September 23, 2014

www.kamloopsthisweek.com

TUESDAY, September 23, 2014

Make a difference today.

Help raise a reader.

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PROUDLY PRESENTED BY:

Providing the tools to help children & families improve their literacy skills is an investment in our community and our future

Raising the bar on literacy in Kamloops KELLY HALL

PUBLISHER

Welcome to Kamloops This Week’s inaugural Raise-a-Reader Day. KTW is very honoured and proud to present this year’s Raise-a-Reader program to the entire community.

With well over 200 awkers newspaper hawkers ghout the spread throughout

Tournament Capital, your valued donations are helping us raise the bar on literacy in Kamloops.

Literacy statistics demonstrate that, in advanced industrial countries like Canada, the need to educate and assist is urgent — which is why we are involved and which is why we encourage others in Kamloops to join the cause.

In Canada, 42 per cent of adults between the ages of 16 and 65 have low literacy skills, while 55 per cent of working-age adults and an eye-popping 88 per cent of adults over the age of 65 appear to be in this situation.

Initiatives like Raise-aReader help keep Canada competitive in the global envir environment, while instilling tthe fact that literacy

and learning is a lifelong project for all.

Teaching people to be functionally literate gives our communities a healthy sense of pride and accomplishment .

Raise-a-Reader is a national campaign, with the local component collecting funds for two major literacy groups in Kamloops — Kamloops Early Language and

Literacy Initiative (KELLI) and Literacy in Kamloops (LinK).

Kamloops This Week is thrilled and honoured to assist in making this year’s event a true success.

I am asking everyone to pull out some change and bills and join the endeavour.

I guarantee it will put a smile on your face knowing you have done a good

deed and pitched in during this truly altruistic community event.

My thanks to Thompson Rivers University and its sports teams and the many volunteers helping to get the message out.

Raise-a-Reader is but one more initiative that illustrates why Kamloops continues to be one of the great cites in Canada.

Your donation matters FIONA CLAR CLARE

LINK OUTR OUTREACH COORDINATOR OUTREAC

Today,, Sept.

Se 23, is our sevnnu Raise-a-Reader enth an annual Day. W your donation, With giveen to one of the more given th han 200 volunteers in than Kam K Kamloops, Logan Lake, Cl Clearwater, Barriere an Chase “hawking” and a sspecial edition of Ka Kamloops This Week, you are taking part in a sspe special initiative.

L Literacy is importtant to us all because iit af affects every area of our lives: Heath care, o ccrime rim rates, education, eemployment mp and econom n nomic status.

Con C Contrary to popular belief, liter literacy is not just the Jace Shantz (6) and Lasha Shantz (5) read books from the Bright Red Book Bus at Kay Bingham elementary. Read more about the Book Bus on page W2. ability to rea read and write.

People today must be able to use computers, read and fill out online forms, understand their prescription labels and use social media.

Even paying for parking today requires a higher level of literacy skill than before.

The national Postmedia Raise-a-Reader campaign, happening in 14 communities across Canada, is designed to boost awareness about literacy and raise funds.

One hundred per cent of the money you contribute goes directly to support literacy programs in your area.

In Kamloops, Literacy in Kamloops (LinK) and Kamloops Early Language & Literacy Initiative (KELLI) are the recipients of the funds.

The free programming these two groups offer is dependent on the success of this campaign.

You may recognize some of these community programs: Parent Child Mother Goose, One-to-One Children’s Literacy, Family Literacy Nights, Street School Outreach, Teddy Bear Picnic, Bright Red Book Shelf, KRCC Storybook, Come Read with Me, and Better with Technology – computer literacy for seniors.

We are thankful to you all today.

To those who fished out their spare change, who volunteered so bright and early, who work on the committee that makes this day so successful, who sponsored the event so generously and to those businesses that have allowed us to ‘hang out’ on their premises today — thank you for helping make our communities more literate.

You have made a difference today.

Make a donation to family literacy today!

Last Name: ____________________________ First name: ____________________ Company Name (if applicable) ___________________________________________ Address:_______________________________________________________________________________________ City _____________________________________ Province: __________________ Postal Code: ________________________ Phone: ______________________________ Enclosed is my donation of $_____________ Mastercard __ VISA __ AMEX __ Credit Card Number___________________________________ Expiry _________ Signature__________________________________

Mail your donation to, or drop it off at: Raise-a-Reader c/o Kamloops This Week, 1365B Dalhousie Drive V2C 5P6 Please make cheque or money order payable to: Kamloops Raise-a-Reader

100% of proceeds support family and children’s literacy programs. For more information, visit raiseareader.com or 1-866-637-READ

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www.kamloopsthisweek.com

TUESDAY, September 23, 2014

Make a difference today.

