Hello Mission!

Tomorrow, I begin my visits in the Mission School District and (barring a huge snowfall!), I look forward to meeting the students and staff at each elementary school.

See you soon, Mission students!

Primary Literacy Day! (Part 2)

Thank you to Renee Norman, Literacy Consultant for the Vancouver School Board, for inviting me to participate in the district Primary Literacy Day. It was a wonderful day, getting to meet all of the dedicated primary teachers and to share some time talking about children and books. (Did you know that Renee, in her other life, is a poet?)

I loved hearing poet and teacher, Shannon Stewart, talk about how she gets children writing poetry. She showed us some amazing samples of student work and also read some of her own clever poetry.

Marilyn Chapman was the third speaker of the day and she discussed new developments in the Primary Program and full day Kindergarten. Most importantly, she talked about the importance of play in early learning and literacy.

To find out more about these talented folks, please check out these links: Renee's book, Martha in the Mirror; Shannon's website; and Marilyn's UBC bio.

I believe that primary teachers do some of the most important work in the world. It was great to be in their company today.

Cheers!

Primary Literacy Day

I'm looking forward to meeting the Vancouver Primary Teachers on Friday at their Primary Literacy Day. What a great opportunity to celebrate the teaching and learning of our youngest students!

I'm working on my presentation and getting ready to talk about books and children. What could be better than that?

See you soon. Cheers!

Authorfest!

It was a real treat to speak to education students at UBC yesterday, at the annual Authorfest celebration of books and BC authors. Thank you to everyone who came out to hear us speak! I wish you the best of luck with your practicums and in your teaching careers.

One thing I wish I had said yesterday was to remember to read to your students. Read to them every day and twice a day if you can. There is nothing more important in school or literacy education than teaching children the power of the written word. To hear you read aloud to them, sends a very strong message. So get reading! :-)

Cheers!

It's Here!

I'm thrilled to announce my new book: Watch Me Grow! A Down-to-Earth Look at Growing Food in the City. It's full of beautiful Vancouver urban garden photos shot by Brian Harris. There are backyard chickens and rooftop bees, community gardens, front yard gardens, and earth-friendly tips for growing food wherever you live.

It's at Kidsbooks now. Very exciting!

Happy New Year!

It is a sunny, crisp day here in Vancouver, and the North Shore mountains are capped with snow. At times like this, it's easy to believe that I live in the most beautiful place in the world.

It's a perfect day to contemplate the start of 2011 and the challenges of the coming year.

I hope that your year is a happy and healthy one, full of family and friends and many wonderful things.

Happy New Year!

Happy Holidays!

I wish you all a happy, festive holiday season!