NDG Y centre`s newsletter

NDG Y
Newsletter
Life at the Y: everybody knows your name!
“
the YMCA is
a place where
you can go to
take care of
your body and
your mind
June 2012
”
T
he first time I saw Cybèle in the Boot
Cybèle was born in Lac St Jean. Her father is
Camp class, I thought she had just
Vietnamese and her mother is from Québec.
completed her studies. I never imagined
They moved to Montreal when she was 10
that she was a mother to 4 little angels: Léo,
years-old. Aside from raising her family,
almost 7, Maya, soon turning 5, Kyo, who is
Cybèle works as a corporate advisor with the
almost 3 years-old, and Margaux, the youngest
STM - Société des Transports de Montréal.
arrival who will soon be blowing out her first
Somehow she manages to find time to play
birthday candle. One could say these 4 little
the violin.
darlings keep her young.
At the NDG YMCA, the children take
“To me, the YMCA is a place where you
can go to take care of your body and your
swimming lessons. The eldest of the children
mind. When I’m at the Y, I’ll bump into people
attend or have attended the YMCA’s daycare.
I know who have the same interests as me.
Cybèle takes fitness classes such as Boot
It’s a little bit like that TV program Cheers –
Camp, and she really enjoys the warm and
where everybody knows your name.”
friendly atmosphere.
Sandra Chong
Did you know?
Janet Earwood, Rendez-Vous program participant,
attended dances at the NDG YMCA as a teen in the late
1940s. Janet recalls the boys on one side of the gymnasium opposite the girls on the other side, jazz from a
record player, jitterbug dancing, crowds of 100 people,
and meeting her first boyfriend at a YMCA dance.
How the NDG Y
changed my life
I
have been teaching French at Collège
Jean-de-Brébeuf for the past two years,
and when people ask me why I chose
this path, I tell them about my experience
working at the Y, both at the pool and at
the day camp. .
I spent four wonderful years working
with young, interesting and vibrant children
from kindergarten level to high school. And
it was because of this experience at the Y
that I realized I had a passion for teaching.
Every summer, my co-workers and I would
watch the campers rush into the pool area
with a sense of promise and excitement,
never to be disappointed. Whether we were
helping special needs children, or simply
organizing group activities for the camps,
every moment gave me a sense of accomplishment and made me realize that this
was what I wanted to devote my life to.
Now, a few years later, I have a Bachelor
in Education and I thank everyone I came
into contact with, from the children of NDG
to the passionate Y educators for helping
me realize how rewarding working with
children can be.
Jean-François Bouquet
Edward Lai: super volunteer !
T
his summer, if you hear the sound of a
guitar and a choir of kindergarten voices
out on the NDG YMCA’s field, you can bet
Edward Lai is involved.
Edward has been an integral member of the
NDG YMCA Day Camp team since June 2008.
Known for his guitar performances with 32
children singing backup, Edward has proven
to be a dynamic counsellor and exceptional
team leader. “Day Camp is an awesome job
for students,” says Edward, a civil engineering
student at McGill University. Edward has also
been a reliable and dedicated volunteer for the
Homework Help & Tutoring program, as well as
the Career Action Planning program at the Teen
Zone. “Volunteering gives me a sense of
purpose and responsibility. The Y for me is
more of a community centre than anything
else. It offers a sense of community that has
been very hard to find elsewhere.”
Edward’s experiences as a staff and volunteer
at the NDG YMCA have actually influenced the
career and educational path he is taking in life.
“I realized that I want to be doing something
closer to what I do at summer camp. Through
camp and volunteering at the Homework Help
program, I realized I really like explaining things
to youth.” For that reason, combined with his
passion for science, Edward is now determined
to become a high school Science teacher.
Lindsey Whitelaw
Did you know?
The NDG YMCA Local International Committee is comprised of staff and
members acting as volunteers, who meet weekly to plan themed international events and develop our partnership with the YMCA of Haiti.
Association News!
