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Milton Community
Resource Centre
2012 Annual Report
All of the photos in this report have been taken by children at either Bronte Street School or Bruce Trail Early Learning and Child Care Centre.
As we look back over the past year we see evidence of MCRC’s strong belief in an integrated “systems”
approach to service planning and provision of a high quality, seamless and a well-coordinated system for
all children and their families. MCRC has a strong and solid history of providing quality early learning and
care programs and services in our community. We are a multi-site, multi-service not-for-profit organization
governed by a voluntary Board of Directors and operate with open and transparent processes.
This year on behalf of the Board of Directors and staff, we submitted MCRC’s ideas to the provincial
conversation on transforming Early Learning and Child Care in Ontario. We took the opportunity to
respond to the Provincial document Modernizing Child Care in Ontario: Sharing Conversations.
Strengthening Partnerships, Working Together, released by the Ministry of Education in June 2012. This
discussion process gave us the opportunity to share some of our ideas and successes in working together
as a “system” with the province, the Region, community partners, families, and our community-at-large to
modernize the early learning and child care sector. You can find our response to the Provincial document
on our website www.mcrc.on.ca .
In September, we opened our new Early Learning Centre (ELC) which demonstrates our commitment to
an integrated “systems” approach to providing services within our community. Through a strong and
creative partnership with Milton Christian School, MCRC has been able to secure the lower floor of
Milton’s former Public Library site on Bruce Street to house our expanded Nursery School Program. At this
location we also provide Family Resource and Early Years programming. We also provide dedicated
space to the Community Intervention Program (CIP) which is a community based program supporting
children with special needs to gain, improve and/or maintain skills that would assist their transition into an
inclusive child care setting.
Further to our “systems” approach, MCRC has been designated as the lead organization for the Our Kids
Network’s key integration project which is to build a web-based Community Information System. This will
be used by both service providers and families as part of an enhanced “service navigation” strategy. We
are eager to see how this develops as a true support to our staff, families and the broader community.
We would like to acknowledge and thank our funders, board members, staff, community partners and
the many volunteers who are the foundation of our organization. Without you, our part within a system
that provides strong service provision and community responsiveness would not be possible.
Sincerely,
Tiffany Stewart Rebecca Barrows-Vrankulj
Chair, MCRC Board of Directors Executive Director, MCRC
A Message from the Board Chair and Executive Director
Chair: Tiffany Stewart Director: Mike Cluett
Vice Chair: Grace Mater Director: Diana Godfrey
Treasurer: Wilfred “Buddy” Edge Director: Cheryl Hayles
Secretary: Robert Pell
MCRC Board of Directors
MCRC Staff
Accounting/Finance
Aleksandra Dhyaneshwar
Helen Romary
Bronte Street School
Christine Bechara
Naomi Bonicelli
Andrea DeBartolo
Sarah Dunning-Saleh
Rahelah Faghi
Kristin Hogan
Katerina Ivanovic
Megan Lantz
Jacqueline Luce
Holly Manson
Claudia Maya
Susan Moniz
Jennifer Nunes
Kelly Raposo
Campbellville
Blanca Bolanos
Noura Latif
MCRC ELC/Nursery School
Robyn Anders
Kelly Donnan
Ashley Green
Kim Parker
Bruce Trail
Jessica Barringer
Irina Boiangu
Jennifer Boyer
Melissa Brownlee
Corin Charles
Cynthia Faucher
Kerry Ann Gardener
Flora Harjinder
Manny Kainth
Bradley Krantz
Natalia Leal-Nye
Jennifer Lee
Rachel Nesbitt
Betty Read
Sherry Standish
Jaime Stevens
Derek Tellier
Su Yatiwell
Kerri Zacny
CCDIL
Jean Brown
Anne Wassenich
Early Years/FRP
Sue Brathwaite
Katie McDonald
Kathy Page
Petra Samson
Karen Sickinger
Norma Smith
Executive Director
Rebecca Barrows-Vrankulj
Housekeeping
David Giroux
Patsy Mallais
Karin Villeneuve
Human Resources
Stephanie Martel
Mary Vrankulj
Rebecca Webber
Operations
Maria Evans
Reception
Alex Godfrey
Nancy Gourlay
School Age
Sarah Farrugia
Grace Fialho
Cheryl Haug
Chris Hadfield
Rukhsana Aftab
Amita Anand
Tara Gottfried
Sucharita Kirtikar
Nicole VanderVeen
Hawthorne Village
Sabah Majid
Carmelia Palmieri
Nicole Thissen
Margo Youssef
P.L Robertson
Leleika Haughton
Susy Infante
Kyle Mongiardi
Karen Ordonez
Kylene Oreskovic
Jessica Young
School Eight
Mamta Mistry
Farhat Saddiq
TJ Singh
Lindsay Boyce
Bronwyn Lewis
Sarah Naim
School Age Support
Pauline Bishop
Erin Hainey
Emily Hunter
Quality First
Melanie Cunha
Jennifer Davero
Barbara Harrison
Zenab Karimjee
Frances Killingbeck
Cathy Lipton
Denise MacDougal
Kim McMahon
Wendy Pavao-Terlizzi
Tina Santonato
THRC
Bonnie Brooks
Sharon Campbell-Springstead
Niza Chaudhry
Pat Douglas
Amanda Feener
Serena Le Chat
Alanna Merkley
Stephanie Salibay
Ruth Anne Wollaston
Volunteer and Resource
Lee-Ann Babin
CHERISH
Kate Sherwood
Early Learning Facilitator
Victoria Armstrong
MCRC would like to
thank the following
funders for their
on-going support:
Year ended: December 31, 2011
MCRC Financial Statement
Tina Santonato– Quality First
Tina Santonato RECE is the Coordinator of Quality First and the Child Care
Directory and Information Line. She has been with MCRC since 2006 and is well
known for her innovative, energetic, and entrepreneurial leadership. She is
dedicated to the field of Early Learning and has made significant contribution
to promoting quality child care both on an organizational and broader
community level. Tina loves a challenge and thrives with the opportunity to
take on new programs, tasks or initiatives. Upon being asked to bring
Developmental Assets (DA) into the fabric of our organization, she became
personally immersed in DA by attending the 4 day Train the Trainer session
hosted by the Our Kids Network. As a DA Community Trainer she has facilitated
3 community and 7 MCRC staff training sessions. She champions the DA internal
staff committee and looks for every opportunity to integrate DA into our organization and our individual practice.
