Welcome to the Okanagan Falls Community Table Page
About Us
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 6th year, the OK Falls CFK Table invites you to join our vibrant and enthusiastic group.
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Committee Members and Contact Information
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Meeting Information
Every second
Monday of the
month at 2:45
p.m. at the
Okanagan Falls
Elementary
School
StrongStart room
from September
to June.
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Celebrating our Successes
Balance and Books
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| Ally enjoys listening to Heather reading. |
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Caitlin improves her balance on this safe floor-level beam. |
In 2009, with Success by
6 funds of $897, the Ok
Falls
Communities for Kids
Table provided a balance
beam and books for
children up to 6 years
of age.
The CSA approved,
age-appropriate balance
beam provides an
opportunity for young
children to develop
coordination, balance,
muscle control and
confidence. The rug and
quality books provide a
safe, quiet time-out
space and literacy
materials for the
children to take a break
from the more boisterous
activities at the gym.
All these resources are
well used by the Tumble
Bumble Program, the
StrongStart Centre, the
After-School Program and
the OK Mini School.
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!
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. One 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 Directories
Since 2003, our CFK Table has been publishing and updating a CFK Family 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, see CFK Family Directory.
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
Lions Club and
the Royal Canadian Legion #227
in OK Falls have
provided funds
for
age-appropriate
books for all
6, 12 and 18
month-old
children in OK
Falls.
Families receive
book
certificates to
exchange for the
books at the OK
Falls Library.
Communities for
Kids partners
with these two
service clubs,
Public Health
and the OK Falls
Regional Library
who distribute
the
certificates.
A reading tip is
included with
each book.
CFK Table member Ruell Smith, Librarian Georgia Bruyel and Lions Club President Larry Bechard
present Angela and baby Orion with his 6-month Baby
Boo board
book.
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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Archives
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Community Links
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Programs
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StrongStart Centre
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Early Learning Centres, sometimes called StrongStart Centres, are free drop-in places for preschool children and their parents or caregivers to come and play, learn and have fun. For more information, click below.
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| Brochure |
| View Schedule |
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Events
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If your group/organization has a website, please contact Blair Lischeron to discuss linking our sites.
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