The Connector Spring 2012

ConnectorThe

Spring 2012

Launching the new look

Grand re-opening of Lunch on Clements

55 years and counting

Technology and young children

cover graphics by: Danilo Rizzuti

2 • The Connector • Spring 2012 • www.clementscentre.org

Table of Contents

Features

4 Introducing Our New Look

8 Technology and Young Children.A help or a hindrance?

13

16

Happy Birthday!55 years and counting.

Eating Outside the Box The grand re-opening of lunch on clements.

In Every Issue

691012

A Note from the Sundrops Centre

Child Care Resource and Referral

Our Stories

Staff ProfileMeet Tonya Kilmer

14A Note from the Clements Centre

What’s Going on Around Here?

15 Pink DayRaising Anti-Bullying Awareness

18

19

BC Purple Knitted Hats Campaign

Clements Centre Hosts Autism Forum

www.clementscentre.org • Spring 2012 • The Connector • 3

You Are Invited

agm2012

Clements Centre Society’s 55th Annual General Meeting

7pm Tuesday, June 19th5856 Clements St.

Duncan, BC

Everyone Welcome!


Introducing...

Why the New Names?

The people of the Clements Centre Society exude warmth, energy, passion, enthusiasm and cheer. We felt that we needed to freshen up our logo to better reflect our organization. The society serves two very distinct groups on a daily basis – adults and children. The adult programs are quite well known throughout the community and we wanted to build on that recognition, so we kept the Clements name and paired it with a better description of what the adult program is all about – hence, the Clements Centre for Community Living.

Our research showed that the children’s program, which serves hundreds of infants and children annually, is not as well-known as its adult counterpart and that needed to change! So, we are giving the children’s program the recognition it deserves, with a brand new name, the Sundrops Centre for Child Development.

Why the Sundrops Centre for Child Development?

Here in the Cowichan Valley, there are often days where we see bright rays of sunlight beaming through one window while, at the same time, another window

frames pouring rain. So with a playful nod to our mercurial microclimates here on the Island, combined with the deeper feelings of what our cherished little ones mean to us, we settled on the Sundrops Centre for Child Development for our new name.

The Sundrops Centre moniker alludes to the fact that the families of our clients might at times be faced with

feelings of heartbreak, or disappointment, but they also experience the unique joy and light their children bring to our lives. Out of the dark clouds, these children are like drops of sunshine from above.

The name also fits well with what the child development team brings to the relationship – in drops of warmth, guidance, clarity, hope and cheer. The sun

metaphor fits so well with how we hope parents and children feel when at the Centre.

photo by: Evgeni Dinev


“...these children are like drops of sunshine from

above.”

our n e w look!The New Logo

Our new puzzle logo offers a great degree of flexibility. It can be separated into two distinct entities representing each of our main programs, or it can be used as one to represent the entire Clements Centre Society. The open slots of the puzzle show that the Centres are not only dependent on each other, but also the community as a whole. The new logo is a variation of the old design with the sun shining over the valley and the community lying below. The Sundrops portion includes a bright drop of sunshine over a cheery blue.

A New Web Site

We are currently in the process of freshening up the look of our web site. We will be incorporating our new brighter colours, crisp fonts and of course, our new logo. With such a text-heavy site, it is important for our online visitors to be able to navigate easily through the pages of information to find what they are looking for. We will also be posting upcoming editions of the Connector online as well as continuing to update our news and blog portions of the site. Stay tuned!

www.clementscentre.org

When on its own, the open puzzle slots could appear to be two people working together, perhaps caring for a child. The clean and crisp green Clements portion looks like a house to represent the residential components of our service.

The open puzzle slot at the bottom can appear to be a person coming or going from the centre which, given our activation and leisure program, happens a great deal in a day.

Finally, and perhaps most importantly, the

puzzle slot in the middle of the logo clearly indicates that the two centres are linked together as one.

We used bright, cheery graphics and strong, crisp, sans serif font to make it easy to read.

