BARBARA GRUMME’S BLOG!

 Communication is about talking and listening, sharing interests, solving problems, talking about our experiences, expressing feelings, explaining what we need and want, and telling stories. When you talk with your family it helps to remember that they are people and not just partners, children and parents.

Everyone has negative times. How we deal with them is what counts. Using too much sarcasm, teasing, name calling, shaming, nagging, threats or blame makes you feel bad about yourself – not to mention everyone else.

 Information was by Kickstarters.ca

You can speak and listen to others better by:

▪         Really listening to what people say and mean

▪         Trying to understand each other

▪         Being aware of your own feelings/sensitive

▪         Trying to understand other points of view

▪         Speaking in ways which make sense to others

▪         Thinking about what you expect and expecting the best

▪         Keeping your sense of humor

▪         Solving problems together

▪         Discussing choices

▪         Knowing what responsibilities are appropriate for your child at different ages

▪         Helping children say how they are feeling

▪         Making some family rules, e.g., people are not for hitting or hurting

▪         Asking others how they spent their day

▪         Spending quality time with children talking, playing a game, reading a story, listening to a CD.

Here are some tips if you’re traveling with kiddies in the car for extended periods of time:

▪         Schedule breaks every 45 minutes to stretch, visit the restroom and just get our of the car for 10 – 15 minutes

▪         Avoid giving the kids sugary drinks and snakes.. the last think you need is sugar-hyper kids in the backseat

▪         Bring music CDs, story CDs for smaller kids. For older kids, try a book on CD

▪         Play a game of I Spy – even the little ones can play this one!

▪         Bring ‘goodie bags’ of healthy snakes, like cereal and dried fruit; crackers and cream cheese. Keep portions smaller.

▪         One fun trick: wrap up a favorite small toy in layers of paper or tissue. When you’re desperate, hand it over and let Junior have fun unwrapping it layer by layer.

▪         Separate siblings with pillow walls… have them build it if they’re in the right frame of mind.

Saturday, May 15,2010
Club LaSalle
111 Arthur Street, St.Catharine’s, ON
3:00pm - 7:00pm Free Admission
8:00pm - ?? $5.00 Admission

3:00pm - 7:00pm come out and enjoy cultural entertainment, and traditional foods, with a free admission. Then starting at 8:00pm there will be an African/Caribbean Dance Music Night. Admission is $5.00/person, free under the age of 12. This is a cultural event of diversity representing the African/Caribbean communities, it will be done in both English and french. This family event will include a variety of ethnic foods. Entertainment including live music, drumming and dancing to represent the various cultures.

Information by:
Niagara Folk Arts Festival
www.folk-arts.ca
905-685-6589

The Ontario’s Greenbelt is an area of protected green space, farmland and vibrant communities. It surrounds the Golden Horseshoe and covers 1.8 million acres.
The Greenbelt’s trees and plants filter air pollution, acting as the “lungs” of the region, while its rivers feed sources of drinking water for millions of people.
It preserves some of the best agricultural land in Canada, which in turn provides fresh fruits and vegetables, dairy, meat and grapes for prize-winning wines.
All year round, the Greenbelt provides many outdoor activities like bird-watching, cycling, fruit-picking and skiiing - all this and Canada’s largest network of hiking trails.

The Greenbelt is our living countryside and is vital to our quality of life.

Explore it
Support it
Enjoy it

Visit OurGreenbelt.ca for more information

Are you providing enough information? Providing a centralized location for information on all existing clients, products and services will give your team the confidence to answer any question without having to rely on others for information.

Are you providing training for skills that your team may be lacking? If you have hired the right person based on their character and attitude, but they are making mistakes, make sure they have the necessary training to ensure they know how to do it right,

Are you providing too much direction? If you try to tell your teams how to do everything step by step, you are really limiting them on providing quality customer service. If you free them up to do what they know is necessary – based on agreed expectations – you are providing the freedom to make your customers happy.

Do you have enough team members? If you have a team who is spread so thin they can’t provide quality service over the quantity of customers served, consider hiring more team members. By hiring team member, you will enable your team to make more sales.

Do you motivate your team? You are sure to win more customers, if you reward your team for delivering a great customer service. Look for ways to provide positive reinforcement on a daily basis in addition to providing performance bonuses, gift cards, or something for you team to earn.

Do you provide too much information during training sessions? If you supply too much at once, they will take longer to master those new skills. Consider breaking training into smaller sessions to allow time to master a few skills at a time. Teams who feel successful will be successful.
Does the entire organization understand the critical role they each play in delivering an exceptional customer service experience? Too many organizations do not place the same importance on internal customers – and resultant, the customer facing teams do not get the support they need to deliver to external customers.

Pick one of these ten questions and focus on it – attacking too many initiatives at once will lead to frustration.

Once your team has mastered one goal, move on to another. Working together for a shared goal and seeing ongoing improvements will keep t team focused, motivated and positive.

Information by:

Bill

email - bill@billhogg        email address - www.billhogg.ca

Courtesy www.EzineArticles.com

Through The Business Link Niagara

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Here is the link thanks to Cogeco that did a amazing job!!!

http://www.tvcogeco.com/niagara/gallerie/the-source/1443-september-source-stories/5709-forest-hoe-down

Located at the District School Board of Niagara

191 Carlton St. St.Catharines

All families new to Ontario or Canada are asked to come to the Welcome Centre before registering children in schools.

Here you will receive:

▪          Multilingual information on DSBN schools and services

▪          Support in making decisions about your child’s educational future

▪          Assistance completing the registration process so your child can start school

▪          A language assessment by an ESL Teacher as needed

▪          Settlement counseling

Information by: Literacy and Language; community education services – district school board of Niagara 905-687-7000 

call Brandie Lancione for an appointment: 905-641-1550 X 54152

•     Settlement Services: Staff speak French, English and other languages

  ·     Language Instruction for Newcomers to Canada - English as a Second Language/Career and Professional Integration Class

  ·     Cultural Language Classes

  ·     Employment Programs Career Enhancement Classes, Job Search Workshop

  ·     Canadian Access for International Professionals & Skilled Trades (CAIPS)

  ·     Credential Assessment Assistance

  ·     Language Assessment Assistance

  ·     Language Assessment Services

  ·     Employer Education & Support Cultural Education Programs

  ·     Mentorship Programs

  ·     Child Minding Programs

  ·     Emergency shelter

  ·     Kids quest – literacy and social skills development for youth

  ·     HOST programs: Social and educational activities for youth and adults

  ·     Mental health – volunteer programs

  ·     Women’s new enterprise program and support program

  ·     Community access program

  ·     Immigrant seniors program

  ·     Homework club – conversation circles

  ·     Welcome and reception centre (Peace Bridge, Fort Erie)

• For more information visit

  Niagara Multicultural Services 1-888-764-9041