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www.oakvillebeaver.com The Oakville Beaver, Friday July 20, 2007 - 3 A matter of trust Saturday, July 21, 1pm - 3pm Centre Court · Instructional sessions with MUSS certified instructor · Gauge your kick speed with our radar gun! · Oakville Sports Centre's inflateable sports cage · Obstacle course · Prize Draws R elationships and trust is very important to the success of the St. Lucia Learning Project, and the volunteers have worked hard to gain that trust with the children. Trust with the people in their everyday lives -- their mothers and their teachers. Trust with the women who help mold the children for the rest of the weeks when the camp isn't running. "It's nice that we have a really good relationship with Canaries," said Scott Dempster, a Grade 7/8 French teacher at Hawthorne Village Public School in Milton. A bond has been made with the teachers at Canaries Infant School, which plays a very important roll with the attentiveness and the participation and the willingness to learn new ideas. "The other ones I think are still skeptical. We're still proving ourselves, but it was really nice to see more and more people come out," he said. As the week went on, the teachers, who were reluctant and hesitant in the beginning, seemed to come out of their shell and take part. "It's a relationship. It's a trust issue. We'll have to build relationships with those schools and with those other teachers," he said. I noticed a huge difference in the teachers by the final workshops. They were all engaged. The wheels in their minds were turning as they realized all the different activities they could do with their children. From the Learning Carpet, to reading strategies, music and drama, they appeared to be enjoying themselves. Masie, a Grade 2 teacher at Canaries Infant School, left for two years to attend teachers; college, but has always attended the workshops. She will be returning to her classroom in September and can't wait to apply what she has learned with the children. Masie is a young teacher, and an amazing person. She was always warm and friendly with me, and appreciative of the work- GRAND PRIZE DRAW for a 10-week course with Manchester United's Fall Program worth $400 MARY ANN HUTCHINGS / SPECIAL TO THE BEAVER STORYTIME: Sabrina Byrnes reading a story about sea turtles with six-year-old Shorna. shops. cipline children," Masie said. "It gave me some motivation "Before we used to hit them, to teach," she said. but now we tell them `Okay, you The young teacher loved the will not be participating in the fact the volunteers share teach- physical education,' in which ing strategies with them, but also they like." that they leave learning tools That method of disciplining, behind for use in their own class- she said, is more effective in rooms. stopping disruptive behavior "It strengthened my lessons," because they want to do what the Masie said speaking of the work- other children are doing. shops. Simona, the principal at Canaries Infant School men"The children are more tioned that before the Learning attentive because the Project, the lessons were all "talk and chalk" -- meaning the chillessons are more dren copied whatever was on the interesting now." board. "Before the St. Lucia Learning Simona, principal, Project came along, we did not Canaries Infant School, have all the resources," Simona St. Lucia said. "The teachers would be strug"Now I've learned different gling to try and bring out the things you can do with a book," concepts for the children," she she said, recalling her lessons said. "The children are more prior to the Learning Project in attentive because the lessons are which she would tell her children more interesting now." it was reading time, and use that Thanks to the donated books time to mark other papers. and items, the school now has a Now she has learned ways to resource room with a wider variget the children more involved ety of books available for the chilwith what they are reading by dren. asking questions that do not Every morning after the chilinvolve yes or no answers, or get- dren say their morning prayers, ting the children involved with it's a ritual to hug their fellow role playing. classmates and their teachers. "It just makes teaching more Because they may rarely creative, more meaningful for me receive hugs at home, Simona and the children." Masie said. said they make sure they give The Grade 2 teacher also them lots of hugs at school. She spoke of ways in which she has said some kids are at home learned different methods of dis- because their parents were very cipline. young with few parenting skills. "We used some of your ways The last day of the workshops in which you all taught us to dis See Donations page 4 MONDAY JULY 23 to SUNDAY JULY 29 HOPEDALE MALL S H O P R I G H T. Third Line & Rebecca Street, Oakville Tel: 905-827-7146 www.hopedalemall.on.ca IN THE NEIGHBOURHOOD. Bring Indoor Comfort, Outdoors This Summer Call us to find out how we can enhance your outdoor space with · Custom Stone Mantels an Ontario Hearth fireplace. Hours: Mon.-Fri. 10-5, Sat. 10-4 · Licensed Gas Fitters 3585 Laird Rd., Unit 2 905.569.2404 www.ontariohearth.com