SUMMARY It’s happening right here!

Gala 2 Wiki 3 Citizen Participation 4

Did you know ?Transition to Kindergarten 5

Info & linksCroquarium : 6 À table!!! : 6 Parents’ tools: 6 Let’s talk about social skills : 6

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Contact

Memphré en Mouvement 1011, rue SherbrookeMagog J1X 2T2Tél. : 819 847 3034Tél. : 819 446 5005

Isabelle Denis Twitter : @MemenMouvement Facebook

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Denis Delbois agent de liaison et de communication Isabelle Mercieca coordonatrice MeM

ÉDITORIAL : The development of cities and towns entails new challenges. Besides the various issues relating to urban planning, we’ve seen a growing interest over the past few decades in ecological issues and in the creation of environments that promote healthy lifestyles. What began as a purely ecological notion has evolved into one that is much more holistic and which puts the emphasis on structuring the “city” around its people.For environmental reasons, as well as economic and social ones, these principles need to be part of any urban development framework.

The various consultation committees have become great tools in helping municipalities decide which actions to put into place. These consultation processes take into account public opinion and lead to the prioritization and harmonization of development.There has also been a great deal of talk about changes in practices with respect to environments that promote healthy lifestyles, but these notions are still somewhat vague. On this subject, the first Healthy Lifestyle Gala will take place on June 18. The winning projects will be those that feature a global approach in the development of municipalities and communities.

While consultation committees offer citizens the opportunity to share their views, we know that informal meetings can sometimes yield better results... one such occasion is Neighbours Day. People seldom take the time to come together and talk. Yet dialogue allows people to increase their collective intelligence and find solutions together.

Communities must however meet another challenge: that of innovation.«Innovation has nothing to do with how many Resource & Development dollars you have... It’s about the people you have, how you’re led, and how much you get it». Steve Jobs, Fortune magazine, 1998.The usual standards are changing, as are the practices and processes. And there’s no shortage of toolkits on the subject. In light of this fact, the group of partners has launched an online platform that brings together the practices and know-how that have been developed in our territory as well as success stories from other areas.Some of the tools you’ll find on the platform might just be those of a Gala award recipient!Check your emails; wiki authorizations will be issued gradually...

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Partners Newsletter

It’s happening right here!

GalaThe first Healthy Lifestyle Gala will take place at the Vieux Clocher in Magog on June 18.During this event, organizations and municipalities whose actions promoted environments that foster healthy lifestyles will be rewarded.But beyond rewards and recognition, beyond celebrations and increasing awareness, there seem to be signs that a change is coming.A change in practices, in ways of thinking, that will strike a better balance between an environment that is viable and one that is liveable, not to mention more equitable.

This gala will highlight stakeholders who succeeded in bringing together highly motivated teams. As a result of their talent, their perseverance, and most importantly their vision, they were able to innovate.Collaboration and consolidation made it possible to strengthen projects so that they might become sustainable.Thanks to projects aimed at promoting healthy lifestyles, people’s prospects will continue to improve. In fact, based on anticipated results, we could expect to attract new families to the area and, more importantly, to keep families and youth here.Taking action with respect to healthy lifestyles allows us to develop our communities with a greater degree of openness.Looking at things in a new light, thinking holistically and refocussing on the individual constitute an innovative way of developing more endogenous communities that respect the balance between the economic, social and ecological aspects of development. Until that day comes, the whole team invites you to the Vieux Clocher in Magog, on June 18, to discover the projects that were submitted and to dream of the possibilities...

