Come join us May 3rd 2008 for fun and learning. Featuring an inspiring keynote speech, workshops, demonstrations, and an extensive Marketplace of
child-focused goods and services.

Brochures will be available at VICPA Preschools, Public Libraries and Recreation Centres.

FEES & REGISTRATION
Registration: Registration includes the keynote address, a morning and afternoon workshop or the all-day workshop. Registration is done in the order in which payment AND course selection are received. If more than a week has passed without you having received a registration confirmation email/letter, please contact the registrar again. Since each workshop has limited enrollment, please register early to be assured of your preferred workshops, and indicate a 1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th preference for both morning and afternoon workshops. Workshops may be cancelled due to low enrollment. VICPA reserves the right to substitute workshop leaders. Your receipt and workshop details will be in your registration package on conference day. Registration Deadline: April 30, 2008 Uschi Leslie (250) 595-4456, email: makingtomorrow@shaw.ca All workshops may be full by this deadline. If you want to register for the conference please do it soon. Fees and General Registration: $60 Students and VICPA Members: $50 Includes: registration, morning coffee and brownbag lunch. We would like our Conference to be available to all those who wish to participate. If registration fees are beyond your means, please contact the Registrar to make alternative arrangements. Registration Cancellation Policy: For cancellations before April 15th, a refund will be issued, subject to a $10 Adminstration Fee. No refunds after April 15th, 2008.We want our Conference to be available to all those who wish to participate. If registration fees are beyond your means, contact makingtomorrow@shaw.ca to make alternative arrangements.TRANSIT The University is serviced by numerous BC Transit routes, including 14, 26 and 39. PARKING Parking on weekends is available for $2 in all General Parking on campus.Return to top
Workshop and Lunch Selection
Option A -  via Mail Mail the completed Registration Form (including Cheque or Saanich Recreation Receipt Number) to: Making Tomorrow Conference 2617 Belmont Avenue, Victoria, BC V8R 4A7 Option B -  via Email Email the Registrar at makingtomorrow@shaw.ca and include the following information: Name: Phone Number: workshop Selections:  including top 4 AM and PM choices Sandwich Choice:  Ham and Cheese, Cheese or Non-Dairy Saanich Recreation Receipt Number (if applicable)
PAYMENT
Option A - by Cheque Mail cheque (payable to ‘Making Tomorrow Conference') and completed Registration Form to the Registrar at: Making Tomorrow Conference 2617 Belmont Avenue, Victoria, BC V8R 4A7 Option B - by Credit Card Pay via Saanich Recreation Centre (credit card/cash/debit/cheque) Phone: 475-7100, in person or visit their website Use Course Codes: ( 250838 $60 - 250837 $50) Registrations via Saanich Recreation are subject to GST
AGENDA SATURDAY May 3rd, 2008 UVic
8:00 - 8:45 am	Registration (Student Union Building) Morning Coffee MARKETPLACE
9:00 - 10:30 am	The "Willa Burke Keynote Address" by Dr. Cheryl Charles (University Centre Auditorium)
10:45 - 12:30 pm	Morning Workshops
12:30 - 2:00 pm	Brownbag lunch provided (Student Union Building) MARKETPLACE (Student Union Building)
1:00 - 2:00 pm	Cheryl Charles book signing
2:00 - 3:45 pm	Afternoon Workshops
4:00 pm	Silent Auction Closes Door Prizes
4:30 pm	MARKETPLACE Closes
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MARKETPLACE (8:00 AM – 4:30 PM)
A Marketplace of toys and educational products from various non-profit, commercial and home-based businesses will be open to the public in the Student Union Building.