The New Tagline

Inspiring Beyond Belief has a dual meaning for this organization. Inspiring is both a verb describing what the organization does as well as an adjective describing the folks who are part of the Centres.

Often, when people are diagnosed with developmental disorders, doctors will set boundaries or limits for what they might be capable of. These specialists initially lead us to believe one thing, but the Sundrops and Clements Centres inspire parents, caregivers, families, children and adult participants to reach beyond that belief.

photo by: KROMKRATHOG


A Note from...Program Director of the Sundrops Centre for Child Development

Connecting With Our

Communit y :

The Clements Centre Society was started in 1957 by a group of parents who opened a school for their children to provide an alternative to placing them in an institution. We have gone through different name changes over the years to help the community relate more specifically to the services and supports we provide.

We are still the Clements Centre Society and we have two streams of service, Clements Centre for Community Living and the Sundrops Centre for Child Development. Throughout the years the focus on responding to community need for support to children, families and adults has remained constant.

The Sundrops Centre for Child Development is comprised of the Child Development Team and the Child Care Resource and Referral program. These two programs work closely with many local, regional and provincial programs and services to ensure our mutual clients get the service, supports and information they need, when they need them.

by Delta McDonell

We could not do the work that we do without making the connections in our community, regionally and across the province, with other service providers and government initiatives that support our goals and objectives.

photo by: Clare Bloomfield


The Cowichan Valley Child Care Resource and Referral links

to:• Local employment programs• Child Care Subsidy (The CCRR is the public access point for child care subsidy in the Cowichan Valley)• BC Rental Housing Assistance Program• Cowichan Valley Child Care Council• LEAPBC• Health Promotion Activities like “Do Bugs Need Drugs”, ”Purple Crying”• Military Family Resource Centre• School District #79 through participation in “Ready Set Learn” events and as occasional guests at “Strong Start”• BC Family Child Care Association• CVRD Public Safety Department (we have worked with the CVRD community preparedness group to provide emergency preparedness training for child care providers in the community)• BC Aboriginal Child Care Society

Both the Child Development Team and the Child Care

Resource and Referral link to;

• Supported Child Care• Cowichan Family Life, (we are represented on the Community Bus planning committee)• Healthy Beginnings• Participation in the Duncan Children’s Festival• Various child care programs throughout the region• Ministry of Children & Family Development

The Child Development Team links to;

• Tsewulhtun Health Centre and Aboriginal Infant Development Program• Penelakut Health Unit• Growing Together CC ( We have done the parenting course “Nobody’s Perfect” together)• House of Friendship - Healthiest Babies Possible• WAVAW• Vancouver Island Health Authority (the VIHA Speech and Language therapist is co-located with our Child Development Team)• School District #79 with “Roots of Empathy” and we hold the contract for school aged physical therapy. We also participate in their “Ready Set Learn” events.• BC Family Hearing Resource Society• Queen Alexandra Health Centre

photo by: photostock


Technology and...a Help or a Hindrance?

Young Children

Computers, television, cell phones, video games, MP3 players, the list of devises that we have access to continues to grow day by day. The target audience for these products gets younger all the time. Families are advised to get their 6 year old a cell phone for “safety’s sake” or get a computer program to help their 3 year old “learn”.

Are all these devices really improving our children’s quality of life? We have seen the articles about the rise of childhood obesity, we have heard the reports on increased aggression in children and we have noticed that attention spans seem short. Could the increased use of technology by both adults and children be part of the problem?

According to Cris Rowan, (www.zonein.ca), elementary school aged children are spending 8 hours per day using technology, be it TV, computer, video games or whatever. No wonder obesity is on the rise, with all that sedentary activity, there is no time to go outside and play. Children need

to interact with other children and adults to learn how to be social, cooperate, collaborate and share. With all that time in front of the TV, the only thing children might

be sharing is a bowl of popcorn.

