Quality Learning NB

Saint John Free Public Library Support

2011-10-06T09:24:00.002-03:00

We were glad to have the Saint John Free Public Library on board, as a funder and a friend, for our 9th year of Quality Storytents. The library was a founding partner of the Saint John Family Literacy Advisory Committee, and has been a constant supporter and friend in almost all of our work with families in Crescent Valley.

Next year will be our 10th year of storytents. Not surprisingly, the library is helping us mark and celebrate the decade with a number of events. During this, Canada Library Month, we want to take a moment to thank the library for its support of our work, and, through us, its support of the families we serve.

Get Set Learn Afterschool Training

2011-10-02T20:07:00.000-03:00

Since 2008, Project READ Literacy Network (Ontario) has developed and piloted a family literacy curriculum with partners in New Brunswick and Manitoba. In this training session, Outreach and Program Coordinator Lorri Sauve will share what they have learned about working with low income and second language families to implement an inter-cultural, strength-based program that promotes the nine essential skills.

Lorri Sauve, M.A., Outreach and Program Coordinator, Project READ Literacy Network, is a 20 + year veteran of the adult literacy and family literacy field. A recent Canada Post Literacy Educator Award (2011), she brings knowledge, experience, and enthusiasm to every workshop she facilitates.

Full Flyer (pdf)

Registration Form (pdf)

There is no fee for this workshop. For more information please contact Cheryl Brown at (506) 333-2601 or sjfamlit@nbnet.nb.ca.

Province Supports Storytents

2011-09-29T20:25:00.002-03:00

Juanita Black, QLNB Board member and member of the CVCTA
thanks Minister Holder for his long time support of Storytents

With the successful wrap-up of our 9th summer, we want to recognize and thank the provincial government for investing $12,500 in Quality Storytents, an outdoor reading program that outreaches of the provincial summer reading club program, and provides families a fun, safe place to read or borrow books.

At the announcement of the funding, on a rainy summer morning, Wellness, Culture and Sport Minister Trevor Holder noted that the program played a vital role in creating productive, engaged and culturally aware residents. "The Quality Storytent project has achieved great success in Crescent Valley, and it has encouraged other communities, such as Campbellton, St. Stephen and Sackville, to start the program."

This year, the project depended on a partnership between QLNB, the Saint John Free Public Library, the Crescent Valley Community Tenant's Association, and the Crescent Valley Resource Centre. We ran eight storytents per week, Monday through Thursday, over 9 weeks, allowing 148 neighbourhood children to attended the Storytent or Bookwagon lending program. Seventy-seven children registered for the Summer Reading Club. Registered or not, the children recorded reading a total of 4330 books this summer. As well, 27 adults made use of the Storytent and/or Bookwagon: between them, children and adults borrowed 869 books.

Many thanks to the children and families who participated and to our partners and funders: Province of New Brunswick, Saint John Free Public Library, Crescent Valley Community Tenant’s Association, Crescent Valley Resource Centre, Saint John Y’s Men, Literacy Coalition of NB PGI Fund, and Walmart.

Announcement of Province of NB support for Quality Storytents, Aug 4th.

Back row (L-R): Cheryl Brown, QLNB; Nancy Savoie, CVRC; City of Saint John Councillor Gary Sullivan;
Hon. Trevor Holder, Minister of Wellness Culture and Sport/Saint John Portland MLA;
Heather McKend, Saint John Free Public Library; Juanita Black, CVCTA.

QLNB helps out at Family Evening

2011-02-24T21:08:00.002-04:00

QLNB board member Heather McKend with Clifford the Big Red Dog

In the midst of hosting a Scholastic Book Fair, Hazen White / St. Francis Elementary School held a Family Evening complete with games, reading, shopping and Clifford the Big Red Dog. QLNB was happy to be help out on the night, providing four volunteers (two of them pictured above). In return, we had the chance to grab some really great deals for the bookwagon.

After the event, school principle Jennifer Carhart wrote to say, "between Clifford and all the games/activities the children had a REALLY great time."

We think so, too.

Juanita Black receives 'Y' Peace Medal, 2010

2011-02-20T11:28:00.008-04:00

Juanita Black (right) recipient of the YMCA's Peace Medal 2010

We often talk about our quality programs, but QLNB also has some very special board members. Among them is our treasurer, Juanita Black.

