SMALL TALK

N O V E M B E R / D E C E M B E R N E W S L E T T E R 2 0 1 3

CCRR TEAM

Shannon Cote

Program Coordinator/Northern

Regional Coordinator

Kathy Petursson

Family Resource Consultant

Glenda Patterson

Resource Educator

Arlene Morrison

Resource Educator

(Hazelton Area)

1-250-842-5044

Your Community’s Best Source of Child Care Information

Newsletter of the Smithers & Area CCRR Program

~serving the communities of Topley, Houston, Telkwa, Smithers,

Moricetown, the Hazelton’s, Kitwanga, Stewart, Iskut, Dease Lake,

Telegraph Creek and Atlin~

Smithers & Area CCRR Box 206, 3843B 4th Ave.

Smithers, BC V0J 2N0

smiccrr@telus.net

Toll Free 1-877-847-8824

Phone 1-250-847-8824

Fax 1-250-847-2428

www.childcarechoices.ca

Funded by: The Ministry of

Children and Family

Development

www.ccrr.bc.ca

A program of the Bulkley

Valley Child Development

Centre (BVCDC)

www.bvcdc.ca

HOURS OF OPERATION

Monday to Thursday 9:00am - 4:00pm

Closed 12:00pm—1:00pm for lunch

Fridays: CLOSED

OFFICE CLOSURES

November 11th-Remembrance Day

December 23rd-27th for Inventory and Christmas Break

January 1st - News Years Day!

National Child Day is celebrated on November 20th

each year. The date marks the occasion when Canada

adopted the United Nations Convention on the Rights

of the Child , spelling out the basic human rights for

children and youth.

5 simple ways to implement child rights at home

1. Help children to understand the rights of children in other parts

of the world.

2. Involve your children in family decision making.

3. Invite your child’s friend over for dinner.

4. Support your child’s interests and strengths.

5. Volunteer with your child for a cause they believe in.

~All ECE’s are welcome~

Northern Regional CCRR Conference in Prince George

We joined our fellow Northern CCRR programs for some networking and professional development for 2 days in

October. Programs attended from Haida Gwaii, Prince Rupert, Terrace, Smithers, Prince George, Quesnel,

Dawson Creek and Fort St. John

ECE BC Bulkley Valley Branch

To become a member please contact

Shannon at the CCRR office at

250-847-8824

visit our Face book page at ECE BC Bulkley Valley Branch

The next Scholastic

book order will be on

October 30th. Book

orders are available to

be picked up at our

office. The prices are

very reasonable and

there is a large variety

of books, tapes, and

games to choose from.

The registration for the 17th Annual

Early Care and Learning Conference is now open. You can register

through:

https://ers.snapuptickets.com/ers/online-registration-conference.cfm?

y=ZWlkPTY5MCZsYW49ZW5n

See you soon on February 7th and 8th, 2014 at the Bell Performing Arts

Centre in Surrey!

November 13th, 2013

6:00– 8:00 pm

At

Supported Child Development

2430 Butler Rd. Unit C

The Pizza Box

Make & Take

Pre-register with Sharon Mason (250) 845-2840

Refreshments & Certificates Provided

Red Cross Child Care First Aid Course

Date: Saturday, November 16th, 2013

Time: 9:00am—5:00pm

$101.00 (includes HST) full day of instruction

~Payment is required to confirm your space~

Location: 1012 Columbia Street, Unit D Facilitator: Northern Sun Tours

This course is designed to give participants a hands-on learning approach to First

Aid techniques for children and infants. This course provides you with a three

year certificate.

To register or for more information call Northern Sun Tours at 1-250-847-4349

Or email: info@northernsun.bc.ca

Featured book for parents:

CONNECTED PARENTING

By: Jennifer Kolari,

MSW, RSW

Set Loving Limits & Build Strong Bonds with Your

Child for Life

Tips to help parents deal with holiday stress:

Set expectations – Talk to your kids about expectations for gifts and holiday activities. Be open with

them if money is an issue. Depending on a child's age, parents can use this as an opportunity to teach

their kids about the value of money and responsible spending. And be realistic. Take small concrete

steps to deal with holiday tasks instead of overwhelming yourself with goals that are too far reaching for

a busy time.

