Community Spirit
Lake Trail Neighborhood Connections
Fall 2012 Community Classes at Lake Trail School:
Lake Trail Neighbourhood Connections (LTNC) is pleased to offer a variety of great classes for folks of all ages at Lake Trail School, beginning this September.
In addition to invigorating fitness classes like pilates, circuit training, yoga and zumba, we are also offering an array of cooking, craft and excellent one-day workshops this autumn. Don't miss out on our new book club that will meet once a month starting at the end of September.
To check out our classes and activities, go to LTNC's website at www.laketrailconnect.ca (click on the Community Programs tab at the top).
To register for classes, please contact Angela Konkin, LTNC's Coordinator, at
- or call 250-334-3168.
**LTNC has a new home** We are now located at the back of the Lake Trail School in the same hall as the International School and the Drama Room. Feel free to stop by and see our great new space. Hope to see you soon...
School Garden Clubs & Greening Committees
Lake Trail Neibourhood Connections
- In the fall of 2012, they will offer community classes. Watch for the advertisements.
- Angela Konkin, Project Coordinator at Lake Trail community garden can be reached at laketrailvision@gmail.com
- Catherine Turner is the Home Gardening Outreach Project Coordinator and her email is laketrailgarden@gmail.com
- Funding is provided by the Vancouver Island Health Authority's Community Food Action Initiative: "Improving Local Food Security".
- Lake Trail's Community Garden is a venue for students and community members to learn about growing food, increase access to healthy food and build capacity to address food security issues.
Qualicum Beach - Shoots with Roots program
From the EDPlan website Blog, a contributor wrote: "....(the program is)...run by a very good teacher through Vancouver Island University and takes place at Milner Gardens..."
ActNow BC
ActNowBC promotes and supports heathy living in schools
Children Helping Others
Social Justice
From the British Columbia Teachers Federation website: The BCTF is proud of its history as a social justice union.....The social justice initiatives of the Federation focus on poverty, child and youth issues, race relations, gender equity, homophobia and heterosexism, bullying, environmental issues, globalization, and violence prevention. In addition, the Federation has an advisory committee on Aboriginal education. BCTF Social Justice
Parent Volunteer Groups
Starting January 24, 2012, Aspen Park School will start our group of Parents helping at School. For more info: http://www.aspenvolunteers.webs.com/
Free Yoga Classes
Wednesday from 8:00 - 8:30 at Aspen Park School. All adults welcome. More information: aspenpac@gmail.com
Salmon Festival: The River Never Sleeps
This is a wonderful family event in May each year. Educational boths, touch tanks, learn all about salmon and the ecosystem they are part of. Bar-B-Q lunch, salmon release into the river. Location is Rosewall Creek. Great family event.
Christmas in June for the Food Bank
The food bank is looking for support, since donations tend to go down in the summer months.
Family Resources in the Community
Mental Health Resouces available to Comox Valley Residents
The F.O.R.C.E. Society for Kids' Mental Health; http://www.forcesociety.com/; Comox Valley rep is Colleen Clark
Christine Middleton, B Ed, BA (CYC) ~ Suicide Prevention Presentation Facilitator; 250-650-1607 (cell)
Helpline for Children: 310-1234 (no area code needed)
Safe, Caring and Orderly Schools: A Guide (BC Ministry of Education, 2008)
Youth Against Violence Toll free line: 1-800-680-4264 This is a safe, confidential way for youth to pass on information to prevent fights, receive assistance with harassment, bullying and sexual assault, and leave information about drug and criminal activity
Vancouver Island Crisis line 1-888-494-3888 - - Helps families sort out where to turn to next. 24/7
Comox Valley Girls Group - is celebrating its 15th year in the Comox Valley. We run 4-6 groups per year (Winter, Spring, Fall) in 2 age groups: 11/12; 13-15. Groups run after school weekly for 8-12 weeks. Most groups operate out of Comox Valley Transition Society, #202-576 England Avenue. Other community locations are utilized at times. Our website is www.comoxvalleygirlsgroup.com Also on Facebook.
www.hincksdellcrest.org The ABCs of Mental Health provides two free, web-based Resources - one for teachers and one for parents – to help answer these questions. The Resources include ideas for promoting the mental health of children and adolescents, information about how children change as they get older, descriptions of behaviours that might indicate a problem, and practical suggestions for steps to take.
www.teenmentalhealth.org/ - a site specifically about how the teenage brain works. Tons of resources, including information about the importance of SLEEP, Dr Suzuki's "Surviving The Teenage Brain" (Nature of Things), anxiety, mental disorders, and much more !
www.mindcheck.ca/ - has information about substance use, moods, stress
www.forcesociety.com Comox Valley has a representative serving families and youth; Colleen Clarke provides confidential information and support, and promotes children and youth mental health.
www.keltymentalhealth.ca/ BC's mental health resource for children, youth and families.
August 23-24, 2012 Conference: The 3rd annual Summer Institute will bring together teachers, school counsellors, school support staff, school administrators, district staff, parents, students and school community partners to exchange knowledge and ideas about how to build school connectedness and improve student mental health and well-being.
www.mooddisorders.ca/program/check-up-from-the-neck-up - a site that provides an online quiz so that you can help evaluate your own mental health.
Educational Resources for Home
www.letstalkscience.ca Lets talk science is an award-winning, national charitable organization. Established in 1993, by Bonnie Schmidt, PhD. Click on the Families Tab.
Math sites via the Navigate Website: http://sites.google.com/site/mymathsites/
Khan Academy: http://www.khanacademy.org/ Learn almost anything for free!
Online Family Resources
www.EducationPlanner.ca - search engine, plan post-secondary pathways. Learners can compare undergraduate and apprenticeship programs offered through BC
Children's Life Online Essential Information for all Parents! Concept, design, structure and content by Avi Luxenburg, one of our own secondary school teachers.
www.witsprogram.ca A program that is used in SD 71. Helps elementary school children deal with bullying and peer victimization. Aimed at K - Grade 6. Offices are in Victoria.
www.rocksolid.bc.ca A charity that helps deliver the WITS program to schools in B.C. Focused on conflict resolution and violence prevention.
http://www.kidsinmind.com/ Teachers and parents can look up a movie and see rating for the amount of profanity, nudity, violence, etc.
www.commonsensemedia.org American Website for Media information - so that families can have a choice and a voice about the media they consume.
K - 12 Curriculum in B.C.