Juanita is a resident of the Crescent Valley neighbourhood, a long-time block parent, and a past president of the Crescent Valley Community Tenant's Association. She helps organize a Community Garden, works as Coordinator of the Around the Block community newspaper and has been called described as a "tireless worker for the City's poor" (CHSJ News). She is a constant volunteer for events like neighbourhood clean-up, Christmas parties, and Crescent Valley Fun Days. Less visibly, she is a constant source of encouragement and information for many of her neighbours, and we feel lucky to have her on our board.

Juanita was one of two 2010 recipients of the YMCA Peace Medal, an award granted "an individual or group who, without any special resources, demonstrates a commitment to peace through special contributions made within their community locally, nationally or globally." We didn't want to leave 2010 too far behind without adding our "congratulations" to the chorus of cheers and appreciations she has received from across our region.

Thank you, Juanita, and well done.

2010 Annual General Meeting

2011-02-18T19:58:00.001-04:00

Our Annual General Meeting is scheduled for noon on Monday, March 21st, 2011. The meeting will be held at the Saint John Free Public Library, One Market Square. All are welcome.

:)

Basket of Books

2011-02-02T20:58:00.000-04:00

What do Eric Carle's The Very Hungry Caterpillar, Robert Munsch's Paperbag Princess, Jeff Kinney's Diary of a Wimpy Kid, and Charles Portis' True Grit have in common?

They were all part of a basket of books for the whole family. The basketful of books, with a retail value of approximately $200, were part of a Family Literacy Day fund-raiser hosted by the Saint John Walmart Store on Westmorland Road. Tickets on a draw were sold for $1 each, with the winning ticket going to Andy from K-park.

Walmart generously offered to matched what we raised, making this a successful fundraiser toward the 2011 Quality Storytent program.

Thanks, Walmart!

Family Literacy Day is a yearly celebration of books and reading in families. It has been celebrated across Canada since 1998.

Christmas Parties

2010-12-24T21:13:00.000-04:00

Whew! What a busy and merry Christmas!

This year, QLNB helped out with four local parties.

On December 4th, we were in Crescent Valley helping with the Tenant's Association's children's party.

On December 11th, we were in the Old North End helping out with the ONE Change family Christmas party.

On December 18th, we were back in Crescent Valley, at the Hazen White / Saint Francis School, helping the Resource Centre with their big day.

On December 23rd, we did not make it to Anglin Drive, but we helped that Tenant's Association out by providing 30 books for presents.

Oh, and on December 12th, we were at Cheryl's House, looking back on 2010 and making plans for 2011.

From all of us, to all of you, Merry Christmas!

CVCTA Thanks QLNB

2010-11-10T20:11:00.001-04:00

Janet McLaughlin, Cheryl Brown, Juanita Black

QLNB was surprised and proud to receive an award at the Crescent Valley Community Tenants Association's 17th Annual Honours and Awards Celebration. These awards are a way to celebrate the many hours of volunteerism in the community and honour community partners. The plaque reads:

Presented to Quality Learning NB
in appreciation of your continual support
of the Crescent Valley Community Tenant's Association
November 2010

The Crescent Valley Community Tenants Association (55/57 MacLaren Blvd., Saint John) is an association of residents who work together to put on special events, beautify and improve their neighbourhood, and work with others to attract services and supports for their neighbours.

The Honours and Awards celebration was held on Nov 6, 2010.

H.O.P.E. Wellness Fair

2010-11-04T21:24:00.004-03:00

QLNB has been invited by the new H.O.P.E. Centre (Health, Opportunity, Pastoral, Education) to join them in a wellness fair this weekend. The event is meant to gather interested area residents to a fun, family-friendly setting and encourage them to dream about possible programs and services.

Wellness has been a major theme for the literacy field since Health Canada released a 1998 paper by Burt Perrin titled How Does Literacy Affect the Health of Canadians?

The Perrin paper gathered evidence from a variety of fields that showed the ways the literacy skills of Canadians impact on their health, "no matter how health is defined or measured." The paper considered "the mechanisms by which literacy affects health, pointing out that this is through a combination of both direct and especially indirect means" as well as showing "that literacy is closely related with other determinants of health which have been identified."

Perrin's findings were echoed by a number of research projects from across Canada, including Nova Scotia's 2004 A Community-Based Approach to Health Literacy Using Participatory Research prepared by Doris E. Gillis. In 2005, Ms. Gillis also prepared Health Canada's shorter paper Beyond Words - the Health-Literacy Connection.

A yet briefer summary of findings is provided in the MCL 2002 Factsheet #6 Literacy is for Health.

Grass Roots Press distributes a number of easy-to-read books on health, including Living with Stress by Judy Murphy. Another popular, easy-to-read health book for adults is the FYI title Staying Well by New Readers Press. We have a partial list of children's books related to health here.

