Adrian Polidano

After discovering how tricky it can be for some kids to get to the door while trick-or-treating, Ashley Muir (one of the members of the Youth Advisory Committee) decided it was important to create a Halloween event that was fun and accessible for all. So, she teamed up with Grandview to throw an amazing accessible trick-or-treat experience at Clarington Secondary School.

This year, the event is bigger and better! Grandview’s Youth Advisory Committee (YAC) will be hosting this accessible Halloween recent again this year on Sunday, October 28th at the Kids Safety Village of Durham Region!

This new, bigger location means even more children will be able to attend this incredible event.

According to Brad Sexton, the group’s Youth Leader, there will be a lot of fun had at this year’s event, including a unique trick-or-treating experience!

“Throughout the village there’s going to be a haunted house, maze-type thing. Then, we’re going to have some games, and there’s going to be house structures set up that the kids can feel like they’re going to the door, knock on it and someone will actually open it,” shares Brad Sexton.

Last year was full of smiles and fantastic costumes, so we can’t wait to see the creativity this year brings.

What is the YAC?

For those who don’t know, the Youth Advisory Committee was created in 2017 by a group of Grandview adolescent clients and some client siblings who wanted to get more involved with Grandview.

This group puts on events like this accessible Halloween event, an annual Christmas event and other fun activities throughout the year. These events are always plenty of fun and a great way for both kids and parents to connect.

“I think it’s great that everybody can come together and make Grandview a whole,” says Brad Sexton. “These Grandview kids can make new friends and it’s great to have the families come together and develop relationships.”

How can I join?

Being part of the YAC means attending monthly meetings and helping organize and run these fun-filled events.

Currently, the YAC consists of six members, but are on the lookout for another two or three members! If you’re an adolescent client or sibling of a Grandview client and would like to get involved, or know someone who would be a perfect fit, reach out to Brad Sexton to apply!

For more information or to apply, e-mail brad.sexton@grandviewkids.ca.

Registration information for the Halloween event is coming soon, so stay tuned!

This is the sixth year that the staff of Intact Insurance has worked hard in supporting Grandview Kids. Not only has Intact Insurance continued to support Grandview through generous donations, but also through their volunteer work as well!

On August 30, 2018, 24 Intact Insurance employees left their busy desks to help give the Ajax Grandview location a fresh new coat of paint! The team worked diligently all day to give most rooms at the Ajax location a fresh coat of paint, giving the entire space a new look!

“We love Grandview and we’re a big supporter of Grandview. We came last year and did a lot of painting at the Oshawa site. This year we decided to volunteer our time at the Ajax site. We just like to give back to the community. We are one of the bigger employers in the Durham Region and it’s a great opportunity for us to give back to our community,” said Marie Poce, a Commercial Lines Underwriter at Intact Insurance. “We spend so much time in our day to day jobs, not really looking outside of what we do, so this is very rewarding for us to be able to come out and give back and see the smile on everyone’s faces when the job is done and everything looks nicer and fresh!”

Not a single Intact volunteer complained as they taped, painted and cleaned up each room.  The Ajax location was full of positive attitudes and smiling faces as the team got the job done!

Grandview Kids is so thankful for this hard work!

“We feel very fortunate to have Intact here today, because the Ajax site hasn’t had a freshen up in awhile, since the big flood. So it’s really nice to have that special attention and have something nice and fresh for the families here in the Ajax and Pickering area,” said Janet Isaac, Clinical Manager at Grandview Kids. “It’s really wonderful to have community partners that want to help us and the kids of Grandview.”

From all of us here at Grandview Kids, we once again thank you from the bottom of our hearts. We hope that your amazing team decides to visit us again next year!

With summer coming to a close and school on the horizon, it’s time to start thinking about adjusting your child’s schedule in order to make the transition from a relaxed summer schedule to a more organized one.

Transitions like this one can be tough for young kids, so it’s important to have some tricks up your sleeve.

Stephanie Simpson, one of Grandview’s social workers, shared a few tips that may help with this transition.