Cris Rowan goes on to say that there are 3 critical factors to a child’s overall development, movement, connection and touch. When adults and children are spending hours a day texting, playing video games or watching

TV, there is no time left for connecting with each other and with nature. There is no time to cuddle up together with a book or to talk about what is going on in

their lives.

The research suggests that children under 2 years old should not be exposed to any television, movies, computer or video games. Very young children learn to talk, to walk, to interact with other people and their environment by playing with the people in their life who are important to them. Children older than 2 should not be exposed to more than 2 hours of technology a day and never for more than 20 minutes at a time. Young children need to get outside and play. They need 2 to 3 hours per day of active play in a green environment. This promotes brain development in all

areas important to learning.

So if you want your child to do well in school, turn off the TV and the cell phone, limit the use of all technology and make time to play, to move, to connect and to hold hands.

by Delta McDonell

photo by: David Castillo Dominici


May isChild Care Month

in BCby Myna Thompson

Quality child care providers must enjoy working with young children, have an understanding of child development, guide children’s behaviour and honour family systems.

They work long hours to support families during personal successes and struggles, economic downturns, and when children are well and sick. Child care providers do all this so that families can leave their children in safe, enriching environments while they do what they need to do.

These dedicated women and men must also maintain and comply with Provincial Health and Safety requirements and criteria as well as make time in their busy lives to participate in professional development training.

May is Child Care Month in BC. CCRR staff at the Clements Centre have invited child care providers to a special luncheon and workshop “Exploring Creative Art & Movement” to thank them for their outstanding efforts. The workshop hopes to inspire new program ideas. We hope the luncheon will be a relaxing social time, and the chance to enjoy a meal that someone else has prepared!

...a Help or a Hindrance?

photo by: photostock


Our Sundrops...Holly

pertaining to heart, facial, and skin development.

We stayed in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit for roughly 3 ½ months. Besides the two major syndromes, Dandy Walker and CFC, Holly was diagnosed with a swallowing disorder that required a gastro intestinal tube. There was also a concern that she might need a shunt to drain

excess fluid located between the brain and skull (a common feature of Dandy Walker), but it later proved to be unnecessary.

Needless to say, I was very apprehensive to leave the sheltering cocoon of such caring and dedicated doctors, nurses, specialists, and the other wonderful parents we had met in the hospital. We were assured many times that once she was home, under our own community health umbrella, Holly would have wonderful care and support. And of course, they were right!

I was referred to the Clements Centre and my first contact was with the intake coordinator who assessed Holly and helped create a plan for the year ahead. Later, I was introduced to other early

intervention therapists. From the start, our battle plan focused on several therapies. Over the next three years I would meet occupational, physio, and speech therapists. All of these women nourished me both as a new mother and as a parent of a child with extra challenges.

Assessments of Holly were always thoroughly and professionally completed with genuine enthusiasm, encouragement, compassion and most importantly for me, hope. As a new mother who had never been around babies, the whole kaleidoscope of motherhood was explored and explained as we began our journey together.

Today, Holly’s development far exceeds what I was led to believe in utero it would be. As a mother, I am so grateful for the guidance, compassion, understanding and knowledge that I received from the staff at the Clements Centre. The work they do and the professional way they do it has changed our lives and given me a breadth of insight into the possibilities that Holly is capable of.

Our daughter, Holly Elizabeth, was born six weeks early on August 2, 2007, at Victoria General Hospital. She made her entrance just four hours short of my birthday, which normally would have been a small disappointment to me, but after 30 hours of labour, I was okay with that!

My pregnancy was very difficult emotionally and physically. Several months before Holly’s arrival, she was diagnosed with Dandy Walker Variant and Cardiofaciocutaneous (CFC). Dandy Walker is a condition involving a section of the brain called the cerebellum, located at the back of the brain, which only partially developed for Holly. CFC is an extremely rare syndrome (200 – 300 children worldwide)

by Sonja Griffiths (Holly’s Mom)


Reilly

help my son achieve his best. They would help us work towards goals and keep us going on a positive path.