The new H.O.P.E. Centre is now open at 4347 Loch Lomond Road. It is a beautiful multi-purpose facility that houses a wellness centre, a community police office, and a section for City of Saint John Leisure Services staff. There is a large meeting room that will serve as a space to gather for parish and community activities. It also houses a licensed pre-school and an after-school program.

Saturday's event will begin at 11:00 am and finish at 2:00pm. There will be a variety of displays and activities, including: Zumba, a senior’s event, health screening, and our own Storytent. Light refreshments will be served and names will be entered to win some fabulous door prizes. Non-perishable food items will be accepted on behalf of the Lakewood Headstart Food Bank.

Marking International Literacy Day with the Publication of The Bookwagon

2010-09-06T22:09:00.003-03:00

After receiving mention on literacy blogs from England to Australia, the Bookwagon program now has a manual. The Bookwagon has been made available online to community literacy practitioners across the English Speaking world.

The Bookwagon program is a year-round, door-to-door book lending and literacy support program that was created in 2003 by Cheryl Brown and Wendell Dryden. It was developed in consultation with families in Saint John’s Crescent Valley neighbourhood. Over the past eight years, the wagon has made nearly 300 trips, allowing families to borrow more than 20,000 books.

The Bookwagon is now available online to read, print or download: Click here

Foundations in Family Literacy

2010-08-20T20:27:00.000-03:00

Foundations in Family Literacy Training began in 2001 when the Centre for Family Literacy developed a one-week training program specifically targeting family literacy practitioners in Alberta. This training was redeveloped into ten modules, delivered in a week-long workshop format, with Pan-Canadian content. The content was evaluated and, that fall, two family literacy practitioners from New Brunswick joined 63 others from across Canada to be trained as FFL trainers. They, along with their NS and PEI counterparts, delivered two Maritime FFL training sessions to 40 people in New Brunswick and Nova Scotia.

Since then, Quality Learning NB has served as the NB Anglophone contact for this training. Cheryl Brown, QLNB coordinator and one of those two original New Brunswick trainers, has served on the National Steering Committee for further projects such as developing and evaluating a Family Literacy and Health module. She was also involved as the NSC saw the training incorporated into a community college delivered as an on-line program.

QLNB has been enthusiastic about this training and the thoroughness of the 6 modules:

Module l: Fundamentals of Family Literacy
Module ll: Literacy with Adults and Families
Module lll: Child Development and Emergent Literacy
Module lV: Family Literacy in the Community
Module V: Family Literacy Across Contexts
Module Vl: Leadership in Family Literacy

For more information about this training and its availability, please contact us.

Saint John Free Public Library Supports Storytents

2010-08-12T14:07:00.000-03:00

A long time supporter of QLNB and family literacy work throughout the city, the Saint John Free Public Library provided major funding for the 2010 Quality Storytents. The Library generously donated $10,000 to the program, as well as offering support to help us outreach the provincial Summer Reading Club program. This is the eighth year the library has been a major partner and sponsor of the Storytent program.

Pictured L-R are: Cheryl Brown, Coordinator, Quality Learning NB; Suzanne Ball, Chair, Saint John Free Public Library Board of Commissioners; and Joann Hamilton-Barry, Library Director.

City of Saint John Supports Storytents

2010-08-01T19:55:00.003-03:00

Kevin Watson, Leisure Services, Kate Wright, QLNB, and Mayor Ivan Court

The City of Saint John is a major sponsor of Quality Storytents for 2010, and so we were delighted to have Mayor Ivan Court join MLA Trevor Holder, and Saint John City Council Members Carl Killen and Joe Mott, to kick off the program on the site it first appeared.

Mayor Court proclaimed July 5th to be “New Brunswick Storytent Launch Day” for 2010, celebrating the appearance of storytents all around the province.

Cheryl Brown, QLNB, and Mayor Ivan Court

In this, our eighth year, the program continues to draw families with younger children (ages 3 to 7). By mid-summer, we had served 157 individual children and 16 adults in the storytent program, averaging about 11 children per session. Measured on a per visit basis, the total units of service are 566 (534 children and 32 adults): this includes the Bookwagon totals of 4 adults and 138 children.

We deliver storytents twice a week at the corner of Taylor and Patterson and at Coronation Court, and once weekly at 57 Maclaren. We also deliver one tent a week in the Anglin Drive neighbourhood (on Pigeon) and in the Old North End (corner of Albert and Metcalf).

