The program schedule for Summer 2005 can now be found online. Available are toddler camps, half-day and full-day camps for JK-Grade 4, arts programs for Grades 3-10 and adults.

This year's camp theme is the story of Doctor Doolittle. Summer programs are offered July 4 to September 2, 2005.

Registration begins March 21, 2005. Call 416-961-1502 for more information or for a brochure.

Don't miss Art Discovery Day on Sunday, June 5th, from 1:00 to 4:00 pm. The free, hands-on arts event will be held at the school and will be jampacked with activities and demonstrations for both children and adults.

In addition, registration for the fall, winter and spring 2005/2006 will take place at the event. So come and bring a friend!

"Have you ever thought of turning the great stuff that's taught at your school into a book?" That was a question posed by Kids Can Press publisher Valerie Hussey to Lola Rasminsky several years ago. The happy result was The Jumbo Book of Art: An Artistic Adventure from the Avenue Road Arts School published a year ago. Written and illustrated by Irene Luxbacher in collaboration with ten fellow teachers from ARAS, it has become a spectacular success selling out its first run of 35,000 copies! The book has gone to a second printing and the rights have already been picked up in China and Holland with negotiations under way in other European countries.

As a result of this success, Kids Can Press has commissioned a second book entitled: The Jumbo Book of Outdoor Art due for publication in 2006. Children will be encouraged to look at all that nature has to offer – all the while learning artistic techniques. Some of the projects included are: wonderful weather vanes; a precious metal mural; a dinosaur petting zoo; cool creepy crawlers; solar powered prints; and an artful flowing fountain.

The Jumbo Book of Art is available in all bookstores and at the Avenue Road Arts School for $16.95 or through our online store. A portion of the proceeds from books purchased at the school goes to the Arts for Children Scholarship Program.

We are delighted to announce that TD Bank Financial Group has provided Arts for Children of Toronto with renewal funding of $50,000 for our 2005 Arts Adventure Camp and our Community Outreach Programs.

Our Arts Adventure Camp and our Outreach Programs offer children the opportunity to experience the arts hands-on, in a positive and nurturing environment. Through outreach activities in inner-city schools and diverse communities in Toronto, we know that we have enhanced the artistic experiences of thousands of children and provided these children with a different perspective on the many varied possibilities that might be available to them in their lives.

"At TD, we are thrilled to support Arts for Children of Toronto once again this year," says Paul Steven, Vice President, TD Wealth Management. "Providing children with the opportunity to express their creativity through art, drama, dance and music is a wonderful way for children to realize their own unique talents."

Since 2000, over 10,000 children have benefited from our Outreach Programs.We take pride in our philosophy of empowering the imagination of children through handson arts activities to create a sense of possibilities and personal growth in each child.

Visit www.artsforchildren.org