Latest news with #NortheastCalgary
CTV News
15 hours ago
- Health
- CTV News
Calgary child care embracing sensory learning and playing
Children at The Immigrant Education Society's Little Beginnings Urban Oasis child-care centre have been introduced to a number of sensory tools and materials to assist in their learning development. The Little Beginnings Urban Oasis (LBUO) child-care centre at The Immigrant Education Society (TIES) in northeast Calgary has introduced a number of sensory tools and material to help children learn. The centre has 26 children enrolled from birth to six years old who come from more that 20 countries around the world. Raghda Abouelfetouh, LBUO childcare centre manager, brainstormed with all the educators in the program to choose the equipment they felt would be most beneficial to the children. Abouelfetou says exposing kids to sensory activities at a young age is vital. 'All children have, and even adults, have different learning abilities, different skills,' she said. 'So if you work in advance, you will be most probably be preventing challenging behaviors to occur in the school age children and are setting them up for success.' The sensory tools help kids visualize and hear things but also help with math and learning the language. 'If I don't speak English and I'm here and everyone is speaking English, I will be frustrated,' said Abouelfetouh. 'I want to express, I want to engage, so this way we are letting everyone engage the way they are.' She says that since the program started in March, educators have seen an 80 percent drop in kids who lash out through frustration, and adds that's a positive indicator for the work they're doing. 'A couple of parents, especially in the preschool room, they were sharing that the children now are speaking way more -- (they) are very expressive,' she said. 'I'm like, here we go! We're so happy with that.' Identifying special needs Sensory tools can also be used to identify children with special needs or those with neurodivergent conditions. Abouelfetouh says many children in Alberta are not eligible for any kind of cognitive assessment before the age of three. 'Until we get the assessment, (the child) will be almost four years old -- which is too late, because 80 per cent of the child's development is done by the age of three so we don't want children to lose these opportunities,' she said. 'Why not offer this intervention as early as possible to prevent any learning delays and developmental delays in the school age.? Racheal Ashamu's four-year-old daughter Adesua is in the program. 'I have noticed a lot of improvement and she even wants me to have (the sensory tools) at home,' she said. 'I can confidently say right now she is ready for kindergarten, because when I look at the Alberta curriculum, she knows everything that is expected of her already.' Ashamu says Adesua has now developed a knack for building things that could lead to a career one day. 'I know that she likes stacking things, like creating something,' she said. 'I mean, for her age (she is) maybe some sort of little engineer who wants to create something.' Aboueleftouh is excited at the potential for the program for the current and future students. 'When you're talking about the children, you're talking about next generation, you're talking about the future of Canada.,' she said. Learn more about LBUO here.
CTV News
a day ago
- CTV News
Deadly fire rocks northeast Calgary community
Calgary Watch A community is shocked and grieving after a tragic house fire in northeast Calgary claimed the lives of a father and his daughter.
CTV News
27-05-2025
- General
- CTV News
Calgary police searching for suspect in Calgary hotel sexual assault
A suspect believed to have sexually assaulted a woman in a hotel located in the 100 block of Freeport Boulevard N.E. (Courtesy: Calgary Police Service) Police are searching for an unknown man believed to have sexually assaulted and robbed a woman in a northeast Calgary hotel room. The incident occurred on May 16, around 3 p.m., at a hotel located in the 100 block of Freeport Boulevard N.E. Police said the suspect entered the hotel and met with an unknown woman in a room. After he arrived, the suspect threatened the woman with a knife while demanding cash, her cellphone and the room safe. Police say the man then restrained the victim and sexually assaulted her several times. He fled the scene with an undisclosed amount of cash and the victim's cellphone. Police were contacted about the incident and launched an investigation. The suspect is described as a 20- to 30-year-old man, between 5'8' and 5'11' tall, weighing between 150 and 200 pounds with a medium build. He had short black hair and black facial hair and was last seen wearing a white Puma hoodie, blue or grey pants and grey running shoes. Anyone with information about the identity of this suspect is asked to call police at 403-266-1234. Tips can also be submitted anonymously to Crime Stoppers.
CTV News
13-05-2025
- Politics
- CTV News
This is the referendum question proposed by an Alberta separatist group
Albertans gathered at a banquet hall in northeast Calgary on May 12, 2025, to hear from the Alberta Prosperity Project, an organization dedicated to the province's sovereignty from Canada.