Help raise a reader.

PROUDLY PRESENTED BY:

Providing the tools to help children & families improve their literacy skills is an investment in our community and our future

Bright Red Book Bus bolsters summer reading Many children were reading this summer in Kamloops.

They were reading out of interest, they were reading for fun and they were reading because they loved to do so.

This was because of a welcome new addition to the streets of Kamloops in July — the Bright Red Book Bus. Hopefully, you had a chance to visit it, too.

Spearheaded by School District 73 district principal Art Blackwell alongside a team of administrators, literacy teachers and community partners — TNRD Library, Boys and Girls Club of Kamloops and Literacy in Kamloops (LinK) — the Summer Reading Project was launched.

Funded by the Stollery Charitable Foundation, this twopronged literacy initiative was designed to foster a positive culture that encourages lifelong reading for

enjoyment by putting free and interesting books into the hands of children.

Grade 1 students in seven schools received 16 self-selected books to read over the summer and the Bright Red Book Bus was born.

This book bus visited the same seven school locations weekly and alternated between various city parks throughout the summer.

Children chose two free books to take home each visit.

The Boys and Girls Club of Kamloops managed the project, which was run by summer students — Justin Roszmann and Haley Feller.

They soon greeted regular visitors to the bus by name and helped them select books that appealed to them.

“The most popular books by far were the Lego books, superhero books and fairy books,” said

Roszmann, who hopes to double the number of these books for next year.

Charmaine Stone and her daughter Rebecca, 8, called the Book Bus “just the best.”

Sharing that her daughter had struggled with reading and was just beginning to make progress at the end of the school year, Stone said she was most grateful for the Book Bus allowing her daughter to build on that momentum throughout the summer.

“It gave my daughter the easy access she needed to books she was able to read and was interested in,” Stone said, adding they were not always able to get to the public library.

Over the summer, about 940 children visited the bus.

More than 1,840 visits were recorded and almost 3,300 books were taken out.

Traci Anderson, executive director of the Boys and Girls Club of Kamloops, is pleased with the initial success of this project.

“By all accounts, the Bright Red Book Bus was a big hit and the good news is that it will be back next summer,” she said.

“It may even be out and about at other times, so look out for it.”

The project builds on the success of the Bright Red Bookshelf Project, initiated by LinK in 2011 and funded by Raise-aReader.

Twenty-two red bookshelves, built by the KRCC Worker Inmate program, are located throughout Kamloops, where families can access free, good-quality children’s books to take home and enjoy.

For locations, visit literacyinkamloops. com.

Never stop learning IT’S NOT TOO LATE TO IMPROVE YOUR LITERACY SKILLS  OR HELP DO THE SAME FOR OTHERS Retiring to Logan Lake in 2006, Gail and her husband of 45 years were starting a new chapter in their lives.

At 67 years old, with two children and three grandchildren, Gail had no idea that meant she was going back to school.

In 2011, Gail attended a

local TNRD library session, where a guest speaker discussed options for adults to obtain their Grade 12 diploma.

Not having her Grade 12 diploma, she seriously considered the options but felt there was little point in obtaining it so late in life.

In the end, Gail decided

it was never too late to improve one’s literacy skills.

With the support of the community and Logan Lake Literacy, Gail went back to learning and obtained her B.C. Dogwood Diploma with honours.

Finally getting her Grade 12 diploma gave Gail a newfound confidence to

DAVE EAGLES/KTW

Literacy in Kamloops outreach co-ordinator Fiona Clare (left) and Book Bus adventure guide Justin Roszmann visit Stuart Wood elementary on Thursday, Aug. 28, to provide books to local kids.

pursue things she had never imagined.

Today, she gives back to her community by volunteering for various organizations and groups in town, one of them being Logan Lake Literacy.

She is a member of the Logan Lake Literacy task group that directs the work of the literacy outreach co-ordinator who works to create and support literacy programs in Logan Lake.

Together with community partners, the task group consists of dedicated community members

working to increase the literacy levels of children, youth, adults and seniors in the community.

Some of the programs and events supported by Logan Lake Literacy and funded by Raise-a-Reader are Parent Child Mother Goose, Baby Toddler Rhyme Time, Bright Blue Bookshelves, ABC Family Literacy Week and Story contest at the Polar Carnival.

