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I’m for Kids Team is a Community-Based Early Intervention Program for children ages 2½ to 6 years with a play-based approach and developmentally-appropriate programming.
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Each child/ family becomes part of a Multi-Disciplinary Instructional Team consisting of Speech Language Pathologist (S.L.P), Occupational Therapist (O.T.), Physical Therapist (P.T.), Psychologist (Psych.), Special Needs Assistant (SNA), Therapy Support Assistant (TSA), and Program Coordinator (Special Education Teacher).
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Our Service Delivery Model supports the inclusion of our assigned children into their respective community preschools. We currently have partnerships with over 65 private preschools: Okotoks, Airdrie, Crossfield, Strathmore, Chestermere, and all 4 quadrants of Calgary.
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All programming decisions for each child are made in the “Best Interests of the Child” philosophy and in collaboration with the parents and the child’s Instructional Team.
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All Special Needs Assistants (SNA) have post-secondary education and/or extensive experience in Early. Childhood settings and attend mandatory monthly training sessions to enhance existing skills and talents.
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I’m for Kids Team’s Professional Team consists mainly of full-time/ part-time staff of Speech Language Pathologists, Occupational Therapists, Physical Therapists, and Psychologists. Each team member is carefully selected on education, experience and passion for children.
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We celebrate each child’s successes “one step at a time”.
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Our primary goal for each child is to prepare them for more formalized learning in Kindergarten or Grade One.
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We plan extensive transitions for each child moving on to the public/private school systems or on to a new private ECS Operator.
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Our team model is unique and exemplary in its work and in its commitment to our children, families, private preschools and colleagues. Our passion is contagious!
The goal of an inclusive education system is to provide all students with the most appropriate learning environments and opportunities for them to best achieve their potential. Inclusion is about ensuring that each student belongs and receives a quality education/experience no matter their ability, disability, language, cultural background, gender, or age. An inclusive education system is best realized when leadership is shared between school, home and family. Schools reflect the attitudes, beliefs and health of the communities they serve and must be equipped to reflect inclusive practice.
Adapted Fromhttp://education.alberta.ca/department/ipr/inclusion/about.aspx
Through play children explore their world, discover how to get along with others, test their skills and muscles, try out new ideas, and feel competent enough to try different activities (i.e. we utilize a multisensory teaching model to enhance learning). Curiosity, Self-esteem, Language, Problem Solving, Cooperation, Endurance are just a few of the many kinds of learning involved in play. Adults can encourage children to play in ways that are valuable by setting the stage for them and, when appropriate, extending the children’s ideas during play.
Visit www.imforkids.org for more information.
Unity Christian Missions
Unity Christian Mission endeavors to promote the following to meet the basic needs of education to poor children in targeted areas within developing countries.
- By enrolling students in a free education institution, starting at primary school and continuing through to grade 12 in a credited school system recognized by the local governmental education system.
- By providing a meal each day during school hours to enhance nutrition and the ability to be educated.
The concept of Unity Christian Mission was born in 2001 when Rick and Esther Cross visited Haiti for the first time. During this trip they witnessed the deplorable conditions many Haitians lived in due to a lack of food, water, education and infrastructure that would support systems to improve the quality of life in these areas.
In April 2011, after discovering a particular region of Haiti that needed assistance, Rick Cross of Unity Christian Mission developed a plan to assist the local community by establishing a feeding program, a school and a program for hiring local teachers. By 2012 the daily feeding program was implemented for 180 students. As a result, by the end of 2012, Unity Christian Mission was registered in Canada as a non-profit organization as well we started to pay the teachers a modest salary within the small local school using finances raised through its student sponsorship program. Unity Christian Mission has been able to help this area begin to take steps in self-sufficiency. In three years, Unity Christian Mission has witnessed first-hand, the transformation and hope that arises when local people begin to get involved in bringing their areas improved living standards.
Currently, Unity Christian Mission’s board of directors has mandated the extension of the scope of work applied in Haiti to be replicated to other impoverished regions of the world. As a result, in 2012, an area in Liberia, Africa was researched and determined that it met Unity’s guidelines for assistance. After considerable correspondence and the acquisition of documents validating the existing conditions, Unity Christian Mission has begun to evaluate and implement plans to help the area of Paynesville, Liberia become self-sufficient.
Paynesville, a small community of 350 people is located in the suburbs of Monrovia, the capital of Liberia.
In 2012, Unity Christian Mission has completed the installation of a concrete floor and the application of plaster to the interior and exterior of the small sun-baked brick school / church building. The modifications to the building and the purchase of chairs have encouraged additional local people to begin attending the church and discovering a deeper faith in the Lord. Unity Christian Mission is also paying a modest salary to each of the eight local teachers in this 200-student primary school. In March 2014, a kitchen, office and storage room were built onto the existing building. Once completed, we sent funds to purchase cooking, distribution and food supplies to begin feeding the children and staff. Since then, we have provided one meal per school day. In 2015, we built four more classrooms onto the school building to help with the over crowding of the students. In 2016, we built a wall/fence around the building. This will help detour the water during the rainy season. The building is built on a low piece of land. Consequently during the rainy season water would flow into the building making the students wet and cold. We will be adding an iron gate to the wall, which will provide security to the property. The roof on the building has been replaced as well, which allows for a drier learning environment. Also in 2016, a generator, wires, lights and fans were purchased. This will be very positive for the students as the building is very dark and can get extremely hot during the dry season. In June 2016, Pastor Rickpan, who is the pastor of the church, teacher and principal in the school and administrator, was given a scholarship to the States for 2 years of further education. We are excited for this opportunity. The school in Liberia will function fully during his absence. He remains administrator and has trained people in Liberia to take over his responsibilities.
Crossroads Community Preschool proudly sponsors a child through this organization.
Friends Pizza
Friends Pizza & Pasta is a local favourite located in Vista Heights. They’ve supported the preschool at various functions from fundraising to lunches.
Bay 312 – 2066 18 AVE NE, Calgary AB, T2E 8N5
403-374-3637
https://www.friendspizzapasta.com/