We've been coming here for OMG five or six years, I think, for home school swimming on Friday afternoons. This term we're also spending quite a bit more time here because the boys have a science class two blocks away in the morning, and it doesn't make sense to go home in between.
There's always stuff going on here. There's ballet classes for tiny tiny tiny little girls, summer and March Break camps, pottery classes, swimming, after school care, special events - we booked our kids' birthday party here a couple of years ago - and all sorts of other cool stuff. One stairwell is decorated with portraits by a local photographer, with pictures she's taken of the same local families over many years, so you get to see the kids grow from babies to teenagers. And there's one set that includes three little girls photographed individually as elementary-age kids, then photographed together as teenage Dovercourt staff.
Right now the staff are wandering about in costume, putting up decorations for the Halloween festivities. There's a mime, Sam the Builder, Minnie Mouse, a bumblebee, and they're all so patient with the hordes of kids running around, and so cheerful and bubbly, that they kinda wear me out just watching them.
Justin would make a great swimming instructor some day.
A perfect stranger walked up to me a few minutes ago and said, "You look like you're home schooling your kids." I was helping Justin with his math and Daniel with his French, so, yeah, no point denying it. She started to talk to me about the proposed closure of the local alternative school, Churchill Elementary. Pointed out that it's similar in philosophy to what a lot of home schooling parents believe. Asked if I would mind spreading the word among home schoolers, to see if maybe some of them might want to send letters or sign petitions or whatever.
Yeah, sure, no problem! There's bunch of home schoolers coming in in about ten minutes from now. I'll spread the word.
I ♥♥♥ our community centre :) :)