We have delivered 35 of a possible 35 tents, as well as a 4 hour tent at Crescent Valley Community Fun Days on July 24, 2010 and a one-hour launch tent on July 5, 2010. Since June 24, Storytent participants have borrowed 418 books from the Storytent and 289 from the Bookwagon

Mayor Proclaims 'Storytent Launch Day'

2010-07-23T07:54:00.006-03:00

Cheryl Brown, QLNB; Trevor Holder, MLA; Janet McLaughlin, CVCTA;
Mayor Ivan Court; Where's Art?; Carl Killen and Jow Mott, City Councilors ;
Heather McKend, Children's Librarian.

Mayor Ivan Court joined MLA Trevor Holder, and Saint John City Council Members Carl Killen and Joe Mott, to kick off the 2010 Quality Storytent program. Mayor Court proclaimed July 5th to be “New Brunswick Storytent Launch Day” for 2010.

The City of Saint John and the Saint John Free Public Library are major sponsors of the 2010 Storytent program. Other financial support comes from the Literacy Coalition of NB/PGI, Canaport LNG, the United Way of Greater Saint John, and the United Commercial Travelers (UCT) Jack Kidd Council 755.

Storytent offers families a chance to read or borrow books for all ages in a pleasant outdoor environment. We also out-reach the provincial library's Summer Reading Club program to children in three North End communities (Crescent Valley, Anglin Drive and the Old North End).

This was the 8th year for storytents in Cresent Valley. Since its beginning, storytents have popped up in other Saint John neighbourhoods, as well as in other New Brunswick communities, including Campbellton, Edmunston, Moncton and the greater St. Stephen area.

KV3C to run Storytent for Younger Set

2010-06-30T23:38:00.002-03:00

From their website:

Story Tent: Summer sun! Tents! Blankets! Stories! Songs! Activities! More! These are all of the things you'll discover at a Story Tent. This program is a wonderful group experience for parents, caregivers and children, 0 to 5 years. It focuses on the pleasures and power of language by using rhymes, songs, stories and activities together. Story Tents also aim at improving parent/caregiver-child interaction.

Tuesday, 2pm-4pm, Bill McGuire Centre Ball Field, rain location Bill McGuire Centre
Wednesday, 10am-12pm, Meenans Cove Park
Friday, 10am-12pm, Arts and Culture Park

KV3C stands for Kennebecasis Valley Community Caring for Children.

Quality Storytents 2010

2010-06-16T10:54:00.004-03:00

Our Summer 2010 schedule is now set. You can find us...

Wednesday
Coronation Court 10:00 - 12:00
Taylor & Patterson 2:00 - 4:00

Thursday
MacLaren Blvd 10:00 - 12:00
Anglin Drive 2:00 - 4:00

Friday
Taylor & Patterson 10:00 - 12:00
Coronation Court 2:00 - 4:00

Saturday
Bookwagon (Crescent Valley) 10:00 - 12:00
Metcalf and Albert 2:00 - 4:00

Grand Opening of the ONE Change Library

2010-04-25T12:47:00.001-03:00

Saint John-Portland MLA Trevor Holder was a guest at the Grand Opening of the ONE Change Library.

This event was hosted by Tammy Calvin, a ONE Change Board Member and volunteer, and supported by Quality Learning New Brunswick coordinator Cheryl Brown.

The opening, held on April 21 to mark New Brunswick Literacy Day, took place at the ONE Change building in Saint John's Old North End. About 25 residents and supporters were in attendance.

Events included a ribbon cutting and the cutting of a celebration cake.

As well, the Arbeaus, local residents, made a donation of books to the library.

And, of course, there was lots of borrowing.

Our involvement with ONE Change began in 2009, when we ran our first Quality Storytents program in this neighbourhood. At Summer’s end, residents were telling us they wanted to continue borrowing books for their families, which led us into discussions with Tammy about what a neighbourhood library might look like. Tammy put books up on a shelf that November, and the borrowing began right away. We were pleased to help with the purchase of more book shelves and books for children and youth.

This project has received additional support from the Greater Saint John Community Foundation and the Department of Social Development.

Grand Opening of Anglin Drive Lending Library

2010-04-19T22:15:00.000-03:00

The grand opening of the Anglin Drive Lending Library happened on April 17th, in celebration of the up-coming New Brunswick Literacy Day.

The event was hosted by librarian Charlene Good, library founder and member of the Anglin Drive Tenants Association, Kelly Kelly, President of the Anglin Drive Tenant's Association, and community volunteers Roxanne Locke and Brenda Buckley.