We have spent countless hours at the Clements Centre and every time I enter the doors I feel at home. It feels as though my son has a second family. He has started to recognize familiar faces each time we arrive. Most people even know him by name and say hello when they see him. I cannot thank them enough for saving my son’s life, and ours. You are truthfully his hero. I hope anyone in our situation, or one similar can see the remarkable people the staff and therapists are. Trust me – you will be in good hands.

P.S. You can follow Reilly’s story on Bri’s blog: http://reillysjourneywithautism.blogspot.com

I can describe the Clements Centre in one word, heart. The place is exploding with it. From the staff, to the people like my son Reilly who depend on the services. I can remember the day we first needed to use the Clements Centre. We were a nervous wreck. Granted, when you are not sure your child is developing properly you just want answers. We were looking for answers, and comfort. It was like a flock of angels came to my son’s rescue. The staff treated him like he was one of their own. No judgement. I have never seen such extraordinary care and concern for my child.

My son was given an Infant Development Consultant, Terri Stanko. Terri was there every step of the way. She would encourage us when we were falling short of optimism. This woman had every answer to any question I had. Even if she didn’t, she made sure she would help me find one.

Six months ago, the Clements Centre was there for my family when we needed them the most. Our 3 year old son, Reilly, was diagnosed with Autism. What should have been devastating news to our family became the complete opposite. Every single staff member took the time to

by Briannon Meyer (Reilly’s Mom)

Send us your story.

Has the Sundrops Centre or the

Clements Centre made a difference in

your life or the life of a loved one?

We would love to hear about it!

If you have a story you would like to share

with us, please send it to

[email protected]

...and their Stories


Staff ProfileGetting to know Tonya Kilmer

I am an Occupational Therapist with the Child Development Team at Sundrops and see children who are getting ready to enter Kindergarten.

I deliver groups for those kids who are having difficulty with some of the pre-Kindergarten skills (from fine motor scissor and pencil skills to social interaction and play to attention).

I graduated in 2010 from the University of Alberta with a Master’s of Science in Occupational Therapy and have a background in Psychology from the University of Victoria.

I absolutely love working with children and seeing the improvement that they make in such a short period of time. Working with children and their families is certainly one of my passions; one that led me down the path to becoming an Occupational Therapist.

In my spare time, I keep very active with my wonderful husband. I love to run, ski, scuba dive, rock climb, camp, hike and bike ride (in fact I am riding in the ride to conquer cancer in June through the rocky mountains). I also love to travel and to feed this passion by working with Westjet Airlines on the side!

Tonya hanging out in the Sundrops Gym.


55 Years and Counting

A Little Bit of History

The Society was started in 1957 by a group of parents who opened a school for their children to provide an alternative to placing them in an institution. When the operation of the school was assumed by the School Board in 1965, the Society opened a sheltered workshop for adults with developmental disabilities. In 1968, a preschool and kindergarten were opened.

Permanent buildings were constructed on the present site, at 5856 Clements Street, in 1971. In 1973, an integrated daycare program replaced the preschool and kindergarten. It was an innovative program for children with disabilities which also welcomed other children. In 1975, the Infant Development Programme was started. The Children’s Place facility on Banks Road was erected in 1978.

In the 1980s, with the gradual closure of institutions, housing and services for people with developmental disabilities were developed in the community. Speech therapy, physiotherapy, supported employment, residences, and respite programs were provided by the Society.

By the 1990s, the range of services provided by the agencies for children and adults with developmental disabilities had grown. The Society also added to its services in order to support people in living independently in the community.

And that brings us to today. After 55 years of service to the community, the Clements Centre Society contrinues to thrive.

Happy BirtHday Clements Centre soCiety! graphics by: Danilo Rizzuti


A Note from...Program Director of Clements Centre for Community Living

ideas including partnering to deliver services to a current high school student prior to graduation, a partnership that involves the school district staff, the autism funding unit of MCFD and Clements. I am proud that we have responded to all requests with open minds in order to ensure that services are as

individualized as possible. These opportunities have allowed us to build and or strengthen existing bridges with community partners including both funding

ministries, the local school district SD79 and other local service providers. These relationships, combined with our responsiveness to input from families holds us to our vision of a community in which all individuals are included, accepted and valued.