“Starting school can be a very emotional experience for both parent and child. This can be even more difficult, depending on the child’s behaviours,” says Grandview’s Social Work team. “One way that parents can help ease this transition is to prepare themselves and their child for this next stage”

Tips for the Back to School Transition:

1. Share your child’s unique likes, dislikes, fears and habits with their new teacher.  If the teacher has a fair understanding of your child, this will help to ease the transition and enable proper care to be provided.
2. Visit the new classroom with your child.  Show them where they will be eating, sleeping, playing and learning.  Introduce them to the teacher.  When school begins, the child will be a little more familiar with their new classroom, and this may make the transition easier.
3. Shorten the first few days.  Shorter visits will give your child more time to adjust.
4. Prepare the night before.  As much as possible, prepare lunches, school clothes, etc. the night before school.  This will allow you both more time to prepare in the morning, and reduce the stress that accompanies being rushed.
5. Allow the child to bring a favourite object from home to comfort them.
6. Have a calm and positive attitude.  Children can be very sensitive to the moods of their parents and will quickly pick up on any tension in your voice, touch or mannerisms.  Some suggestions include singing a favourite song or talking about what the child will be doing that day.  Break things down into simple tasks and routines that the child can follow.
7. Take time to say goodbye in a positive way.  Do not sneak out while the child is distracted.  This can destroy trust and make for a more difficult transition.
8. Avoid repeated goodbyes.  Once you have said good-bye, leave.  Stalling can make a child more fearful.
9. According to Stephanie, a temporary period of adjustment or feelings of parental guilt or worry are completely normal.

“If necessary, arrange for you and the teacher to communicate by phone during the day to let you know how things are progressing, and to discuss any issues that may have arisen,” says the Social Work team. “Stress from separations and adjusting to new situations can be extremely difficult and challenging for parents and their children.  With careful planning, this adjustment period can be shortened.”

We hope these tips help you and your family with a successful transition out of summer vacation and into a fall school schedule.

You may recall the #RideJamesRide adventure of last August, when 10-year-old James and his dad Chris Potvin decided to ride their bikes from their home in Whitby all the way to Ottawa, raising $10,000 on their journey.

This year, James and Chris are doubling up on their distance and their fundraising goal, too. James will ride from the Whitby Pier all the way to the roller-coasters and hot dogs at Coney Island, New York. This bike ride will take James and Chris on a 1,000-kilometre journey.

Here at Grandview, we’re incredibly excited for James to embark on this adventure. To celebrate James, we’re hosting a pre-launch event at Grandview on August 17 from 6 to 8 pm, the evening before he departs. There will be Coney Island-style hotdogs to eat and cold beverages to drink. Grandview’s accessible playground will be open for children, as well.

Why ride to New York?

You might be wondering, though, why Chris and James have decided to embark on this lengthy adventure.

James has autism and is one of more than 3,000 children and youth on a growing waitlist for Grandview’s services.  According to Chris, James’ dad, this ride means a few things to the Potvin family.

“Selfishly, we really just want to be sure James goes back to school as a strong young man with confidence and a story. The word I used last year was swagger,” says Chris. “For the community, we know how hard Grandview and EJ Autism are trying to improve the lives of young people who struggle. We want to see them succeed so these youth can also grow. Our hope is that when people see the potential of a young man on the autism spectrum, they will be moved to contribute to these organizations that help our youth to develop and grow. Building a treatment centre will allow so many more youth to meet their potential.”

The Potvin’s ultimate goal is to have their community present a gift of $20,000 to be donated between Grandview Kids and EJ Autism in New York.

“We are so grateful to the Potvin Family for choosing to support EJ Autism Foundation as they ride form Canada to Coney Island on behalf of Autism,” says Bea Huste-Petersen. “The money James raises will go towards the purchase of a safe, Autism friendly Summer Vacation Home on Fire Island, NY for Long Island Families living with this developmental disability. James’ courage and ambition to fearlessly travel 1000 miles on a bicycle as an Autism Ambassador, will allow people to see what a kid with Autism can do to make a difference.”

How will this ride be different from the last?

The bike ride is expected to take two weeks, covering 100km each day. According to Chris, this cross-border bike ride took a bit of extra planning.

“This year we are facing a lot of challenges that we didn’t face last year. Small details, like crossing the border right up to big logistical items like towns holding events to welcome us. In the ride itself, we will be crossing some big hills as we approach eastern New York State, and some very busy roads along the way,” says Chris Potvin. “It’s hard to pick out any single biggest challenge. Instead we tackle each item in a bite-sized piece as it comes to us, and trust that the goodness of people and our own abilities will see us through.”

From Chris’ perspective as a dad, he says it’s been great to watch James’ growth through this experience.

“Last summer he grew a great deal, but this year we’ve stretched him further and he has learned what it means to be part of group rides where people surround him, what it means to have a lot of attention, and what it is like to fall and get back up,” says Chris. “James still gets camera-shy, and has a hard time if he’s put on the spot to stand in front of a group, but he’s getting more comfortable all the time.”