Guests attending included Debbie McLeod, Community Liaison for the Department of Social Development, Cheryl Robertson, board chair of the Greater Saint John Community Foundation, a library sponsor, and our own Wendell Dryden, Community Literacy Worker.

Our involvement with this library grew out of the Quality Storytents program. One afternoon, at an Anglin Drive storytent, Charlene said to us, "I want a library at our community centre. I've been collecting books. Romero House has donated a lot. But I need shelves. I just don't think I can do it myself."

That was a pretty clear invitation for us to work with the Tenant's Association and some other local groups and individuals to get something started. By the Fall of 2009, the Greater Saint John Community Foundation and the N.B. Department of Social Development committed to giving us financial support for helping three north end communities organize a small community library.

Besides helping with the purchase of book shelves and books for children and adults, QLNB provided information on libraries and different types of catalogue and borrowing systems. We also worked hard to help community staff and volunteers believe in their own ability to manage their library.

The grand opening began at 1 o'clock, and the library stayed open that Saturday until 4 o'clock. Regular after-school library hours began the next week.

From left, Debbie McLeod, Community Liaison for the Department of Social Development, Cheryl Robertson, board chair of the Greater Saint John Community Foundation, Wendell Dryden, Community Literacy Worker/Quality Learning New Brunswick, Charlene Good, Library Founder and member of the Anglin Drive Tenants Association, Roxanne Locke, volunteer, Kelly Kelly (in the back), president, Anglin Drive Tenant's Association, and Brenda Buckley, volunteer at the library. Photo Credit: Matthew Sherwood/Telegraph-Journal newspaper.

Cheryl Brown receives Daniel L. Hamoline Award

2010-03-04T21:25:00.004-04:00

Photo credit: KâtÈ Braydon/Telegraph-Journal

QLNB founding member Cheryl Brown was recently recognized for her work helping families in crisis. She was awarded the Daniel L. Hamoline Award for her contributions to greater understanding of mediation and domestic violence.

The presentation was covered by Sanda Davis for the Telegraph-Journal (online here). Ms. Davis talks a little about our Quality Storytents & Bookwagon programs, as well as the knitting therapy group, and the fact that "literacy and access to services have long been interconnected" in Cheryl's work:

"The potential for outreaching hard-to-reach rural communities, neighbourhoods that may not have access to mainstream information, is just outstanding to me."

Through her work, Brown has met dozens of families in Crescent Valley.

"I know from my experience with low-level adults, that it's not just about low literacy, it's about a general variety of skills that you may not feel comfortable with," Brown said.

"As a counsellor, I know I can help someone feel comfortable by offering to do the paperwork with them upfront, instead of just giving them the paperwork."

It's all about going to where the help is needed, she said.

"We really are in the neighbourhood. You look out your window and they we are, on the grass. Or we're doing the book wagon and we're knocking on your door because you like to get books. Or we're in the community centre doing knitting.

"Right now, I'm talking with a family about whether they need mediation or someone to help them with a parenting plan for their children.

"It's just because I was sitting in somebody's living room in the neighbourhood."

Family Literacy Day Celebrations

2010-01-28T17:25:00.005-04:00

Family Literacy Day takes place every year on January 27. ABC CANADA Literacy Foundation and Honda Canada created the day in 1999 to encourage families to read and learn together. This year we supported events in public housing communities.

In the afternoon, we partnered to hold a musical Family Literacy Day drop-in for Crescent Valley families. The event was held at the Crescent Valley Resource Centre in partnership with them and their neighbourhood library committee.

Forty-seven people dropped in to participate. ABC Canada Family Literacy promotional items were given away during this event. A wall of possibilities was posted so families could help us shop for new library books.

As well, QLNB provided a bag full of books for all ages as a prize, and people earned ballots by shopping, singing a song or borrowing a library book. Hey, look! There's another ballot going in now!

Jaylin, who sang up a storm with her friends and mom (top photo), won the bag for her family.

That evening, we partnered with the provincial Department of Social Development to celebrate Family Literacy Day in the Crown Street area public housing neighbourhood. In keeping with the Family Literacy Day song and music theme, we had a Karaoke party. Residents promoted the event using ABC Canada Family Literacy Day posters as well as word of mouth.

About 60 teens, adults and older adults came out, and we had a great time! There were some snacks, lots of karaoke. (There's Wendell singing about how even "squares" can have a ball!) QLNB also supplied a bag full of books - board books through to popular adult reads - for a free draw, won by... Linda! Yay!