“...a community in which all individuals

are included, accepted and valued.”

It’s spring in the Cowichan Valley!

Lunch on Clements recently reopened to the public and we are on the eve of launching our Sundrops Centre. In spite of the somewhat dismal provincial predictions for the summer, optimism springs at Clements Centre! 2011 was a year of considerable change and our mission remained very much the same throughout: to support citizens of the Cowichan Valley to participate meaningfully in all aspects of community life. For as long as individuals and families remain our first priority, we can be assured that our supports and programs are responsive to their needs.

We were offered several opportunities over the past year to respond to individual needs with new and innovative service

With the political climate as it is, families are far better served by agencies willing to work together in the interest of the families. Strong relationships with other service providers support access to information, resources and best practice.

I appreciate that Clements Centre has responsive and proactive leadership and staff, willing to respond to innovative opportunities and look forward contributing to those efforts.

by Dianne Hinton


Pink DayRaising Anti-Bullying Awareness

Josephine Macintosh, a WITS Research Associate, presented an Anti-Bullying message to all day program participants from Activation Leisure, Lunch on Clements, and South Cowichan on February 29, 2012.

The WITS program helps to teach individuals how to deal with bullying and peer victimization. The WITS acronym stands for Walk away, Ignore, Talk it out and Seek help and provides a common language to the individuals we support to “use your WITS.”

WITS stems from years of collaboration among teachers, principals, school counsellors, university researchers, police officers, firefighters and other adults dedicated to creating safe environments for others. WITS was created in 1993 and has been implemented in schools and communities across Canada. To support the campaign, all participants were encouraged to wear pink.


Eating Outside

Friday March 2nd brought together a veritable who’s who of the Cowichan Valley for the Grand Re-opening of Lunch On Clements in Duncan. Mayor John Lefebure had the honour of cutting the ribbon while MP Jean Crowder and MLA Bill Routley showed their support by sending their representatives, Alistair MacGregor and Debra Toporowski. President Al Crisp and Executive Director Carol Stenberg from the United Way joined in the celebrations as well.

“I really appreciate this facility. North Cowichan has had a long

in the kitchen whip up a new daily special for their patrons. What makes Lunch on Clements so special though, is the kitchen staff. They are all participants in the Clements Centre Society’s vocational training program for adults with disabilities. After closing in 2010, Lunch On Clements is back by popular demand. “For the past year or two, whenever people dropped by the Centre, they would ask about Lunch on Clements“, recalls Doug Orr, Executive Director of the Clements Centre Society. “We thought the time was right to re-open.” Trainees in the program receive hands-on

relationship with it over the years and this program is incredible for our community,” commented Mayor Lefebure.

First opened in 1984, Lunch on Clements is, undeniably, a unique dining establishment for lunch in the Duncan area. Meals are prepared with pride and enthusiasm, ingredients are purchased locally, and the folks

The Box


The Grand Re-opening of Lunch on Clements

support in developing vocational skills including cashier training, janitorial skills, customer service and, of course, food preparation in a well-appointed , VIHA registered Food Safe kitchen. “It’s a great place and it really helped me over the years to make friends and cook really good meals. It has been good for

my life skills at home and in the community,” says Laura Clement, a participant in the program. “Our trainees get so much out of this program,” adds Lisa Chileen, Day Program Coordinator, “and it is one of those win-win situations where the people in our programs are able to play a role in serving their community and in turn, the local community can enjoy

a quality, home-style lunch for a very reasonable price.” Within a stone’s throw of the new VIU campus and a short walk from the Islands Savings Centre and Cowichan Secondary, Lunch on Clements hopes to draw a crowd who might be interested in an alternative to the fast food lunch routine. They are encouraging potential patrons to “Eat Outside the

