep
Academy has been preparing Middle School (grades
7–8) and High School (grades 9–12) students to
realize their highest potential. The school provides a
structured environment with small classes that are
geared for success at the university level. We imitate
no one. We are totally original in thought and actions.
Metro Prep Academy is committed to nurturing
the intellectual, physical, social and creative potential
of students through a supportive yet challenging academic environment. The school places emphasis on
the individual, where strengths are refined and weaknesses are overcome through academic and social
supports. The faculty at Metropolitan Preparatory
Academy is integral in fostering a safe environment
where students feel confident expressing their individuality, thinking critically and receiving the assistance needed to excel. In order to facilitate an optimal
learning environment, organizational skills and study
habits are emphasized, along with teacher-parent
communication. Extensive athletic and extracurricular
opportunities foster the physical and social potential
of each child.
For over 30 years, Metro Prep has been preparing
students for the academics of university and the skills
needed for life-long success.
Preparation begins NOW!
Please visit www.metroprep.com.
Montcrest is small enough to honour the individual and big enough to provide an exceptional
academic experience with balanced opportunities in
leadership, the arts, and athletics.
Our school challenges children to discover and
acknowledge their own voices, so they can understand
and make meaningful connections with the world.
Montcrest offers a challenging core curriculum
through critical inquiry in a structured and nurturing
environment.
A dedicated faculty provides excellent instruction
and individual attention in small classes.
Our many outreach programs reflect the values of our Standing for Character Program: Respect,
Responsibility, Integrity, Compassion, and Courage.
Smaller classes for children with learning disabilities
are offered from Grades 2 to 8.
Please visit us to see how your child could discover, develop, and thrive at Montcrest. Next open house:
Jan. 16 from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
Website: www.montcrest.on.ca.
OUR KIDS: GUIDE TO SUMMER CAMPS & PRIVATE SCHOOLS
Don’t miss the Camp Expo on February 22, 2015
Dedicated to developing the whole child
12 CAMPS AND EDUCATION TOWN CRIER JANUARY 2015
label but then look at where their skill level is.
Within a group we have an individualized program, focusing on the needs of each student
while teaching them how to be in a small group.”
Brown believes that Kohai’s individualized
approach is “a really valuable way to give people
an opportunity to be their best.”
Discover * Develop * Thrive
HUDSON COLLEGE
Looking for a new school? At Hudson College we
offer a challenging, nurturing and rewarding learning
environment that allows students to reach their maximum potential.
We are a co-ed, multicultural day school from JK to
university entrance. Recognized for its excellence by the
Ontario Ministry of Education, our balanced curriculum
meets & exceeds Ministry guidelines.
Our small class sizes and promise of a Total Personal
Support system dedicated to developing the whole
approach to each student’s education and provide
a fully enriched curriculum, regardless of skill
level.
Principal Barbara Brown describes Kohai as a
unique place to learn, “Students will often come
in with huge gaps in their learning and many of
our students have autism. We acknowledge the
MONTCREST SCHOOL
A love of learning and good habits for life
Hawthorn is the only small school for girls in
Toronto. At Hawthorn, students receive the individual
attention they need and deserve. Each girl is known and
cared for.
Increased access to extracurricular activities allows
each girl to participate and leave her mark – in athletics,
the arts, student government, etc. Students are encouraged to be generous with their time and talents.
Kohai Educational Centre is an independent
day school specializing in teaching students with
language and cognitive delays.
This fall marks Kohai’s 42nd year in operation.
With students who range in age from 4 years
to adulthood and face a variety of learning challenges, Kohai’s dedicated teachers take a unique
Nurturing the potential of students
HAWTHORN SCHOOL FOR GIRLS
Hawthorn School is the only accredited, independent, Catholic girls’ school in Toronto, from Grade 1 to 12,
with a co-ed preschool program.
Hawthorn graduates have a 100 percent university
acceptance rate because the classical education they
receive inspires a love of learning and provides tools for
lifelong success: critical thinking, cultural literacy, and
technology skills.
sooner than you think.
Please contact Pat Kendall to book your visit
today: [email protected] or 416-425-4567.
Register now: Open House on Wednesday,
February 18 and Thursday, February 19 from 10 a.m.
to 2 p.m. at 2454 Bayview Avenue, Toronto.
Visit us online at www.junioracademy.com.
METROPOLITAN PREPARATORY ACADEMY
Quality education for future success
residential area of Maplehurst.
This campus has state-of-the-art facilities that
include large, bright classrooms, a gymnasium, computer lab, library, music room and an outdoor playground. Through an academically rigorous French
immersion program, students can enjoy the benefits
ed students, average learners, and those needing
more support, are taught in ways that help them
succeed.
Call us today to learn more about our kindergarten and junior school programs as well as our high
school prep curriculum.
Your child could be on a better path to success
Focusing on the needs of each student
CENTRAL MONTESSORI SCHOOL
At CMS we inspire young minds to be creative,
inquisitive and innovative. We have expanded our Casa
and Elementary French immersion program due to its
success at our existing Willowdale Campus.
