Parents and students, the time you’ve been waiting for is finally here… registration for Lift Off! our new and improved after school program will be starting this Tuesday!

Lift Off!
Lift Off! is our new and improved free after school program. Every Tuesday and Thursday from 3:30-5:30 p.m., students ages 6-12 receive one-on-one help with homework from our wonderful volunteers, and the chance to explore all kinds of visual art and creative writing projects.

Lift Off is free to students, but we do require you to register for the program. Email Noorin at noorin@sp004.dev.contextstaging.ca or call 416-645-1049 to find out more or sign up! 

Book Swap Fun
Is your bookshelf getting a little heavy with books you’ve already read? Are you looking for something new to read? Come to Story Planet and trade on October 3 from 2-5 p.m.!

This is a free event. Coffee drinks and snacks will be available at the cafe. RSVP to the event on Facebook and invite your friends!

Our Afterlight Book Club is Back
Calling all readers! Our Afterlight Book Club meets again on Wednesday, October 7 at 6:30 p.m. to discuss The Girls by Lori Lansens (Canadian Booksellers Association’s Fiction Book of the Year in 2006), which follows the lives of two conjoined sisters in Leaford, Ontario.

If you like talking about books, you’ll fit right in with the free Afterlight Book Club. We’re a friendly, fun group and there will be snacks (possibly thematically related to the book)! If you can’t make it, join the group on Meetup and see if there are any other upcoming books you’d like to read and discuss.

Happy reading!

We’re getting excited! Our FREE programming is set to lift off on Tuesday, September 29. Registration begins on Tuesday, September 15, but here are some other ways you can get involved with Story Planet RIGHT NOW!

1. Help Us Launch Our Online Store
   We’re looking for a volunteer to help us launch our online store! If you know how to make our out-of-this-world products available across the galaxy, email Liz at liz@sp004.dev.contextstaging.ca!

2. Check Out Our Sale on Books and Toys
   Books and toys are up to 25% off at the Intergalactic Travel Authority (the cafe in the front half of our space)! Each purchase helps provide free programming to kids all around Toronto, so you might as well treat yourself to a pumpkin spice latte while you browse…

3. Help out during Our Revamp
   We’re still looking for volunteers to help with the revamp of The Intergalactic Travel Authority (the front half of our space). We need help with painting the walls, designing a new sign, and a little bit of general maintenance. If you’d like to help out, contact us at volunteer@sp004.dev.contextstaging.ca and you might even have your likeness immortalized in the form of a constellation of stars!

4. Sign up to be part of Our Exciting New TV Series
   Do you know a child who is curious, chatty and imaginative? Is he or she interested in science, design, and how things work? We’re developing a TV series called “What If?” and looking for some kids to come up with some out-of-the-box questions that we might ask them on-camera. If you think you know a young person who’d like to participate, email Liz at liz@sp004.dev.contextstaging.ca!

5. Donate to Story Planet
   We’re constantly on the lookout for supplies to use during our workshops. If you have furniture, electronic devices or other supplies that are still in good condition, we’d be happy to take them off your hands. Check out this link to find out what we need most, or email us at info@sp004.dev.contextstaging.ca to let us know what you can spare and set up a drop off time that works for you.

But, of course, if you don’t have any chairs to spare, you can always donate funds to our programming by clicking here.

Thanks for all you do to support Story Planet. We’d be positively lost in space without you!

 

Parents and students, we are SO close to finalizing our fall programming list. Things are taking a bit longer than expected, but we’re very excited to tell you about our newly revamped programs like our After School Space Program, which will focus on art, technology and writing.

Thanks you for your patience. If you have any specific questions for us, please don’t hesitate to contact our new program lead Noorin at noorin@sp004.dev.contextstaging.ca.

Sale on Books and Toys at the Intergalactic Travel Authority
Books and toys are up to 25% off at the Intergalactic Travel Authority! Each purchase helps provide free programming to kids all around Toronto, so treat yourself to a pumpkin spice latte while you browse.

