Dear Families and Friends of Creating Together,

The month of March brings days that are longer and brighter, and the much anticipated first day of spring. Yet as we all know, this time is not without its darkness. We wish to say that given the current events in Eastern Europe, we know this is a difficult time for so many. Our thoughts are with the people of Ukraine, and the Ukrainian community in Toronto. We at Creating Together are here for you, and we stand with you. 

As we begin this new season, we continue to plant the seeds of resilience, play, and learning at Creating Together. Read on for some much anticipated programming news, and help us to welcome new faces at the centre. 

Program Updates

In-Person Program

Beginning the week of February 28th, we’re pleased to announce that we’ll be increasing our capacity from two families per session, to four families per session. 

Additionally, as of March 7th, we will be increasing both our session lengths, as well as our days of in-person programming! Our sessions will now run for two hours, from Monday through to Thursday. 

As of March 7th our new in-person program schedule will be as follows:

Monday-Thursdays:

9:00am – 11:00am

12:00am – 2:00pm

Two Saturdays a month:

10:00am – 1:00pm

To book your time, please contact Creating Together by phone or email: (416) 537-1004 / creatingtogether@rogers.com. 

We continue to follow all of the Toronto Public Health safety recommendations and standards, as well as our screening process and temperature checks upon arrival to the centre. We ask that if any member of your household is feeling unwell, that you stay home and call the centre to cancel your registration.

Virtual Programs

With the expansion of our in-person programming as of March 7th, our virtual programming will be slightly reduced, however we still offer the following programs: 

Live Circle Time

We invite you to join our live circle time Fridays at 10:00am using the following zoom link:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/5199316471

On March 18th we’re excited to bring you an extra special live circle time with invited guest, Nina from Glitterbug! Join us at 10:00 am! 

We’ll also be continuing our new science program…

March Dates: Science with Sal

Looking for some interactive live virtual science? Our new virtual science program Science with Sal continues with three new dates for March! Join Salvina in our virtual lab for an interactive science program from the comfort of your own home. This program offers opportunities for you to embark on a hands-on learning experience no matter where you are, using easy-to-find at home materials.

Did you know literacy begins before a child can read?

Until the last 30 years, children were seen as non-readers until they entered school. Now, children’s attempts to read and write before they reach school age are seen as important steps in developing reading and writing abilities. And, according to research by the Canadian Language and Literacy Research Network, children who are successful readers have usually engaged in many early language and literacy activities before starting school. In fact, hearing and engaging with books read aloud to them is one of the most important activities for infants, toddlers, and pre-school children.

Here are a couple of quick tips to encourage your little one to read…

Encourage Reading and Discuss Texts

Encourage young learners to immerse themselves in reading as often as possible, and using a broad variety of genres (newspapers, novels, comics, magazines, films, reference material, and websites). Follow up the reading or viewing of a text with a discussion of what it made learners think and feel.

Gamify It!

Make reading and writing fun, be it with scavenger hunts, rhyming contests, comic creation…get creative and have fun! Here are some fun game ideas for early learners: https://www.3plearning.com/blog/6-activities-that-put-the-fun-into-phonics-for-early-learners/

Let us help. 

Even in a time of crisis, Creating Together has found ways to help families maintain a literacy routine with our online programming. Take advantage of our online storytimes and build literacy into your family routine with some family favourites: 

• 7pm Bedtime Story Mon-Fri on our Facebook Page!
• Did you know that a child’s knowledge of songs and rhymes at age 3 is predictor of his/her ability to read by age 6? Why not come and take advantage of the opportunities and support available to you at Creating Together? Contact us to register for in person programming or join us online for rounds of reading, circles and songs!
• Tip: give children a choice in which book they’d like to read, choose books that are age appropriate, and read in ways that are also age appropriate. Take a look at this great tip sheet: Milestones of Early Literacy Development.

See you there!

Dear families and friends of Creating Together,

With Valentine’s Day only a few weeks away, we hope you find time to celebrate love of all kinds this month. February is Black History Month – the 2022 theme is: “February and Forever: Celebrating Black History today and every day”, which focuses on recognizing the daily contributions that Black Canadians make to Canada. We look forward to exploring and celebrating these contributions through our programming in February. We also wish a very happy Lunar New Year to our families who celebrate – we hope the year brings luck and prosperity! Please see some important updates on programming below, and be sure to visit us for virtual or in-person programming soon.

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Program Updates

Brrr! It’s cold out there! We’re pleased to continue to offer virtual and in-person programs that keep you toasty warm and engaged through the winter months. We remain open for in-person programming at this time, yet will continue to limit our capacity to two families per session. Your health and safety is of the utmost importance to us — We continue to follow all of the Toronto Public Health safety recommendations and standards, as well as our screening process and temperature checks upon arrival to the centre. We ask that if any member of your household is feeling unwell, that you stay home and call the centre to cancel your registration.

As a reminder, we welcome families for in-person programming:

Monday-Wednesday, and two Saturdays a month.

9:30am – 11:00am

11:30am – 1:00pm

To book your time, please contact Creating Together by phone or email: (416) 537-1004 / creatingtogether@rogers.com. 

We continue to offer exciting Virtual Programming! 

Please see our Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/CreatingTogetherParkdale and be sure to join our live circle time Fridays at 10:00am using the following zoom link:

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/5199316471

February Updates

Virtual Circle Time with Parkdale Library

We’re pleased to invite you to a virtual circle time with Parkdale Library on Thursday, February 17th at 10:00 am! You can join using the same zoom link used for live circle: 

https://us02web.zoom.us/j/5199316471

We’ll also be continuing our new science program, “Science with Sal”!

The live virtual science sessions will take place for 3 weeks consecutively on Thursdays from 2:00pm – 2:30pm with the first session starting on February 10th. On the Monday of that program week, a pre-recording of the science experiment which we will be doing together on Thursday will be posted. 

NOTE: Registration is required on or before February 8th. Upon registration, families can inquire about materials for the upcoming sessions. If you require materials for Science with Sal, please arrange a time to pick up materials from the centre. 

*Adult supervision required for all live sessions

We will post any updates to our in-person and virtual programs on our Facebook page, so check back often.

Resource Boxes

Resource Boxes will be ready for pick up in the first two weeks of February, until February 12th.

To book your pickup time, please contact Creating Together by phone or email: (416) 537-1004 / creatingtogether@rogers.com. 

It’s never too late to join our Resource Box list! If you are interested in joining for the next month, please call or e-mail the centre, or let a staff member know.

We Are Here For You

We know that the ever changing landscape of the pandemic has put a huge amount of stress on our families and community. A reminder from all of us here at Creating Together – should you need any assistance at this time, including mental health supports, health resources, child development materials – please don’t hesitate to be in touch. We’re here for you. 

Sending you love,

Creating Together