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WikiAt a time where everything is digital, the Memphré en Mouvement team wanted to create a platform for its tools, articles, films and other documents, that everyone could access. Therefore, we set up a platform that will allow you to access the data bank that we started when we formed our partners group so that you can choose what you need for a given activity.Some of you have already had the opportunity to use the beta version. In the coming months, other sections will be open. These first versions allow us to make adjustments in response to challenges that arise in making information available without overwhelming you with data or multiplying existing data.We want our platform to be as simple as possible to allow you quick access to the information. We’re currently working on a structure that will facilitate intuitive navigation. You’ll soon be getting links to tutorials that will guide you during your first uses.Eventually, this wiki tool will be open to a few of you so you can add to it.At the moment, a few schools and municipalities, along with the early childhood network, have access to it. It features a wiki on gardening workshops and one on the transition to kindergarten. The tools that are currently available can be downloaded or viewed on YouTube. Moreover, we’ll soon be introducing a dedicated channel where you can find tutorials on various tools.But that’s another step…

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Citizen Participation

A meeting was held last April 16 to discuss citizen participation at the town or municipal level with the OEDC’s Committee for the Advancement of Practices.

There were two guests of honour: Mr. Gaston Michaud, a man who’s invested in his community and is a fervent defender of local development; and Mr. Michel Plourde, the Mayor of Danville, who performs his duties as an elected official with an open mind.

It’s important to mention that communities are structured differently than municipalities. However, if all the council members manage to pool their qualifications, skills and know-how, we’re in business!

If elected officials and citizens combine forces, if they acknowledge their complementary skills and demonstrate openness and understanding, we’ll have to add a few chairs at Municipal Council meetings.

Humour plays a crucial role in all this, as does the political will and flexibility to see an idea or project change along the way. Leaders don’t all have a seat on the municipal council, but they can be our allies. Generally, they know how to turn ideas into action and are more familiar with the history of the municipality and its residents than anyone else.

The catalyst in this case is a sense of belonging. So let’s start with Mr. Michaud’s famous line: «I need you...» And let’s remember that as stakeholders, we offer people support, which gives them back a sense of power and leads to greater well-being. When you restore people’s decision-making power and the power to act, you make them feel appreciated and included, which improves the collective well-being.

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Did you know ?

Transition to KindergartenSince 2006, many actions have been put in place in the Magog community with respect to the transition to school. Despite this, there are still fundamental issues surrounding the transition period.

A meeting was held on April 20 of this year to bring together those directly concerned by this issue (parents and partners from different sectors).

The goal was to begin a collective debate on two issues of particular concern to many stakeholders, namely the need to reach out to children who don’t attend any kind of program and the need to foster better cooperation between parents and organizations (such as daycare and school).

This brainstorming session allowed us to look at our practices and to come up with courses of action to tackle these issues. Among other things, the stakeholders discussed the importance of consolidating cooperation and communication between organizations from different sectors, while stressing the fact that the transition to school is a shared responsibility of the community, and must not rest solely on the shoulders of a few stakeholders.

While it can be a challenge to put in place measures to reach out to all families, the stakeholders were satisfied with this meeting, having appreciated this time out to look at these important issues and discuss them with a variety of stakeholders.

The priority areas that were identified on April 20 will be the subject of discussions and decisions in upcoming meetings of the Kindergarten Transition Committee in order to develop an action plan that will go a step further in fostering a positive school entry for children in the Memphremagog Regional Municipal County.

Pascale Gendron Daigneault, ps.éd, Conseillère pédagogique en petite enfance

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Info & linksCroquarium :Jeunes Pousses becomes Croquarium…. and they change our website!http://www.croquarium.ca

À table!!! : Here are 24 healthy and simple recipes to introduce young and old to cooking.http://fondationolo.ca/je-suis-un-parent/cuisiner/recettes/

Parents’ tools:Naître et Grandir has all kinds of information on its website for parents with toddlers: activity ideas, feature articles, information on child development, etc. Check it out and tell others about it!For example, you’ll find a feature article on balancing work and family: http://naitreetgrandir.com/fr/dossier/conciliation-travail-famille/

Let’s talk about social skills :As well as tips for parents to help their child acquire the social skills for each developmental stage: http://naitreetgrandir.com/fr/dossier/habilete-sociale/

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