Special Features - Learning Connections 2018

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Learning Connections

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RED DEER COLLEGE SCHOOL OF CONTINUING EDUCATION Advance your career and gain personal fulfillment with high quality training from RDC’s School of Continuing Education.

REGISTER TODAY! Visit rdc.ab.ca/continuing-education or call us for your free copy of our Professional Development Guide at 403.356.4900.

www.rdc.ab.ca/continuing-education

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Learning Connections Preparing students for the future at Reading College

BY CARLIE CONNOLLY carlie.connolly@reddeerexpress.com

For 20 days in the month of July, Grade 2 students experience a journey of learning to get them ready for their future.

Supported by The Foundation for Red Deer Public Schools, Reading College is set up to help those students who are struggling readers.

Bruce Buruma, executive director of the Foundation, said one of Red Deer Public School District’s priorities is literacy and so they started looking for projects that they were able to do to support that.

Buruma said, “Going back to the research that says one of the best predictors to high school completion is whether or not children are at reading level by the end of Grade 3,” was something that helped in that decision.

“When we know that children have a gap in their reading and sometimes are losing the interest and the motivation to read, if we can provide some interventions and supports, that’s good,” said Buruma.

Although summertime is typically a time when students aren’t as engaged in reading or writing, Buruma said they try and make it fun for them to learn.

“We’re not just repeating the things that happen

in their classroom because then it wouldn’t be the best summer ever for kids, we’re coming up with some different strategies, making it engaging and fun so that it’s actually making a difference.”

Between having the schools’ experienced teachers onboard along with recent graduates of Red Deer College, the students are getting a 7:1 ratio for learning.

In the mornings students rotate between three areas, including Awesome Authors, which helps students with writing, Radical Readers, which helps them with reading and Word Wizards, which works on words and different sounds.

“I think we take for granted that we all speak English and it’s pretty easy but many will say it’s one of the most difficult languages because of some of those nuances with words and things like that, and if kids don’t understand those things then it becomes pretty tough to read when you look at letter combinations and vowel combinations.”

In choosing specific students for the program, Buruma said, “We take a look at the profiles of each of the schools and then based on the number of students they have in those categories we offer so many seats per school and that varies. Some schools have two or three seats, some schools may have as many as ten. We ask the teachers to identify those students who would fit the profile

we’re looking for.”

The estimated cost per student sits at around $2,000, as it’s a four-week camp, with transportation, meals and a heavy concentration of staffing provided, but it’s free thanks to generous donors.

“It’s all done because of support from the com-

munity and it is a project of the Foundation,” said Buruma, adding that the Optimist Club is a huge donor along with Tim Hortons with their Smile Cookie Campaign and established families in Red Deer that have made endowments that support the project.

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Learning Connections SummerScapes Visual Arts workshop offers inspiring experience for teens

BY MARK WEBER mark.weber@reddeerexpress.com

Young artists will be heading to Red Deer College this month to flex their creative muscles during the activity-packed SummerScapes Visual Arts workshop.

The five-day program runs from Aug. 12th to 18th and it is the only residential visual arts workshop of its kind in Alberta, organizers point out.

Teens from 13 to 18-years of age will immerse themselves in creating art, telling their stories through drawing, painting, sculpture and ceramics. “It’s an opportunity for teen-

agers to explore the visual arts in a capacity that takes it beyond what they would have done in middle school or in high school,� explains Rod Holt, the associate dean for the school of continuing education. “It exposes them to drawing, sculpting, painting – and allows them to use equipment and artistic techniques that aren’t available in the secondary school system.�

Working with some of Alberta’s finest artists and educators, students will also be guided and inspired to take their art to the next level. “The great thing about it is that it focuses on creativity. And

Now Recruiting for 2018-2019

whether you are a beginner or advanced, people are able to explore their creativity, and to explore those passions at whatever level they are at,� he said.

Co-sponsored by the Alberta Foundation for the Arts, these unique core workshops will be supplemented with additional art activities every evening.

The experience of staying on campus is also a highlight for participants, said Holt. “It’s a full camp from when you wake up until you go to bed at night with a spectrum of different activities in between.