Most recently she was an active member of the planning committee for the National DA conference Do Your Part
hosted by Halton. She also provided DA training at the Early Years pre-conference which was the very first held in
Canada. Tina conceptualized and produced MCRC’s new Our Human Rights video which premiered at the
conference and has since been viewed extensively. As one of her peers aptly said… “She inspires us all in our own
work and we are fortunate to call Tina our colleague and friend.”
Jean Brown– Child Care Directory and Information Line
Jean started at MCRC February 1st, 1999, working in OEYC and FRP, as a RECE.
Jean was involved in a variety of programs with Infants and toddlers like;
Mother Goose, Baby Milestones, Messing Around, Busy Fingers, and more. In
January 2009 Jean was hired as a Parent and Provider Consultant for The
Child Care Directory and Information Line with The Halton Resource
Connection. Jean brings passion and compassion to everything she does at
MCRC. In 2012 she was involved in two MCRC Committees; The Green
Committee and the Move More Milton Committee. Jean doesn’t take her role
in these committees lightly; she is instinctively driven towards these initiatives
promoting the well-being of the community and the environment. Jean has
contributed many ideas and recommendations, taken action on all tasks and
projects, and is the first to motivate and encourage all MCRC teams. Jean is
the ultimate cheerleader, she is always ready to support you with an
encouraging word and a smile...but if you put your garbage in the wrong recycling bin...watch out! Jean will find
you and make sure you don’t make the same mistake again! Thank you Jean for being such a dedicated and
caring member of the MCRC family.
Katelyn Sales - Volunteer of the Year
Katelyn began volunteering in MCRC’s Ontario Early Years programs and Family Resource
Programs in the summer of 2011. She has gone above and beyond the high school 40
hours volunteer requirement. In fact, between July 2011 and February 2012 Katelyn spent
over 100 hours volunteering in MCRC programs. She took an active role supporting staff
in the summer-mini camps and Yogi ABC, to name a few, and often brings in her guitar to
play for the children. Katelyn continues to volunteer with MCRC at special events and
helping to supervise youth at MCRC’s youth dances. We look forward to her continued
volunteer help.
MCRC Stars
We opened our new ELC September 4, 2012! It is a beautiful space (the Town of Milton’s former
children’s public library) located at 45 Bruce Street. At this location we operate our expanded
nursery school program, Ontario Early Years programs, and a drop-in for caregivers of our
Cherish Home Child Care program. We also provide dedicated space for the Community
Intervention Program (CIP) to operate a rotation of 6 week intensive programs for children with
special needs. CIP has not had a consistent space to be able to provide this program and we
are thrilled to partner with them to provide this much needed and very successful program.
In the New Year MCRC ELC will be starting an Intergenerational program for local seniors to
become involved in our nursery school program. We anticipate that this will bring much joy and
happiness to both the children and seniors who become involved.
Our community room is available to rent at a reasonable cost for meetings and presentations. It
is furnished with adult size tables and chairs as well as a large screen T.V. with laptop hook up.
The community room also has an observation area with a one way mirror into an adjacent
classroom.
Our official Grand Opening and Ribbon Cutting ceremony was held on October 10, 2012 in
collaboration with Milton Christian School. Mayor Gordon Krantz was in attendance as well as
representation from the Ministry of Education and the Region of Halton.
We owe tremendous thanks to the many staff, MCRC volunteers, community partners, family
and friends who helped make opening this new program possible. It was with your help and
dedication that we were able to open on time and provide a rich and welcoming program
from day one.
Staff members (from right) Ashley Green, Robyn Anders, Kelly Donnan and Kim Parker at the ELC Opening
MCRC Early Learning Centre (ELC)
Artists and Children Together (ACT) is MCRC’s newly redesigned
Art at the Centre program and is funded in part by The Ontario
Trillium Foundation. This exciting new program connects local
artists, from a broad range of disciplines, with the children
enrolled in our early learning and licensed child care programs.
This new integrative approach invites artists directly into
classrooms and programs to build on and extend children’s
ideas. Through active listening, observation and collaboration,
our hope is that artists will use their expertise and creativity to
offer children different ways to communicate their thoughts;
whether that be through clay, painting, sculpture, music,
movement, photography and more.
Inspired by the ideas and work of the children and teachers in Reggio Emilia, Italy,
documentation for the purpose of making thinking and the process of learning visible, will be a
key part of the work that the artists engage in with the children. Documentation of children’s
ideas, questions and explorations could take the form of photos, video, children’s sketches or
other work samples, transcribed conversations, as well as adult interpretations and theories
about the work of the children.
We are excited about this new program and anticipate that it will provide many new rich,
creative, and meaningful opportunities for children in our programs.
“Creativity becomes more visible when adults try to be more attentive to the
cognitive processes of children than to the results they achieve in various fields of
doing and understanding.”
– Loris Malaguzzi
Artists and Children Together (ACT)
Ontario Early Years 10th Anniversary
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