INSIDE DOUGLAS COLLEGE/DECEMBER 6, 1988

 

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McFadyen-Jones continued

services for children. She
joined UNRRA, United Nations
Refugee Relief Association and
was placed in the Save the
Children Division. Her respon-
sibility was to organize and
implement recreational and
educational facilities and
programs for young refugee
children in Displaced Person’s
Camps throughout Germany.

In 1947, the famous Canadian
author, Robertson Davies spon-
sored her immigration to
Canada. She settled in Peter-
borough, Ontario, and worked
as a nanny to Davies’ children.
Through Davies she met and
studied under the famous Child
Psychologist, Dr. William Blatz
at the renowned Institute of
Child Study at the University of
Toronto.

Her marriage in 1953 brought
her to Vancouver where she
began to promote the integration
of Kindergartens into the public
school system through the Chant
Royal Commission on Educa-
tion in 1960. This
accomplished, she became a
member of the Advisory Com-
mittee on Training Programmes
for Pre-School Supervisors
under the auspices of the B.C.
Welfare Institutions Board in
1962. The committee proposed
and implemented the first stand-
ardized Pre-School Supervisor
Training Courses in British
Columbia with cooperation of
the various Adult Education
Departments of B.C. School
Boards. Silvia was also one of
the first instructors to teach all

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ten courses for the Vancouver
School Board.

In 1963, the McFadyen fami-
ly settled in the Okanagan
where Silvia began teaching
Early Childhood Education cour-
ses in Penticton, Kelowna,
Vernon and Oliver. She began
commuting on the bus weekly to
teach part time in Vancouver at
Capilano College and Van-
couver City College. McFayden
says with a laugh, "I spent many
nights sleeping on the bus."

Silvia says tongue in cheek,
"Douglas College finally saw
the light in 1973 and realized
that they needed an Early
Childhood Education Program
also and they hired the best
qualified person to do the job.”
In one month she designed the
entire program. She wrote
every course outline and had the
Early Childhood Education
Program provincially approved
by the Child Care Licensing
Facilities Board and the Douglas
College Board of Directors.
"Those were the great days of
enthusiasm and community sup-
port for community colleges,"
says McFayden-Jones.

The Early Childhood Educa-
tion Post Basic program, an
extension of the Early
Childhood Education basic train-
ing program, however, took her
five years to design and imple-
ment. "Our bureaucratic
systems are obviously improv-
ing,” says Silvia.

"She is especially well known
throughout the province for her
dedication and work in the Post
Basic Infancy Program," says

 

fellow instructor and good
friend Cathleen Smith.

One of her projects was to set
up an Early Childhood Educa-
tion Post Basic training project
for Native people. She spent a
semester travelling to Squamish,
Mt. Curry, Bella Coola and Lil-
looet training native women in
their own communities. She
says "Ninety-nine per cent of
students reached their diploma,
a remarkable accomplishment.
Their enthusiasm and determina-
tion was unbelievable."

"Silvia’s dynamic and charis-
matic personality has earned her
many friends. Hundreds of
former students and people keep
in touch with her,” says Smith.

Silvia describes herself as "a
student of life," learning and
facilitating wherever she goes.
She has now enrolled in an excit-
ing new program called The
Community of Scholars and
Learners at the University of
British Columbia. The program
is designed for people who are
no longer interested in obtaining
credits or degrees but have a
desire and joy to continue to
learn,

Silvia has travelled to Israel,
Egypt, China and Europe. She
says she enjoys communal
travelling. One of the highlights
of her travels was her recent
bicycle trip to China, She says
she would love to return one day
and she also has a yearning to
visit South America.

Her sudden retirement from
Douglas College is unplanned

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