WORKSHOPS
Registration includes a morning & afternoon workshop OR the all day workshop. For each workshop we have identified who, we think, will be especially interested in it (parents, educators or both) - but this is a guideline only. Participants are welcome to attend any workshop, but those identified for educators assume a certain level of knowledge by the participants. All Day Workshops | Morning Workshops | Afternoon Workshops All Day WorkshopS (10:45 ? 12:30 & 2:00 ? 3:45) D1 Shared Leadership, Team Building & Group Dynamics Willa Burke, Past VICPA Executive Coordinator; Past President PCPI; and Suzanne MacDonald, BEd, MPA, Past President VICPA Do you ever wonder why motivating people seems so difficult? Why some people seem to be natural leaders? Why some groups function well as a team? This interactive workshop, based on the concept of shared leadership, is designed for people interested in understanding group dynamics, gaining experience with problem solving, and developing skills in motivating and communicating in all aspects of good leadership. There is ample opportunity for participation and input from workshop participants. Come prepared to get involved and dress comfortably. (Please note this is an introductory workshop in group processes). For parents and educators of children of all ages. D2 Preschool Nutrition Kristen Ursel, B H .Ec., B. Ed. This workshop addresses the concerns and challenges related to nutrition that parents and educators of pre-school age children face on a daily basis. The focus is on helping parents and educators understand nutritional requirements for preschoolers, as well as to provide some practical tools parents and educators can use to help develop healthy life-long eating habits for children. The following topics are covered the session: Pre-school Nutrition Requirements and Portion Sizes; Hydration; Healthy Meal Patterns and Eating Habits; Ingredient Alerts; Classroom Grocery Tour and Shopping Guidelines; Nutrition Resources and Pre-school and Family Activities. For parents and educators of preschool age children (2 ? 4 yrs). Morning Workshops (10:45 ? 12:30) AM 1 The Ecology of Hope: Building a Movement to Reconnect Children and Nature Dr. Cheryl Charles, President and Co-founder, with Richard Louv and others, of the Children & Nature Network (www.cnaturenet.org), a non-profit organization dedicated to building a movement to re-connect children and nature. Cheryl will speak about the growing disconnect between children and nature, the indicators of what Richard Louv calls ?nature-deficit disorder,? and the scientific as well as common-sense evidence of the benefits to children from direct experience with nature on a daily basis in their lives. Grounded in research as well as experience, Cheryl offers practical suggestions for action by parents, grandparents, physicians, urban planners, architects, designers, business leaders, public officials, academics, educators and others concerned about the nature of childhood, the health of communities and the future of the Earth. For parents and educators of children of all ages. AM 2 The Mother Earth Puppet Project Suzanne Down, Founder/Director of Juniper Tree School of Story and Puppetry Arts, and travels internationally training and sharing her love of story-telling with schools, communities, universities, and educational conferences.  She offers a certificate training program in Story and Puppetry Arts.  She  founded of The Mother Earth Puppet Project, and is working on a resource book to further spread her enthusiastic love of story. Imagine a Mother Earth puppet telling a tale about little brown bulb that becomes a spring crocus....forever more, the listening child will connect to the excitement of the green shoots of early bulbs in the garden, or woodlands in a fuller way. The puppet opens the whole child - heart, head, and interest - to the story content. The Mother Earth Puppet Project is a training and research initiative, to encourage and support teachers, parents, librarians, therapists, etc., on the use of puppets for bringing visual nature story to our children. In this workshop we will explore playful opportunities to bring puppet tales on nature and the cycle of the year to our children. We will explore with discussion, demonstration, and hands on puppet fun, and get a true taste of the joy of nature puppet story. This workshop is for teachers and parents of children of all ages. AM 3 Success Through Music Bonnie Davidson ? For the past 13 years, Bonnie Davison has used music to help 100?s of children to read, write, and have successful learning experiences. Bonnie?s experience as a music therapist, classroom teacher, and learning resource teacher has fueled her passion for using music to create successful learning environments. Over the past 2 years, as owner of Singing English Education, Bonnie has trained hundreds of educators around the world to use music for reading and writing success. Creating the ultimate learning environment is more than just