Dreaming about warm weather, on a dreary day

It is a dreary day in Toronto and the summer seems far, far away.

It is times like these that I find myself thinking a warm summer breeze, sitting outside eating watermelon, or wearing flip flops on a walk to the park. I love the energy of the summer, the spirit of the our space changes--it switches into much more socially, play-based and I dare to even say...outdoorsy kind of vibe.

This year we have switched it up to include activity rotations that the campers rotate between; the idea is that each age group will have their own tailor-made activity at each activity rotation throughout the day. Activities are lead by our Senior programming staff, and campers are supported by their cousellors/teachers at a ratio of 1:4. We have additional support for those who require it, just let us know. Everyone learns together with specialized methods called on as needed and with social opportunities sought and facilitated.

We are fortunate to have a playground on-site, as well as an even larger sensory-playground (I might even say an  out of this world sensory playground) within walking distance from us. We have 4 indoor classrooms, a sensory-motor gym space and a property that permits outdoor exploration from chalk art to outdoor water play; we have shaded areas for a cool break, like snack time, and plenty of sunshine (we PROMISE to wear sunscreen). If you're wondering how we got so lucky in the heart of York (that is, Toronto), well you are not the only one wondering that.

We are so fortunate to have landlords that permit our use of their space with open arms and with the attitude "our home is your home"; we are located at 47 Glenbrook Avenue, in the lower level of the Beth Torah Congregation. We are very proud of the space we have created for our kids.

We're 10-second walk to the local grocery store (the wonderful Lady York), Dairy Queen (a summer time staple) and a dollar store, all serving to provide valuable social opportunities for our bigger kids. We're 1 block away is a community center that open it's doors for free swim every afternoon in the summer; anyone up for swimming and making some friends? We're excited to be planning regular trips to the pool, which is monitored by a lifeguard at all times to ensure safety.

In between walks to the sensory park, recess in our playground, snack in the shade, soccer on the lawn, water works in the rear-lot, arts and crafts on the lawn, sensory play inside and out, team sports in the gym, science for a break from the heat and lunchtime in your cabin group, you'll want to make sure to drink plenty of water! 


So when it's really dreary, and it seems like summer is a long way away...these are the kinds of thoughts I like to think! Here's to a short May....
Cheers!

 

www.MagnificentMinds.ca if this sounds like something your kids would like!

Anxiety Intervention: That is What Summers are For!

It often amazes me how many kids I encounter with anxiety issues. On some level, anxiety is a natural part of life and helps us understand our own arousal levels, and ability for toleration. In other ways, anxiety can be all-consuming, and scary, meaning that it has essentially crossed the threshold from normal nerves to classical anxiety. I think that anxiety is a fairly normal, cue gasp, aspect of life that can be overcome and managed.

We use systematic teaching strategies.

I always hear the same story from parents, the academic year is full of anxiety; there is school, after-school programs, dance lessons, piano, Speech, ABA, OT and so on and so on until your child is just a ball of nerves ready to burst... Is it all a bit too much? Maybe. But what other option do we have, than to constantly push our kids to their maximum potential? We want gold for your kids, and so do you...that is why we give everything we have to making sure your kids meet milestones, develop self-awareness and become successful self-advocates. We want it all don't we? A happy, healthy and well adjusted kid that also does well in all arenas, from social to communication. We want the full package, we want every child to reach his or her potential, or better yet, surpass it.


So what it means, is that we as professionals, and you as parents, need to come together to understand your child's anxiety. Come together to understand how to combat and manage the anxiety, as well as using a behavioral approach to analyze the antecedents and consequences that come before and after the episode of anxiety, so that you can plan and manipulate variables as needed. By helping your child cope with anxiety, you shape the behavior needed to be able to deescalate one's own feelings of angst...what better gift is there?


Spending the time to address anxiety concerns, is crucially important for social, academic and inter-personal growth. Having the time to target anxiety in a hands-on way, is easy when you think about it....


Summer vacation is a time to recharge for students; it's a time to develop social and interpersonal skills, a time to develop hobbies and skills. Summer vacations can also be an incredible time to target the obstacles that prevent skill acquisition during the academic year, in a way that is intensive and hands-on.


Anxiety, for example, can be a difficult barrier to overcome without explicit intervention, and can hinder academic development among other skills. Overcoming anxiety will allow your child to be his or her authentic self; to experience self-love, and self-understanding, and most important self-confidence.


A successful intervention for social anxiety, would include a combination of 1:1 and group learning; it would involve a comprehensive program in which desensitization is targeted and reinforcement is used to pair social situations with reinforcement. Through a variety of presentations, students participate in both individual and group therapy, ensuring that all needs met throughout the day. Participating in a variety of activities, chosen for each unique learner's profile, kids can expect to overcome barriers, and become confidence and social learners. Most importantly, participants will return to school with strategies, and management techniques and abilities, which increase overall ability to perform independently.





P.S. Magnificent Minds offers a program like this. www.MagnificentMinds.ca for more details about our Summer Camp Program 2012


P.P.S. If you like the font used in the pic above, Google free fonts and get loads of amazing fonts for teaching purposes and making visuals :)

Sensory Aquarium

The overhead lights are off, the mood is mellow; the room is lit up with desk lamps shinning rays of blue and purple light (i.e. grown ups call it a blacklight). Everything around us seems to glow as it moves; videos of dolphins jumping through waves keeps our attention, while bubbles fill the air. Watch them pop, one by one. The kids are lounging on a big blue crash pad; it is the ocean, of course. The foam inside replicates the waves of the ocean moving beneath you; feel them crash into your legs! Take a big deep breath before you go underwater; ready, set go!