Not only will you be learning in our workshops and in our laboratories different forms

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Central Alberta’s Premier Show Band has openings in brass, woodwind, percussion and color guard sections. If you are interested in meeting new musical challenges and enjoy travelling, you are invited to audition for the “Royals Experience.�

Red Deer Community Band Society is celebrating their 50th Anniversary New Member Auditions:

TUESDAY, September 4, 7:00 p.m. at St. Joseph High School Rehearsals held Wednesdays, 6:30-9:30 p.m.

For further information and to book your audition please call

Michael Mann at 403-346-3911

Join an Adult Band The bands of the Red Deer Community Band Society invite instrumentalists who play woodwind, brass, or percussion instruments to participate in the performance ensembles at a variety of levels. The emphasis is upon making great music in a relaxed, enjoyable, non-threatening atmosphere.

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Michael Mann at 403-346-3911 info@reddeerroyals.com

of the visual arts, but you will also have evening activities that form bonding and friendships, and the leadership that all centre around the arts as well. “Sometimes, there will be art shows or visiting artists coming in the evenings to do demonstrations. It changes every year, based on who is here on campus for our Summer Series, too. “So it’s a unique program, and it draws kids from all over the province,� he said. “In fact, most of our participants are from outside of the Red Deer area. Lots come from Edmonton and Calgary, and a tremendous amount come from Grande Prairie region. It’s also because of that ‘residence’ com-

ponent; it’s that full spectrum (of events).�

The week of artistic creations will wrap up with a student exhibition for family, guests and the public. This event runs Aug. 18th at 10 a.m. in Room 2901 on the RDC main campus. “All the students will display the various forms of art they have created through the week.

And so when parents and family come to pick them up, we do a full-on, professional display. We have a welcome from our dean from the school of visual and performing arts who greets all of the parents and visitors, and then for up to about 40 minutes they can go around the room looking at everyone’s creativi-

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ty,� he added. “They also get to take all of their work home with them at the end of the week.�

Holt said there are several projects within each discipline of visual arts where they also work on a group project. “Everybody adds a little bit of creativity to one large piece, and then that goes on display, too. So it’s a little bit of collaboration, and then you have this piece of art that has a little bit of everyone’s personality built into it,� he said.

He said watching the youth have so much fun delving into the creative process is always a joy, as is watching them grow in confidence. “At the start of the week, everyone is quiet unless they’ve been here before. Those who have been here before are ready to jump right in! But if it’s their first year, you see a lot of quietness and shyness. But by about Monday afternoon, it’s gone. They’re excited – they are racing up and down these halls. “They’re exploring all that the campus has to offer. “By the end of the week, you are seeing tears as they are starting to pack up. They’ve built friendships through their creativity and their passion for exploring the arts.�

For more information or to register, visit rdc.ab.ca/summercamps or contact the School of Continuing Education at 403-356-4900.

Proud to support advanced learning in our Community Constituency Office: Suite 100A - 4315 55 Ave.

Earl Dreeshen, MP (Red Deer-Mountain View)

403-347-7426 Toll Free 1-866-211-0959 www.earldreeshen.ca

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Learning Connections

Wednesday, August 8, 2018 5

Learning Connections Engaging kids with exciting reading partners at the Red Deer Public Library

BY CARLIE CONNOLLY carlie.connolly@reddeerexpress.com

There’s always exciting things happening at the Red Deer Public Library when it comes to reading, including a partnership with the Red Deer RCMP and a children’s author from Toronto.

In the past the library has reached out to different community groups to be guest readers at story times at different times of the year, and this past year, they were able to get the RCMP to come in, all for good fun of course.

Deb Isbister, youth services coordinator at the library, thought she’d contact someone she knew at the RCMP to ask if they’d be interested to come and read to children. Their response? They were already looking for ways to get out in the community in a more positive light, where people were happy to see them.

“They were available to come to several story times for us, which was awesome,” said Isbister.

RCMP read a story called I’m Afraid Your Teddy is in Trouble Today. The story follows a bear that throws a wild party where the police get called.

“The author found it and was thrilled we had used her book and sent us all these emails

about how excited she was, because she’d been hoping that police forces would use it for something like that.

“It shows the police in a positive light.”

