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32 - The Oakville Beaver, Wednesday February 7, 2007 www.oakvillebeaver.com EDUCATION IN OAKVILLE The award winning Expedition Education Program, Dearcroft and West Wind Montessori Schools Gordon Phippen, Director of Oakville's Dearcroft and West Wind Montessori Schools has been awarded the prestigious annual To The Top Canada award. Phippen received this national award on the steps of Parliament Hill in Ottawa. The award acknowledges a Canadian who makes our country better through a personal project of their choice. The Expedition Education model is designed to develop independence, confidence and knowledge through twoweek journeys involving planes, trains and automobiles-actually, for the most part, we travel by motorhome. Exploring provincial and national parks, UNESCO world heritage sites and culturally significant destinations, we have come to understand the significance of our country's origins. An appreciation of political and physical geography and history, on a regional and national level, can best come alive when the lessons come first-hand . . . not just from a textbook. Concepts of ethnic diversity, regional economies and an understanding of First Nations culture can only be truly grasped through experience. Over the years, we have travelled to cities as diverse as Whitehorse and Miami. We have walked along the boardwalks of Dawson City in the Land of the Midnight Sun and the beaches of the Florida Keys at the sun-drenched southern margin of our continent. The North America we've discovered in between has included visits to working farms and ranches on the endless prairies and the rolling foothills of the majestic Rockies. We've explored coastal fishing villages and outports from Vancouver Island to Newfoundland. We've also been invited to witness timeless native ceremonies in remote communities on islands in the boreal forest of the rugged Canadian Shield. For many, travel is a packaged affair without much spontaneity or chance for discovery. The value of experiential education is the chance to inspire and motivate through the power of memory and experience. Nothing can substitute for walking on the same rocks where John Cabot landed at Bonavista, Newfoundland in 1497 or standing beside the commemorative cairn at Craigellachie in the Rockies at the exact spot where the last railway spike was driven to conclude construction of Canada's TransContinental Railway. No classroom resource can compete with being there. For more information on the award winning Expedition Education program, you can visit the Dearcroft / West Wind web sites (www.dearcroft.com , www.westwindms.com). Helping your child to achieve his/her goals Continued from Page 18 HERE ARE SOME ADVANTAGES OF SETTING GOALS: · Improved self-confidence · Increased motivation to achieve the most out of life · Reduced negative attitudes · Increased pride and satisfaction in achievements · Improved concentration and focus · Less stress and anxiety HOW AND WHEN TO SET GOALS Many people set goals at the end or very beginning of the year and call them resolutions. However, within a few months, the desire and the ability to attain these resolutions often dissipates. To help children maintain motivation, consider shorter stretches of time in goal-setting, and then build toward larger desires. For example, one goal may be to finish all homework each day by 5 p.m. so that there are still plenty of hours left to play with friends. A larger goal might be to get an A in English class this quarter. A long-term goal may be to win a sporting trophy at the end of the season. As smaller goals are achieved, the larger, more long-term ones seem easier to master. WHEN HELPING CHILDREN TO REALIZE THEIR GOALS: 1. Be careful when suggesting deadlines or time limits. It's easy to forget what time feels like to a child. Be sensitive to the age of your child when talking with him about time frames. 2. Have your children write down their goals - or help them with that if they are too young. Write down not only the goal itself, but also why it's important. 3. Let your children be the ones to come up with their own goal ideas. If you want to make suggestions, be as sensitive as you can to their age and interests. Be especially sensitive about the "size of the goal." Younger children need to have big goals broken down into mini-goals so that they can see progress quickly, preferably on a daily basis. 4. Help your child, but don't take over. Make sure that your child can sense your interest and support, but be careful he doesn't think that you want to do it for him. 5. Set a good example by having your own goals and letting your children see you working towards them regularly. Remember to praise your children when goals are met, but don't be too hard on them if they fall short. Just encourage them to try again. Dearcroft Montessori Preschool to Grade 8 1167 Lakeshore Rd. E. (905) 844-2114 fax: (905)844-3529 www.dearcroft.com email: dearcroft@primus.ca West Wind Montessori Grade 4 to 8 (905) 849-9463 fax: (905) 849-9051 www.westwindms.com email: gphippen@westwindms.com See our new Sept. 07 location at the Dearcroft Montessori campus VISIT OUR OPEN HOUSE SAT. FEB. 10th 10:00 AM - 2:00 PM Oakville's Original Montessori School Since 1968... Now accepting registrations for Preschool to Grade 8