Your Membership Counts!

Annual membership runs from May 1st to April 30th, and costs $45 per year. Membership fees are a much needed part of our annual revenue and help fund our Family Drop In program, parent education, workshops, special events and seasonal celebrations.

Membership is an integral part of community participation and an effective way to contribute to our sustainability. A Family Membership at the MPFCS is $45.00 per year or 86 cents per week.

If you did not have a membership last year, please go directly to our membership page. To renew your membership please go to CanadaHelps.org. When you visit the Family Centre, you can pay using cash, credit card, or cheque. Please speak to one of our Family Support Workers and they will help you.

New Policy for Daycare Providers

Mount Pleasant Family Centre welcomes everyone and we are happy to see you! Your health and well-being are very important to us. Our mandate is to provide effective support for families. In order to do this well, we strive to get to know each adult and child who visits. This contributes to the pleasant "home away from home" feeling that so many of you appreciate. We are very concerned about the growing number of adults and children in the playroom and we need your cooperation.
 
Until now, we have asked daycare providers to only attend the drop-in once a week.Beginning Monday 18 May 2015, at each drop-in session, only one daycare provider may attend with up to three children in their care. This does not include nannies, nor does it include parents who are caring for a child alongside their own children. We hope that you will see how this limitation will help us all to have a better Family Centre experience.
 
In order to facilitate this shift in policy, we will have a calendar posted near the entrance where daycare providers may sign up in advance, in person to attend drop-in sessions. Also, we will plan special Daycare Provider Fridays throughout the summer.

Welcome Nina!

Nina will be working in the playroom this year while Alma is away on maternity leave. We are so glad to have her as a part of our team!

Nina is a certified Early Childhood Educator who has worked in countless classrooms with children ranging from ages six months to five years. As an educator she is passionate about early literacy and looks forward to getting to know every parent, caregiver and child at the Mount Pleasant Family Centre Society. She lives with her partner and five year old step-son in South Vancouver.


Congratulations to Earl and Ayryn!

They raised money for the Family Centre at their wedding reception. Thank you so much!

And now, on to May!

May 4 - 7: Mother's Day Fun! All week in the playroom there will be special Mother's Day crafts.
May 5 - 26, Tuesdays: 1 - 3 PM ABC Time On these Tuesday afternoons, we close off part of our playroom to run a small kindergarten readiness program. The drop-in is still open, but the playspace is smaller! For more information about our ABC program, please speak with Ewa or Maria.
May 6, Wednesday: 1 - 3 PM Downstairs on Wednesday afternoon, we will have special treats and fun for first time moms with small babies
May 6, Wednesday: End of Afternoon Drop-In Storytime with the VPL Librarian Come meet our librarian and enjoy songs, rhymes, and stories!
May 7, Thursday: 9:30 - 11:30 AM While your child plays upstairs, you can come downstairs and make a card for an important woman in your life!
May 9, Sunday: Mother's Day a very good day to honor all the influential women in your life!
May 18, Monday: Victoria Day Holiday The Family Centre will be closed today.

April at the Family Centre

An enormous thank you to everyone who helped to make our fundraiser, Savour Our Neighbourhood, a huge success!
This event would not have been possible without the generous donations from the community and the countless hours of work on the part of our volunteer board of directors.
Thanks so very much!

Membership Renewal Month is Coming! Membership fees are a much needed part of our annual revenue. They help to fund our family drop-in, parent education programs, workshops, special events, and seasonal celebrations. Memberships run from May until April. You can place your membership in person at the Family Centre with cash, cheque, or credit card. Memberships renewed in April will be applied to next year. If you don't yet have a membership, or if it has expired, you are welcome to make a donation to the drop-in each time you visit. Just drop your donation in the little box on the table where you sign in!

Lost and Found Our Lost and Found box is overflowing with hoodies, hats, water bottles, and more! Please check through our collection and take home anything you might have left behind. Items that have been here longer than 2 months will be placed in the donation bin at the end of next week!

Puddle Fun! Please remember that on particularly rainy days, part of our ball court floods, so we have a fabulous large puddle to play in. This is a great experience for the kids, just come prepared with rain suits and boots!

Clothing Exchange Donations We welcome donations of used clothing, books, or toys in excellent condition. Please do not donate stained, broken, incomplete, or worn out items. Also, as we have very limited storage space, please limit your donations to one or two grocery bags at a time.

