Celebrating Asian Heritage Month

May is Asian Heritage Month in Canada, a time to reflect on and celebrate the contributions that Canadians of Asian descent have made and continue to make, to the growth and prosperity of Canada:

Asian Heritage Month has been celebrated across Canada since the 1990s. In December 2001, the Senate of Canada adopted a motion proposed by Senator Vivienne Poy to officially designate May as Asian Heritage Month in Canada. Over the last two centuries, immigrants have journeyed to Canada from East Asia, Southern Asia, Western, Central and Southeast Asia, bringing our society a rich cultural heritage representing many languages, ethnicities and cultural traditions. (Source)

Want to spread the word about Asian Heritage Month?
Check out the campaign toolkit here: https://www.canada.ca/en/canadian-heritage/campaigns/asian-heritage-month/toolkit.html

Events in Asian Canadian History

Source: https://www.canada.ca/en/canadian-heritage/campaigns/asian-heritage-month/important-events.html

Since the late-1700s, people of Asian descent have made important contributions to Canada’s history and identity. Each year, as part of its annual Asian Heritage Month campaign, the Government of Canada encourages Canadians to learn about how Canadians of Asian descent have and continue to help shape Canada as we know it today. These include, amongst others:

Interested in a more community-driven perspective on Asians making an impact?
Check out this list from the Cold Tea Collective, a website dedicated to celebrating the Asian diaspora. https://coldteacollective.com/asian-canadians-making-it-while-making-a-difference/

Update: TBDHU- Children Involved in Handling Food in Child Care

We have received some exciting news that programs may once again allow children to assist in preparing and handling food!

The Thunder Bay District Health Unit wishes to remind programs to adhere to the Guidelines for Food Handling for Children   Please share this resource with your colleagues!

We know that our programs have missed these engaging opportunities for children and how important food preparation can be for fostering the Four Foundations! We can’t wait to hear about your cooking adventures.

For any further questions, feel free to reach out to the Public Health Inspector, whose phone number can be found at the bottom of the link to the guidelines document.

Virtual tour with Abiinojiishiik-amino-yawook!

On behalf of the Child Care and Early Years team at TBDSSAB we want to say Chi Miigwetch to the incredible team at Abiinojiishiik-amino-yawook EarlyON Child and Family Centre. On Tuesday March 29th Sarah, Jennifer, Sabrina and Erica took us on a journey through their program during our first ever virtual tour gathering!  They offered insight into who they are, their journey with embracing and implementing Indigenous culture into their programs and the special ways that make their team unique in our community! Through their insightful video, and the wholesome discussion period, we were able to learn alongside educators within our community and embrace the perspectives they bring to our Early Years field!

We are looking forward to our upcoming tours which will be happening throughout the Spring and Fall, stay tuned for updates! If you are interested in showcasing your program through a virtual tour, please let us know by emailing early.years@tbdssab.ca!

You can find the RECORDING LINK HERE! Please share your thoughts, reflections and questions in the comment section!😊

Miigwetch and Baamaapii!

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We got ZEN! Here’s what happened…

Thank you to all who were able to join us for Mindfulness and Meditation: Let’s Get Zen last Wednesday March 23, 2022! It was so great to gather with fellow zen-lovers in our community to enjoy some gentle seated stretching, a calming book reading, and a relaxing guided meditation. Participants also shared what helps them and the children in programs feel good and some of the key ideas from this were: gratitude practice, noticing surroundings and sensations, breathing exercises, self-care box, and self-care spaces. 

Here are some of the resources that were shared/discussed by the group: 

Thanks again to all who were able to make it! We hope you found it as relaxing as we did. Check the portal calendar for more upcoming special events! 

Namaste,
Alex, Jodi, & Megan