physical. Music sets the stage for success, is such a fun way to enhance learning and creates an inclusive learning environment, for children of all abilities. Come learn how music can be used to inspire children of all abilities to read, write, and have successful learning experiences. If you are using folk songs and games in your classroom you have already started laying an extremely important foundation for reading and writing. Come learn techniques that help turn these songs and games into literacy and language lessons! For educators working with children ages 3-6 years. AM4 Fostering Confidence, Risk Taking and Problem Solving - Getting Ready for Numbers, Counting and Beyond Dr. Werner Liedtke, Professor Emeritus, UVic Suggestions for activities, tasks and game-settings that can contribute to cognitive development and get children ready for what lies ahead. For parents who have children of pre-school age or in kindergarten AM 5 Emergent Literacy: It?s not about flash cards, it?s about fun! Kim Atkinson ? Early Childhood Educator for over 25 years. For the past 12 years she has been creating a literacy rich environment at Lansdowne Preschool. She has 2 grown children who can both read. Are you feeling pressure to teach your child to read even if he/she doesn?t seem ready? Come and explore the myths and realities of children?s early literacy, and learn why singing , rhyming and reading to your child is better than flash cards. This is a workshop for parents: you?ll go home with lots of great ideas to support your child?s early literacy, from toddlers through the primary years. For parents and educators of children ages 3-6 years. AM 6 Letting Children Fail Donna Nixon is a counsellor in the Saanich School District who works with elementary school children & families. Donna holds a Masters Degree in Counselling & is a certified Marriage & Family Therapist. A workshop designed to examine questions such as: What does failure actually mean? Should we let our children fail? Does failure damage children?s self esteem? What are the consequences of never failing? Are there ways to help our children fail successfully? For parents and educators of children ages 3 to 12 years. AM 7 Assertiveness Finding Your Voice Barbara Small, M.A. is a counsellor and trainer. She is the author of two books entitled, ?What About Me, What Do I Want? Becoming Assertive? and ?Blah, blah, blah: Changing Your Negative Self-talk? Do you tend to hide your feelings and not ask for what you want because you are afraid of how others may react? Do you say ?yes? when you really want to say ?no?? Assertiveness involves actively expressing ourselves while respecting the rights of others. In this workshop we will focus on the characteristics of an assertive person, practice how to be assertive, and explore what currently prevents you from speaking up for yourself. Learn how to be an assertive role model for your children. For parents and educators of children of all ages. AM8 Safe K.I.D.S. For Parents Darren Laur, Personal Protection Systems Inc., Serving Law Enforcement Professionals This interactive Power Point seminar is designed to provide parents and educators of young children with the ability to “Keep children Informed, Defensible and Safe”, by sharing realistic child safety information that every adult should know. This Seminar will provide safety strategies for children of all ages, and will cover topics such as: children most prone to abductions, reducing the risk of abduction, why teaching “stranger danger” does not work, the 9 lures used by predators to abduct or sexually exploit children, how to detect and deal with child sexual abuse, sexual exploitation prevention strategies, how to teach children about personal safety without scaring them, and your responsibilities as a parent or educator to keep children safe. Our motto for this seminar is “Enlighten not Frighten”. For parents and educators of young children AM9 Learning to Say Goodbye Dr. Madelaine Ingimundson, Registered Psychologist with 29 years of practice in child and family and therapy Creative and informative ways in which to understand the child?s experience of loss and provide effective tools for assisting them to deal with life changes. Losses addressed include: moving, illness, separation, divorce and death. Questions and dialogue are welcomed. For parents and educators of children of all ages. AM10 Who Says Playing is Just for Kids? Connie McConnell, Scott Fidyk, Spilt Milk Comedy Theatre Productions The talented facilitators of Spilt Milk Comedy Theatre will help to ?FIND the FUN? that exists in all of us! Learn valuable drama games and exercises that can be transferred directly to the classroom, the living room, heck, to any room that needs a little light and levity! You need to make room for fun?and creativity in your life. Play may be children?s work, but it?s good for Grown-ups too! Push your boundaries; discover your inner giggles in a safe, relaxed and ultimately FUN environment. For parents and educators of children of all ages AM11 LEAP BC, Literacy Education Activity and Play 2010 Legacies Now: Fiona Morrison, Director, Family Literacy and Early Learning Literacy Now, Dr. PJ Naylor and Marion Taylor, LEAP BC Consultants In this interactive workshop, participants will be introduced to the components of LEAP BC. LEAP BC is a new initiative for family and caregivers focusing on the importance of literacy, healthy eating, and physical activity. 