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1. SUMMARY
It’s happening right here!
Learning from Experience. 2
Adjusting our practices to reach parents… 3
The pleasure of heathly nutrition! 4
Did you know ?
The transition to kindergarten is a big step! 5
A dose of vitamine « N » for children 6
Info & links
Heathly lifestyle habits: 7
Sois Futé, Écran fermé : 7
0-5 years olds : 7
Encyclopedia on early childhood: 7
1
EDITORIAL
There was a time when it was natural for children
to play outside: wet, frozen bottoms were a daily
sight. In those days, not being allowed to go
outside was the worst punishment we could get.
The outdoors were a make-believe world without
limits: snow banks turned into forts that no
enemy from around the corner could overtake, or
into ships from which a new world could be
explored. Girls and boys took turns at the helm.
Our only boundaries were when we had to go
inside to warm up and get something to eat...Pfff!
But who could be cold or hungry? We had
everything! Nature took care of all our needs...
No game console was a match for our snow ship.
No program could disrupt our adventures. And,
as luck would have it, programs were on right
before suppertime.
Some would argue that those were the good
days. Fortunately, that’s not the case. Why?
Because all of us are working to bring back the
sense of adventure that was at the core of our
games and make it once again a central feature
of our practices.
Therefore, we realize that we must renew out trust
in our young people by fostering their sense of
responsibility. Together, as a community, we must
support their development beyond our walls.
And even if it seems utopian, it’s what we’re
working towards. Because, «When we dream
alone, it’s only a dream. When we dream
together, reality begins». Brazilian proverb.
Contact
Memphré en
Mouvement
1011, rue Sherbrooke
Magog J1X 2T2
Tél. : 819 847 3034
Tél. : 819 446 5005
Isabelle
Denis
Twitter : @MemenMouvement
Facebook
Site Internet
Rédaction
Denis Delbois agent de liaison et de communication
Isabelle Mercieca coordonatrice MeM
Partners
Newsletter
PartnersNewsletter,Junuary2015

2. It’s happening right here!
Learning from Experience.
Our two action plans are well underway. As with every year, I’m impressed with how committed
our partners are to practice changes that will help us reach our collective goals with regard to
the well-being of our 0-17 year olds and their families.
This morning, I find myself wondering if we learn anything from our experience? And if we
draw on our strengths to adjust and improve our actions in order to reach the desired
outcome?
Absolutely, yes! In my few years working with you, I’ve witnessed your capacity to adapt.
Of course, no one is perfect and we still have a way to go, especially when it comes to
reaching out to the most vulnerable families, a major concern of ours...and everyone else’s in
Quebec, for that matter.
Last year, as a result of this concern, the group reached another turning point, and you were
bold enough to take a hard look at your organizations and choose to make changes that reflect
your practices! In fact, in the meetings that were held over the last few months, many partners
reaffirmed their intent to focus on adjusting organizational practices to foster a relationship of
trust with families. Many actions will allow us to make our wish a reality. Some of these actions
will help us become more aware of our practices and our strengths, find ways to improve
ourselves, and discover how to better build a trusting relationship.
This work will continue in step with the Memphremagog Social Development Table’s concerns
over reducing the stigma that surrounds poverty. Stay tuned!
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PartnersNewsletter,January2015
It’s happening right here

3. Adjusting our practices to reach parents…
Since her arrival as liaison officer for the Potton and Stanstead sectors, Julie has met with a few
families in and around school.
Other members of the population, equally important when it comes to our community objective,
have had brief chats with Julie in less formal settings, such as the Reilly House. Julie also had
the opportunity to help serve meals during the Dinner Show put on in December by
Mansonville Elementary School. A wonderful way to be directly involved in the community!
The Christmas Market held at the Jardins-des-Frontières School also provided an opportunity
to meet some creative parents. These informal meetings might seem unimportant but, at times
like these, people are more inclined to let down their guard. They’re in their element and feel
right at home; we’re the ones who are leaving our comfort zone to go and meet them.
This should probably be one of the strategies we explore at the Journée des intervenants on
February 23, when the topic will be how to deal with vulnerable families.
Moreover, many of you received training in the Parent’Aise Approach, and the training will
continue. In February, facilitators from Stanstead’s PACE Group, as well as Memphré en
Mouvement team members, will be among those receiving training.
Finally, I’d like to leave you with the words of one of my former teachers. He was referring to
the give-and-take in relationships, and what made for a good relationship between a client and
a counsellor: «The best interventions are those that aren’t hampered by the counsellor’s need
to control.»
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PartnersNewsletter,January2015