Keep things in perspective – Try to consider stressful situations in a broader context and keep a long

-term perspective. Avoid blowing events out of proportion and teach your kids how to keep things in

perspective, including what type and the number of gifts they receive.

Make connections – Good relationships with family and friends are important. So, view the holidays as

a time to reconnect with people. Additionally, accepting help and support from those who care about you

can help alleviate stress. Even volunteering at a local charity with your kids is a good way to

connect with others, assist someone in need and teach your kids about the value of helping others.

Take care of yourself – Pay attention to your own needs and feelings during the holiday season.

Engage in activities that you and your family enjoy and find relaxing. Taking care of yourself helps keep

your mind and body healthy and primed to deal with stressful situations. Consider cutting back television

viewing for kids and instead, get the family out together for a winter walk. It promotes activity and takes

kids away from sedentary time and possible influence from advertisements.

What is Radon?

Radon is a radioactive gas that occurs naturally when the uranium in soil and rock

breaks down. It is invisible, odorless and tasteless. When radon is released from the

ground into the outdoor air, it is diluted and is not a concern. However, in enclosed

spaces, like homes, it can sometimes accumulate to high levels, which can be a risk

to the health of you and your family.

Where can I Learn More? Visit the Health Canada Web

site www.healthcanada.gc.ca/radon

or call 1 800 O-Canada (1 800 622-

6232), TTY - 1 800 926-9105 for more

information on how to reduce your

exposure to radon.

Informative links:

Two-daloo — Early Childhood

Activities, Speech & Language

Information & Crafty Projects

The Kid Counselor — Articles

with practical advice about

parenting written by a child

therapist.

“Children learn as they play.

Most importantly, in play

children learn how to learn.”

– O. Fred Donaldson

Don’t throw out your holiday boxes… you never know what they could be!

The Hazelton’s

How to reach me?

Arlene Morrison

Resource Educator

4215 Field Street

MAIL

Box 206

Smithers, BC

V0J 2N0

PHONE

250 842-5044

FAX

250 842-5048

Make and Take

Getting dressed

&

Christmas ornaments

When: Nov 20, 2013 5:00pm

Where: Hazelton & Area ECD building

OR TBA

Cost: $5.00

Call to confirm your attendance

250-842-5044

Make N Take is always full of good

conversation, laughs, and a joy to be at

with the presence of both Edna’s.

Thank you to all who attended and

shared a meal and some good humour!

Little Flowers

Parent and Tot Drop-in

Has started once again

Every Monday

New Hazelton @ The New Hazelton

meeting place

10:00am – 2:00pm

Every Tuesday

South Hazelton @ Church basement

10:00am – 2:00pm

Readers read because they want to, so the secret to encouraging our children is

the same for reading as it is for play, creativity, sports, hobbies, or any other

intrinsically rewarding activity. We must put away our agendas.

Theme Boxes

Gingerbread

Woodland Creatures

Books

Children Actively Engaging in Nature

Nature Theme-A-Saurus

Part of the Northern Outreach Trip was a visit to

several Pre-school/ Headstart programs. The first

stop was at Iskut to meet Carol Quock at Iskut

Valley Headstart..

The ‘Kids Have Stress Too’ workshop was

presented to a large group of Parents/ School

Teachers in Stewart, BC Amazing snacks were

provided by Chris Smith and Co.

On September 23rd Glenda and Brenda Sissons

with Success X 6-Terrace, set off for a trip north to connect

with care providers in Iskut, Dease Lake, Stewart and

neighboring communities. In Dease Lake, Sherry Kelly

(SCDP-Smithers) joined Glenda to present Kids Have Stress

Too. Glenda & Brenda spent a morning visiting Cathy

Bouman’s preschool program at Dease Lake school.

