MLAs form both the BC Liberal and New Democratic parties congratulated the community of Revelstoke on Wednesday for being ranked Number One in the province when it comes to preparing children for Kindergarten.
What follows is an extract from the Hansard transcript of MLA Norm Macdonald’s comments in the Legislature:
Wednesday, November 4, 2009, afternoon (Hansard):
N. Macdonald: Revelstoke has much to be proud of but recently an exceptional accomplishment made the news across British Columbia.
Using a measurement called the Early Learning Development Instrument, Revelstoke has been recognized for doing the best job in the Province preparing children for Kindergarten.
Revelstoke is a community with a population of 9,000 and is situated 200 kms from a major centre. It is a community whose citizens rely on each other to make things happen. This top place ranking is a true indication of the strength of this community.
Tracy Spannier is the director of Revelstoke’s early childhood development committee which consists of 22 community partners. The committee meets regularly to coordinate early childhood programs and to talk through the best ways to overcome challenges.
This coordinated effort begins at birth when the public health nurse delivers to new parents a package that contains a list of services and information, a children’s calendar, and a directory of child care options.
Child development in Revelstoke continues with a full range of pre-school services including resource libraries, parenting workshops, playgroups and an amazing CCRR office.
Providing this level of support for young children takes time and resources and a strong commitment from people who are passionate about early learning. It recognizes Revelstoke’s strong belief that investing in children is the wisest investment we can make.
Tracy Spannier summed it up very nicely when she said, “You don’t get a result like this without having families that are really involved with their children and being able to access programs and services. Revelstoke is a great place to raise kids.”
I ask the House to join me in congratulating Revelstoke’s accomplishment and to recognize the hard work of all the partners in the Early Childhood Development committee in Revelstoke.
All members of the Legislature showed their appreciation to the Revelstoke Early Childhood Development Committee and to the parents and caregivers who are working so hard to ensure that kids in Revelstoke have the best opportunity possible to succeed in school.
