Message from the President

NBACL President, Marlene Munn

 Dear Reader,

 All of us at NBACL are very excited to bring you the first edition of the electronic version of our Newsbreak newsletter. The name is still the same, but the format is a little different.

Newsbreak will be issued monthly and will cover stories from across the province of New Brunswick. This allows us to bring you the latest news and events, new programs and announcements, as well as personal stories of people with an intellectual disability and their families. For our readers who do not have access to e-mail, we are happy to announce that you will still receive a printed copy of the newsletter in your mailbox.

Bringing the newsletter to you electronically provides readers with opportunities to contribute stories, email comments on articles and to inquire about NBACL’s programs and projects.

We truly hope you enjoy our very first issue and we look forward to your feedback!

Marlene Munn,

President, NBACL

By Molly Cormier

Sarah Sanford, recipient of the Duke of Edinburgh Award

This past June, proud parents Colleen and Duane Sanford of Pleasantvale had  something extra to smile about.

They saw their daughter’s many hours of hard work pay off on stage in front of her family, friends and fellow graduates. Sarah Sanford received the Duke of Edinburgh’s Bronze Award at her graduation from Peticodiac Regional School. She is the school’s first and only recipient of the prestigious award.

Sarah spent most of her senior year working towards the award, which involves a big commitment of time and energy. She first heard about the award through her Teaching Assistant, Lynn Steeves. Steeves thought the program would be a great fit for Sarah.

The Duke of Edinburgh Award is a non-profit program founded by His Royal Highness Prince Phillip, the Duke of Edinburgh and was first established in New Brunswick in 1963. The program is designed for the personal development of young people and is committed to providing equal opportunities for all, while describing itself as “the most prestigious achievement award for Young Canadians.” There are four different components to the Bronze award program: volunteerism, skills, recreation, and outdoor adventures.

Sarah completed her volunteer service by lending her time to her school cafeteria, local grocery store, and assisting with the children and activities at the Boys and Girls Club. She also participated in a wide range of recreation activities while working toward the award, and gained new skills including Tae-Bo and badminton. One of the biggest tasks was a weekend of camping in Tatamagouche, which Sarah completed with flying colours.

Sarah’s mother Colleen appreciates the focus the program places on hard work and good effort.

“I think it’s great. Most of the things in the program, all the kids can do to their own level,” Colleen said. “It doesn’t say they have to be the best they just have to work the best they can, just as long as they are doing what they can.”

Kathy Whynot, outgoing Executive Director of the Duke of Edinburgh Award’s New Brunswick Division, says the program has always been inclusive but in the past few years has focused on giving all young people a chance to participate, including people with disabilities.

Now that graduation is over, Sarah shows no signs of slowing down.

Sarah enjoyed the experience so much that she will begin working toward her next goal in September- completing the Duke of Edinburgh’s Silver award.

Early French Immersion

 By Dany Desjardins 

In March of this year, the New Brunswick Ministry of Education announced that it was replacing the Early French Immersion program and the French core program from the Anglophone system with the Intensive French program starting in grade 5.
This initial decision sparked much debate in which the Minister of Education, Kelly Lamrock, decided to hold additional consultations to hear more options from the different groups affected by the changes. NBACL was very pleased to be asked to participate in these consultations.

Throughout these consultations, Mr. Lamrock identified that the biggest challenge he is facing is how to give equal opportunity for everyone to learn French. Minister Lamrock stated his value of an equal and inclusive school experience for all children. Consequently, a program that streams students will not be tolerated. NBACL strongly applauds Minister Lamrock’s leadership and determination in making the school system more inclusive for all and for wanting all students to have a chance to become bilingual.

Our recommendations that were shared during various consultations were the following:

- Whichever program is found to be the most effective in teaching French as a Second Language for any particular school, all students must have that same learning opportunity of being included in this program as their peers. All students should be placed in the program, with no exception. If the student is having difficulty, offer more support and use alternative teaching strategies (if the student is having difficulty in French Immersion, he/she will have the same difficulties in the English program). Then, if the student is still having difficulty, and after careful review of the potential impact of a transfer, offer another program that will give an adequate learning experience.

- Accept and promote the fact that students with an intellectual disability and students with a learning disability can learn a second language when offered the proper supports.

- Accept and promote the importance of learning a second language in New Brunswick by working on attitudes of parents, teachers, students, and all members of the school community and the community itself.

