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1. SUMMARY
It’s happening right here!
Transition to Kindergarten 2
Reaching parents in a business setting 3
Avenir d’Enfant and the 2015 Forum All in for the kids 4
Did you know ?
Allowing our children to pick themselves up again alone5
Food security: feeding and educating 6
Info & links
World of Mouth: 7
Gala Reconnaissance 2016: 7
How to communicate with your clients: 7
And if this a part of the solution : 7
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Memphré en
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Tél. : 819 847 3034
Tél. : 819 446 5005
Isabelle
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Denis Delbois agent de liaison et de communication
Isabelle Mercieca coordonatrice MeM
ÉDITORIAL :
What’s the parents’ role in all this?
As a partners’ group, we’re committed to sharing the best
practices, offering the best advice and, most importantly,
modifying trends and statistics.
Because our work brings us face to face with reality, and
because our organizations have visions of change, we can be
called upon to provide either expertise or assistance.
However, as leaders, shouldn’t we consider the parents the
real experts?
The modern era brought with it concerns about the health of
infants, followed by all sorts of trends in infant care. And over
the ages, some of these practices contradicted one another.
It wasn’t until the arrival of psychoanalysis, and such well-
known names as Françoise Dolto and René Spitz, that the
concept of stimulating a child’s development emerged.
The marketing world was quick to see an opportunity in the
baby boom and in parents’ pursuit of the best for their
children.
This led to some excesses, such as the right to own and the
phasing-out of traditional education markers, thus creating
child kings.
Today, as a result of the knowledge we’ve gained and of
evolving trends in education, voices are calling for the right
balance, thus pointing to the fact that a well-equipped parent
is the expert when it comes to his or her child’s education.
One way in which to restore parents’ trust in their own abilities
is to help them become aware of what to expect from their
child with regard to motor development so they can act
accordingly instead of trying to meet unrealistic expectations.
Another way is to let parents know that a simple thing like
playing outside helps children to socialize and to adapt to
their environment.
Moreover, for anyone in search of meaning and direction, we
recommend François Cardinal’s book, «Perdu sans la nature».
It’s a good place to start. And be sure to pass it along.
In our capacity as leaders, beyond setting a good example,
perhaps we should overcome our natural tendency to
showcase our expertise in favour of providing a vision for
education, one that has for basis a child’s skills and an
environment that enhances learning while respecting each
child’s own pace and safety...
PartnersNewsletter,February2016
Partners
Newsletter

2. It’s happening right here!
Transition to Kindergarten
With the approach of the school registration period, it’s time to think about 4-year-olds (and
their parents) who are preparing to take that big step into the academic world next August. In
order to offer better support during this transition period, new initiatives have been introduced
this year that are carefully designed and consistent with actions that have been in place in the
MRC for many years.
-At the time of registration, some schools will provide parents with a
communication sheet that lists the steps between now and kindergarten
entry. The goal is to supply families with information that will reassure
them and make it easier for them to get ready for school entry.
-In addition, we’ve provided organizations with a document that shows
the differences between the daycare setting and the school setting.
The goal is to raise awareness annually, among the players, about the
importance of the changes that come with the transition to school for
children and their parents. That way, they will be able to adjust their
expectations.
As well, ‘4-year-old’ kindergartens will soon provide the Profile Tool for
3-year-olds in order to support them during this transition period, which
is also an important step in a child’s life.
In conclusion, I’d like to share some comments from parents who, along
with their child, enjoyed an activity with the child’s future teacher. This
type of activity has been in place for two years in a few schools in the
MRC. It’s geared toward children who have difficulty adapting. Parents
and their child meet with the child’s future teacher at school and enjoy a
fun activity together.
The comments received from parents following their child’s kindergarten entry were very
positive and demonstrate the relevance of this action:
For a child who has difficulty with transitions, this meeting really allowed my child to get a
concrete sense of what to expect in kindergarten.
It was for us, as parents, and for our child, a tremendous relief, and it gave us confidence to
cope with kindergarten entry.
This meeting also allowed me to feel confident about the beginning of the school year, and
enabled me to convey that feeling to my daughter.
Continue to pinpoint those youngsters who are anxious and insecure... Your taking the time to
welcome them and prepare them had a tremendous effect on our child (and his parents!!).
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It’s happening right here
PartnersNewsletter,February2016

3. Reaching parents in a business setting
How can we balance work and family and manage to feel happy and fulfilled? Now there’s a
challenge! Our personal life can demand a lot of time and energy, which can make it difficult to
balance it with the demands of our work life. Think of the parents who have to provide for their
children every day and who wish to spend more quality time with them. Inevitably, the
conditions and environment at work have an impact on the availability (physical, psychological
and emotional) of parents both at home and at work.
Therefore, businesses would do well to offer parents working conditions that are adapted to
their personal needs and changing realities. They can do this by making employees a focus of
concern and by conveying human values (e.g. respect, confidence, appreciation, openness,
communication, empathy, etc.), but also by adopting measures that allow parents to reconcile
family and work (e.g. working from home, flexible schedule, leaves for family reasons, etc.).
Focussing on such conditions offers many benefits to businesses, such as a reduction of
stress and turnover in their organization, greater employee workplace satisfaction and
commitment, etc. For employees, the benefits are also many: less fatigue and stress, greater
family availability, better interpersonal relationships, and enhanced quality of life at work, etc.
Finally, we invite you to visit the portal on work-life balance launched by the CIME (Centre
d’Intégration au Marché de l’Emploi) on February 5! -LINK-
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It’s happening right here
PartnersNewsletter,February2016