And now, on to April
April 14, Tuesday: 9:30 - 11:30 AM Toddler Round Up! If you have questions about your child's health and development, Public Health Nurses will be available during the morning drop in to address your concerns. If your child will be attending the drop-in with a grandparent or other caregiver, a release form must be signed before the nurses can interact with your child. Release forms are available at the Family Centre.

Looking forward to May
May 2 - June 28 Saturdays: 10 - 11:30 AM 1-2-3 Jump! Physical Literacy for 2 & 3yr olds. Have fun with your child moving and learning in new ways. Registration is required. The program is offered free in partnership with Little Mountain Neighbourhood House. We ask that you have a current family centre membership to participate.

Happy New Year to all members and friends of the family centre

We hope you and your loved ones enjoy a truly new year, blossoming with health and happiness. We look forward to sharing lots of love and learning with you here at the centre.

We closed 2014 with our popular Holiday party at the Mount Pleasant Neighbourhood House. It was great to see so many of you there. The party was funded by our successful bake sale. A big thanks to all our bakers and buyers who supported the sale!

Over the next few months we will be exploring ways to support healthy mental, emotional health in our children. In partnership with the Dalai  Lama centre's Heart-Mind Well-Being initiative we will have special activities and events to share with you...stay tuned!

 Jan15th & 29th Thursdays: 9:45-10:45 Toy Lending Library Toys, books, and videos available to borrow.

Jan 16th, Friday 9:30 AM - 11:30 AM Making Sense of Preschoolers Gordon Neufeld provides insight into their shyness, separation anxieties, aggression, resistance, oppositionality and more.
Making sense of these confusing yet wonderous creatures lays the foundation for intuitive and fruitful interaction with them. Flora will facilitate the course which runs seven Friday mornings til Feb 27th. This course is currently full, please talk to Flora to put your name on the wait list.

Jan 24th-March 7th, Saturdays: 10-11:30 AM: 1-2-3 Jump! Physical Literacy for 3yr olds. Have fun with your child moving and learning in new ways. registration is required.The program is offered free in partnership with Little Mountain Neighbourhood House. We ask that you have a current family centre membership to participate.

Jan 27th & 30th, Tues afternoons and Friday mornings: ABC program 
This is a small group class for 4yr olds and 5yr olds. Talk to the playroom staff for more info.

Your Membership Counts!

Annual membership runs from May 1st to April 30th, and costs $35 per year. Membership fees are a much needed part of our annual revenue and help fund our Family Drop In program, parent education, workshops, special events and seasonal celebrations.

Membership is an integral part of community participation and an effective way to contribute to our sustainability. A Family Membership at the MPFCS is $35.00 per year or 67 cents per week.

If you did not have a membership last year, please go directly to our membership page. To renew your membership please go to CanadaHelps.org. When you visit the Family Centre, you can pay using cash, credit card, or cheque. Please speak to one of our Family Support Workers and they will help you.

Family Day Care Providers and Nannies are asked to request parents of the children in their care to purchase a MPFCS membership.

Vancouver Westside Childhood Development Hub offers Wednesday Workshops to support adults who work with young children. This season, parents are also welcome to register and attend the workshops! Workshop topics include: information regarding post partum depression, art therapy, music, technology, and difficult conversations. Read through the poster below for more details and then click on it to take you to the Westside Hub website to register for a workshop.

1-2-3 Jump! is a physical literacy program for 3yr olds and their parents. Have fun with your child moving and learning in new ways. Registration is required.The program is offered free in partnership with Little Mountain Neighbourhood House. We ask that you have a current Family Centre membership to participate.

Our friends at Marpole Oakridge Family Place are hosting

A No-Court Approach to Separation and Divorce: Clean Divorce Workshop, Facilitated by Rahul Aggarwal, Collaborative Lawyer & Family Law Mediator

A respectful approach to resolving family disputes as a team.
Rather than focusing on positions and entitlements, Collaborative Divorce professionals help the parties focus on individual and mutual interests that help guide decisions to establish a solid foundation for life after separation. 

When: Wednesday, November 5th, 2014 at 6:30-8:30 pm. 
Where: Marpole Oakridge Family Place; 8877 Selkirk Street, Vancouver. Street parking is available
How: Parents must register in advance by emailing Carol at carolc@mofp.org. Space is limited to 25.
No childmind is available; for adults only. Snacks, tea and coffee will be provided