Ontario

Raising the bar is presented by the City of Toronto, Community and Neighbourhood Services, Children's Services Division. This conference will feature insightful speakers, thought provoking learning experiences, opportunities to dialogue with colleagues and practical hands-on workshops.

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 19, 2003

* KEYNOTE ADDRESS – "A brighter future for children"
Stephen Lewis Special Envoy, The United Nations
Children's Services is pleased to announce that former Deputy Executive Director of UNICEF, Stephen Lewis, will deliver the keynote address on November 19th. Mr. Lewis will bring his global perspective on the rights and needs of children to the conference. Mr. Lewis is a passionate advocate for human rights and will share his insights and experiences for building a brighter future for children.

Selected workshops include:

* Responding to racial incidents in child care settings
Tina Lopes
This session was jointly developed by the City of Toronto's Children's Services Division and the Access and Equity Unit. The session will focus on responding to racial incidents as they arise in childcare settings. Corresponding resource information will be provided to participants.

* Working with families
Terri Carr
This interactive workshop will explore strategies to help centres develop collaborative relationships, and improve communication with their families. Topics to be covered include: how to communicate so that parents will listen; development of a comprehensive approach to dealing with challenging situations; and how to assist families in identifying and accepting special needs in their children.

* Is your supervisory style working?
Sue Wells
For many childcare centre supervisors the challenge of the position is not the administration of the centre itself, but the intricacies of managing the staff effectively. This session is designed for childcare centre supervisors. You will recognize your supervisory style, how it is influencing the behaviour of those you supervise, and determine if it is working. You will set goals for change and receive practical management strategies you can use to increase the effectiveness of the people you supervise.

* Building better boards
Joy Lerman
The successful orientation of your Board of Directors is critical to the success of the centre. This interactive workshop will support Supervisors/Directors in getting the most out of their Board of Directors and sharing best practices: understanding the difference in the roles between governance (the legal responsibilities of the Board) and management (the role of the professional staff); how to assess your current Board's strengths and pinpoint where support is needed, from job descriptions and bylaws, to confidentiality, motivating, recruitment, and conflict; and providing tools to develop and strengthen the Board's leadership and getting it right from the start.

THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 2003

* KEYNOTE ADDRESS – "Where do they find the words?"
David Booth, Professor Emeritus, University of Toronto
How do we support young children in their development as language users who are learning to represent themselves to others through the very words they choose, and how can we strengthen their identity building and selfworth through our communications with them?

* KEYNOTE ADDRESS – "Race, culture and identity: Constructs in a pluralistic society"
Charles Smith, President, Charles Smith Consulting
The factors that influence identity have been studied in a variety of disciplines. Whether through philosophy, psychology, literature and the arts or through the more recent discipline of cultural studies, there have been various ways to examine the construction of identity and to assess the influence of political, cultural, social and economic structures on personal growth and development as well as that of social groups. Charles' presentation will explore these factors from a critical perspective, exploring issues of cultural and racial formation in particular, and how these factors are important to professional practice in terms of early childhood education and family resource programs.

Selected workshops include:

* Emergent curriculum
Jane Bertrand
Emergent curriculum shifts the focus to the children's interests and passions. Their staff become facilitators who choreograph the environment and document children's daily experiences. The workshop will explore the juxtaposition of the emergent curriculum approach with kindergarten, childcare and family resource program approaches in Toronto First Duty during its startup year in five sites.

* Raising the bar: Behaviour management strategies that work
Sue Hunter
Do you wonder why the children keep saying "No" to you? Do you work with children who attend special classes because of identified behaviour challenges? Do you find it harder than it used to to keep your cool in the playroom? Do you feel that your behaviour management skills might be slipping? Using a hands-on, practical approach, we will discuss specific reality-based behaviour management strategies that support the well-being of both children and the early childhood educators who work with them.

See link to conference brochure below for full programme.

The Ontario Coalition for Better Child Care, CUPE and labour partners are gearing up for the third annual child care worker and early childhood educator appreciation day to celebrate and recognize the contribution of child care workers. This is a an opportunity to raise awareness about the valuable role and contributions of child care workers in the lives of children, their families and the broader community. It's also a time to talk about the importance of regulated, high quality child care. For more information please contact the Ontario Coalition for Better Child Care

The Children's Vote Coalition invites parents, grandparents and the broader community to come out and hear each candidate's vision for a child friendly city. *Refreshments* will be served and *Child Care* will be available – from 6:30 p.m. (please help us plan appropriately for child care, by registering in advance 416-538-7630) PARTICIPATING CANDIDATES : Barbara Hall : Tom Jakobek : David Miller : John Nunziata : John Tory MODERATOR: Fiona Nelson, a long time Children's Advocate QUESTIONER: Charlie Coffey, Executive Vice President of Government and Community Affairs for the RBC Financial Group, and Co-Chair of the Commission on Early Learning and Child Care for the City of Toronto HOSTED BY: The Children's Vote Coalition (Toronto Coalition for Better Child Care; Metro Family Resource Programs Association; Child Care Advisory Committee; Children's and Youth Action Committee; Toronto Campaign 2000; Toronto School Based Child Care Committee; Toronto Parent Network; The Toronto Children's Aid Society; S.P.A.C.E.)