Both of these events were part of our on-going work to build capacity in neighbourhoods and help communities find way to support and help one another.

Happy Family Literacy Day, everyone!

Winter Libraries Project

2010-01-15T08:59:00.000-04:00

The Greater Saint John Community Foundation and the Department of Social Development have given financial support for Quality Learning NB to scaffold three North End communities in creating and/or maintaining small community libraries.

Residents in these communities have expressed an interest in continues borrowing and/or a desire to have a local neighbourhood library. This project grew out of community interest in having accessible books.

At the Crescent Valley Resource Centre, QLNB was asked to assist in creating a small self-serve community library that sees about 25 units of service per month. We assisted with shelves and books for start up.

At this point the library needs help with forming and maintaining a library group who takes care of the library and purchases books regularly.

On Anglin Drive, involvement with a Storytent program in 2009 put us in contact with a resident who has been creating space for books and borrowing at the Anglin Drive Tenant’s Association Office.

This resident has expressed the need for help obtaining shelves and for information about running a community library: “I’ve been trying to find shelves, and I am so glad something is now going to happen. I can’t do it all by myself.”

In the Old North End, a resident involved with the ONE Change group has indicated, “I’ve wanted to do [a library] for almost two years now.”

Families who borrowed from the Old North End Storytent in 2009 held the expectation at the end of the project that they could continue borrowing, and informal borrowing has been happening at the ONE Change office with limited resources. This project began on November 1, 2009 and will end on May 29, 2010 (30 weeks).

2004 Storytent Research Online

2010-01-02T19:05:00.005-04:00

Now available online: Quality Storytents 2004: Revisiting using choice theory to support reading through a community literacy project.

This paper documents the results of efforts to replicate research from 2003 in a 2004 storytent program which ran in a Public Housing Neighbourhood in Saint John, New Brunswick. The research component examined the impact of the program on the frequency of reading in children's lives, on their own reading levels, and on their perceptions about reading and themselves as readers. As well, this year, we researched the impact of our method of delivery on social interaction.

For more on this and other QLNB research documents, see Research.

Christmas in the Community

2009-12-23T08:53:00.000-04:00

On December 5, 2009, QLNB volunteers provided a reading corner, a colouring table and a Christmas card making station for children attending the Crescent Valley Community Tenant’s Association's Children's Christmas party.

Approximately 50 children under 12 attended, receiving a present from the CVCTA and a book from QLNB for Christmas

QLNB also joined the ONE Change “Twas the Night Before Christmas” community party on December 12, 2009.

We read Clement C. Moore’s “Twas the Night Before Christmas,” and donated about 60 books for children from birth to teen. There was lots of entertainment, including dancers, a skit, as well as food and pajamas and a book for the 200+ children that attended.

Annual General Meeting Announcement

2009-12-19T09:50:00.001-04:00

Quality Learning New Brunswick

Annual General Meeting

January 16, 2010

55 MacLaren Blvd

5:00 - 7:00

Saint John Free Public Library Supports Storytent

2009-08-04T12:38:00.006-03:00

The Saint John Free Public Library is continuing to partner with Quality Learning New Brunswick and local community groups to offer Summer Reading Club to children who attend the Storytent.

Quality Storytents is a community literacy program that takes place rain or shine. The Summer Reading Club is a province wide public library program that encourages reading by allowing children to set a reading goal for the summer, track their progress with logbooks and stickers and celebrate their accomplishments.

This summer, with the support of the Library and other partners, the Storytent will be expanding beyond Crescent Valley into the Old North End at the corner of Albert and Metcalf Streets, Anglin Drive.

Pictured above is Cheryl Brown, co-creator of the Storytent and Suzanne Ball, Chair of the Saint John Free Public Library Board of Commissioners. The cheque presentation took place at the June meeting of the Library Board.

Additional funding for books came from the Patrick Mooney Bequest. Below are a few of the wonderful books purchased for the program with these funds.

Rogers Supports Storytent

2009-07-09T19:14:00.004-03:00

Rogers Cable Communications Inc donated an outdoor tent to the Quality Storytents Program. Rogers also presented the QLNB program books and a cheque for $3,000, as well as lending organizing support to this year's launch.

“Rogers is pleased to support the Storytents Program and its efforts to help children to learn how to read”, said Ken Marshall, Regional President of Rogers Cable Communications Inc. “More importantly though, we hope the kids will develop a love of reading that will continue long after they leave the program”.