Our newest campus, opening September 2014,
houses our French immersion program in the quiet
Put your child on the path to success
At the Junior Academy, our teachers know two
things very well: your children and how to teach
them.
The Junior Academy’s teaching philosophy is
based on individuals. It’s a school where your child’s
learning style is understood and embraced.
Our teachers work together to ensure that gift-
KOHAI EDUCATIONAL CENTRE
Helping students become life-long learners
At Arrowsmith School Toronto we believe that
education is not “one-size-fits-all”.
Arrowsmith School provides each student with
an individualized learning experience, tailoring
our cognitive program to address their unique
needs.
Students participate in a program of cognitive
exercises that strengthen the range of weak cogni-
JUNIOR ACADEMY
child ensure that all students receive the kind of individual attention needed to develop their special skills,
strengths & personal 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, large gymnasium, state-of-the-art com-
puter and science labs, music and fine arts rooms.
We also offer Advanced Placement courses in
senior-level Math, English, Business and Science.
Our outdoor amenities include a brand new, large,
and Hudson-themed playscape at the front of the
school in addition to the basketball, baseball and soccer
play areas.
Visit our website at www.hudsoncollege.ca.
Contact us at [email protected] or call
416-631-0082.
Explore the best camp and programs throughout the GTA, Ontario and beyond all in one place,
on one day at the OUR KIDS Camp Expo.
Planning your child’s March Break and
Summer has never be easier.
Meet with the very best day and overnight
camps and programs, speak with staff and expe-
rience a little bit of camp fun on February 22nd,
2015.
What to expect:
• Camps and programs for every age and every
interest: sports, arts, technology, adventure, special needs...
• Fun activities, animal shows and games for
kids and teens
• Lots of prizes to be won plus $2,500 in camp
scholarships
• Free 2015 OUR KIDS Camp Guide featuring
230+ programs to choose from
Get your FREE family admission tickets today
at www.campexpo.ca.
JANUARY 2015 TOWN CRIER CAMPS AND EDUCATION
13
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 2015-
2016 school year. Please join us for our Open House
on Thursday, Feb. 19, 2015 and Thursday, April 16,
2015 from 9:30 a.m. to 11:30 a.m.
For more information, please contact the
school at 416-483-9215 or visit us online at
www.dunblaineschool.com.
between our challenging academic program, the outside world, and to one another. At Linden everything
is connected, and we believe everyone can make a
difference.
Linden teachers know how to provide engaging
lessons based on expert knowledge of how girls learn
and develop. Our classrooms are spaces for exchange.
Equity, inclusivity and community are prioritized.
Asking questions, getting answers and being heard
deepens confidence and curiosity.
The arts are not an add-on at Linden; they are
central to the life of the school. Music, visual arts and
drama provide opportunities for students to joyfully
express their creativity.
The Linden School athletics program fosters a
unique no-try-out space where all girls participate in
a variety of competitive and non-competitive sports.
In addition to our challenging academic program, Linden girls are engaged in a wide-range of cocurricular activities every day.
Book a tour soon to see our remarkable learning
environment for girls here in your neighborhood.
Camps
THE LINDEN SCHOOL
Where girls find their voice.
The Linden School, celebrating 20 years of progressive education from Grades 1-12, offers an enriched
and supportive learning environment. Each day our
mission is put into practice by providing as many
opportunities as possible for girls to find their own
voices.
Our core strengths are a dedicated staff, a commitment to small class sizes, and a conviction that relationships are essential to achieving academic excellence.
We provide a variety of empowering experiences which ensure meaningful connections are made
THE STERLING HALL SCHOOL
Where boys belong
At Sterling Hall, we know boys.
We understand that each young boy will experience tremendous growth and change from JK to
Grade 8. We support him in developing his individual strengths, interests and passions during these
formative years.
We have small class sizes and our dynamic
teachers use proven learning strategies designed
specifically for boys.
We will nurture your son’s mind, body and spirit
from JK right up through Grade 8, with boy-friendly
programs as well as leadership, mentorship and
character development opportunities at all grade
levels.
Your son will learn essential skills in literacy,
mathematics, social studies, science, technology
and French.
He will engage in physical activity daily through
physical education class, recesses and a variety of
sports teams for every ability and age.
He will be challenged artistically and will be
free to express himself through a wide range of
co-curricular activities.
We invite you to visit our school and learn more
about why The Sterling Hall School is where boys
belong.
Open House Schedule
Visit our private and independent schools and see for yourself!
