NEWS AND UPDATES

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• Wells Gray After School Program
• 2011 Kids Summer Fun Daze Info!
• FREE "Ordinary Magic" Presentation!
• Good News Release - CRC joins YCS!
• New Bus to Kamloops on Tuesdays!
• Challengers' Annual Christmas Party!
• Kids Summer Fun Daze...so much fun!
• NT Aboriginal Centre Opens!

Check out these other pages for more information on the programs and services below!

Clearwater Employment Services

Community Resource Centre of the North Thompson

Literacy Initiatives   

North Thompson Aboriginal Sharing Centre

Success By 6

New After School Care Program to be located at Raft River Elementary School

In partnership with Raft River Elementary School, YCS will be providing a licensed after school care program open to all children in elementary grades, started September 2011. Our new 'Wells Gray After School Program' is located in Raft River Elementary School; 801 Clearwater Village Road. This is school term time only, 2.30 – 6.00pm daily, offering full day care on non instructional days.

For more information, or to register your children for the new after school care program, please call Susanne Butcher at (250) 674-2600 Ext. 258.

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KIDS SUMMER FUN DAZE

Summer Fun...Arts & Crafts...Outdoor Games & More!

For more information and the 2011 schedule CLICK HERE

OR CALL KERRY MILNER CAIRNS AT 250 674-2600

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FREE PRESENTATION FOR PARENTS AND CAREGIVERS!

   “ORDINARY MAGIC”

Tuesday, May 10^th, 2011 -  7 pm at Clearwater Secondary School

You are invited to attend a free one hour presentation about the little things parents and caregivers can do to prepare children for life.

This highly engaging presentation will review current research findings about the importance of everyday interactions for optimum child development. Parents will be offered simple, easy ideas and strategies to support their child to achieve their fullest cognitive, social and physical abilities. 

“Ordinary Magic” is presented by Ms. Evelyn Wotherspoon, a social worker and “Zero to Three” Fellow, with 25 years experience who has devoted her career to working with high risk children and families.  For the last decade she has been providing infant mental health consultations to child welfare workers, lawyers, and judges in Calgary. Evelyn has authored many papers on the needs of vulnerable infants and toddlers for a variety of publications.

This presentation is sponsored by School District 73, Interior Health, Success by Six, Yellowhead Community Services, and the Ministry for Children and Family Development.

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The Boards of Directors of the Community Resource Centre of the North Thompson (CRC) and Yellowhead Community Services Society (YCS) are pleased to announce that effective May 1, 2011, Yellowhead Community Services Society will assume responsibility for the administrative and management of the Community Resource Centre and its services.  "We are very excited with the outcome of our discussions with YCS which will bring financial stability and long term sustainability to the Centre,"  said Ron Hadley, CRC Chairperson.  "This has long been a goal of our Board of Directors, and the CRC can now devote its energy to more training, course and activity development."  "YCS is excited about having a training/education division, and this will support other YCS operations such as Clearwater Employment Services" according to YCS Chairperson Louise Weaver.

 "This is great news for the North Thompson valley" says Kamloops North MLA Terry Lake."  We are glad that the transition funding we provided has facilitated this collaboration for the benefit of these two valuable organizations and their respective programs."  "I know there was a lot of effort put into this, and both Societies should be congratulated for their efforts and creativity." 

 Lake worked to secure one time funding of $50,000 to ensure services continued during the transition.

 Representatives from the respective Societies have been meeting for the past six weeks to finalize the details respecting the various programs and services that are offered at the Community Resource Centre. 

"The changes we have made will be barely noticeable to the public as the centre is going to summer hours as of May 1st, and the hours of operation will be 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., with evening and weekend openings as required " according to CRC Manager Sylvia Arduini.  There are some internal changes with our partnership with Thompson Rivers University that will be seamless to the public and the whole restructuring is very exciting to all organizations.

 Overall, the intention is to have the CRC operate and manage similarly to its present operation.  "Much of the financial stability was realized by cost efficiencies with the two organizations coming together" according to YCS Executive Director Jack Keough.  The key partners in the CRC namely:  School District #73; Thompson Rivers University and the Ministry of Social Development remain committed to the continued operations of the CRC.

 Preliminary plans are underway to recognize the efforts of past and present CRC Board members as well as other community members who have supported its operations over the years.  This event will be combined with a "community focus" forum that will be used to garner ideas and suggestions for further resource and program development at the CRC.  The date for this event has yet to be scheduled but will likely be sometime in September to coincide with the launch of new courses at the CRC.

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Many residents of the Valley have been calling to express their gratitude for the new bus service to Kamloops that is again, open to all, being provided every Tuesday between Vavenby and Kamloops. A partnership agreement between the District of Barriere, District of Clearwater and the Thompson Nicola Regional District with BC Transit has made this much missed service available on a trial basis for the remainder of 2011. Operated by Clearwater & Area Transit, this wheelchair accessible service makes stops up and down the valley for those who pre-book a seat. Schedule and fares information can be found on the 'Transit' tab at the top of the page.

The 'Health Connections' service previously provided by Clearwater Transit and funded by Interior Health was transferred through an agreement to Northern Health in October 2010, and they continue to provide transportation to Kamloops on Thursdays primarily to riders with medical needs.

Take a ride to Kamloops and check it out!

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This years' Christmas party was a great success with approximately fifty friends and family members, young and 'older' and everywhere in between, gathering to 'make merry'!  Fun was had by all as they shared a beautiful meal, exchanged gifts and sang Christmas carols together.

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Summer 2010 saw this year's Kids Summer Fun Daze simply hopping with activities and special 'field trip' days where the children either visited or enjoyed a visit from the various service providers such as Search and Rescue, the Volunteer Fire Department, our local RCMP and others. Water and outdoor play, music, crafts and games filled their days and there were lots of smiles and giggles throughout the summer months!

This program is offered by YCS during July and August depending on pre-registration. Drop in's are welcomed if spots are available. Exciting age appropriate themes enrich the activities each week! Thanks to everyone who participated to make this year's Kids Summer Fun Daze such a success!

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Summer 2010 saw the opening of the North Thompson Aboriginal Sharing Centre at their new location in the Brookfield Shopping Mall. The Centre was developed through a partnership between the First Nations community, Success By 6 and YCS. The centre's focus is Aboriginal, but it is open to all people in the North Thompson Valley who would like to learn about and celebrate our Aboriginal peoples. The Centre is open Tuesday, Thursday, Saturday and Sundays from 10 am to 4 pm.

The Centre has many important things to offer the community, including workshops, a retail store selling authentic First Nations items, stories, crafts and more. The Centre also has many other services it can offer families, a private room in which breastfeeding mothers can feed their children, or simply stop with children for a much needed break, and a washroom. Friendly volunteers always have hands-on activities for your children such as building a dream catcher or beading when you stop to visit. The centre is also developing a children's area with a child-size table, chairs, and toys. A bright red bookshelf is located at the centre, providing books to young children to borrow, or to keep!

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