Welcome to the Okanagan Falls Community Table Page

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The Okanagan Falls Communities for Kids (CFK) Community Table was established in October 2003. All members of the Okanagan Falls Table volunteer their time to support CFK’s early childhood development (ECD) efforts in Okanagan Falls.

Members include parents, grandparents and representatives from

public health
childcare
School District #53
Okanagan Boys and Girls Club
public library
recreation
StrongStart Centre

We meet monthly to consider Okanagan Falls’ ECD needs and how we may support those needs.

As we head into our 5^th year, the OK Falls CFK Table invites you to join our vibrant and enthusiastic group.

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Committee Members and Contact Information

Janet Black	497-8188
Chistina Doherty	497-6426
Sam Hancheroff	497-5878
Mieke Smith		bertandmieke@telus.net
Ruell Smith	497-5886
Sandy Walker	497-5610

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Meeting Information

Every second Monday of the month at 7 p.m. at the Okanagan Regional Library, OK Falls Branch.

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Celebrating our Successes

Quality Play Equipment for OK Falls' Tumble Bumble

Mikayla and Elias enjoy a tour on the new
Two-Seater Taxi at Tumble Bumble

In 2007, the CFK Table purchased play equipment with a $1,037 Success by 6® grant. Each piece of equipment provides a learning experience to increase a child’s social and physical development.

For example, the Two-Seater Taxi (pictured above) helps children develop social skills and friendship through play – one child can peddle, one can ride, and a third can stand. This is the most popular piece of all!

The Big Red Classic All-Terrain Wagon helps children learn motor skills, cooperation, and friendship through play. Loading the wagon is a fun way to teach the skill of ‘putting away’ and it works well when it is time for clean up.

The equipment is being used by children attending the Okanagan Falls Recreation Centre’s Tumble Bumble. Children from the Ok Mini Preschool, the after-school program and the StrongStart Family Centre also make good use of this equipment.

Janet, the Recreation Director, indicates the equipment is being well used. Parents are particularly pleased with the quality and the children love it!

Books for Library
The Royal Canadian Legion #227, Interior Health, Okanagan Regional Library, and CFK partnered to provide age-appropriate books for all 6, 12 and 18 month-old children. The first coupon is handed out by Public Health and the following 2 by the Ok Falls library. A reading tip is included with each book.

StrongStart Centre
The StrongStart early learning center, in the Okanagan Falls Elementary School, is a pilot project of School District 53. Parents (or caregivers) can drop-in for free with children under 6 years old, to play, learn, socialize, and have fun! The center is open from 8:30 to 11:30 am, Monday through Friday. Samantha James, the center's Early Learning Program Coordinator, is always on hand with child development and parent support information, to lead educational activities, and of course to promote fun! The center opened in January and is enjoying great success, with an average of 12 children attending each morning with their parent/caregiver. This creates many opportunities for play, socializing, learning, and laughs. The Okanagan Falls CFK Table is proud to support this project. Two of our Table members sit on the StrongStart Steering Committee to guide and advise the project. The CFK Community Team and 5 Okanagan Falls Table members attended the opening ceremony along with Jim Insley (Assistant Superintendent of District 53 and CFK Steering Committee executive member).

Community Directory
Since 2003, our CFK Table has been publishing and updating a family ECD resource directory for OK Falls that outlines the services and programs in our community. Printed copies are available at the library, the elementary school, OK Mini School, and a number of other sites. If you’d like to keep a hard copy by your phone, you can access and print a copy from the Community Links box below.

Working with the Understanding the Early Years Coordinator (Patricia Gregory) we recently expanded a listing of Okanagan Falls’ programs, services and facilities that support young children (see Community Directory and Map Resources).

Next Step
The Royal Canadian Legion #227, Interior Health, Okanagan Regional Library and CFK partnered to provide age-appropriate books for all 6 month and 12 month-old children. Book coupons are given to parents at public health inoculation clinics. The parent takes the coupon to the OK Falls library to pick up the book and a bookmark that highlights a reading tip.

Books for Babies
The Royal Canadian Legion #227, Interior Health, Okanagan Regional Library, Women’s Institute, and CFK supplement the Books for B.C. Babies kit given to newborns by the Ministry of Education. The kit supplement includes a soft cover book for the baby to “grow into”, and our Family Directory.

Slide for ages 1 to 3 at Kenyon Park
In 2005, parents from the CFK Table met with the Okanagan Falls Recreation Department to discuss the type of playground equipment best suited to young children. Communities for Kids then gave $2,500 to the Okanagan Falls Parks and Recreation department to purchase a safe age-appropriate piece of equipment. Volunteers from the community ensured its safe installation in Kenyon Park.

Tumble Bumble
Offered by Okanagan Falls Recreation, Tumble Bumble provides an opportunity for parents and their children to access the Recreation/School gym to play. Communities for Kids funding supported half the cost of training a parent to complete the St John's Ambulance first-aid training, to ensure a safe play environment at Tumble Bumble.

Mother Goose Training
Communities for Kids paid for a member of our community to be trained as a facilitator of the Mother Goose story-rhymes-songs program for parents.

ECD Awareness in OK Falls
To promote the importance of healthy child development and raise public awareness of CFK, we display ECD information at many community events. Children can access a reading tent, enter book draws, and enjoy physical activities at the CFK display table at “Ready, Set, Learn”, OK Falls Days, Canada Day, and the Kids Festival. We also have an ECD information display board at the OK Falls Elementary School.

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Plans

The OK Falls Table works to identify unmet ECD needs in the community. We are in the process of identifying a new project that will be underway soon. Watch this page for upcoming announcements.

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