School
Date
TimeContact
Arrowsmith School Wed., Jan. 14, 2015 7pm
416-963-4962
Wed., Feb. 11, 2015 7pm
www.arrowsmithschool.org
Wed., April 8, 2015 7pm
Central Montessori Thurs. all locations 9am–5pm
416-250-1022
Schoolwww.cmschool.net
Hawthorn School
Thurs., Feb. 26, 2015 6:30pm
416-444-2900
www.hawthornschool.com
Hudson College
Sat., Jan. 24, 2015 12noon–4pm 416-631-0082
Sat., Feb. 7, 2015
12noon–4pm www.hudsoncollege.ca
Sat., Feb. 21, 2015 12noon–4pm
Junior Academy
Wed., Feb. 18 , 2015 10am–2pm 416-425-4567
Thurs., Feb. 19 , 2015 10am–2pm www.junioracademy.com
Kohai Educational
Please call to set up visit
416-489-3636
Centrewww.kohai.ca
14 CAMPS AND EDUCATION TOWN CRIER JANUARY 2015
School
Date
TimeContact
Metropolitan Thurs., April 23, 2015 5pm–8pm
Preparatory Academy
Montcrest School
Fri., Jan. 16, 2015
416-285-0870
www.metroprep.com
9:30am–11am 416-469-2008
www.montcrest.on.ca
Our Kids Camp Expo Sun., Feb. 22, 2015 12noon–4pm Get free tickets at
www.campexpo.ca
The Dunblaine School Thurs., Feb. 19, 2015 9:30–11:30am 416-483-9215
Thurs., April 16, 2015 9:30–11:30am www.dunblaineschool.ca
The Linden School
Fri., Feb. 13, 2015
9am–11am 416-966-4406
www.lindenschool.ca
The Sterling Hall
School
Please email us to arrange a visit
416-785-3410
[email protected]
&
Extracurricular
ctivities
A
d
l
i
h
c
r
u
o
y
d
n
e
Why s
?
p
m
a
c
r
e
m
m
u
s
to
ERIN MCLAUGHLIN
OurKids Media
O
ur Kids helps thousands of families find
a summer camp to suit their child’s needs
and interests every year. And every year
parents and kids tell about how much of an
impact it has made on their lives.
Trisha Ludwig, director of Camp Bil-o-wood in
Blind River, Ont., told in a posting on OurKids.net
why she believs your child deserves to go to camp.
The following is excerpted from that post:
I am in a unique position to speak out for the
Campfire at Camp Bil-o-wood
COURTESY OURKIDS.NET
sake of our children who often don’t speak out
for themselves; to speak out for our children
who are doing what humans do best: adapting
to their current environment. Like it or not, our
children are learning to survive an environment
of near-constant connection to technology and
social networks and near-constant disconnect
to nature and stillness, and even aloneness. Is
this what we want for our kids? Where is our
child’s oasis? What space do our children have
where disconnect is the only option? Isn’t it
good for our children to be alone with themselves? Isn’t boredom the catalyst to creativity?
Isn’t quietude the space where we learn about
ourselves?
It is no small coincidence that anxiety is now
the No. 1 medical diagnosis in children, and
it is increasing at an astounding rate. Many of
today’s children are more scheduled than Santa
Claus on Christmas Eve. And while it appears
that our capable and adaptable kids are handling it quite well, the statistics beg to differ.
Our children require a break. They need a technology-free and pressure-free oasis.
Children and parents alike have become so
reliant on connectivity to each other it seems
unimaginable to separate for weeks at a time
Continued on next page
JANUARY 2015 TOWN CRIER CAMPS AND EDUCATION
15
Away camps:
g
n
i
n
a
e
m
h
t
i
w
road trips
SHAWN STAR
Town Crier
E
Swimming at Camp Bil-o-wood
COURTESY OURKIDS.NET
Freedom is
what summer
camp provides
— a safe space
for children
to make
independent
choices.
and to not send a text each
time we have a quick thought
to share: “Don’t forget I want
spaghetti for dinner”, or
“Your basketball jersey is in
the dryer.” But we have to
step back and ask ourselves
how this constant tether
between parent and child
or friend and friend impacts
our social and emotional
development.
Is there a part of you that
is afraid to send your child
away? Do you fear your child
will struggle?
Well, they will, and that is
exactly the beauty in going
away from home! In some
ways, modern life is too easy,
as everything is accessible
all the time. Even our decision-making process is easier
as choices are quickly validated by sending a text to
your family or a friend.
And whether we like it or
not, a little struggle is good
for our children; they actually want to struggle. A little
sadness, a little challenge,
even a little pain is how they
build their own sense of self.
Getting through a few days
of homesickness shows the
child that they are strong
and capable. Socializing face
to face makes us responsible
for our words, actions, and
emotions.
Deciding to wear a t-shirt
to the campfire and getting
eaten alive by mosquitoes
helps the child understand
the effect of his own choices. Our children own those
experiences for themselves.
So, why should your child
go to summer camp?
Well, here is a shocking
statistic: the average child
receives over 200 compliancy commands per day. Clean
up your room, don’t be late
for school, finish your dinner,
write that thank you note,
etc.
The fact is, children are
dying to make their own
decisions. They want to find
PSB DANCE ACADEMY
INTERPLAY
ENROLL NOW FOR WINTER SESSION!