Chris says he and James are excited to meet families along the way. It’s going to be a fun-filled day when they get to Coney Island.

We wish the Potvin team success and luck on their journey.To follow the pair on this ride, search the hashtag #RideJamesRide.

On Wednesday August 1st, Canadian Tire Jumpstart Charities awarded Grandview Children’s Foundation a $1 million grant to help build the new Grandview Kids in Ajax.

This funding will go towards building our multi-purpose gym and our outdoor sensory/wheeling trail and an elevated wheeling/walking bridge along the tree-top canopy of the woods at the new centre. To show our thanks, Grandview will be giving Canadian Tire Jumpstart naming rights to these parts of the new Grandview.

“We are incredibly excited to have been chosen as the recipient of this $1 million grant,” said Grandview Children’s Foundation Executive Director of Development Brigitte Tschinkel. “We are so thankful that Canadian Tire Jumpstart Charities has chosen to invest in Grandview Kids and in the future of so many children across the Durham Region.”

According to the press release by Canadian Tire Jumpstart, more than 200 grant submissions from across the country were received.

For those who don’t know, Canadian Tire Jumpstart Charities is a national charity dedicated to helping kids overcome financial and accessibility barriers to sport and recreation in order to provide inclusive play for kids of all abilities.

“Grandview Children’s Centre is thrilled to partner with Canadian Tire Jumpstart to realize the dream of a new Grandview,” says Lorraine Sunstrum-Mann, CEO. “This incredible gift will support inclusion and participation for all kids. We look forward to working with Jumpstart as we build this dream to ensure play does find a way.”

We are so thankful and excited to be chosen as the recipients of this grant. It’s a great day at Grandview Kids, with so much to celebrate and look forward to. The future is bright! Thank you, Canadian Tire Jumpstart Charities, for bringing us one step closer to the new Grandview.

For further information on the new Grandview Kids, please visit our website, Grandview Kids Believe.

You can read the full press release here.

Declan is a very social 4-year-old Grandview kid, who just completed his first year of junior kindergarten in French immersion. While he thrived in his school environment, when that final bell rang for summer, Declan was excited and ready to go to Grandview’s Little Critter Camp.

According to his mother, Dena Poole, Declan couldn’t wait to get to camp.

Going to Camp

When he’s not at Grandview for Little Critter Camp, Declan visits for Speech Language Pathology and Occupational Therapy. At 2-years-old, Declan was diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD).

This summer, Dena decided to sign Declan up for Little Critter Camp after experiencing his first Christmas vacation and March break away from school, and the many meltdowns Dena says followed despite every effort to keep him busy and entertained.

“My husband and I decided that the structure and routine of summer camp would be greatly beneficial to him, and us. My husband also works various shifts, so this structure would provide a much needed consistency for Declan,” says Dena. “Deciding to go with Grandview was simple for me. I had been told about the camp the previous year but Declan was too young to attend. Also, it was an environment familiar to him and I had hoped would make for an easy transition.  I also loved the ratio of children to staff. Right now, he’s registered for 7 of the 8 weeks camp is provided. We are hoping that a spot will open in the 8th week that we are waitlisted for.”

Upon his first day of camp, Dena says the staff were incredibly “warm, very open and so very encouraging. It was also great for me as a parent to see familiar faces, like Amy and Sherri’s. I think that was reassuring for him, too. Getting positive feedback about his day from the staff and being able to share that with me and his dad, I’m sure helps him to feel good about his camp experiences and friends.”

Staff Involvement Impresses Declan’s Parents

Dena says that it has been great to see such deep involvement from all of the staff, with everyone willing to help.“He might be assigned to one particular staff, but at drop off and pick up, they all know who he is and they often share stories about his day and the friends he’s making or helped,” says Dena. “I also think it’s great that the kids get to go swimming and that the staff get involved playing with the kids.”

Dena says that this camp has exceeded her expectations and has removed all concerns she had prior to camp starting.

“Honestly, I had my own concerns. Declan’s ASD is invisible to almost everyone who has met him. He’s come so far over the last two years with the help of therapists, a social worker and other Grandview staff, that we had concerns about regression, among other things,” shares Dena. “It has only proven to be quite the opposite. Camp has brought out a side of Declan we hadn’t noticed before – the big helper!”

Dena can’t say enough good things about Grandview and the support she’s received at the centre over the last few years.

“They were there for me when I knew something was different about my baby, and they guided me and helped me to get the help I needed for Declan to be successful,” says Dena. “We are still learning and growing, but I am so grateful to all the people who’ve been a part of our journey so far.”