May 12, 2010
SURREY RECEIVES $500K FOR NEW STRONGSTART BC CENTRES

SURREY - Martha Currie Elementary school was the honorary celebration site to officially open Surrey's 10 new StrongStart BC programs. Surrey-Tynehead MLA Dave S. Hayer and Surrey-Panorama MLA Stephanie Cadieux were on hand to join in the festivities.

"Surrey was home to one of the first StrongStart BC centres and it seems fitting that the success of the program is mirrored in a new total of 20 centres for the district," said Hayer. "Our community is growing at a rapid rate and these vital programs, which help prepare children for school, have kept up with demand as more families choose Surrey as the place they want to raise their children."

The celebration marked the official opening of StrongStart BC centres at: Martha Currie Elementary, Hjorth Road Elementary, Jessie Lee Elementary, George Greenaway Elementary, Georges Vanier Elementary, Westerman Elementary, Cedar Hills Elementary, Discovery Elementary, Panorama Park Elementary and Cindrich Elementary schools.

"Young learners and their families in Surrey will benefit from this wonderful opportunity to play and learn together," said Cadieux. "These centres help parents and caregivers by giving them valuable strategies on how to prepare their children for school and life."

The Surrey school district has received a total of $500,000 for the ten centres. Each school received $20,000 to prepare in-school space, including renovations and the purchase of new equipment and learning materials and $30,000 to fund this year's operating costs, including staff, professional development, supplies and healthy snacks.

"Opening these ten StrongStart BC centres has provided valuable early learning opportunities for families and their children in Surrey," said Surrey-White Rock MLA Gordon Hogg. "I am thrilled with the success of the program, and I am confident that opening these new centres will be extremely beneficial for the young learners who reside in our community."

StrongStart BC is a free drop-in early learning program for preschool-aged children accompanied by a parent or caregiver. A qualified early childhood educator leads activities, including stories, music, and arts, to help children grow linguistically, emotionally and socially, and become comfortable in a school-like setting.

"The StrongStart BC program offers a supportive and stimulating environment where our youngest learners can develop the early literacy and social skills that will improve achievement later in school," said Surrey-Cloverdale MLA Kevin Falcon. "We look forward to building on the important work of StrongStart BC with the launch of full day kindergarten across the province this fall."

All of B.C.'s 60 school districts have been offered the opportunity to participate in the StrongStart BC program. The Province is investing $43 million to expand StrongStart BC, with more than 310 programs now operating throughout B.C. StrongStart BC centres help fulfill government's commitment to use underutilized school district space to deliver early learning services.

"Our StrongStart BC centres have been wonderfully successful, not just in supporting early learning, but also in promoting parents' involvement in their child's education, and in strengthening our school communities," said Surrey board of education chair Laurae McNally. "Our board strongly supports early learning and looks forward to working with the ministry and the City of Surrey to bring the StrongStart BC program and resources to every child in our district."

Since 2001, the Province has invested $1.4 billion in literacy and literacy-related initiatives, such as StrongStart BC early learning programs, almost $18 million to operate the kindergarten-readiness program Ready, Set, Learn and $2.7 million for LEAP BC resources that encourage literacy, physical activity and healthy eating in preschool-aged children.

Government has committed $280 million over three years to implement full day kindergarten for all five-year-olds in B.C. Full day kindergarten will be available for 50 per cent of kindergarten students in 2010 and for every five-year-old starting school in 2011.

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