“We are so pleased that Rogers is supporting the Storytent this year. We are always in need of tents, books and funds to keep the program working – especially this year as we have located ourselves in four priority neighbourhoods. I can’t wait to try out the Rogers tent!” Says Cheryl Brown, QLNB's Community Literacy Coordinator.

The Quality Storytents program started seven years ago in the Crescent Valley neighbourhood in Saint John. This year it expanded to three additional neighbourhoods in the Saint John area: The Old North End, Anglin Drive and Crown Street. With informational and moral support, five other groups are running Storytent programs elsewhere in New Brunswick, including Moncton, Campbellton, the St. Stephen area and Edmunston.

City Supports Storytents

2009-07-08T18:02:00.001-03:00

"It was just the right thing to do," said Councilman Peter McGuire in a newspaper interview (seen here attending the 2009 Storytent launch). "It is fairly rare that cities invest in social infrastructure."

Rare, indeed! But this year the City of Saint John has invested $131,000 in neighbourhood Development Stimulation Grants. QLNB recieved $8000 of this from the City at a City Hall presentation.

We had proposed to offer storytents in three Crescent Valley locations, as well as the Old North End (in partnership with The ONE Change), and on Anglin Drive (in partnership with the Anglin Drive Tenants' Association).

Peter McGuire has long been a fan of Storytents and Bookwagon, but this is the first year we have received direct financial support from the city. We're pleased to welcome them aboard on what will be a wonderful summer of learning for us.

Storytent 2009 Launch

2009-07-07T18:49:00.001-03:00

Rogers Cable Communications Inc worked with us to organize our Summer 2009 Quality Storytents launch. Rogers also donated an outdoor tent which was unveiled at the July 6th event.

The Honourable Herménégilde Chiasson, Lieutenant Governor of New Brunswick and Honorary Patron of “Born to read – Le Goût de Lire” participated in the morning’s presentation. He is pictured above, receiving a gift of local pottery from CVCTA President Janet McLaughlin, the CVCTA

He was joined by two young participants, Delaney Savoie and Shanice Bourke-Doucette, who spoke about their storytent experiences. Mom and long-time storytent supporter Susan Lewis also shared some of the differences the program has made for her family.

Major funding for the 2009 storytent project comes from the City of Saint John, and the Saint John Free Public Library. This year we have received corporate sponsorship through Canaport LNG and Rogers Cable. Other supporters include the Crescent Valley Community Tenant’s Association, and various private doners.

The Quality Storytents program started seven years ago in the Crescent Valley neighbourhood in Saint John. This year it expanded to three additional neighbourhoods in the Saint John area: The Old North End, Anglin Drive and Crown Street.

With informational and moral support, five other groups are running Storytent programs elsewhere in New Brunswick. Tents will be offered in the greater Moncton area, Campbellton, the St. Stephen area and Edmunston. Combined with Saint John, this means storytents will be offered in 16 New Brunswick locations.

Since 2003, QLNB has facilitated a partnership in Crescent Valley (NB’s largest public housing neighbourhood) between the Crescent Valley Community Tenant’s Association (CVCTA) and the Saint John Free Public Library to improve the community's access to literacy and library services.

We provide an outdoor summer reading program for children that gives children and families access to books and reading support. We have evaluated this program on three occasions. The research results of this project were very positive:

increase in reading frequency
all children assessed maintained or showed a gain in reading level
children’s perceptions of themselves as readers improved
relationship strengthened between this community and the library
more children from this community participated in Summer Reading Club
parent reports of improved relationships between children
increase in adult participation in borrowing
parent reports of increased reading to their children at home.

CVCTA Supports Quality Storytents

2009-04-30T19:53:00.003-03:00

The Crescent Valley Community Tenants Association (CVCTA) presented four $200.00 cheques to community partners at the CVCTA meeting of March 24th; including one cheque for the Quality Storytents program.

Left to right in the photo above are Jennifer Carhart, Principal Hazen White St. Francis School (Friendship T-Shirts Project); Cheryl Brown (Storytent); Janet McLaughlin President CVCTA; Nancy Savoie (Flemming Court Project); Juanita Black, (Around The Block Newspaper).

The Crescent Valley Community Tenant's Association is a voluntary association of community residents and interested friends. The CVCTA has been a longtime supporter of the Storytent program and other QLNB work in the neighbourhood, and we consider them a major partner.

First Bookwagon of 2009

2009-01-05T18:40:00.000-04:00

The first bookwagon of 2009. Yay!

Our work in the community has been shifting as the community itself has been undergoing changes. Last fall, besides the usual technical troubles...