Isbister added that the RCMP also helped the kids with a craft and got to meet them afterwards to chat and take photos with them.

“The RCMP said to us after that they really found it uplifting for themselves to come in and get such a positive response from all the children and people so happy to see them.”

Although nothing is planned yet, Isbister said they are hoping

to do it again soon.

Coming up this Fall, kids will get to engage with a children’s author from Toronto. Ruth Ohi will be coming in for the Library’s pre-school fun group on Sept. 29th.

“We’re hoping we get the word out to kids that if they’re aspiring writers she’s going to do a workshop format in the afternoon for kids to teach them some processes that work as a writer.

“That’s a unique thing we do every couple of years. We try to bring an author from an area that normally we couldn’t easily bring someone.”

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Back To School Tuesday, Sept. 4 rdpsd.ab.ca

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Learning Disabilities Association guides students to better learning techniques

BY MARK WEBER mark.weber@reddeerexpress.com

The Learning Disabilities Association of Alberta continues to help local students find more effective ways to broaden their educational and experiential horizons.

LD-Red Deer is committed to viewing ‘learning disabilities’ in a positive light, as ‘learning differently’.

To this end, staff and volunteers want to help people who learn differently to achieve their full potential. And all through the year, they are busy doing just that through a number of means.

“We just ran two camps this summer – one was for our 10 to 12-year olds, and then the second week was for our seven to

2018/2019

nine-year-olds,” said Program Manager Bob Irwin.

Topics explored ranged from bolstering communications skills to anger management. And all the way through, the youngsters had loads of fun with lots of planned activities.

“We had a lot of fun, and we had really good feedback – the kids were saying that the worst thing about the camp was that they had to leave. That’s always a good sign,” he added with a laugh.

According to the Association, learning disabilities refer to a number of disorders which can affect how a person acquires, organizes, retains, understands or uses verbal or nonverbal information.

These can affect up to one in 10 Canadians.

Research also estimates that 80% of learning disabilities, such as various forms of dyslexia, affect literacy. But with correct intervention, support, education and programs such as tutoring or social skills programs, people with learning disabilities can achieve and excel.

Tutoring is available during the after school hours as well. “We take a look at all the areas in which we can help,” said Irwin.

Learning disabilities also cross all ages, genders, socio-economic, cultural and linguistic groups. They can range in severity and may interfere with acquiring and use of listening, speaking and understanding, reading including word recognition and comprehension, written language and mathematics.

“We look at their phonics and their reading comprehension and their math skills, and we try and target those areas that are a

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challenge for them, and brush up on them.” The hard work pays off richly, with seeing students move ahead more successfully and their parents pleased with the overall results.

But misconceptions about learning disabilities are hard to erase.

People sometimes confuse disabilities in general, such as various physical and intellectual disabilities with learning disabilities. And as Janet de LaForest, the organization’s board president points out, there can be a bit of a stigma attached to having a learning disability as well.

Some parents just want to avoid any possibility of their children receiving some sort of label in terms of their learning.

“On our brochures, we’ve got ‘learning differently’,” said de LaForest, emphasizing that’s how society at large really needs to look at the issue.

Sometimes people also are reluctant to either enroll their children in a program or adults with learning disabilities don’t want to admit that there is a problem in their own ways of learning.

“It’s perception, and people also often don’t want to say, ‘My child has a learning disability’.

In the meantime, Irwin is heading off to another position in the community, but has very much enjoyed his time with the local chapter of the Learning Disabilities Association of Alberta.

“It’s been a phenomenal experience. My support staff and the board have been so positive. It’s also been so interesting working with the students, and it’s been quite a learning curve at times, too.

“I’ve also really enjoyed working with the tutors. It’s been fun, because they have brought insight, or programs and projects that they are working on at the College, for example. It’s been an absolute honour and privilege being here and working with this group. I’m definitely going to miss them.”

And going forward, it’s also important for the community to realize the organization is a not-for-profit so outside funding is minimal.

So financial support from the community is always welcome, as is volunteer help to assist in a number of capacities.

For more information, call the office at 403-340-3885.

Check out www.LDreddeer.ca.

Proudly supporting continued learning R Deer & Central Alberta. in Red Barb Miller MLA Red Deer South 403-340-3565

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