INTERPLAY 416.972.1316
xcellen
ed to e
edicat
D
PSB 416.284.6784
Ú Intensive dance program with classes in ballet, jazz, and contemporary dance, Enhanced pre-professional ballet
program for selective students who may wish to pursue a career in dance, performance opportunities with Interplay
and Profile dance companies and annual competitions (by audition only) - students trained in these programs have
been accepted into the full time program at the National Ballet School
Ú Special boys intensive ballet coaching
Ú RAD ballet program
Ú Recreational dance programs for ages 3 & up
KAREN DAVIES THOMAS, DIRECTOR
Cecchetti Ballet (Fellow) A.I.S.T.D. (National), A.I.S.T.D. (Modern), Royal Academy of Dance Teacher’s Certificate, BFA Honours Degree,York University,
Graduate of the National Ballet School Teacher’s Training Program
www.interplay-dance.ca
Downtown Toronto:
250 Davisville Ave.
(at Mt. Pleasant)
416.972.1316
E-mail [email protected]
Mooredale House
146 Crescent Rd.
416.922.3714 ext 105
Bishop Strachan School
298 Lonsdale Rd.
416.483.4325
16 CAMPS AND EDUCATION TOWN CRIER JANUARY 2015
www.psdanceacademy.ca
E-mail: [email protected]
East Toronto:
91 Rylander Blvd.
(Port Union & Kingston)
416.284.6784
e!
g danc
eachin
ce in t
2351 Kingston Rd.
(Kingston Rd & Midland)
416.261.9312
their own way. They
even want to take a
break from their cell
phones and iPads.
And that freedom
is what summer camp
provides: a safe space
for children to make
independent choices;
a technology-free
oasis where social
interactions are face
to face, in real time
and without misconstrued feelings; and a
true reconnect of our
children’s minds and
bodies to their natural
state.
We all struggle with
letting go, but how
great is it to really miss
your child? Or better
yet, to have your child
really miss you?
At camp, your children have the chance to
grow and learn in ways
that not only enhance
their experiences when
they return to school,
but also build and hone
critical skills they’ll
use for the rest of their
lives.
You can give your
child the gift of camp
this year by exploring
more than 250 day
and overnight camps at
ourkids.net and meet
with 50 of them at the
Feb. 22 Our Kids Camp
Expo in Toronto. Free
tickets are available
online.
very year hundreds of students from Ontario can be
found in New York City’s
Greenwich Village reading The
Catcher in the Rye, or in California’s Monterey County reading The
Grapes of Wrath.
But they aren’t just enjoying a
leisure activity while on vacation.
It’s all part of the “experiential way”
students learn while getting a high
school credit through programming
at EduTravel Inc., which takes students to various places around the
world to complement their regular
course work.
“This is not summer school with a
fun field trip,” says EduTravel founder and director Ari Sargon. “All of
the destinations are relevant to the
course of study.”
The away camp offers students
the opportunity to take regular high
school courses abroad, with trips
ranging in length from one to three
weeks.
EduTravel Inc., located at 272
Avenue Rd., is in its sixth year of
operations. Sargon, 32, says the
company works with several school
boards, including the TDSB, and
offers Ontario curriculum courses
like Grade 11 and 12 English, biology, and civics and career studies.
The courses take place during March
Break and in the summer, and vary
in length depending on the course.
Sargon says his courses ensure
students come away with the same
skills they would acquire in a classroom — skills that prepare them for
“the next level,” whether that be the
next year’s class or post-secondary
education.
Continued on next page
Ontario students in Grade 11 or
12 Interdisciplinary Studies or
Grade 12 Exploring the Arts visit
the Museum of Modern Art in
New York. COURTESY EDUTRAVEL INC.
In every person’s childhood,
there is a summer they will never forget, and a place where it all began.
Spring Open House
at Crestwood Valley Day Camp
..........................................................
When: Sunday, April 26, 1pm - 3pm
Where: 411 Lawrence Avenue East, Toronto
RSVP: www.crestwoodcamp.com
Raffle for a FREE SUMMER at Crestwood!
VALLEY DAY CAMP
visit: www.crestwoodcamp.com
JANUARY 2015 TOWN CRIER CAMPS AND EDUCATION
17
What he tries to instill in the students, he
said, is that learning can be done in “an experiential way.”
“We try and minimize the time we’re actually lecturing at the students or teaching out
of a textbook, and try and maximize learning
through the senses,” he said.
The most popular course EduTravel offers
is civics and career studies, which last year
saw 500 students participate. It takes them to
Ottawa to learn about Parliament, to New York
to learn about United Nations and to Montreal
where they stay in residence at McGill, as an
“introduction to post-secondary life.”
“Students quickly learn after the first night
or two that sleep is important,” Sargon said,
with a laugh. “They realize that even though
they’re in a hotel with their friends they should
be getting some sleep, because they have an
assignment, due the next day, that they need to
work on.”
Sargon said the independence students gain
is something he also gained from going away
for camps as a kid.
