Parkdale Archives | Page 2 of 2 | Creating Together Parkdale

Join us for our Annual Holiday Party!

November 25, 2018 by Creating Together

Each year, the staff, students, children, parents and caregivers come together to celebrate the holiday season with an unforgettable community event at the Masaryk-Cowan Community Centre in Parkdale (220 Cowan Avenue).

The day includes feasting, games, a visit from Santa, and entertainment for all ages. It’s an event that brings the community together in joy and celebration one more time before our doors close for the holidays until the New Year.

If you’d like to join us, please speak with one of the staff at Creating Together,

as it is a ticketed event and registration is required.

We certainly hope to see you there!

Thank You for Joining Us at the Diwali Celebration This Year!

November 17, 2018 by Creating Together

Diwali was celebrated on November 7th this year, in accordance with the Lunar Calendar, across Toronto. With over 2000 people identifying as Hindu in the Parkdale-High Park area alone, our local Diwali celebrations fostered a sense of home and community for those who observe the holiday, while increasing awareness, understanding, and compassion among children, parents and caregivers who observe other holidays.

At Creating Together, we celebrated with decorating paper diyas, henna painting, and the sharing of food and sweets.

According to Penn State Extension, children begin to notice gender and racial differences at about age 2, gender labels (boy/girl) and colours (including those applied to skin colour) at about 2 ½, and by 4-5 years, they start to display gender appropriate behavior and become fearful of differences.

Diversity activities teach young children to respect and celebrate the differences in all people, while also helping them understand who they are the context of race, ethnic group, culture, religion, geography, language and familial history. It helps them realize that we’re all humans, despite differences in how we look or dress, or what we eat or celebrate. Games and activities offer a fun way for young children to learn about differences and similarities among people and to introduce the concept of diversity. In so doing, we support them in their own identity formation and sense of belonging within the context of a diverse community.

Thank you to all of you who came out to enjoy Diwali with Creating Together this year.

May joy, prosperity, and happiness illuminate your life and your home!

Resources:

Public Broadcasting Sysyem. “Diversity in the Classroom.” Precious Children. www.pbs.org/kcts/preciouschildren/diversity/

Biles, Barbara. “Activities that promote racial and cultural awareness.” In “Family Child Care Connections” edited by C. M. Todd 4(3): 4. Urbana-Champaign, IL: University of Illinois Cooperative Extension Service, 1994. Retrieved September 2012. http://www.pbs.org/kcts/preciouschildren/diversity/read_activities.html

Join Us March 8 for International Women’s Day

March 4, 2018 by Creating Together

Each year, the team at Creating Together puts on a special day for the women of our community, for International Women’s Day (IWD).

This Thursday March 8th, join us at for homemade facials, hand softness and a special snack for all!

We hope do see you there!

What is International Women’s Day?

International Women’s Day (March 8) is a global day celebrating the social, economic, cultural and political achievements of women. The day also marks a call to action for accelerating gender parity. (https://www.internationalwomensday.com)

Origins of International Women’s Day

We can trace the beginnings of International Women’s Day back to labour movements in North America and Europe in the early twentieth century, with a growing force for women to take part as equals in society. The first International Women’s Day was observed on March 19, 1911 in Austria, Denmark, Germany and Switzerland. That day, more than one million women and men showed their support by participating in public events. In the years that followed, other countries began to observe and celebrate this day. The United Nations began celebrating IWD in 1975, later adopting March 8 as the official International Women’s Day.

This Year’s Theme: Feminism

Each year, IWD carries a different theme, and this year, the theme is Feminism. According to the Government of Canada, “Feminism is simply about equality – equality for women, men and people of all gender identities. Achieving gender equality means that everyone has the opportunity to reach their full potential.” (http://www.swc-cfc.gc.ca/commemoration/iwd-jif/theme-en.html).

This year’s theme, #MyFeminism, is inspired by the role feminism and celebrates the feminists, activists, advocates and allies to lead the way to global change.

Other Ways to Get Involved

Here are ten ideas from “The Status of Women Canada” for how you can celebrate International Women’s Day:

Take part in an International Women’s Day event in your community.
Participate in the #MyFeminism campaign by providing your answer to the question: What does feminism mean to you?
Recognize the achievements of an exceptional woman in your community by profiling her in a local paper or online platform, making a donation to a charity in her name, or nominating her for an award (such as the Governor General’s Award in Commemoration of the Persons Case).
Print the International Women’s Day poster to display in your office, home or community.
Share the International Women’s Day infobites across social media.
Encourage youth to get involved through classroom discussions and activities, using the Educators’ Toolkit.
Learn more about the challenges facing women around the world from international organizations like UN Women.
Donate your time to a local, national or international organization that supports women and gender equality.
Talk with men and boys about their role as advocates and allies for gender equality.
Plan a fundraising event at your workplace or school for a charity that works with women or works to advance gender equality.