Where:      Greater Peterborough Chamber of Commerce Board Room, 175 George St. North

When:        Wednesday, September 22, 10.00 – 11.30am (refreshments will be provided)

If you would like to attend the launch, please contact Yvonne Lai, PPCII Outreach Coordinator at yvonne@nccpeterborough.ca, 743 0882 x233.

Increase your awareness of aspects of English pronunciation in a relaxed and comfortable atmosphere. By working with the instructor, other students, and pronunciation software, develop greater confidence in your spoken English, understand native English speakers better, and make your own English more understandable.

This course is open to all who are interested.

Tuesday evenings from 6:30 to 9:00

Start:         October 5^th, 2010

End:           December 7^th, 2010

Venue:       Tekdesk classroom downstairs at the Peterborough

Public Library on Aylmer Street

Instructor: Dave Loftus

Course content

• English sounds and phonetic symbols
• Linking in English
• Word stress
• English rhythm: content words and structure words
• Sentence stress and sentence meaning
• Self-help

To register, contact Faye at the New Canadians Centre at 743-0882, or at faye@nccpeterborough.ca .

As many as 20 million people have been affected by the floods in the regions of North-West Frontier Province, Punjab and Sindh. An estimated 4 million people alone are homeless and the rainy season will continue into September. To raise funds for the relief efforts, the NCC will be organizing a social event and fundraiser.

Date: Thursday September 23

Time: 6:00-8:30pm

Location: Silver Bean Cafe

Light refreshments will be provided. Children are welcome as there will be face-painting, henna and children’s activities. We will be collecting cash donations for the Red Cross; tax receipts will be issued for monetary donations.

September 24 (Friday), 1.00-3.30pm, St. John’s Anglican Church (99 Brock St.)
Snacks will be provided.

To register, please contact Faye at the NCC (faye@nccpeterborough or 743-0882) by September 23 (Thursday) at 12.00pm

September 15, 12:00-7:00pm, Morrow Building (151 Lansdowne St. W), free admission.

·         Kitchen table with chairs (two sets)

·         China cabinet

·         Sofas (two)

·         Chair

·         Entertainment unit

·         Lamps

·         Microwave oven and stand

·         Toaster oven and more …

If you are interested, please call Bill Phillips at 742-2010 and leave your name and phone number to arrange a time to view and/or pick up the items.  Please do not contact the New Canadians Centre as we do not have any additional information on the items.

The popular Parent-Child Mother Goose program is back!    The program has been offered since 2007 in partnership with the New Canadians Centre and the Peterborough Public Library.   The program has brought newcomer and other families together to share as a group the pleasure and power of using rhymes, songs and storytelling.  The goal of the program is to use simple bouncing rhymes, songs and stories to help parents and children grow closer together.  It is a fun way to connect, communicate, cuddle and build a stronger community by using playful, language-based activities.

The program is 10 weeks long and is open to caregivers (mothers, fathers, grandparents, and others) of children (newborns to the age of three – slightly older siblings are welcome to attend.)

The program is welcoming with a relaxed pace and time to enjoy the healthy snacks provided by the program leaders.  The program also offers opportunities for sharing the joys and challenges of parenting young children and for sharing cultural experiences and insights.

Dates         :          Thursdays (starting September 30, ending December 16)
Time          :          10:00 – 11:00am
Location    :           Peterborough Public Library, 345 Aylmer St. North
(Transportation assistance is available to those in need)

Cost           :           Free

Space is limited; please contact Faye (faye@nccpeterborough.ca, tel: 743-0882) to register

Join us as we explore and celebrate culture by sharing food! At this workshop, you can learn how to prepare foods from different cultures that are either “wrapped” or “rolled”

- Sushi, Rice-paper rolls, Crepe

Friday September 24 2010 10:00am – 12:30pm at the New Canadians Centre

For more information and to register, please contact Faye at 743 0882, faye@nccpeterborough.ca

This event is organised as part of the Culture Days celebration. To find out more about other events in Peterborough and area, please visit the Culture Days website.

Learn more about Canada and Canadian culture! This course is geared towards people studying for Canadian citizenship based on the new guide, but is also open to those interested in learning more about their new country and culture. Students should be of intermediate or advanced level English.

Mondays and Wednesdays, 1:00 – 4:00 PM
Start: September 13, 2010
End: October 25, 2010(excluding Thanksgiving Day, Oct 11/10)
Instructor: Susan Lawrence

Topics include

• background information on the new guide
• Canadian history, system of government, politics
• geography, Canada’s regions, economy
• arts and culture, famous Canadians and inventions
• First Nations, immigration waves, how we fit into the Canadian context

The course will consist of discussion, listening, reading, watching videos, and some writing. There is no cost to attend. Please contact Faye at 743 0882, faye@nccpeterborough.ca to register.

Caitlin Barratt (right) with NCC Volunteer Vicky Rojas (left)

My time at the New Canadians Centre has been a sincerely rewarding and enriching experience.  Not only did I learn a great deal about myself, but also about the immigrant experience and newcomer communities in Peterborough.  When I was hired on with the NCC, I was thrilled and ecstatic to be working with newcomers.  I believed that my educational experiences would be an asset; however, nothing prepared me for the firsthand glimpse of the emotional roller-coaster that constitutes a newcomers experience in Canada.

Through the Summer Library Program, I was introduced to families of many cultures, originating from countries such as Iran, Albania, China, Colombia, Pakistan, and Sudan.  Together, we persevered to meet common end goals among the group such as developing a Canadian style resume, gaining experience with Microsoft Excel, Word, and PowerPoint, enhancing listening and typing skills as well as good, old fashion conversation.  Words cannot fully describe the sense of fulfillment and happiness that I felt when working with this group. I was able to join them in their successes and assist in moments of frustration.  Through this experience, I realized that working with newcomers, and aiding their successful integration into Canadian society is something I am interested in pursuing.  This program also afforded me the opportunity to get better acquainted with our clients and learn their experiences as immigrants to Canada.  It was through this encounter that I became increasingly aware of the resiliency of newcomers and the skills they learn in order to integrate and be active members of our community.

My experiences are not limited to the library; through the daily operations of the New Canadians Centre, I was able to meet clients, learn their stories and observe the vital role that NCC has in shaping not only their immigration experience but their Canadian experience as well.  It is great to see such a caring community of individuals working each day to make this vulnerable group feel comfortable with themselves in our Canadian context.  Though it is more than just making newcomers feel comfortable.  I have witnessed fellow staff members take personal joy in the success of their clients, and that, to me, is so refreshing! I have enjoyed being both a part of, and a spectator of, the personal triumphs that are accomplished through the hard work of the staff at NCC.

I am grateful for this opportunity for it has offered valuable insight.  The people are fantastic and intriguing, the staff, welcoming and congenial.  The knowledge that I have acquired and the experiences that I obtained are invaluable and I will be forever thankful that I was given the opportunity to “work in the field” with such a great group of people!