4. Avenir d’Enfant and the 2015 Forum All in for the kids
Last fall, I took part in All in for the kids, a forum on early childhood organized by Avenir
d’enfants, and I’d like to share what I learned. Three main themes were discussed:
1. Taking action during pregnancy and throughout early childhood: Michel Boivin confirmed to
us that the development path of infants is established very early. But what really struck me
was how important programs and policies are when it comes to impacting the development
of children who are at risk... An example is the implementation of universal daycare as a
protective factor! I remember this sentence: in Québec, with the implementation of a parent
support system, we recognize that our children are a collective responsibility.
2. Reaching out to families who are living in poverty: We were all very impressed by Carl
Lacharité’s speech! I especially remember a few promising ideas:
- A healthy society is measured by the health of its youngest members. What kind of care and
attention do we give our littlest ones, the most fragile members of our society, those in
greatest need?
- Parents in a vulnerable situation face a greater challenge in terms of performing their parental
duties, because their child is at greater risk of «injury». Parents too are at greater risk, as is
the child’s whole «ecosystem»...Therefore, the challenge lies in providing a positive parenting
experience...
- The limited capacity to act of a person living in poverty also has an impact on
stakeholders, who must constantly come up with solutions and adapt. It requires
considerable effort on their part just to feel competent.
3. Remaining mobilized in support of early childhood: Tom Wolff shared his experience
and principles for achieving sustainability. I’ve been telling you about his work since
early fall. But I’d like to mention one thing he insisted on: the importance of
«engaging» those who are most affected by the issues in question and supporting them
in developing their capacity to act.
Details of these interventions can be found on: http://www.avenirdenfants.org/le-parc/tous-
pour-eux.aspx
A brief summary by a coordinator is available at: http://avenirdenfants.org/media/364734/
Retour-forum-Tous-pour-eux_MGeorget2016.pdf
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PartnersNewsletter,February2016
It’s happening right here

5. Did you know ?
Allowing our children to pick themselves up again alone
Given the early childhood network’s new framework, Gazelle et Potiron, I’d like to talk to you
once again about motor development...
Why is it so important? Because a child’s body is his or her first tool for exploring the world!
His/her motor development will serve as a foundation for much future learning, in particular
academic, and will help build confidence. It’s also the basis for a physically active lifestyle in
the future. This isn’t about turning all our youngsters into super athletes or sportstars. It’s
about helping them to feel good in their own bodies and in their own skin... in order to make
their life easier...
How do we do it? By allowing our children to pick themselves up again alone! This principle
can be applied at every stage of development. Children have the ability to develop their own
motor skills.
However, for this to work, three rules apply:
- Never put a child in a position he/she didn’t achieve on his/her own; to each his/her own
pace
- Make sure the child is in a safe environment for his/her age
- Provide the child with a wide variety of stimulating situations.
These principles also apply to children without developmental problems, handicaps or other
major difficulties!
If you wish to further your reflection, take a look at these short
videos:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JS2xGVRobg4
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q7Xd4FgfgKc
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_kkVdVkLoT4
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PartnersNewsletter,February2016
Did you know ?

6. Food security: feeding and educating
Here are a few local initiatives pertaining to food security and nutrition
education.
For nearly a year now, the Memphremagog Food Bank (BAM) has
been delivering between 13 and14 baskets a month to Stanstead,
benefitting some 19 children. Starting in April, beneficiaries of the
Stanstead Food Bank may ask to receive their monthly basket in their
own city! This project has been made possible by a partnership
between the City of Stanstead, the Bouchée Double Community Kitchen
and the Memphremagog Health and Social Services Centre (CSSSM).
Since November, our territory has also benefitted from Moisson Estrie’s meat recovery
programme, via the Memphremagog Food Bank. Families receive frozen meat, which
enhances their food baskets. This project will see further development in the coming months
with the addition of a transformation component in order to maximize food use.
Every month, parents in the Parent’ Aise programme (through the CSSSM) take part in a
cooking workshop with the Bouchée Double Community Kitchen. It allows them to acquire
cooking skills and also learn about home economics! Everyone leaves with the recipe and the
ingredients necessary to repeat the experience at home.
At Ecole Des Deux Soleils, families can take part in a healthy dinner every month. After signing
up, parents and children cook together in a group and prepare a meal for $1 per person. The
activity takes place at school, in the evening.
Every month, at the Villa Pierrot, children also have the opportunity to develop their taste and
cooking skills. The host of the Bouchée Double Community Kitchen helps children prepare a
snack, after which they leave with the recipe and ingredients for making the snack again at
home with their mother!
And let’s not forget the many workshops (cooking, nutrition, gardening, etc.) taking place in
schools, all to ensure that the next generation develops healthy eating habits!
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PartnersNewsletter,February2016
Did you know ?

7. Info & links
World of Mouth:
Recently, we have expanded the functions of our website; news are coming
for you but also for your partner clients :
https://www.memphreenmouvement.org
Gala Reconnaissance 2016:
There is certainly good reason for you to participate in the Gala. Here is the
link for your nomination :
www.bougerjenmange.ca
How to communicate with your clients:
You try to find a miracle solution to reach your client? Have you ever think
to Pinterest? So first subscribe to our account :
https://www.pinterest.com/MeMplaisir/
And if this a part of the solution :
A discovery on the web that I find interesting to share; good discovery!
http://www.bonheurautravail.org
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Info & links
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