ITA Revamp
If you haven’t signed up yet but you’d like to help out, contact info@sp004.dev.contextstaging.ca to help out with painting the Intergalactic Travel Authority. Extra gold stars go to the person who can help us fix our stair rail!

We’re getting excited! Registration for our fall programming starts September 2. Our full class list is not yet available online but, if you have specific questions, feel free to contact Noorin at noorinfazal@gmail.com. We can’t wait to start Homework Club back up again!

ITA Revamp Meeting
We’re hosting a meeting at Story Planet this Thursday (August 27) at 6 p.m. to discuss the changes we’re making to the Intergalactic Travel Authority (the café in the front half of our space). If you think you’ll be able to lend a hand between now and September 13 with painting the walls or redesigning our sign, drop on by!

We Need Supplies!

We blow through supplies at the speed of light! If you have furniture, electronic devices or other supplies that are still in good condition, we’d be happy to take them off your hands.

If you’re planning a back-to-school shopping trip, here’s a list of what we need most to complete our space. Thanks for your help, space explorers. Every contribution helps!

Technology/Electronics
3 Standing lamps
Desk lamps
Projector
Projection screen
Speakers for the projector
Video cameras
Wireless microphones
Audio recorder
Laptops
Printer
Phones or small cameras
Large toaster oven

Furniture
6 tables for kids to work at (around 3’x 5’)
4 medium sized desks
Large table – 3’ x 7-8’
12 chairs – neutral (white/wood), some with colour (turquoise or yellow or orange)
Small comfy chair
2 stools
Cushions
Bean bags

Other
Paper
Pens
Pencils
Scissors
Cardstock
Markers
Graphic pens and markers
Tape (masking and clear)
Lightbulbs – 60 watt
2 Staplers
Binders (for reports, etc.)

Registration for our fall programming starts Wednesday, September 2. While you wait, sign up to help with our upcoming renovation!

From August 24-September 13, we’ll be revamping the front half of our space and turning it into a more creative hangout. Be part of the redesign and you might even be turned into a constellation! How cool!

We’re looking for people who can help us paint the space and design a new sign. To find out more or to sign up to help out, email Liz at liz@sp004.dev.contextstaging.ca and be sure to keep checking back at our Events page for updates about our fall programming.

Parents and students, it’s almost time to go back to school! Registration for our fall programming starts on Wednesday, September 2. We’ll be posting a list of upcoming programs and workshops in the next few weeks, so stay tuned to our blog and Events page for more information! 

Revamping our Space
After lots of brainstorming, universe searching and space reflection, we’ve decided to revamp the front half of our front space. To do this, we’re looking for creative people to give the storefront a new coat of paint, help design a new sign, and create book and art installations. Lend us a hand and… who knows? You might even be made into a constellation!

We’ll be working on the space between August 24 and September 13. If you’d like to help out or have any questions about our upcoming redesign, email us at volunteer@sp004.dev.contextstaging.ca.

Our Exciting New TV Series
Do you know a child who is curious, chatty and imaginative? Is he or she interested in science, design, and how things work? We’re developing a TV series called “What If?” and looking for some kids to come up with some out-of-the-box questions that we might ask them on-camera. If you think you know a young person who’d like to participate, email Liz at liz@sp004.dev.contextstaging.ca!

The Atomatons’ App is Close to Completion

Team Atomatons is well on their way to creating an awesome app. We are taking a summer break while the designer brings their ideas to life.

Thank you to everyone who helped out. We couldn’t have done it without your help, Atomatons!

We’d like to extend a big thank you to the Toronto Summit Branch of TD Wealth Private Investment Advice for their generous donation. This paper will come in so handy during our workshops.

Here at Story Planet, we rely on donations to fuel our out-of-this-world programming. If you have unused craft supplies you’d like to donate to our workshops, contact us at info@sp004.dev.contextstaging.ca to schedule a drop off time that works for you. Otherwise, we are always accepting online donations. Follow this link to donate to our literacy programming. Thanks for your support, space explorers!

Our App Designing Workshop Is Ending with a Bang!
… and a Mystery?
This week’s session will be the last for the Atomatons, our skilled group of App-Stronauts, which means it’s only a matter of time before their storymaking app is ready..!