Box” and give them a try before heading off for the regular burger and fries. All lunches are less than $7 and are served from noon to 1pm weekdays. In addition to lunches, the kitchen provides catering and the dining facilities can be rented for private functions. For more information and menus, please visit the Clements Centre web site at:http://clementscentre.org/lunch_on_clements_monthly_menu/


BC Purple Knitted Hats Campaign

The Prevent Shaken Baby Syndrome BC program, at BC Children’s Hospital, hopes to collect over 2000 purple hats to be given to new parents in hospitals across BC, along with a booklet and DVD from the PURPLE program, during the week of November 22nd in celebration of National Child Day which was on November 20th.

As a child, Nellie learned the fine art of knitting from her grandmother. Now her fingers fly as she effortlessly crafts her 29th purple hat of the campaign. While some of the wool has been donated, Nellie has purchased

Nellie Hyzeldoorn and Laura Clement from the Clements Community Living Services Program at the Clements Centre spent two weeks last fall knitting feverishly for the BC Purple Knitted Hats Campaign that is sweeping across the province.

The campaign is to help raise awareness about a program called the Period of Purple Crying, which was created to educate parents and caregivers about the normalcy and stages of crying in young infants, as well as the dangers of reacting to this crying in frustration.

much of the raw materials herself. She and Laura have produced a mound of hats that were sent over to BC Children’s Hospital in their fight to help extinguish the tragedy, heartbreak and loss of shaken baby syndrome.

Nellie displays the 29 hats she knit for the BC Purple Knitted Hats Campaign.

Laura also knit some hats for the campaign!


Clements Centre Hosts Autism ForumOn November 17th, families and caregivers throughout the Cowichan Valley joined together for the first ever Autism Forum at the Clements Centre in Duncan. The forum was co-organized by the Clements Centre Society and the Ministry of Children & Family Development. Guests at the event were able to collect information from many local service providers, including support groups, therapists, educators, financial service providers and there were also presentations from the Cowichan Therapeutic Riding Association as well as Island Kung Fu.

For many families who have a member diagnosed as being on the Autism Spectrum, there is often a feeling of solitude and a constant struggle to find out what can be done to support their journey through the experience of Autism. “It was great to see so many people take advantage of what was on offer at this forum”, commented Kate MacLeod, Behavioural Consultant with

the Clements Centre and Co-organizer of the Forum. “This was an excellent opportunity to bring together the many families across the Cowichan Valley who are experiencing autism, so they could share their stories and to give them as much exposure as possible to all of the wonderful resources that are out there in our community.”

Ms. MacLeod feels that, judging by the number of people who attended the forum, the quality of the presentations throughout the evening, and the positive feedback the organizers received, this could become an annual event.

Jess Horsing Around at the Autism Forum

The Clements Centre Society is a member agency of the United Way.

The Clements Centre Society

is accredited by CARF.

Membership gives you a voice. Have your say and advocate for the chil-dren, adults and families served by the Clements Centre Society. You also receive reduced rental rates of our facilities and a free bag of cookies from Lunch on Clements.

Anyone can become a member. In fact, the more diverse our membership base, the better!

How?

Why?

Drop by the office or complete and mail in this form.

Who?

Become a MemberToday

You can be as involved as you wish to be. We would love to see you at our AGM. There may be other special general meetings that you might be interested in attending too. It’s really up to you!

Responsibilities?

Name:

Address:

Email:

Phone: (Home)

(Other)

Postal Code:

Please indicate: New Membership RenewalApplication

Date:

Annual Membership1. Associate (non-voting)2. Individual3. Family4. Group/Non-profit5. Corporate/Business

Fee (tax deductible)$5.00 per year$10.00 per year$15.00 per year$25.00 per year$50.00 per year

General DonationI would like to make a tax deductible donation to the Society in the amount of : $

Please make cheques payable to:Clements Centre Society5856 Clements StreetDuncan, BC V9L 3W3

The Connector Spring 2012

Documents

Transcript of The Connector Spring 2012