Growing up, he attended Camp Gesher and
later worked as a counsellor at Camp Shalom,
both Toronto based, which he said built his
leadership skills and are largely responsible for
who he is today.
“So much of who I am is a result of … summer camps,” he said. “They’ve really shaped my
personality.”
EduTravel holds information sessions at various centres around Ontario. One is scheduled
for Feb. 4 at York Mills Collegiate Institute, on
York Mills Road between Bayview Avenue and
Leslie Street.
Caregiver & Tot Program
for children 16 months to 3.5 years old
Monday & Wednesday 9:30–11am.
Creative play, arts & crafts, animal time, music, dancing and more!
For more info or to register visit www.CreatingTogether.ca
How day camps
help you excel
Located conveniently in Leaside and easily accessible by TTC
Cole Genga practises on the
field during Power Soccer camp.
COURTESY SARAH DOBUSH/POWER SOCCER
Top 5 life skills your child
will learn at camp
Spring and Summer
recreational soccer
programs for girls
and boys to age 18
2 seasons of fun ● skills development
● teamwork ● games ● festivals / cups
2010 - 2011
Learn- to-Play (Active Start)
2007- 2009
FUNdevelopment Program
2003 - 2006
Youth Recreational League
1997 - 2002
ball familiarity games, mini games
technique based activities & games
technique based activities & games
Intermediate Rec. League
full field, 11 v 11 one hour games
All girls and boys are welcome, regardless of
soccer skill or experience. Includes optional
pre-season orientation, extra weekly training.
Register online for SPRING season: May and June
one season or both
FUN development and
www. ntsoccer. com
Rec. Leagues 2 x weekly
SUMMER season: once weekly
July, August, September
Quality community soccer in North Toronto for 33 years
Ontario Soccer Association “CLUB EXCELLENCE GOLD” Award
HAILEY EISEN
OurKids Media
On first glance, summer camp may seem
like it’s all fun and games — playing
outside with friends, singing songs and
enjoying time off school.
But a study supports what camp
directors have been saying for decades:
camp is a setting for positive youth
development where invaluable life skills
are acquired and nurtured.
“The major changes in [campers’]
growth speaks tremendously of the summer camp experience,” says Troy Glover,
director of the University of Waterloo’s
Healthy Communities Research Network.
Glover spearheaded the 2010 Canadian Summer Camp Research Project,
the first nationwide and international
research and evaluation project of its
kind, where 1,288 campers, age 3–18,
from 16 overnight and day camps across
Canada were tracked.
The research stage was divided into
two parts: one-on-one interviews with
camp directors to gather anecdotal
evidence, followed by camper surveys
to measure behaviours, attitudes and
values.
The results demonstrated that for
“bubble-wrapped” youth who have been
over-programmed and overprotected,
camp provides a safe environment to
freely learn, grow and develop their
capabilities.
Summer camp, according to the
study, fosters emotional intelligence
(or EQ), self-confidence, independence,
healthy living, environmental awareness,
leadership and other skills that prove
18 CAMPS AND EDUCATION TOWN CRIER JANUARY 2015
beneficial long into adulthood.
Five critical life skills that get a big
boost at summer camp are:
1 How to Get Along With Others: Talk
to any camp alumni and you’ll likely
hear how some of their most meaningful
friendships and lessons on how to get
along with others came from camp.
2 How to Overcome Challenges: It’s
time to unwrap the “bubble-wrapped”
generation. Saturated with 24-hour news
highlighting crimes in their communities, many parents today are overprotective of their children.
3 How to Get Fit: A recent Statistics
Canada study found that only 7 percent
of 6–19-year-olds got the recommended
hour a day of exercise they need. Enter
summer camp.
4 How to Love the Earth: “Children
need nature for the healthy development of their senses, and therefore for
learning and creativity,” says Richard
Louv, author of The Nature Principle and
Last Child In the Woods.
5 How to Lead: When it comes to
developing strong leaders, camp provides both implicit and explicit training.
A great camp is waiting for your child
or teen!
You can learn more about the benefits
of camp, browse and compare more than
250 programs and register for the Feb. 22
Camp Expo in Toronto at www.ourkids.net.
ERIC EMIN WOOD
Town Crier
E
mily Carvalhais still remembers the first time she picked
up a bow and arrow at Crestwood Valley Day Camp.
“I was like, wow, it’s the size of me
and I get to shoot it too?” she says,
relating how, at age 6, watching her
arrows hit their targets made her feel
like she was in a movie. “And on special days you’d get to aim it at targets
like balloons.”
After nine summers as campers
at the private wooded valley site near
Bayview Avenue and Lawrence Avenue East in Toronto, Emily and her
twin sister Olivia, now 15, are returning next summer as counsellors.
The sisters say they can’t wait to
share their experience with a new
generation of children. They eagerly
describe what they loved about the
camp: rock climbing, musical theatre,
jewellery making, piggyback rides
and dancing with counsellors.