2010 Legacies Now is taking the lead in developing resources, training, and support to help promote and increase physical activity, literacy and healthy eating in settings where children in their early years (0-5 years) learn and play. Funding for the projects is supported by the BC Ministry of Child and Family Development, Ministry of Tourism, Sport and the Arts, Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Health. For parents and educators of children ages 0 - 5 years. AM 12 Sung Fun Nancy Dobbs, ECE - Countryside Parent Participation Preschoool, teacher of children?s music to ECE students at Camosun College On your mark, get set...go! This workshop is 100 fast-paced minutes of as many musical ideas as we can squeeze in...old songs with new twists, and easy-to-learn new songs. For parents and educators of elementary-aged children AM13 SENSE-ational SCIENCE Angie Gamache is an ECE and Special Needs Educator who has been in the preschool field for18 years. Currently she is the educator at Sooke Preschool. Her two daughters will assist her. An interactive workshop geared to promoting science in the early childhood setting. We’ll explore beyond the weekly/monthly science experiments and discover how science can beintegrated into ALL aspects of the preschool/early primary curriculum: art, circle time, stories, music and movement, dramatic play, sensory activities, nature and discovery centers, and yes, we’ll even sing about science! Teaming up the rich resources of the seasons, the senses, and the philosophy of following the child’s lead, we will funnel to an amazing avenue of scientific exploration. Learning through play at a truly experiential level! Participants are sure to catch the ‘sold on science’ bug and will leave with a wealth of resources for delivering sensational science in their centers. For educators of preschool age children. Afternoon Workshops (2:00?3:45) PM 1 Kids Belong Outside Margaret Lidkea, BSc (Zoology), BCTeacher, Program Naturalist at Swan Lake Christmas Hill Nature Sanctuary Outside play creates children who are connected to nature, happier, more confident, more social, better leaders, smarter and healthier. Learn how to have fun sharing nature with young children without being an expert. Wear comfortable clothing and be prepared to go outside, role play and meet a live animal. Suitable for all educators including parents PM 2 The Greening of Story Suzanne Down is founder and director of Juniper Tree School of Story and Puppetry Arts, which offers professional pedagogical, artistic, and therapeutic puppetry trainings, world-wide puppetry conferences, professional development and community workshops. She has performed internationally and is the author of 4 puppetry and story resource books. This storytelling workshop focuses on how we can use our own experiences in nature, big or small, to inspire our stories and weave them with the wonder and appreciation for the world around us. When we speak with warmth, enthusiasm, and reverence toward something we have experienced in our hearts, the quality of this will imprint on the listener. This creates an invitation to the listening child to look out at the world with new eyes. We will develop our own ?story moments? of nature, and learn how to expand these into longer nature stories of the seasons, or as introductions to well-known tales. For parents and educators of children of all ages PM 3 Success Through Music Bonnie Davidson ? For the past 13 years, Bonnie Davison has used music to help 100?s of children to read, write, and have successful learning experiences. Bonnie?s experience as a music therapist, classroom teacher, and learning resource teacher has fueled her passion for using music to create successful learning environments. Over the past 2 years, as owner of Singing English Education, Bonnie has trained hundreds of educators around the world to use music for reading and writing success. Creating the ultimate learning environment is more than just physical. Music sets the stage for success, is such a fun way to enhance learning and creates an inclusive learning environment, for children of all abilities. Come learn how music can be used to inspire children of all abilities to read, write, and have successful learning experiences. If you are using folk songs and games in your classroom you have already started laying an extremely important foundation for reading and writing. Come learn techniques that help turn these songs and games into literacy and language lessons! For educators working with children ages 3-6 years. PM 4 The