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HomeMy WebLinkAboutThe Times Advocate, 2008-09-03, Page 66 Times—Advocate Wednesday, September 3, 2008 'Back to school' can be an exciting time Schools across the country will be opening their doors to students this week. For thou- sands of children across Canada, this will be their first step inside our nation's educational system. To help ease the transition into the classroom, The Learning Partnership (TLP), a national not-for-profit organization dedicated to championing a strong public education sys- tem in Canada, is providing strategies and resource ideas that will enable parents to help their children begin Kindergarten by introduc- ing early literacy and numeric learning skills through play. Important milestone "Our children deserve every opportunity to succeed," says Veronica Lacey, president and CEO of The Learning Partnership. "Starting school is a huge milestone for both the child and parents. More than ever before, it's important that we reach out to parents and teachers - and help provide them with the necessary tools to make sure that children are given the opportunities to succeed at school." Recent research used by The Learning Partnership has shown that when parents are given the proper early learning resources for use at home, pre-school children are better prepared for school and learning. Furthermore, parents who establish a founda- tion in early learning for their children at home are better prepared to support school success. Keeping this in mind and recognizing that preparing children for school can be a chal- lenge, The Learning Partnership's CEO Lacey recommends that parents and children use early learning materials and engage in play - based activities which will help their children with the transition to school. Top tips for early learning and a successful transition into Kindergarten include: Take every opportunity that comes along to talk to your child - ask questions and answer questions. This will not only develop the child's language skills but also nurture curiosity. Read to your child and talk about books to help develop your child's listening skills and an interest in stories and print. Talk to your child about letters and numbers and do fun activities with them to help your child develop number and letter aware- ness. For example, when at the grocery store make a game of looking for items with a letter that is the same as your child's initials. If English is your second language (ESL), speak to your child in the language that is most comfortable for you. ESL parents should continue reading and talking in their first lan- guage to their children. Initiate activities Initiate activities with resources such as crayons, safety scissors, construction paper, glue and playdough to help your child develop the finger control and the coordination they need for writing as well as encourage their creative expression. Chant rhymes and sing songs to help your child play with language as well as hear and recognize sounds and learn new words. Encourage independence: help your child learn to get dressed; express feelings, thoughts and needs clearly to others (such as going to the washroom or getting a beverage). Help your child make choices, for example: which clothes to wear, what activi- ties to do. Give your child opportunities to play with other children, share and take turns. Introduce your child to their teacher, bring them to their new classroom so they are familiar with their new environment, and know what their school day will be like. These learning activities can be used by any parent who has a pre-school child. Take an interest - and with the right resources packed in the knapsack, both you and your child will have a great day at school. Remember, getting ready for the learning adventure begins at home. And when your child comes home, talk to them about their day because tomorrow is going to be full of new learning adventures. Try some new ideas in those back to school lunches Tips to make school lunches tasty, nutri- tious and interesting The new school year brings with it the daily parental duty of planning lunches. To keep your kids healthy and interested in their daily grub, the following are tips compiled from food and lifestyles writers across the country. For variety, use cookie cutters to cut sand- wiches into different shapes. And remember: Tuna salad doesn't have to be on bread. Pack filling in a good -quality reusable plastic con- tainer and, in a separate container, send crackers. Or tortillas. Or pita. Need some fresh ways to think outside of the bag? Forget sandwiches entirely some days. Instead, send leftover cold meat from last night's dinner. If it's chicken, cut it into strips and send shredded cheese, lettuce, salsa and chicken in separate containers - along with a couple of taco shells. Send fresh apple slices packed in a Thermos of lemonade. The lemonade will keep the apples from browning. Or chop up several kinds of fruit and send yogurt for dipping. For a remarkably nutritious and yummy lunch for one, wilt contents of a 10 -ounce (284 g) bag of spinach, drain and saute briefly with a clove or two of chopped garlic. Remove from heat, mix with a beaten egg, shape into a thick patty and pan-fry quickly in a bit of olive oil, turning once. Slice patty into strips, then crosswise into cubes, and