Crestwood Valley co-director
Bobby Freeman says their experience
is shared by many of his 235 staff
members, with several “legacy” counsellors having come as kids, stayed
until they could become counsellors
themselves, then gone on to get married, eventually sending their own
kids to camp.
Freeman says he hopes to give
campers in his charge the same type
of experience he remembers sharing
with his two sisters when growing
up. Some five decades later, he still
sees his best friends from camp every
summer.
“Camp isn’t just about sending
your kids to a place to run around
and play,” Freeman said. “That’s part
of it, but you see a lot of the intangible benefits later in life.”
It’s a sentiment shared by many
who have known the day camp experience, whether the participation was
focused on athletics, volunteering or
artistic pursuits.
Cole Genga was the type of boy
who began kicking around his soccer ball almost as soon as he could
walk. He took it with him wherever
he went, whether to the park in his
Allenby neighbourhood, out for ice
cream or into bed at night.
His parents decided that Power
Soccer, which runs schools and a
summer day camp at York University’s Glendon College campus on Bayview Avenue, would be a perfect fit.
At age 4 he was enrolled in soccer
classes, where he quickly caught the
attention of the school’s coaches and
was invited to try out for its prestigious Academy team.
Meanwhile, he has enrolled in
Power Soccer’s summer camp for the
past six years to maintain his skill.
“I really like soccer,” the 10-year-old
says, without a hint of understatement.
Continued on next page
Three A+ students
You can't change the wind...but you can
adjust the sails.
Achieving below
below potential?
potential?
Achieving
• Attention
AttentionSpan
SpanisisShort
Short
•
• Distractibility
Distractibility
•
•Difficulty
DifficultyOrganizing
Organizing&&
•
Neurofeedback plus coaching in Learning Strategies
Completing Work
Completing Work
can provide a lasting improvement in learning.
• Impulsivity
Research results are available.
•
• Impulsivity
Learning Difficulties
Director: Dr. Lynda M. Thompson (416) 488-2233
•
Learning
Difficulties
• Asperger’s Syndrome
Co-author with pediatrician Wm. Sears of The A.D.D. Book
•
syndrome
www.addcentre.com
www.adcentre.com
• Asperger’s
Concussion
Which one has ADD?
JANUARY 2015 TOWN CRIER CAMPS AND EDUCATION
19
Camps & Activities to suit your child!
ADD CENTRE
Brain-computer interface training for ADHD
Christine Palmer claps along
in her gardening gloves at
the Spiral Garden camp.
Emily Carvalhais, Crestwood Valley Day Camp
participant and future counsellor, practises
COURTESY CRESTWOOD VALLEY DAY CAMP
archery.
www.fhfsc.ca
[email protected]
Register soon
Classes commence in September
416.481.7325
Looking for an outstanding
swimming program?
According to coach Justin
Gadd-Thomson, you needn’t be
an aspiring soccer star to sign up
for Power Soccer’s camp, where
4–15-year-old players of all skill levels
play.
“Our main goal is for the kids
to have fun and grow a passion for
soccer,” Gadd-Thomson said, noting
players are divided by age and skill
level, and each age is further divided
into beginner, advanced and intermediate groups. “And, obviously, that
they build new skills and can take that
confidence with them wherever they
play.”
Known for its medical centre, Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation
Hospital runs a summer day camp of
its own, called Spiral Garden.
Staffed by professional artists, the
camp gives 6–18-year-olds, some with
special needs, the chance to spend
two weeks engaging in activities such
as ceramics, woodworking, painting,
puppetry, storytelling and theatre.
Campers are encouraged to guide
themselves.
“They might want to do woodworking and then decide it’s a
painting,” said Spiral Garden artistic
coordinator Shannon Crossman, who
has been with Holland Bloorview for
20 years. “Then they turn what they’re
starting into a puppet, then they
might want to do a play and act out
their project with the puppet they’ve
made.”
Spiral Garden’s two-week sessions
are limited to 60 participants, plus
personal support workers and nursing
staff for special needs children.
Interactions between the typically
developing and special needs campers
are encouraged as they wander the
two-acre site behind the main building on Kilgour Road, though Crossman says it isn’t forced. “The kids
with special needs aren’t meant to be
ambassadors — they’re just kids. But
the discussion is certainly a healthy
byproduct, to have that exposure
going both ways.”
On Avenue Road, the Martha
Hicks School of Ballet runs a summer day camp from July 6 to 31 and
for three weeks in August, offering
classes in creative movement, hiphop, jazz, ballet and musical theatre,
and “downtime” activities like music
and yoga.
And at the end of every two-week
session campers give a performance,
in full costume.
“They get exposure to many different dance forms in a very short
period of time,” owner Martha Hicks
said. “The kids are always really tired
when they go home, which is not a
bad thing.”
Come to Holland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital. We welcome
swimmers of all ages and abilities.
Swimmers at Holland Bloorview participate in Red Cross swimming
programs and benefit from our warm water, small class size and
experienced instructors.
to square one” said Dr. Vince Monastra, the author
of the study, published in the Journal of Applied
Psychophysiology and Biofeedback, December 2002.