4. The pleasure of heathly nutrition!
Many schools are providing nutrition education! The goal is to help young people develop
healthy eating habits by focusing on pleasure and by providing them with positive experiences.
Sunnyside, Stanstead’s Anglophone school, understood this and is following suit. In February,
school workers will receive training from the Dairy Farmers of Canada (DFC) in order to be
better equipped to carry out the nutrition education program. Then, children and parent
volunteers will be able to take part in cooking workshops, a fun way to learn and get hands-on
experience together.
In Potton, the Nutrisanté Committee plans once again to host five workshops during the school
year. This long-standing commitment is sure to be beneficial and have a positive influence on
the lifestyle habits of many children!
At La Ruche, students will soon get to try out a new format for the cooking workshops. We’re
betting this time that teenagers will show interest in this activity if it’s hosted by real chefs from
our area! The latter will be trained by the Tablée des Chefs as part of its culinary workshop
program for teenagers.
By increasing the number of opportunities young people of all ages have to develop nutritional
skills, we’re giving every child a chance to make choices that will allow him or her to adopt a
healthy diet.
Link to the DFC website: www.educationnutrition.org
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PartnersNewsletter,January2015
It’s happening right here

5. Did you know ?
The transition to kindergarten is a big step!
This year, Kindergarten registration will be held February 2 to 8, 2015. Toddlers are getting
ready to enter the school world as early as next August! The transition to Kindergarten is an
important milestone for parents and children. Family members, who must adapt to significant
changes, can lose their bearings.
This transition must begin and be prepared months ahead. Several steps have been put into
place in the Memphremagog MRC to support families whose child will enter Kindergarten the
following year:
- families have access to Passe-Partout, an educational support program;
- parents whose children attend daycare receive a placemat with ideas for activities to help
prepare their child for Kindergarten;
- in the spring, daycares hold «like at school» days;
- pictures of schools are put up in the hallway in daycares and a graduation celebration is held;
- daycare educators or workers fill out l’Outil Mon Portrait - a tool used to pass along
information about a child - and send it on to schools in May;
- school visits are scheduled every May or June for parents and children.
The way in which a child experiences the first year at school can significantly impact his or her
academic career in terms of motivation and commitment. That’s why it’s vital to support
families during this period of transition.
Pascale Gendron Daigneault, Psycho-edu., Early Childhood Education Consultant
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PartnersNewsletter,January2015
Did you know ?

6. A dose of vitamine « N » for children
Imagine a dietary supplement that has a calming effect on children and increases their
attention span. At the end of the school year, this supplement would be worth its weight in
gold! And if it also reduced hyperactivity, parents would line up to buy it. But don’t tell them
they can get it for free.
Let me Introduce you to Vitamine «N», as in Nature!
Children don’t spend enough time playing outdoors anymore. They don’t have as much
contact as they used to with the natural world around them. Many recent studies show that
contact with nature and free play significantly impact a child’s health and development.
Richard Louv is an American journalist and author of the international bestseller: Last Child in
the Woods: Saving our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder (2005). He was the first to talk
about nature deficit and how many children suffer from it. He looked at several scientific
studies and all of them show that contact with nature is essential to the physical and emotional
development of children and adults alike.
Richard Louv developed the Children & Nature Network, a rallying movement aimed at
encouraging children to enjoy nature. For instance, it states: «Together we can create a world
where every child can play, learn and grow in nature».
«Imagine a world where spending time in nature is prescribed more often than
antidepressants». Daniel Augier - Agence de la santé et des services sociaux de l’Estrie.
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7. Info & links
Heathly lifestyle habits:
Winter Pleasures: the schedule of winter activities offered in the Memphremagog MRC will
soon be available on the Bouge en Estrie website. Get ready for lots of outdoor activities that
will keep you warm this winter!
http://www.bougeenestrie.ca/memphremagog/fr/
Sois Futé, Écran fermé :
Is a turnkey program aimed at teachers and health professionals within schools. Its goal is to
make students in Kindergarten through Grade 6 more aware of the time they spend in front of a
computer so that they might choose to reduce it in favor of healthy physical or recreational
activities. You can find all the tools on their website:
http://www.ecranferme.soisfute.ca/
0-5 years olds :
This portal presents all the aid resources available on the Memphremagog MRC
territory (and on other Estrie MRC territories) as well as those within regional
scope. You can perform searches by territory or by category (health, education,
dietary aid, justice, housing, etc...). Get to know it and share it!
http://portailressourcesestrie.com/
Encyclopedia on early childhood:
Are you familiar with the Encyclopedia on Early Childhood ? This online information resource
deals with childhood development, from conception to 5 years of age, and provides the latest
scientific knowledge free of charge! To learn more, check out their Facebook page!
https://www.facebook.com/Child.Encyclo.Enfant
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Info & links
PartnersNewsletter,January2015
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