March 18, 2010
Vanderhoof Strongstart BC Centre Open for Preschoolers

VANDERHOOF - MLA for Nechako Lakes John Rustad joined students, parents, caregivers, school district staff and community members today to celebrate the official opening of W.L. McLeod StrongStart BC Early Learning centre.

"The StrongStart BC centre at W.L. McLeod provides many great opportunities for local children and their families," said Rustad. "It's great to see our children develop the tools they need for success in school and in life. I strongly believe in early childhood education and am happy that Vanderhoof is home to one of the newest StrongStart BC centres."

StrongStart BC is a free early learning program for preschool-aged children accompanied by a parent or caregiver. A qualified early childhood educator leads activities, including stories, music, and arts, to help children grow linguistically, emotionally and socially, and become comfortable in a school-like setting.

"This government believes strongly in the benefits of early learning, which is one of the main goals of StrongStart BC," said Minister of Education Margaret MacDiarmid. "The centre is a great addition to our StrongStart BC programs, which help prepare pre-school aged children for school by providing a fun, interactive learning environment to develop strong early literacy skills."

The Nechako Lakes school district 91 has received $50,000 for the W.L. McLeod Elementary StrongStart BC early learning centre. This includes $20,000 to prepare in-school space, including renovations and the purchase of new equipment and learning materials and $30,000 to fund this year's operating costs, including staff, professional development, supplies and healthy snacks.

"Nechako Lakes school district is pleased to be able to offer families in the Vanderhoof area regular early learning programming through the new W.L. McLeod StrongStart BC Centre," said Rosalie Nichiporuk, board of education chair. "The importance of the early years for a child's growth and development is well documented and Nechako Lakes strives to reduce the vulnerabilities that children face in our area. This StrongStart BC centre is one way to help improve the lives of these children."

The W.L. McLeod StrongStart BC centre is a fully inclusive, play-based centre. Children can participate in developmentally stimulating activities such as arts and crafts, music and movement, circle time with stories, songs and special guests, and indoor and outdoor play. Play areas include blocks, books and puzzles, arts and crafts, and rice and water tables. The centre is open on Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays and Fridays from 9:30 to 12:30 p.m. and Wednesdays from 2:30 to 5:30 p.m.

Nechako Lakes school district is also served by a StrongStart BC Outreach program, called Words on Wheels (WOW), which is a retrofitted school bus that visits isolated neighbourhoods, promoting family literacy. The goals of the WOW bus are to encourage literacy, early learning and readiness to learn. The mobile literacy service provides programs and learning opportunities in small and remote communities that help reduce isolation and develop social networks, empowering parents in their role as the primary caregivers and educators of their children. The outreach bus began service in Burns Lake last November.

"Nechako Lakes school district is pleased to be able to offer families in some of the remote First Nations communities around the Burns Lake region regular early learning programming through a unique mobile StrongStart BC Outreach program called the W.O.W Bus," said Nichiporuk. "In partnership with a local literacy committee, we redesigned the interior and exterior of a school bus so it could travel to isolated communities where transportation to early learning programs is a barrier."

All of B.C.'s 60 school districts have been offered the opportunity to participate in the StrongStart BC program. The Province is investing $43 million to expand StrongStart BC, with more than 300 programs now operating across the province. StrongStart BC programs help fulfil government's commitment to use underutilized school district space to deliver early learning services.

Since 2001, the Province has invested $1.4 billion in literacy and literacy-related initiatives, such as StrongStart BC early learning programs, almost $18 million to operate the indergarten readiness program Ready, Set, Learn and $2.7 million for the LEAP BC resources that encourages literacy, physical activity and healthy eating in preschool-aged children.

Government has committed $280 million over three years to implement full day kindergarten for all five-year-olds in B.C. Full day kindergarten will be available for up to 50 per cent of kindergarten students in 2010 and for every five-year-old starting school in 2011.

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