All children who did neurofeedback maintained
their gains. The advantages of the non-medication
approach include no negative side-effects and results
last after training is complete.
The ADD Centre has provided Neurofeedback in
Toronto for 20 years. Contact us at 905-803-8066 or
check our website at www.addcentre.com.
CRESTWOOD VALLEY DAY CAMP
A camp known for its family feeling and unbeatable spirit
Located in the beautiful green valley at Bayview
and Lawrence, Crestwood offers: door-to-door
transportation in brand new air-conditioned buses,
healthy hot lunches, nutritional snacks, camp photos,
t-shirts and more.
Campers return year after year for great programming and fun for boys and girls ages 2.5 to 15
in the areas of Sports, Arts, Nature and Specialized
Activities.
Crestwood’s Leadership-In-Training Programme
(Grade 7 and 8 grads) and Counsellor-In-Training
Programme (Grade 9 grads) promote team building,
mentoring and character building.
Crestwood’s popular Red Cross and Lifesaving
Swim Programmes are taught in one of four specially
designed, heated, in-ground, salt water pools staffed
by certified and well trained instructors/lifeguards.
Above all, Crestwood Valley Day Camp is known
for its close family feeling and unbeatable spirit.
For more information visit the website at
www.crestwoodcamp.com.
FOREST HILL FIGURE SKATING CLUB
Come skate with us!
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 Pre CanSkate, CanSkate, Can
Power, Star Skate, Competitive, Adult and Double
Digit. 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.
Learning to swim at Holland Bloorview provides
children with and without disabilities powerful
opportunities to learn with, and about, each other.
Our fabulous volunteers ensure that each child is
given the support they need so that everyone can
succeed.
Is learning to swim an important, potentially
life-saving skill? Without question.
Does learning to swim at Holland Bloorview also
begin to teach children the value of difference, the
importance of understanding and the art of acceptance? Absolutely.
We’ve recently expanded our programs and
hope you’ll join us!
Go online today to learn more at our website at
www.hollandbloorview.ca/swim.
HOLLAND BLOORVIEW
More than swimming lessons
At Holland Bloorview, we take tremendous pride
in our high-quality learn-to-swim programming, led
by a team of dedicated and experienced instructors.
Our small classes ensure excellent instructor
attention, and our 92-degree pool makes learning to
swim a more pleasant and positive experience.
What else does your child gain? Our focus on
inclusion sets us apart from other swim programs.
INTERPLAY SCHOOL OF DANCE
More Spaces Available — we have recently expanded our swim lesson
schedule and have more spaces available than ever.
For professional training or recreational dance
• Small-group lessons – winter (spaces still available ), spring, summer
and fall
• Private lessons – March Break, June, summer and over the holidays
every December
• Swim camp – March Break and Summer
Martha Hicks School of Ballet students
during the organization’s “Back
to Studio” Party in September.
Go online today to learn more
www.hollandbloorview.ca/swim
COURTESY MARTHA HICKS SCHOOL OF BALLET
20 CAMPS AND EDUCATION TOWN CRIER JANUARY 2015
HB Swimming TownCrier 1-4 pg ad-Dec2014_FA.indd 1
in its November 2012 review of effective interventions for ADHD.
Unlike medications, completing 40 sessions of
targeted exercise for the brain using neurofeedback
produces results that last.
A study of 100 children who all received medication, with 50 of them also doing neurofeedback,
showed that both groups improved. A week after
the children stopped taking the drug, however, all
the children who had just taken the drug “went back
COURTESY HOLLAND BLOORVIEW
Learn to skate at any age!
• Quality skating programs taught
by Skate Canada-certified coaches
• From pre-school to competitive
For more information, contact us at
Lynda M. Thompson, Ph.D.
Since 1976 there has been clinical research using
neurofeedback (brainwave training) to treat children who have ADHD. Awareness of the non-drug
approach is increasing and the results are equal to
improvements seen using medication.
Research documenting positive outcomes with
neurofeedback has been sufficiently strong that the
American Academy of Pediatrics gave biofeedback
Level 1 efficacy (the same level given to medications)
14-12-19 12:31 PM
Interplay, under the direction of Karen Davies
Thomas, is located at 250 Davisville at Mt. Pleasant.
Karen is a graduate of the National Ballet School,
holds an Honours Bachelor of Fine Arts and is a fellow
with the Cecchetti Society and RAD.
Interplay offers several programs: the enhanced
coaching program for grade 7 to 12, boys and girls,
training to become professional dancers, our intensive program catering to students who like versatility
in the world of dance, our RAD ballet exam program
for students who prefer ballet training only, and our
recreational program for students who wish to learn
different dance forms. Interplay holds classes for ages
1.5 to adults in baby and me, creative movement,
teen and adult pilates, ballet, contemporary, jazz,
lyrical hip-hop, acro, tap, and musical theatre.
