What to do when you actually have some free time... because of COVID 19

Yes, like most of my friends, colleagues and neighbors, I am working from home as all activities are cancelled at the parish because of COVID 19. I work with a wonderful leadership team and staff and since Monday we've been trying to keep our parishioners updated as well as being proactive. Safety first. Yes, this is not easy to understand... is it really that serious some are still asking? Yes, the financial ramification will most likely be long lasting... but it's not about YOU it's about our world and all those who live in it. So, please listen to the recommendations, STAY HOME... take a walk in your neighborhood, read a book, find your blog... and go from there. Not sure what or if I will continue blogging, but it's cool to find it 11 years later.

Don't miss Gerry Turpin! Tuesday February 17th 7pm

Over the last few years, we have welcomed in our CAFE events Deacon Gerry Turpin.

With love and wisdom he has helped and inspired parents to be better parents. He has helped parents see that their children are worth it; worth the effort and energy one needs to put into not only raising children but taking care of oneself as an adult. Our Journey in Life affects our children. As adults are we taking our own personal journey seriously?



More facts about Gerry and Parentaide Plus. It is a non profit organization providing personalized, top quality, family service. Since 1977 they have served the Montreal community, with the goal of making the community / home and school a peaceful environment.



Gerry Turpin has an extensive background in working with children as a teacher and school administrator. He worked in public education for thirty three years and though he retired, in June of 1992, he continues to work in an elementary school as a volunteer and student supervisor. Gerry often works with students who face special challenges such as A.D.H.D., O.D.D., Tourette’s Syndrome and Spina Bifida.



He started to offer parenting programs in 1977. Gerry is the father of five children and has nine grandchildren. His experience as a parent and educator, coupled with his sensitivity for and caring about people makes him well suited for this work. Gerry has accreditation in Conflict Resolution, Facilitation and Mediation.



Gail Day, a mother of two girls, has over twenty years experience, in schools, as a pastoral animator and supervisor. Being an integration aide Gail has extensive experience in dealing with children who face special challenges such as A.D.H.D., O.D.D., Tourette’s Syndrome and Spina Bifida. Gail's special training in the animation of parenting programs coupled with her rich background and deep sense of caring make her particularly effective in her work. She has taught parenting programs since 1983. Gail has her accreditation in Conflict Resolution, Facilitation and Mediation. Many parents, who attend programs taught by Gerry and Gail, have been mandated to do so by the Youth Courts and the Social Services. They have also provided parenting courses for foster parents under a special agreement with C.E.G.E.P. Bois-de-Boulogne and the Batshaw Social Services. Both Gerry and Gail are Fellows of the Canadian Institute for Conflict Resolution. ... I have come to know well the value of the well-organized, soundly-based organization Parentaide Plus. Over the years, many of the families in my practice have "turned their lives around" by attending the sessions offered by this committed group. The families are more relaxed, the children are happier, and the overall quality of the growth of these families who do attend these sessions have been consistently stricking to me. Emmett Francoeur M.D., FRCPC ... I have participated in one of their parenting programs (STEP) and I found it to be most beneficial for the education of my son. Gerry Turpin and Gail Day are dedicated to their work ... Maryse Gautier, Psychologue Gerry and Gail are resourceful and creative in their ability to problem solve and have consistently demonstrated flexibility and perseverance when facing many challenging situations. At all times, they pursue their endeavors with great enthusiasm and committment. Grace Iarocci MA, Psychological Consultant

Movies that matter - the USCCB shares their lists of movies that have values.

The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Slumdog Millionaire and Wall-E stand among 2008 movies on the top ten list of the Office for Film and Broadcasting (OFB) of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB). Top family films include The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian, and The Tale of Despereaux. The OFB reviews mainstream movies from a Catholic perspective and classifies them based on overriding spiritual and moral values, presentation of ethical choices and artistry.Click on the link below for the alphabetical list of winners, and their OFB classification and rating by the Motion Picture Association of America (MPAA) follow.More at USCCB

Why Gender Matters

This book was recommended at a Conference I attended in Chicago by Dr. David Walsh - who is a frequent guests on american morning shows regarding issues about education and children especially in the area of the influence of media. http://mediafamily.org/. You might want to sign up to his newsletter. Lot's of intersting data and lots in regards to media and the influence on children

In Why Gender Matters, psychologist and family physician Dr. Leonard Sax leads the reader through the mystifying world of gender differences by explaining the biologically different ways in which children think, feel, and act. He addresses a host of issues, including discipline, learning, risk taking, aggression, sex, and drugs, and shows how boys and girls react in predictable ways to different situations.