- Train teachers to use best practices in teaching and motivating a diverse class of second language learners: for example, by giving concrete examples, linking concepts to student experience, engaging students in the community and beyond, using differentiated instruction, having an experiential model in lesson planning, etc

- Set realistic goals for students and teachers so that they can be successful: the process in learning a second language is more important than the outcome. Learning a second language is an emotional experience where the learner needs to feel he or she can make mistakes and can learn to his or her own pace, without having feelings of inadequacy, which consequently lead to hating or fearing the second language and the culture altogether.

- Develop and implement a 5 year strategy for providing:

o Qualified French speaking teachers in all areas of New Brunswick for teaching French second language instruction.

o Access to qualified Resource and Methods Teachers who are available and able to support the use of inclusive education practices within classrooms established for French second language instruction.

o Access to qualified paraprofessionals to support teachers and classrooms established for French second language instruction. 

To view NBACL’s complete position statement on French Second Language and inclusive education, please go to our web site (www.nbacl.nb.ca) or contact NBACL Inclusive Education Coordinator, Dany Desjardins.

Dany Desjardins
ddesjardins@nbacl.nb.ca
1-866-NBACL-4U
51, Highfield street, Suite 202
Moncton, N.-B.
E1C 5N2

CACL’s 50th Anniversary Conference: The Making of a National Movement

 Community Living at Fifty

The Canadian Association for Community Living will be celebrating its 50th anniversary conference at the Westin Hotel in Ottawa, November 19-21, 2008, along with a Pre-Conference Global Forum for Inclusion. This Forum will engage self-advocates, families, activists, professionals and partners from around the world. Focused on the new UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, the Forum will look at how to transform rights into actions that lead to full inclusion and citizenship for people with intellectual disabilities.

Those who attend the CACL 50th anniversary conference will have the opportunity to participate in an international forum on the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Join people with intellectual disabilities, families and our allies from across Canada in advancing our agenda for inclusion.

For more information, contact the Canadian Association for Community Living: Telephone: (416) 661-9611, Fax: (416) 661-5701, TTY: (416) 661-2023, e-mail: inform@cacl.ca

FUN NB – Families Unite to Share Support, Laughter

By Tara Brinston

Families gathered for a retreat in St. Andrews in May to share support and laughter

On a warm weekend in May, several families from across the province gathered together in St. Andrews for the Strengthening Families Parent Retreat. The retreat was held at the beautiful Rossmount Inn and allowed parents to enjoy both breath-taking views of the sea and some of the finest dining in New Brunswick. Parents of varying ages and backgrounds came together and shared stories, experiences, helpful hints and many laughs, all the while giving valuable input to NBACL staff Ken Pike and Tara Brinston, who will soon be developing a new Family Information and Advocacy Guide. The weekend was facilitated by the humorous NBACL consultant Danny Soucy, who brings his own family’s experiences to the sharing table.

Networking can be a very helpful resource for parents.

“I gained such strength from hearing the other trials and experiences of the other parents attending that I feel ready to tackle the parenting tasks ahead of me with more confidence. I have never felt as rested and rejuvenated after ‘working’ for the whole weekend,” said one mom.

If you are a family member of someone with a disability and are interested in networking and/or attending family retreats, please contact Tara Brinston, Family Support Coordinator at 1-866-622-2548 to become a member of our Families United Network, or email: funnb@nbacl.nb.ca .

Funding for the Strengthening Families Parent Retreat was made possible through the Christofor Foundation, a charitable foundation supporting people in the Eastern Charlotte area. Many thanks to them!

Save the Date!
The Family Information and Advocacy Guide (title to come) will be released at the national CACL/NBACL Family Conference, in Fall, 2009. More details to come!

Senior Families Share Stories of Success, Struggles

 By Tara Brinston

Members of the Seniors United Network-New Brunswick (SUN-NB) met this past June for a day of sharing and networking. The retreat, which took place at Killarney Lodge in Fredericton, was held as part of NBACL’s New Horizons for Seniors project. SUN-NB members gathered to assist NBACL staff Ken Pike and Tara Brinston with the development of an information toolkit for senior parents of adult sons and daughters with disabilities.

Facilitated by Danny Soucy, the group shared stories of success and struggle as they looked back over their many years of parenting. Senior parents offered valuable advice for younger parents, which will be included in the toolkit. Look for its release in the coming year!

SUN NB members meet monthly to offer support to other members and tackle the pressing issue of, “what will happen to my child when I am no longer here?”