Our faculty members include John Ottmann,
Bretonie Burchell, Faye Rauw, Lucie Ward, Martine
Lusignan, Christina Tughan, & Mackenzie Carlson and
many more.
Interplay also offers a performing dance company
and competitive team allowing the students to have
the opportunity to perform.
Our students are accepted at prestigious schools
such as the NBS, Alberta Ballet School, Royal Winnipeg,
L’ecole Superieure de Quebec, Alvin Ailey, Pennsylvania
Ballet, L’ecole Mediterraneane de Marseille, Boston
Ballet and many more. Interplay also works in partnership with Bishop Strachan School, Branksome Hall,
and Mooredale House to provide quality lunchtime and
after-four dance programs.
If you would like more information on our school,
please visit our website at www.interplay-dance.ca.
JANUARY 2015 TOWN CRIER CAMPS AND EDUCATION
21
NORTH TORONTO SUMMER SOCCER CAMPS
Where boys and girls strengthen their love of the game
On the grass fields at Eglinton Park,
enthusiastic players ages 4 to 15 are instructed by
highly qualified North Toronto Soccer Club coaches.
The camps are designed to ensure that each
participant develops soccer skills in a fun and
enjoyable atmosphere.
From introducing children to the joys of
playing the game, to refining the skills of
experienced campers, the age-specific programs
will challenge, motivate and inspire every player.
The primary camp goal is to create a safe,
supportive and fun-filled learning environment
that fosters the development of soccer skills and
where each participant strengthens their love of
the game.
Programs are designed to challenge, inspire
and motivate children of all ages to engage with
core soccer skills, helping them to realize their
sporting potential in an enjoyable atmosphere.
July and August: full days, mornings only,
or afternoons. On-field and in the Centre of
Excellence training facility. For recreational
players.
Visit online at www.ntsoccer.com.
Building Brighter Futures™
OUR KIDS: GUIDE TO SUMMER CAMPS & PRIVATE SCHOOLS
Don’t miss the Camp Expo on February 22, 2015
Explore the best camp and programs throughout the GTA, Ontario and beyond all in one place,
on one day at the OUR KIDS Camp Expo.
Planning your child’s March Break and
Summer has never be easier.
Meet with the very best day and overnight
camps and programs, speak with staff and expe-
rience a little bit of camp fun on February 22nd,
2015.
What to expect:
• Camps and programs for every age and every
interest: sports, arts, technology, adventure, special needs...
• Fun activities, animal shows and games for
kids and teens
• Lots of prizes to be won plus $2,500 in camp
scholarships
• Free 2015 OUR KIDS Camp Guide featuring
230+ programs to choose from
Get your FREE family admission tickets today
at www.campexpo.ca.
JK to Grade 12 Co-Ed School
PAWSITIVELY PETS
Is your child crazy for pets and animals?
Pawsitively Pets specializes in all things animals
and kids! We love to share our love of animals with
people, teaching children about nature, animals
conservation and humane education.
The core of our programs are to teach children
about responsibility and empathy through caring,
loving and being in the company of animals.
Our magical facility is the home to a number
of wonderful animals, most of who we have rescued.
Pawsitively Pets is committed to helping animals in need and whenever possible we strive to
adopt shelter and rescue animals that are suitable
to our program helping to ensure that they can find
a good home and live a happy life with the love of
all of our visitors.
Our program will allow you to explore the
wonderful world of animals hands-on! Whether
through our classes, programs, camps, field trips,
brownie/scout programs, or a birthday party or
special event we are excited to share our wonderful
animal experience with you.
For more information about our program visit
our website at www.PawsitivelyPetsKidsCamp.com.
POWER SOCCER SCHOOL
Power Soccer — 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 416-425-6062 (local call) to learn
more about the Power Soccer School.
O P E N H O U S E D AT E S
Saturday, January 24 from 12-4
Saturday, February 7 from 12-4
Saturday, February 21 from 12-4
SNIDER SCHOOL OF MUSIC
One-on-one lessons from a diverse, dynamic teaching staff
Learn what you always wanted to learn in a
relaxed, music-minded atmosphere in the heart of
North Toronto.
All of our music lessons are private (one on
one) and are held in our newly renovated, spacious studios.
There’s no registration fee for new students,
and all levels and ages are welcome.
Snider School of Music has evolved from its
inception in 1949 when Dave Snider opened his
first music studio near Bathurst & Bloor.
Now, we are proud to teach over 680 students
a week and take pride in our dynamic and diverse
teaching staff. Browse through our teacher list at
www.sniderschoolofmusic.com and find one who’s
right for you.
Our lessons are packaged in sets of five — 1⁄2
hour or 1 hour in duration, private (one on one),
same teacher every week, customized lessons for
every level, late night classes available (suitable
for working adults), ages 5 & up.
honesty matters
21 Ascot Avenue, Toronto ON
22 CAMPS AND EDUCATION TOWN CRIER JANUARY 2015
To book an appointment & personal tour,
contact our Admissions Department at
416-631-0082, ext. 106
416.631.0082
hudsoncollege.ca