... we lost about half our numbers when a large portion of the public housing community was torn down. Families relocated elsewhere throughout the city, and we stopped crossing Somerset Street.

You can see that the new route (in red) is significantly shorter.

As well, last fall, we reduced our runs to every other Saturday. We wanted to give time to building a community-run static library. As it turned out, weekend library use hasn't been extensive in the short-term, and our reduced wagon schedule appears to have cost us some users.

We've decided to go back to doing bookwagon every weekend. We are also making the library as user-friendly and self-sustaining as possible. It is still a project QLNB believes in, but we need to dedicate more hours to keeping and rebuilding our wagon clientèle.

Build on success. Find what works. Do more of it.

That's the only way community literacy work can succeed.

Saying 'Thank You'

2008-09-30T20:05:00.005-03:00

“45000 Good Reads” was the theme of a thank you event that recognized the major funders of the Quality Storytents program in Crescent Valley in September.

Thank you plaques were presented on International Literacy Day, to funders who have donated more than $10,000 in the six years since the program began.

In the photo, L-R, are Sarah Mudge, Greater Saint John Community Foundation Board Member; Amber Robertson, Provincial Raise a Reader Representative; Blair MacDonald, New Brunswick Children’s Foundation Chair; Suzanne Ball, Saint John Free Public Library Chair; Trevor Holder, MLA Saint John Portland & Storytert participants Theresa Lunn, and her two children (in front, L-R), Dawn and Jared. The celebration took place at the Crescent Valley Community Tenant’s Association on MacLaren Blvd.

Here's a special shout-out to MLA Holder for MCing the event.

45,000 Good Reads

2008-08-30T19:16:00.001-03:00

Robert Munsch's Stephanie's Ponytail is one of the 45,000 good reads experienced by the kids in Crescent Valley, New Brunswick's largest public housing neighbourhood.

The 45,000 refers to the total number of books read over the past six summers (according to Summer Reading Club stats) plus the number of books borrowed from the bookwagon over the 200+ trips made since December 2003.

The yearly breakdown looks like this:

- 4,000 books recorded read in 2003 Storytent program
- 4,400 books recorded read in 2004 Storytent program
- 5,694 books recorded read in 2005 Storytent program
- 4,882 books recorded read in 2006 Storytent program
- 5023 books recorded read in 2007 Storytent program
- 4,414 books recorded read in 2008 Storytent program
sub total = 28,413
plus
- 17,224 running total from Bookwagon
________________________
- 45,637

By the way, Stephanie's Ponytail and two other Munsch classics, The Paperbag Princess and Mortimer, are easily the most-often read books in Storytent, with Phoebe Gilman's Jillian Jiggs close behind.

Saint John Rotary Support

2008-07-10T23:18:00.005-03:00

Our Quality Storytents program recently received gifts of books, funds and friendship from the Rotary Club of Saint John. It started with an invitation to speak to the Club back in February:

Rotary's guest speaker on Feb. 04, 2008 was Cheryl Brown, Community Literacy Coordinator – Quality Learning New Brunswick. Cheryl gave a very informative presentation on the community-based literacy program – “The Reading Tent”. Children of all ages take advantage of mobile libraries – “moved about the community on a wagon” – during the summer months. Moms and Dads also join in as volunteers and readers alike. The Rotary Club of Saint John is partnering with Cheryl’s organization for its Literacy Project.*

We'd like to thank the Rotarians for their interest in community literacy, and promise to keep them updated about our work.

Storytent Schedule

2008-06-30T10:02:00.000-03:00

Our storytent schedule is now online.

Go to http://quality-storytent.blogspot.com

QLNB Receives Award

2008-05-01T14:29:00.004-03:00

Dr. Marilyn Trenholme Counsell Early Childhood Literacy Awards, Bathurst, NB April 27, 2008

Quality Learning NB, Saint John, is close to my heart. I have participated in the StoryTent program in the Crescent Valley Housing community in Saint John, walking side by side once with the StoryWagon. I have seen the excitement of children and their parents. And I know that Cheryl Brown and her group, especially Wendell Dryden, are making an important difference in the lives of many families in Saint John. I am so glad that you have received this award today, and I thank you from my heart!*

And we would like to thank the Senator for all her wonderful support over the years. For more on the 2008 event, see the FANB webpage.

Welcome...

2007-08-29T21:15:00.000-03:00

... to the new Quality Learning New Brunswick blogsite!

This is our news and events page. Here you can find information about current or up-coming programming, resources and other news of interest.