Evident of her commitment to the community, Gail and husband Eric won the 2013 Citizen of the Year

Award.

Gail sees this as an accomplishment of a lifetime and feels like a proud and valued citizen of the community.

“Literacy is life and, with programs such as the Bright Blue Bookshelf in Logan Lake, I will always have free books to read so I can keep up my skills,” Gail said.

For more information on programs, contact Nicole Beauregard, literacy outreach Coordinator at loganlakeliteracy@gmail. com.

www.kamloopsthisweek.com

Make a difference today.

Help raise a reader.

TUESDAY, September 23, 2014

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PROUDLY PRESENTED BY:

Providing the tools to help children & families improve their literacy skills is an investment in our community and our future

DAVE EAGLES/KTW

Lorraine Manson (left) uses technology to keep in touch with her friends and family in the Seniors Computer Literacy program with the help of tutor Louise Wong as program co-ordinator Mary-Anne Jensen looks on.

Cyber seniors In this fast-paced world of ever-changing technology, it is a challenge not to be left behind.

Imagine what it is like for those who grew up without computers, laptops, tablets, iPhones and iPads. That is the challenge facing our seniors.

Some are able to embrace this new world of technology, but for many, it remains an intimidating mystery.

Technology literacy is an essential skill today. Forms are completed online, information is accessed online, friends and family email, grandchildren text and photographs are digital. If you aren’t online, you are left out.

Through the provincial literacy network, Fiona Clare, Literacy in Kamloops (LinK) outreach co-ordinator, became aware of other communities offering one-on-one computer literacy services for seniors.

Most of these programs had wait lists. The Kamloops Library offers free computer literacy classes, but one-on-one support is in demand.

This need, identified at LinK community partner meetings,

GOING DIGITAL WITH THE OLDER GENERATION

became a literacy priority and a plan emerged.

Better With Technology, initially funded by Raise-a-Reader through LinK, is offered through Oncore Central Services (previously Seniors Outreach Society).

It matches seniors to volunteer tutors who can address their basic technology-related questions and needs. It is a way for seniors to learn how to use their computer, tablet, cellphone or other new gizmos, often gifted to them by wellmeaning family members.

Program co-ordinator Mary-Anne Jensen is especially impressed by the volunteers, many of whom are young TRU students signing up indefinitely to provide technology support.

One of the unforeseen challenges is for the pairs to agree on an end date to the tutoring support.

“These pairs form relationships and it becomes so much more than just a tutoring program,” Jensen said.

As one young tutor commented: “Being an international student, I didn’t know anyone outside of college. Now I am

feeling blessed to have made a new friend and am learning as much from my senior as I am teaching, maybe more.”

When Lorraine Manson, 84, was asked what she had gained from the program she said: “Well, when I started, all I could do was open the case on my iPad and close it. Now I’m chatting and keeping touch with family out of town, sending and receiving photos and using the Internet. I’m ever so grateful for this program, I don’t feel so left behind anymore.”

The program, which started in late February, has assisted approximately 20 seniors to date.

“There is a huge need in our community for this program,” Jensen said.

“We are grateful for the start-up funding from Raise-aReader, but are faced with the challenge of securing sustainable funding.”

For further information on the program, contact: Mary-Anne Jensen, program co-ordinator at 250-828-1037 or ONCORE Central Services at 250-828-0600.

An eager participant ready for the Annual Teddy Bear Picnic. The ninth annual Picnic is scheduled for June 18, 2015, at Prince Charles Park.

A teddy bear year More than 800 people attended the eighth annual Teddy Bear/ Parent-Child Mother Goose (P-CMG) Picnic at Prince Charles Park on June 19.

The event, made possible by the dedication of a small hardworking committee, community partners and sponsors, has become a signature event for families with young children in Kamloops.

“The Teddy Bear/ Mother Goose Picnic is an eagerly anticipated event for many families in the Kamloops area,” said Adina Jeanes, Kamloops YMCA-YWCA and Child Care Resource Referral and commit-

tee member.

The event had humble beginnings.

On June 15, 2007, the Kamloops Early Language & Literacy Initiative (KELLI) committee hosted an event in honour of the 10th anniversary of P-CMG in B.C. and the first year of its expansion to Kamloops. Almost 200 people attended.

KELLI events are about bringing families together and showcasing different areas of child development.

“The craft table teaches eye-hand coordination. Children have the opportunity to use their imaginations and try things like cutting paper or

using tape, which gets their fingers ready for printing and writing,” KELLI co-ordinator, Maureen Doll explained.