South of Dease

Lake...headed

to Stewart.

Glorious

sunshine and

fabulous

views!

Dear Care Providers It’s time to celebrate your hard work throughout the year! Come and join us for a catered dinner on November 22, 2013 at 6:00 pm at the CCRR. NO CHARGE but Please RSVP to Kathy or Glenda (250)847-8824 by November 15th.

Fall Scavenger Hunt

Head outside with your group and a bag to

collect things into. Have children try to find as

many items on the list as they can.

Something that makes a sound

Something you can eat

Something that smells

Something slimy

Something beautiful

Something yellow,

Something smooth

Something soft

Something flat

A Round rock

A triangular object

A leaf the size of your hand

2 Rocks that fit together like pieces of a

puzzle

You may vary this list or add your own great

ideas. When the ‘hunt’ is over, head inside and

put everything out on a tray. Provide glue and

paper and let the creating begin!

* If you wish to avoid the glue then use a

square of contact paper; backing peeled off,

sticky side up.

Homemade Glue

Materials:

3/4 cup water

2 Tablespoons Corn Syrup

1 teaspoon white vinegar

Small saucepan, small bowl

2 Tablespoons cornstarch

3/4 cup cold water

Directions:

Mix water, corn syrup, and vinegar in saucepan.

Bring to a full rolling boil.

In bowl, mix cornstarch with water.

Add this mixture slowly to the hot mixture,

stirring constantly until the mixture returns to

a boil.

Boil for 1 minute, then remove from heat.

When cooled, pour into another container and

let stand overnight before using.

For variety, add food coloring before using.

*Store in an airtight container in the fridge

when not being used.

Stuck Like Glue!

Materials: Glue stick, scraps of colored paper

Show children a glue stick. Ask them to tell you

how and why it is used. Use the glue stick to glue

together the edges of two pieces of scrap paper.

Then add the third piece that is a different

color.

Tell the children they are going to pretend to be

glue sticks. By working together they will create

a color pattern, much like the paper one they

just created. One child will be the ‘glue stick’,

the rest will be paper. Reassign roles until each

child has had a turn. For color recognition, you

may call out the color of someone’s

clothing as the next person to be

”glued”.

Ingredients:

1 (3.5 ounce) package of cook and serve butterscotch pudding mix

1/2 cup butter or margarine

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1 egg

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions:

1. In a medium bowl, cream together the dry butterscotch pudding mix, butter, and brown

sugar until smooth. Stir in the egg. Combine the flour, baking soda, ginger and cinnamon;

stir into the pudding mixture. Cover, and chill dough until firm, about 1 hour.

2. Preheat the oven to 350*F (175*C). Place parchment on cookie sheets and cut to fit. On a

floured surface, roll cookie dough out to about 1/8 inch thick. Cut into shapes using

gingerbread man cutter. Place cookies 1 1/2 inches apart on the prepared cookie sheets.

3. Bake for 10-12 minutes in the pre-heated oven, until cookies are golden at the edges. Cool

on wire racks.

** These cookies are like a crisp sugar cookie and are very easy to decorate with icing and

Raisins/candies.

Four Gingerbread Men

Four gingerbread men sat on a tray.

The first one said, ”Let’s run away!”

The second one said, “Where will we run?”

The third one said, “We’ll have some fun!’

The fourth one said, “We’ll be eaten if we stay.

So the gingerbread men all ran away.

Gingerbread Art

Cookie Cutter Painting

Start with two or three colors of paint spread

out on an ice cream pail lid. Children dip Ginger

Bread shaped cookie cutters into the paint and

then stamp them onto a piece of paper. You can

sprinkle a bit of cinnamon over the wet paint to

“add scents” to the finished art work. Let dry,

then hang up.

Scented Gingerbread Man

Start by cutting out gingerbread shapes from a

sheet of fine grit sandpaper. Your child can

draw a design using a cinnamon stick. Finish by

gluing on ribbon (rick rack) and glitter.