Just another morning at Magnificent Minds Summer Camp, this week our theme is Under the Sea.


Images from freedigitalphotos.net

Why choose Summer Social Skills Programs?

I wanted to take a moment to explain the value of our social skills summer camp program, this might help give you a better idea of why it is a fantastic way to spend the summer. I also invite you to come check us our in-center to see for yourself! :) 

After a summer MM, your child will have been set-up for success in a group learning environment; all summer your child will be supported by ABA therapists acting as camp counselors, and will be participating in activities designed to elicit social skills in our learners.The reason our summer program is so successful, is that we maintain a low ratio and ensure that every child has the support he or she needs to thrive in a group setting.

Each week, we target a various social skill which by week's end, should be mastered by each student; some of these goals include initiating and reciprocating social greetings, street safety and community rules, waiting for your turn, learning to share, and using your words to ask. These goals are taken from a social skills curriculum designed to meet the needs of early learners. 

Without the pressure of the academic year, summer is a fun time to target social skill development, including the building blocks there of like imitation skills, listening skills, and ability to stay with the group among others. The majority of our children will continue on into the fall with us in some capacity, to maintain the skills acquired over the summer; this can look like 1 or 2 hours of 1:1 tutoring come the fall (at your place or ours) or it can look like once a week social skill Sundays to keep developing those skills and maintaining the already acquired ones.

A lot of our kids require systematic instruction in order to pick up on the skills that other children develop naturally, with some hard work all of our kids can learn the social rules, and their overall ability to learn within a group environment will improve as a result. Questions or comments? Please call me! We do have 1 or 2 spots left for camp and I wanted to make sure you truly appreciate the value in a program of this nature. If the cost is your main concern, please do not hesitate to discuss this with me and I will try to make it work.

As always, thank you to freedigitalphotos.net

Big, Exciting, Changes. :)

Big things are happening at MM. This week alone we have made some great purchases, and had some fantastic consultations with local professions. Some of these purchases include a playground, a teeter-totter, a sandbox and 6, yes 6, 42 lb. bags of sand and enough books to fill a library. All in all, it is looking like summer 2011 is going to be a blast!

With schedules being sorted out, and a final round of hiring happening, we are now fully equipped to meet your needs. The first parent training session will be scheduled for September, do not hesitate to get in touch for details. In the meantime, keep raising money for the walk (next Sunday) and enjoy the transition week between school and camp.

If you want to know what we will be up to these next few weeks before camp, here is a look:
-building our play ground
-fencing our playground
-developing individual support plans for each camper
-setting up camp-headquarters, the purple room, our sensory classroom (the turquoise room) and of course, the epic gross motor room (the BIG room)
-organizing and developing materials
-scheduling intake meetings and site viewings
-ensuring overall facility safety and compliance with health and safety regulations
& that is just day one....

P.S. If you have done a summer clean and realized you have extra puzzles, games, books or school supplies, please let us know and we would be happy to take them; anything we cannot use we will donate to a local charity. :) Thanks for paying it forward.


As always, images from freedigitalphotos.net

Camp Schedules are now complete! Want a sneak peak?!

Time	Period	Activity	Location
9:00-12:00 AM
9:00-9:30	Arrival & Transition Play	Goal: Choice making + socialization	Purple Room
9:30-10:00	Good Morning Circle	Days of the week, months of the year, who is here today, talk about theme: ice cream! Sing theme songs	Purple Room
10:00-10:30	Daily Physical Activity: Team Game	Morning Yoga	Gross Motor Room or Outside
10:30-11:00	Snack	--	Purple Room or Outside
11:00-11:30	Sensory Science	Choice Experiment: favourite flavours!	Sensory Room
11:30-12:00	Story time & Hands-On Learning	Social Story and Re-enactment: Waiting is hard!	Purple Room
12:00-1:00	Lunch & Recess	--	Purple Room, Outside
1:00-3:20 PM
1:00-1:30	Arts and Crafts	Model Magic Ice Cream Cones	Purple Room
1:30-2:00	Music Circle	Goal: Choice making	Sensory Room   or Outside
2:00-2:30	Sensory Science	Field Trip: Dairy Queen	Sensory Room or Outside
2:30-3:00	Gross Motor Games	Field Trip: Dairy Queen	Gross Motor or Outside
3:00-3:20	Dismissal & Transition Play	--	Purple Room or Outside

Week 2 of Social Skills Camp is all about ice cream! YUM! Our social theme of the week is "Why Wait"; all week we talk about ice cream in our hands-on learning units, and at the end of the week we get a special surprise, a trip to the ice cream parlor! Our campers will learn that though waiting can be hard, it pays off in the end.

We will explore various sensory aspect of ice cream, hot vs. cold, and engage in social skill building games based on our academic themes. We will expand our fine motor skills in various tasks aimed at recreating the ice cream shape, with various household items including cotton balls and coloured rice. Our campers will expand their imaginations with hands-on learning and plenty of opportunities for choice making. We always keep things fresh, by switching up our themes weekly and ensuring that we are always raising the bar for our campers. For more information, call us today! 647-404-6349

as always, images courtesy of freedigitalphotos.net