“The physical stations promote balance and co-ordination of limbs and lots of movement. The storytelling, Mother Goose circle, and drumming station showcase the flow of language, rhyme, oral-motor development and lots of face-to-face interaction — all things necessary for oral communication.”

“Nothing is better than seeing hundreds of families enjoying their children, their community and each other.” Doll said.

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www.kamloopsthisweek.com

TUESDAY, September 23, 2014

Make a difference today.

Help raise a reader.

PROUDLY PRESENTED BY:

Providing the tools to help children & families improve their literacy skills is an investment in our community and our future

The power of rhymes, songs and stories The Mother Goose program has a back-to-basics ideology.

“It is about taking off our shoes, turning off our cellphone, putting away the baby toys, sitting on the floor and using our voices and faces as the only prompts needed,” said Maureen Doll, Kamloops Early Language and Literacy Initiative (KELLI) co-ordinator.

KELLI, created in 2006 by a group of professionals and parents, is a unique grassroots project Kamloops can proudly call its own. One of its

main goals is to increase the availability of the Parent-Child Mother Goose Program (P-CMGP) to Kamloops families.

“Free to all families in every area of Kamloops, the beauty of the Mother Goose program is it is a real ‘show and tell’ program. It shows parents how to respond and interact with their children, rather than just telling them what to do,” says Sue Lissel, manager of Make Child First and KELLI committee chairwoman.

Today in Kamloops, KELLI, in partnership with many organizations, hosts

more than 50 Parent-Child Mother Goose programs a year. Many of these programs are supported by Raise-a-Reader funds.

Through the program, parents gain confidence and learn they can excite or sooth their child through song or story.

Children show a marked improvement in language and pre-literacy skills and get used to a learning environment. Key to a child’s ability to learn throughout his or her lifetime is the development of early-language and literacy skills.

Parents and caregivers

Danielle Johnson and daughter Olivia, 4, Maureen Doll, KELLI Coordinator with Celeste WallaceMilwain, 3, and Marlene Sheppard, Mother Goose facilitator take part in the downtown YMCA/ YWCA partership Parent-Child Mother Goose program.

who talk, sing, listen and read to their infants and young children on a daily basis are providing the early experiences that lead

to reading, writing and the ability to communicate.

KELLI’s long term objective is to have children ready for school and life-

long learning.

For more information on programs in Kamloops contact Maureen Doll, at 250-554-3134 ext. 582.

Empowering our rural communities RAISEAREADER FUNDS HELP SUPPORT LITERACY PROGRAMS IN BARRIERE AND CLEARWATER Have you ever read to a child from a storybook, helped a young person to form the letters of the alphabet with a pencil, or rendered assistance when needed with multiplication tables or computer skills for a youth?

If the answer is “yes,” you have passed along lifelong literacy and learning skills that contribute to the foundation of social and

economic well-being within the community where you live.

Barriere and Area Literacy Outreach provides Parent-Child Mother Goose sessions, four to six weeks of summer camps for youth, Literacy Fun Days, help with homework, free books for kids and much more.

Most importantly, these programs are funded by

dollars raised during the annual Raise-a-Reader Day, which is the major fundraiser for youth literacy programs in the North Thompson Valley and for the community of Barriere.

Every dollar raised during Raise-a-Reader Day stays in the community and, most importantly, every dollar raised can be matched up to 100 per cent by the government.

Make a difference today.

Help raise a reader.

GOLD SPONSORS

To make a donation, or learn more about Barriere and Area Literacy Outreach, contact Literacy Outreach co-ordinator Jill Hayward at: jill.h@yellowheadcs. ca, call 250-319-8023, or Yellowhead Community Services 250-672-9773.

In the past year, ParentChild Mother Goose programs ran in Clearwater, Vavenby and Blue River with 23 parents and 35 chil-

dren participating.

Twenty children participated in special Legobuilding sessions, using their imaginations to make Lego creations.

To celebrate Family Literacy Day, two special events, a Preschool Art Class and a Seniors’ Game Day were held.

The Partner Assisted Learning program matches volunteer tutors with

adult learners who need to improve their literacy skills.

Raise-a-Reader funds are used to provide tutor training sessions for volunteers, and to support learners with learning resources and access to transportation.

Thank you for supporting literacy and learning — improving our future one word at a time!

Providing the tools to help children & families improve their literacy skills is an investment in our community and our future SILVER SPONSORS

BRONZE SPONSORS COMMUNICATIONS

Kiwanis Club of Downtown Kamloops

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