A Message from the Executive Director
We have been very busy over the last few months here at Investing in Children. We will share with you
in this emailer many of our successes including Kids First Day, the 2006 Snapshot of London’s Children and Youth, as well as upcoming projects. We owe
much of our success in these areas to our community partners who continue to help broaden our vision for London’s children
and youth.
This is also a time to thank the countless volunteers who have supported us over the year. Their passion
and dedication match that of our staff here at Investing in Children. This does not go unnoticed by our community. As Peter Ferguson,
the Principal of Princess
Elizabeth P.S wrote to our Board of Directors” Through the excellent planning and efforts of your staff, we have been able
to provide many initiatives at Princess Elizabeth P.S. which have benefited many of our students.”
We hope that all of you will join us at our annual fund raiser “ Fun at the Frog”, on June
21, 2006. With your support we will continue to make a difference in the lives of children and their families.
As summer approaches, we wish you all a safe and enjoyable season. Thank you all again for your continued support.
Sincerely,
Anita Gilvesy
Executive Director
Fun at the Frog
 Investing in Children would like you to join us for our annual summer celebration, Fun at the Frog. Party with us on the patio at
the Barking Frog on Wednesday, June 21. This year, we have exciting live entertainment from the Timber Wolves, a STOMP-inspired student
group, plus the much-loved live and silent auctions, raffle and door prizes and our signature martini.
Tickets are only $50 and include appetizers, salad, dinner, desert and an martini, plus a $25 tax receipt.
Tickets are selling quickly! To purchase yours, please call 433-8996 ext 224 or email lkirk@investinginchildren.on.ca.
2006 Snapshot
What is life like for a child growing up in London today? What do families look like in our city? How
are the health and education systems faring? What types of recreation, arts and culture opportunities exist? And most importantly
as we look to the future of our children, where are we shining, and where do we need to improve?
Our community is filled with data and information, collected by dozens of organizations. On their own,
each represents one small image of our city. Investing in Children has collected these many sources of information into one comprehensive
document, the 2006 Snapshot of London’s Children and Youth, with five sections: Family Structure, Health, Education,
Recreation, and Art & Culture.
The 2006 Snapshot can be used to better identify the gaps and opportunities
in our community, to gain a stronger understanding of the London’s needs, and also to see the areas where our city excels.
For members of the business community, the information in the 2006 Snapshot can show potential employees the benefits of living
and working in London, and help to recognize volunteer and charitable opportunities.
The 2006 Snapshot is supported by the City of London, the United Way and the Investing in Children Foundation. To download a complete PDF version of the Snapshot, please
click here.
Family Literacy From March to May of this year, Investing in Children coordinated twelve 90 minute family literacy events at 2 London
schools and one rural school outside Strathroy for children grades JK- 3 and their families. Each school had four themed evenings
(Olympics, Good eats, Knights and Castles and Space) with a variety of activities promoting family literacy skills.
Our evaluation has been completed, and our results include:
- the events were highly successful at the locations with an average
attendance at Adelaide WG MacDonald school of 63 participants, Princess Elizabeth school 44 participants and Aberdeen 27 participants
per night.
- Evaluation responses from the principals and school staff all indicated an "excellent" in
rating the series to see if it met the expectations of the school and the families.
- The school administration indicated that
they would like to continue their partnership with investing in children and would recommend the family literacy series to
their colleagues.
- Returned parent surveys indicated that families were taking home the resource
materials provided and at adelaide macdonald school 84% were using the resources at home, 98% were using the resources from princess
elizabeth school and 90% from
Aberdeen
- Families were quoted as saying “excellent program. Wish it was every quarter”, “events
like this help to support and strengthen an already healthly reading appetite” and “great information and resources
to use continuously”
In the next school year, we look forward to partnering with the Thames Valley District School Board to provide Family Literacy Events
to more families and children.
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