If you wish to become involved with the provincial Seniors United Network, please contact Family Support Coordinator Tara Brinston at 1-866-622-2548, or email funnb@nbacl.nb.ca .

Edmundston Hosts Inclusive Talent Show

By Molly Cormier

Performers at the finale of the Inclusive Talent Show in Edmundston

“Au déla des differences”, an inclusive talent show took place on the evening of May 28 in Edmundston. The show was organized by the Edmundston Association for Community Living, as well as a number of volunteers from other organizations.

There were a variety of acts, and an even larger audience. Over 700 people attended, making it a sold out event.

New Brunswick singer and special guest, Oneil Devost sang four different songs and accompanied many of the performers. It was a very special moment for Devost, as well as the talent show participants.

“Their dreams were to sing, and they were realizing their dreams.” Pierrette Bouchard, NBACL’s Community Development Worker and an organizer of the event, said about the performances.

Singing wasn’t the only talent on the program for the night- talent show participants also played instruments, danced and more.

A theatre piece was performed and a sketch of the popular TV game show “Deal or no Deal” was acted out and received an enthusiastic response from the audience.

The inclusive talent show was a great success and was a great opportunity to demonstrate the importance of an inclusive community, said Bouchard.

Rotary Employment Partnership Project
More Rotary Clubs on Board 

By Marc Gathercole

Marc Gathercole, Rotary Employment Partnership Coordinator

The Rotary Employment Partnership Project, a joint venture between New Brunswick Rotary Clubs, Vocational Agencies and the NBACL, is growing! This project aims to identify and secure long term employment opportunities for people with an intellectual disability who aspire to work but cannot find employment.

We are proud to announce that recent partnerships with new Rotary Clubs have brought us closer to our goal of meeting the employment needs of individuals province wide. These new clubs include: Saint John, Sackville, Shediac, St Stephen, and Grand Falls. They are joined by our existing partners: Fredericton Sunrise Rotary, Perth Andover Rotary and Gagetown Rotary Club. These advancements help combat the current labour shortage in our province while also allowing people with an intellectual disability to demonstrate their full potential and build more inclusive communities. If you have any questions or are interested in the program you can contact the Project Facilitator Marc Gathercole via email at mgathercole@nbacl.nb.ca or by phone (506) 453- 2191.

Opening the Door to Quality Child Care and Development

By Dixie Lee Mitchell, Coordinator

 

Each Child Matters was launched in June, 2008 and is an inclusion training guide for early childhood educators and other professionals who work with and for families and children. This training will be offered in several regions of the province beginning September, 2008. The early childhood educator training will be one weekend in length and all materials will be supplied except for a binder which we ask that you supply for the materials. Some early childhood educators may have attended this training under the name of SQIP when NBACL piloted the material over a year ago. Thanks to your evaluations, we have now revised and published the training guide. This is an opportunity for you to increase your inclusion knowledge and to learn and practice strategies that will enhance your inclusion skills. To register, please call Dixie at 506-453-4424 or e-mail at dmitchell@nbacl.nb.ca. Danny Soucy of NBACL will facilitate the French delivery and Dixie Mitchell will facilitate the French delivery of the training.

The Colors of Change, a forum for directors of early learning and childcare centres in New Brunswick was held on October 3rd and 4th at the Fredericton Inn. This fully bilingual forum was geared to support directors, enabling them to assist families, children and staff in the move to new curricula in the province. NBACL was pleased to have the following partners involved in the planning and implementation of this forum: the University of New Brunswick Fredericton; the University of Moncton; and the Early Child Care and Education New Brunswick UECCENB.

The D2D Mentoring Pairs worked diligently to coordinate this forum including an exciting line-up of key note speakers and it was a huge success!

Infant/Toddlers: Living and Learning Their Rhythm is being planned for November 8, 2008 in Miramichi City at the New Brunswick Community College. This forum will be for 125 infant/toddler early childhood educators and the key note address is by Enid Elliot of the University of Victoria who is a well known Infant/Toddler author and researcher. This forum is for one day only, but is packed with excellent professional development opportunities. Again, the D2D Mentoring Pairs are diligently working with project staff to coordinate the forum for you and our key partners are: The University of New Brunswick, Fredericton; The University of Moncton; and ECCENB. For further information please call Dixie at 506-453-4424, Karen Rice at 506-449-0938 or Jeannette Guerrette at 506-473-2564. Dixie is also available at dmitchell@nbacl.nb.ca.