SUKA SIHAMBE iS. a , twelve mati singing group from Zimbabwe” - The men — all from the same village — sing a capella songs of their history and culture while dancing to the hth hey make. The 30- dune 1. students begin a five-day stint at the Provincial Aris Festival in North Vancouver today. : Warren Conacher, Stephanie Duhan and Timothy Phillips Northwest Music Festival held heré in March for their skills at alto saxophone and ‘piano. Tweive-year-old Warren trad- ed his ivory keyboard fer a shiny saxophone two years ago to play in the band at Uplands School. practises 45 minutes a day, his mother said. The’ practising paid off when he won a two- foot traphy. at the Pacifie Nor- mark in a woodwind solo. + Conacher is excited about the festival. ; “1 think it will be neat.’* * Stephanie Kuhar, 14, a Skeena Jr. Secondary student, is the alternate alto saxophone participant, which means ‘that she will compete if Conacher i is nable. —_ { She prefers.ta be" ifie alternate because she“ can enjay the festival fun without the stress of competition, “Pm. not toa nervous, Fi itness Wednesday, May 29 brings -the return of the Annual Terrace-Kitimat-Prince . Rupert Fitness Challenge as part of Canada’s Fitweek (May 24-June 2). In that competition, the city with the most residents register- - ing their 15 minutes of con- tinuous physical activity. that day wins. Last year’s winner TERRACE — Talented local were selected: from the Pacific © - He liked it so much that he thwest festival, for the highest: Warren Conacher There's lots of other people playing who are just the same as This is Kuhar’s second year of saxophone, and. she has ‘recently begun piano lessons. She was a gymnast before she became misically inclined, but because of a bad back she now concentrates , an. drawing, and... “music. trtege “She's a kid ‘who’ 3 got talent . in every one of her fingers," her mother said. Although this is ‘welve-year- | Stephanie Kuhar old Timothy Phillips’ first par- ticipation in the Provincial Arts Festival, il is not his first trip there. He has been to see both his brothers play.. Phillips, chosen as the junior piano alternate, is unemotional about it. He feels ‘‘okay,”’ about being-chosen,. :. He has played, the. piano.fore. i ‘ eight years,and thé: classical guitar for tWa,- i . “LT think he’d rather have -been chosen for ~ classical guitar,” his mother said. challenge near was Prince George while Ter- race’s last triumph was in 1988, Residents wanting to help the. city regain. the title can register - on May 29 at the arena, aquatic centre, public library, Delaney’s in the Skeena Mall, All-Season’s Sporting Goods, Bert's . Delicatessan, Dynamic Health Services, Mohawk ‘Gas. Bar, Sundance Ski and Sport, Cop- perside I, I], I] and IV and — ar - Inelud Northwest Commuinity College _ student services office, Remember, the activity ‘doesn’t count ‘unless you register. Fitweek witl be kicked off in : Terrace.with Sneaker Day, Fri- ‘day, May: .24.- Wear your sneakers at work, home. or school on.that day — then keep ‘them on for the challenge! , Fannypacks! eg Ladies' Ha ndba gs group, whose name means “let's go!” will be in Terrace Ma g y Twelve singers: ‘from zim- babwe will be in town May 30-June J, and don’t expect to. sit passively while they sing to youl .-, rhythm is in part supplied by the audience, which is asked. to lap . and respond to songs. ©. ARE: The 45-minute show will be performed in both English and in Shona, one of Zimbabwe's . ZimI babwe | group ae to perform here | two main spoken languages, ; The songs are part of the coun- Althougti all 12 members of _Suka Sihambe come from ‘the are ‘known * ‘throughout ° Zim- “babwe for their music, and per- form often al state. occasions. They were selected from bands_ all over. Africa to appear at the Vancouver Children’ $ Festival this: “year: They ‘group will visit three Ter: . race: “schools on May 30, and perform for the public ‘at the R.E.M. Lee Theatre June, 1. : TAKE aE ALONG! your next business Now when you book try’s rich oral tradition, also ©. which includes storytelling and OG, on : spoken poetry, one The group, Stika. ‘Sihambe. - (which means ‘‘lét's go"), sings - a capella songs ‘abort the history, . traditional life’ and ~ celebration of “their: country, and perform ‘“‘line dancing” | while they sing, moving ‘;in’ rhythm to the songs. That village of Lower Gweru, -they |. (es : While Ertanding Carpet R20 - &Upholstary Litat~:. © Qdour Control ” Pet Odour Contral SPRING: cannon | CARPET CLEANING | * Free Estimates * Reasonable trip, you can take your spouse along for 50% OFF iM Round trip ticket & fare’. Some restrictions apply le Beautity. Your Home: OTHER SERVICES PROVIDED: ¢ Fira & Water Damage Raslaratian Canadian Airlines International 4736 LAKELSE AVENUE TERRACE, B.C, V8G 1R6 "FOR PEOPLE GOING PLACES" ,,835:2277.-} “write words in their own way as ‘hey are learning, _ How Do Children Learn to Read and Write? - We use. our. language: abilities throughout our . ‘ves. if we aren't Speaking, we are still using our capabllites in language when wa listen to other peo- : ~ ple, when wa think to ourselves, when we read aloud or silently, when we write things down, when we observe an event to try to understand what is happening, and when we represent our idgas in some special form, like making a chart or mode. Even when we are very young, and few peopte can understand our special “baby tatk”, we are us- ing language to communicate, to think, and to understand our world, By the time a child starts school, ha or she has had years of practive in using language. Sometimes we take for granted the remarkable ability of human beings:to learn so much in such a short time. By the aga of five years, children are capable of understanding a great deal of language when they listan, of making themselves understood when they speak, of thinking to themselves, and of using ob- jects and Janguage to express their understanding of the world. When children begin school, they con- tinue to add to thelr use of language ability by reading and writing. ‘Chilean learn spoken language by doing a lot of listening and spgaking, and trying to understand the _Meaning of all the sounds around them. Learning to read and. write Is much the same. Children try to make meaning and sons out of the written words . 8; an 10 write words that mean what the “child wishes 10 say. dung Children prondunce words In their... they are learning to speak, they also. “writing” words.on paper, and trying 10 make their shapes look like letters. This is an important step for children: in fearning that writing is a way of keeping thelr thoughts and words an paper. Chitdren learn that the books that are read to them are the words of someona written down, and that they are capable of putting thelr words in print, too, Reading to children and reading with children are very. good ways to help children Gevelop abllities in reading and writing. Think of reading ¢ aS one step beyond listening, where children must figure out what the words on the page say, and that decide what they mean. Writing :is ona step beyond speaking, where childran want to communicate ar tell a story, but must learn how to represent thelr words in the special farm of writing, The more that children are read to and read themselves, and the more they write down what they want to say, the greater their overall language ability will grow. During school years, teachers and chitdren spend _ & lot of time using language; speaking, listening, reading, ‘writing, observing (or viewing), and » fepresenting information. Throughout all of these. activities, the most Important thing is that language - is used ta understand, to get meaning out of what Is heard or seen: Our schools work continually with children. to help tham grow in this very important part of their lives. : i you, woul: ‘like: to know: more about: ways: to help your child galn greater ability in language, con- _ tact vous child's teacher, -. to write. Most of us have watched young children ee i oe