Many Possible Advantages of Playing with Blocks Dr. Werner Liedtke, Professor Emeritus, Uvic Suggestions for activities that are conducive to fostering the development of the imagination, problem-solving skills and spatial sense in young children. For parents and educators of children of all ages. PM 5 Building Blocks to Conflict Resolution For Preschoolers Kim Atkinson – Early Childhood Educator for over 25 years. Would you like to reduce conflicts between you and your child? Do you want to help your child successfully resolve conflicts with other children? Learning how to resolve conflicts successfully is like learning how to build a stable, well-balanced block tower. It requires a good base like positive relationships and shared values. Then add the next layer of self-awareness and self-care, knowledge of child development and temperament. Top it all with clear boundaries and emotional intelligence and you will have the foundation for understanding how to reduce conflicts between you and your child. With these building blocks in place, you can then add specific strategies to resolve conflicts between your children and between your child and their peers. This is a simple practical workshop for parents who would like to support their children, through positive relationships. There are no magical answers to parenting, but there are some basics that can help. For parents of children of all ages. PM 6 How to Manage ?Those? Behaviours Donna Nixon is a counsellor in the Saanich School District who works with elementary school children & their families. Donna holds a Masters Degree in Counselling & is a certified Marriage & Family Therapist. Managing behavior is a topic of concern for parents and educators and is an essential skill for children themselves. Difficult behaviours can be devastating to a child?s self esteem and disruptive to a home or classroom. Learn what may be behind troubling behaviours and what you can do to manage these behaviours. For parents and educators of children aged 3 to 12 PM 7 Promoting Positive Body Image in Children Barbara Small, M.A. is a counsellor and trainer. She is the author of two books entitled, ?What About Me, What Do I Want? Becoming Assertive? and ?Blah, blah, blah: Changing Your Negative Self-talk? Children are becoming more and more concerned about how they look and how they compare to others around them. Statistics show?this happening at earlier and earlier ages. How we feel about our body can impact on all aspects of our lives, including relationships, education and future careers. Parents and educators will learn more about body image and explore ways to help children learn to accept their bodies. We will also explore how our own perceptions and feelings about our bodies directly impact our children?s body image. For parents and educators of children of all ages. PM 8 Internet Safety 101 For Parents: How To Keep Our Children Safe In The Cyber World Darren Laur, Personal Protection Systems Inc., Serving Law Enforcement Professionals It is a fact, that most children know more about the workings of the Internet, than we as parents do. This seminar is designed to educate even the most computer-illiterate parent. Knowledge, and the understanding and application of that knowledge, is power. This seminar provides the knowledge and information that parents need to know about the Internet, if their children are surfing in cyberspace. The Internet has spawned a new type of cyber-criminal, one who is constantly on the prowl in cyberspace looking for victims to prey upon for property, financial, and sexual type crimes. Our Internet safety seminar provides parents with the needed safety knowledge, so that surfing cyberspace can be an enjoyable and safe experience for you and your children. For parents and educators of all ages. PM 9 Nurturing Spiritual Values with Our Children Dr. Madelaine Ingimundson, Registered Psychologist with 29 years of practice in child and family therapy This workshop provides a foundation for sharing Spiritual Values within the family and in activities with groups. Interactive and delightful opportunities will be presented to give you tools and games to create a space for practicing these values. The purpose of this workshop is to share these virtues and non-violent communication techniques in a manner that is inclusive of all different paths. For parents and educators of primary, intermediate amd middle school children. PM 10 YOUR NOSE IS GROWING or Learn how to TELL BETTER STORIES Connie McConnell, Scott Fidyk, Spilt Milk Comedy Theatre Productions Once upon a time there was a group called ?Spilt Milk Comedy Theatre? who loved to tell stories, tall tales and the occasional white lie. They loved to tell stories so much that they wanted to show teachers, parents and the young-at-heart the same skills. So they tricked these folks into taking their workshop?These unsuspecting folk would come to the Spilt Milk Comedy Workshop ready to play, laugh, have fun, push some boundaries and say yes to new ideas. Little