slip into a Thermos pre -heated with hot water. Susan Schwartz, Montreal Gazette Save barbecued chicken and cut up the meat to pack in a sandwich bag; bread or a roll or bagel can be packed in the same bag. Baby -size carrots are usually popular; slip some small spears of red or green peppers or slices of celery with the carrots into a reclos- able bag to encourage more vegetable eating. Cut food small. Even a small whole apple or pear tends to get thrown away, while that fruit, cut into segments and drizzled with lemon juice so it won't go brown, will be eaten. Include fruit -flavoured yogurt for dip- ping the fruit. -Julian Armstrong, Montreal Gazette After a week back at school, sandwiches are already beginning to get boring. So why not mix school lunches up a bit by reinventing your leftovers? Pasta left over from dinner can be delicious eaten cold. Cooked vegetables can be blended into a soup or added to some greens to make a salad. Your meat dish can be carved into cold cuts. -Carolynne Burkholder, Nanaimo Daily News Keep up the variety Variety is key to make school lunches inter- esting. In winter, try sending the kids off to school with a wide-mouth Thermos bottle filled with chicken noodle soup, and maybe a little leftover chicken for extra substance. Pack it with some low -salt crackers. Use a croissant to make a sandwich. For young chil- dren, add visual interest to ordinary sand- wiches made with one side white bread, the other side whole wheat, then cut out equal - size rings in the centre of each and switch the rounds. Be creative by tucking away "sur- prise" short jokes along with lunch. -Ron Eade, Ottawa Citizen Tasty chocolate hazelnut spread banana rolls make a pleasant change from the old peanut butter sandwich. Spread a small tor- tilla with the spread, wrap it around a banana, with its ends trimmed to fit. (Please note, this spread does contain peanut oil, so it's not for allergic kids). This goes down well with celery and carrot sticks. To keep food cold, add a frozen juice box. It'll thaw by noon, and the sandwiches and carrot sticks will stay chilly. CanWestNews Service A great lunchbox cookie for the kids. These cookies are made with granola cereal, orange juice, butter, spices, raisins, and rolled oats. Cook Time: 15 minutes Ingredients: 2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour 1 cup sugar 1/2 cup butter 1/4 cup orange juice 2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder 1 1/2 teaspoons ground cinnamon 1/2 teaspoon baking soda 1/2 teaspoon salt 1 egg 1 cup granola cereal 1/2 cup raisins 1/2 cup quick cooking rolled oats Preparation: Into a large mixing bowl, measure flour, sugar, butter, orange juice, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda, salt, and egg. With electric mixer at low speed, beat ingredients until well blended, scraping bowl occasionally. Stir in granola, raisins, and oats. Drop dough onto greased cookie sheet with teaspoon, about 2 inches apart. Smooth mounds slightly with fingers. Bake at 350° for 15 to 20 minutes, until lightly browned. Remove to rack with spatula and let cool com- pletely. Store in tightly covered container for up to one week. Makes about 3 dozen granola cookies. How to relieve school anxiety for our young children For some kids, school can be a tense and fearsome place. As a parent, your instinct is to charge in on a white horse and slay those dragons. But often, a listening ear, a sympathetic word and a reassuring hug will be a bigger help. Acknowledge the problem. Does hearing, "Don't worry!" help when you're anxious about something? It probably doesn't com- fort your child much, either. The most important thing you can do for a child expe- riencing school anxiety is to acknowledge that her fears are real to her. If nothing else, you'll ensure that she won't be afraid to talk to you about them. Asking the right questions Ask, "What three things are you most worried about?" Making your request spe- cific can help your child start to sort through a bewildering array of fears and feelings. If he's unable to name the things that are most worrisome, have him tell you any three things, or the most recent three things. Ask, "What three things are you most excited about?" Most kids can think of something good, even if it's just going home at the end of the day. But chances are your child does have things she really enjoys about school that just get drowned out by all the scary stuff. Bring those good things out into the light. Keep the lines of communication open. Let your child know that she can always talk to you, no matter what. It's not always necessary even to have solutions to her problems. Sometimes just talking about things out loud with a trusted adult makes them seem less threatening. And if the situ- ation does become overwhelming for your child, you want to be the first to know about it. Model appropriate and realistic respons- es and coping techniques for your child. Understand the value of tears. Crying can be a great stress reliever. It flushes out bad feelings and eases tension. It's hard to see your child crying, and your first instinct may be to help him stop as soon as possible. But after the tears have all come out, your child may be in a particularly open and receptive mood for talking and sharing. Provide a soothing and sympathetic pres- ence, but let the crying run its course.