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thurs jan 31, 2013
New family literacy centre helps instill early love of reading in kids
Get to know the wildlife living just beyond your backyard. Read our special feature on page 12
CYNTHIA REASON creason@insidetoronto.com Little Aaron and Caleb Cochrane were amongst the small throng of preschoolers clustered around the story time carpet at Twentieth Street Junior School Monday morning for a special celebration in honour of Family Literacy Day. “I’m here because I love to read. I’ve loved to read since I was very little,” special guest reader Pamela Gough, Etobicoke-Lakeshore trustee, told Aaron, 3, Caleb, 19 months, and the other five assembled kids and their moms, before reading Polar Bear, Polar Bear, What Do You Hear? “I thought today we would read a book about snow because it’s so snowy outside.” While the weather blustered outside, the Cochrane brothers snuggled comfortably on mom Mallory’s lap during the reading – a new tradition both boys have come to love since the Toronto District School Board’s (TDSB) newest Parenting and Family Literacy Centre first opened its doors at the school two weeks ago. “They just love it,” said Mallory. “The young ones think of it as their school. Aaron starts junior kindergarten in September, so it’s good practice for him – getting ready and into that routine. Here, he can come and play, but then there’s also circle time and story time and snack time. They really like it here.” Monday’s “15 Minutes of Fun” event in honour of National Family Literacy Day was celebrated at all 172 Parenting and Family Literacy Centres across Ontario – including the more than 75 centres located in >>>GUEST, page 20
IN THE CITY Panel discusses Bill 115 with parents at forum Loss of extracurricular activities top of mind for parents, student leaders CYNTHIA REASON creason@insidetoronto.com Etobicoke trustees helped frustrated parents put into context a situation that continues to “cast a long shadow” over their children’s school year – teachers’ continued withdrawal from extracurricular
activities – at a joint forum this week at Lambton Kingsway JMS. Co - h o s t e d by Et o b i c o k e Lakeshore Trustee Pamela Gough and Etobicoke Centre Trustee Chris Glover, the two-hour “Bill 115: What does it mean for my school?” forum saw special guest speaker Annie Kidder, executive director of People
KIDSCLUB DAYCARE & LEARNING CENTRE
for Education, and a panel of parent and student leaders discuss the ongoing ramifications of the contentious Putting Kids First Act. The issue top of mind for most in attendance at Tuesday’s standingroom-only forum was extracurriculars. Although Bill 115 was officially repealed by the Liberal government
last week, teachers’ unions have not let up on the extracurricular ban – a protest against a bill they say stripped them of their democratic bargaining rights – and so students are still feeling the resultant loss of their activities outside the classroom. >>>NEW, page 10
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