did they know that inside each of them was a wealth of creativity screaming to be free! They came, they screamed and they conquered. They told stories and laughed merrily until the cows came home, living happily ever after? For parents and educators of children of all ages. PM11 Empowering Our Children with Tools for Life Maggie Reidy, MEd., has been a youth and family counsellor in Victoria for 18 years. Sheila Sakiyama, BA, EFT CC has been practicing in Victoria as an Emotional Bodywork Therapist for 6 years and is trained in Advanced Energetic Body work and Emotional Acupressure techniques Self-Empowerment helps a child feel more confident, positive and better able to stand up for him or herself. In this workshop you will learn effective techniques to help your child release overwhelming feelings, boost confidence, protect himself from negativity (bullies) and ground himself in his own power. These techniques are based on Chinese medicine, conginitive/behavioural therapy and modern science. Through active participation you will learn these exciting tools to take home and share with your family. http://www.personalpowersemiars.com/ For parents and educators of children of all ages PM12 Sportball?s Games for All Ages and Spaces Lee Richardson BSc., BEd, Sportball The Sportball workshop will focus on creative ways to use limited space and equipment and how to modify games for any age group.? Participants will be engaged in many high-energy movement activities, based on the core of the Sportball program: improving gross motor skills, physical strength, social skills and self -esteem. Through creative instruction and positive encouragement, participants have the opportunity to learn and participate in high-energy games in a fun and exciting environment. Please wear comfortable attire and be prepared to have an entertaining active time! For parents and educators of children of all ages PM 13 Compost Kids Primary Workshops Offered by the Greater Victoria Compost Education Centre This half-day workshop is designed to offer both parents and childcare professionals, an introduction to the primary programs of the Greater Victoria Compost Education Centre. We will begin with a hands-on ?Wrigglers at Work? demonstration, which involves building a worm bin and learning some basics about red wriggler biology (body parts) and the importance of composting. The Wrigglers at Work program offers a pet box/ composter for your preschool or kindergarten class. We will then summarize - Cory?s Compost Story - a puppet show describing backyard composting, and our interactive garden tour. It is hoped that this workshop will inspire parents and childcare professionals to seek out the interactive and environmentally minded primary programs at the Centre. For parents and educators of children age 4 - 8 PM 14 Video Games as a tool for Healthy Children and a Healthy Planet Leanna Madill, Doctoral Student, Faculty of Education UVic , Kathy Sanford, Associate Dean of Teacher Education, Faculty of Education, UVic Video game play and content is more complex than media messages suggest. They are a permanent activity in society, and we need to understand this growing phenomenon so that we can influence how this potentially enriching tool can be used to encourage our children to think critically about the world and explore how they can make a difference in their communities. This workshop will address concerns about video games and how to address the issues surrounding video games. We will also explore the sophisticated learning that children are engaging in with video games and offer strategies about how to discuss video games constructively with your child. For parents and educators of primary and intermediate children PM 15 A Creative Approach to Meet the Needs of Medically Challenged Children Phyllis Lysionek, Author / Illustrator of a children?s book (?Olly Takes Fiddle To The Hospital?), Creator of ?Dollyloop Smiles?, educational therapy dolls for medically challenged children. This workshop will focus on creative ways to support ourselves through some of life?s challenges. Complex life experiences often reveal our hidden strengths and push us towards different, more fulfilling journeys. Phyllis will share a variety of tools she used to turn her life around. Her dream of motherhood changed dramatically after the birth of her son, who was born with Down syndrome. This workshop will also look at coming to terms with and accepting our lives as they are. By focusing on our individual life priorities, making a plan and taking action we have the opportunity to grow through our pain. For early childhood educators, infant development therapists, parents and pediatric physiologists (ages 2-8). Return to top
CONTACTS

For further information on the Conference, contact:

Registrar:	Uschi Leslie	(250) 595-4456
Registration Email	makingtomorrow@shaw.ca
Chair:	Caroline Herbert	(250) 383-4380
Marketplace:	Marianne Kettlewell	(250) 361-7370
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