Dr. Sax points out that rather than ignore or overcome sex differences, parents and teachers would do better to recognize, understand, and make use of the biological differences that make a girl a girl, and a boy a boy.

Here is a summary I found on line,

Forget everything you think you know about gender differences in children. Forget "boys are competitive, girls are collaborative." In recent years, scientists have discovered that differences between girls and boys are more profound than anybody guessed. Specifically:

The brain develops differently. In girls, the language areas of the brain develop before the areas used for spatial relations and for geometry. In boys, it's the other way around. A curriculum which ignores those differences will produce boys who can't write and girls who think they're "dumb at math."

The brain is wired differently. In girls, emotion is processed in the same area of the brain that processes language. So, it's easy for most girls to talk about their emotions. In boys, the brain regions involved in talking are separate from the regions involved in feeling. The hardest question for many boys to answer is: "Tell me how you feel."

Girls hear better. The typical teenage girl has a sense of hearing significantly better than a teenage boy. That's why daughters so often complain that their fathers are shouting at them. Dad doesn't think he's shouting, but Dad doesn't hear his voice the way his daughter does.

Girls and boys respond to stress differently - not just in our species, but in every mammal scientists have studied. Stress enhances learning in males. The same stress impairs learning in females.

These differences matter. Some experts now believe that the neglect of hardwired gender differences in childrearing may increase a son's risk of becoming a reckless street racer, or a daughter's risk of experiencing an unwanted pregnancy.

Since the mid-1970's, educators have made a virtue of ignoring gender differences. The assumption was that by teaching girls and boys the same subjects in the same way at the same age, gender gaps in achievement would be eradicated. That approach has failed. Gender gaps in some areas have widened in the past three decades. The pro-portion of girls studying subjects such as physics and computer science has dropped in half. Boys are less likely to study subjects such as foreign languages, history, and music than they were three decades ago. The ironic result of three decades of gender blindness has been an intensifying of gender stereotypes.

For parents, Dr. Sax provides concrete guidelines regarding the tough issues of discipline, sex, and drug abuse, and other problem areas.

For educators, Dr. Sax offers practical suggestions to help break down gender stereotypes and help all children to reach their potential.

For everybody, Dr. Sax offers a provocative analysis of how gender influences every aspect of our lives.

If you get a chance to read the book, please do not hesitate to send me an e-mail letting me know what your reaction is. If you have any other books that would be helpful to parents, I would be glad to put it up on my blog. Talk to you soon

As I begin a New Adventure

I started wondering did I have to change my profile because I was changing jobs!
Even though I have begun to work for the Diocese in Personnel I am still at the parish
part of the leadership team. In fact, this is very imptortant to me that I am able to remain active in my community of faith.

Yes, the Diocese has asked me to serve the community of Montreal in a different capacity.
It is a challenge... but I am looking forward being on the journey as I know my community of faith will continue to support me and my family.

Although, the weather and my health has made the beginning of a new job quite challenging, I am seeing how my pastoral skills can be of service.

Hopefully I will be able to keep up my blog a little bit more.

God Bless

Catholic Faith Enrichment for Adults - the hope for the future

I am so pleased with the outcome of our evening Cafe. So far, each evening gathered over 75 people - not only parents but other adults learning along with parents that have children in our program - this is amazing. We are also taping the session and will make a plan as to the availability of these CD.s.



Our Day Cafe also respond to the needs of the home parents - a different experience but of extreme value as well.



If you have not joinled us please keep in touch. We have just published our first newsletter to keep you up to date on our events called CAFE Expresso - . This Newsletter will be e-mailed on request - so please do not hesitate to make the request which will let you know what is coming up soon.

Faith First Classes have begun!

We had our first gathering of Level 2 & 5 students. We have 3 groups of Level 2 which are preparing for First Communion and another 3 groups who are in pre-confirmation. One our catechists helpers will be a bsent for a while since her husband is waiting for heart surgery soon. Romana we will keep your family in our prayers. We miss you and wish you well!

As usual we offer pick-up at Westpark school. This year we have a new twist as we have a young man who has offered to help us in this area for his School community project. The Level 2 kids were thrilled to have a new monitor walking them to the parish Thanks Alex! It really frees up myself or Mrs. Aitken.

Our first gathering went quite well! Just a reminder to the parents, please come in by the door of the parking lot - we feel that it is safer for your child.

Looking forward to Saturday - our groups are a little bit bigger but hopefully all will run as smoothly as today.