They are currently working on a trailer for their new storymaking app that’ll include special effects and familiar characters. Rumour has it they’re even turning Story Planet into a 3D rendering studio! They want to keep their video a surprise, so we can’t leak too much information about it quite yet, but it should be ready soon. Stay tuned!

The Intergalactic Travel Authority’s Featured Treat
This week, the Intergalactic Travel Authority is tempting the neighbourhood with The Blondie, a gluten free brownie with white and milk chocolate chips and walnuts.

Curious? Drop by and try one for yourself before they’re all gone!

The Intergalactic Travel Authority is the café in the front half of our space at 1165 Bloor Street West.

Hey moonwalkers, it might be a little bit quieter than usual at Story Planet this week, but that doesn’t mean we don’t want to see you. Drop by the Intergalactic Travel Authority (the café/shop in the front half of our space) and escape the heat over an iced coffee and a tasty treat!

Open Call for Submissions for Diaspora Dialogues Mentoring Program
Diaspora Dialogues, an organization committed to supporting emerging Toronto writers and their literature that reflects our wonderful city is looking for submissions for their upcoming mentoring program. If you’ve written a full or near-full draft of an original novel, or collection of short stories or poems about Toronto, click this link to find out if you’re eligible to apply.

The deadline to apply is Wednesday, September 30, 2015. Make sure to read the submission guidelines and formatting rules before mailing in your manuscript. Submissions will NOT be accepted by email or fax.

Our App-Stronauts Are Officially onto the Testing Phase

Parents, volunteers, and students, we want to hear from you! Click this link to tell us what you think about our programs, space, and community (from start to finish, the whole survey will take less than 10 minutes)! Whether you have time to fill out the whole thing or just want to answer a few questions, your feedback will go a long way in helping us improve our programming.

Do you have a specific suggestion for us? Email us at info@storylpanet.ca.

Thanks for your help, stargazers!

Storymaking with Story Planet at Parliament Library

We’re hosting another FREE workshop at the Parliament Street branch of the Toronto Public Library this Thursday from 6-7:30 p.m.!

Kids between the ages of 7-12, are invited into the writers room to brainstorm, write, and illustrate a unique story as a team. With the help of a facilitator and typist, students brainstorm the main character, setting, and central narrative of their story, while a professional local artist helps bring it to life visually. Once they have reached the halfway point of their story, each student writes and illustrates his or her own ending. After that, their original story will be bound for them to keep, so that every student leaves Story Planet as a published author and illustrator — all in just under two hours!

 

This workshop is part of TD’s Story Reading Club series. To RSVP or find out more about this event, please email us at info@sp004.dev.contextstaging.ca.

Looking for some fun activities to keep your kids busy now that school’s out for the summer? Whether they’d prefer to get their hands dirty with some papier-mâché crafts or let their imagination run wild during one of our Alpha Workshops, there are lots of fun events coming up this week.

Kidz Kamp at The Bluffs Gallery
Scarborough Arts is hosting a super fun Kidz Kamp at the Bluffs Gallery this Wednesday from 6-8 p.m. They’ll have lots of activities for young ones to enjoy such as face painting, papier-mâché, decorating tote bags, and a stenciling workshop. 

To RSVP or find out more about this event, contact Susan at 416-698-7322.

 

This Week’s Alpha Workshops
This week, we’re hosting Alpha workshops ALL over the city. Check out this list of events and contact us to RSVP to the one(s) that work(s) best for you!

• Wednesday, July 15 at St. Timothy Catholic School
  Starting at 9:30 a.m. and 12:45 p.m.
• Thursday, July 16 at St. Jane Frances Catholic School
  Starting at 9:30 a.m. and 12:45 p.m.
• Friday, July 17 at St. Nicholas of Bari Catholic School
  Starting at 9:30 a.m. and 12:45 p.m.

This week’s Alpha Workshops were specifically designed for kids in grade 1 and 2. If your child is a little bit older, drop by the Parliament Street Library on Thursday, July 23 from 6-8 for our next TD Summer Reading Club event!

Happy storymaking!