At our recent children's art show - A journey Through Time - I was struck by how much emotion was felt, and expressed, by our visitors. Many were so moved that they returned a second time. We knew that people's hearts had been touched when we saw the tears in their eyes and heard their laughter as they read the children's comments about their works of art.

Nine year old Kate created a clay grandfather clock with a photo of her grandpa in front of her. She wrote: "Splash ghost the paddle on the pink water. As the sun sets it's time for my Grandpa and I to head in."

Seven year-old Lyall wrote: "Uvery tium I spund whith my grandfathre is fun." Four year old Regan in describing her 3-D Control Panet saic: "It sort of cleans up your room. It's like a robot and has hands to clean up. Fairies used this for magic, like they would sprinkle fairy dust on people so they make people who are invisible back to normal."

Everyone has something worthwile to say, even very young children. And if they feel truly heard, they will have more to say the next time. Our teachers really listen to their students - it is a way of validating them. Listening is an important way of showing love - and when we feel loved, the "light" inside us begins to shine.

Listening does not mean commenting, analyzing, or criticizing unless comments are invited. It could mean asking to hear more. It does mean paying attention: staying focused.

We all need to feel heard and understood.

Our teachers ask open-ended questions - ones for which every earnest answer is a right answer. What would you like to say about your grandfather? If you had a control panel that could do anything in the world, what would it be like? The best questions challenge our magination. The answers are a true flection of who we are.

In the end, the most important person to listen to is ourselves. We rarely give ourselves the time, or credit, to try to nd our own true voice. That's the sort of thing other people do! But when we engage in any form of personal expression - through writing, painting, acting, playing, singing, dancing or composing music - we are listening to ourselves. We listen... and we express When we do this, we value ourselves more than ever because no one else would have expressed themselves the way we did. We can't help seeing how unique we really are.

The truth is, if we can listen to ourselves - our longings, our fears, our sensitivities, our dreams - we will feel much more integrated, and better able to connect with others. I'm working on it for myself and I highly recommend it. It's a great feeling!

Lola Rasminsky, Director

Mike Ozerkevich, President of the EMC Group of Companies, and father of Rachel (7) and Ben (5) studying art at the school, is helping us to move in some exciting new directions. His computer software company and the Avenue Road Arts School are discussing the possibility of launching a Computer Animation Course beginning in 1999.

Mike's corporate offices on Richmond Street are filled with works of art created at the school by his daughter and friends, including many pieces made with discarded computer parts. The success of this 'decorating' initiative has inspired us