As many of you have surely noted,
YMCAs across Canada have been rebranding their image since the start of
the year, notably through promotional
materials used for the new Strong Kids
community support campaign. Over
the coming years, changes such as
the one in the logo’s appearance will
gradually be made in all of the YMCAs
in Québec and Canada.
This initiative is the result of an
important collaboration that began
two years ago between all the YMCAs
across Canada. It was done in an effort
to create a more consistent image and
to improve the public’s understanding
of our status as a charitable organization and the scope of our community
outreach.
Much more than just a logo, the brand
is also a promise that we will reiterate
to you: strengthen the foundations
of the community. The YMCAs of
Québec helps and will continue to
help children, youth, adults, and
seniors develop their well-being.
New logo
Old logo
The Homework Program
W
ould you believe it if we told you
we have children begging to do
their homework every day? Would
you believe we have children completing their
homework without complaining and even
doing it with a smile?
What’s our secret? It’s simple! The NDG
YMCA’s Homework Help program has a team
of dedicated and energetic volunteer tutors
who create a fun and welcoming environment
for the children to do their homework.
Frances-Laure, grade 4, finds the program
helpful for her Math homework. Samson, grade
1, prefers doing his homework at the YMCA
because “the counsellors are nice”. Isabella,
grade 5, reports that “the tutors make doing
homework fun and I like learning the Word
of the Day”. Isabella’s favourite word: jujitsu.
Bishop thinks the program snacks are a bonus.
“I like Pick your Snack Day,” exclaims the grade
3 student. Grade 4 student Sadrac’s favourite
moment in the program was the Ice Cream
Challenge Party held in April to recognize and
reward the students’ academic success, which
was tracked for 2 months on a bulletin board
with paper ice cream scoops. Parents and
students alike are giving the Homework Help
program an A+.
Lindsey Whitelaw
Your local NDG Y
advisory board
From left to right: Ross Chechile, John Vincent,
Tricia Vanderwalde, Prasman Gabriel Felix,
Pierre Beaudry, François Bertrand (President),
and missing from picture, Franceen Roll.
Did You Know...
2012 “Strong Kids” Fundraising
Campaign was up to $17,130.17 or
53.5% of our objective as of May
16th. “Thank you so much to all the
contributors. Your generosity means
that our Y can help support more
people, young and old, in our
community, to participate in the
many Y-NDG programs and activities.
We still have a fair distance to go to
hit our goal, so please contribute if
you haven’t done so already.”
François Bertrand,
2012 campaign president
Cybèle’s
Nuoc Mam
sauce
Spotlight on:
DROWNING
PREVENTION
Sauce for imperial rolls and other uses
Ingredients:
- Water (250ml)
-Sugar (5 to 6 tablespoons)
-White vinegar (2 tablespoons)
- Lemon (juice of 1 lemon)
- Garlic (3 or 4 cloves finely chopped)
- Nuoc Mam
(The quantities provided serve only as a
guide and can be changed depending on
taste preference and need).
1. Dissolve 5 to 6 tablespoons of
sugar in one cup (250 ml) of water (can
be lightly heated in the microwave and
gently stirred);
2. Add the juice of one lemon, 2 tablespoons of white vinegar, and 3 to 4 cloves
of finely chopped garlic;
3. Add some Nuoc Mam to the mixture
until the desired flavour is reached (this
may depend on the Nuoc Mam brand
used).
Cybèle
Local advisory board
Pierre Beaudry
François Bertrand
Ross Chechile
Prasman Gabriel Felix
Franceen Roll
Tricia Vanderwalde
John Vincent
“Most kids drown by wandering into a pool
unattended, when the caregivers aren’t paying attention.” This doesn’t mean kids should
stay away from the water, but highlights the
importance of ‘playing safe’. We want our
children to think that being in the water is fun,
and being in the pool with a parent is wonderful. As children age and their swimming skills
develop, structured lessons allow them to learn
quickly while giving swimming instructors an
opportunity to impart important safety
messages to the children.
A child’s swimming education begins as a
parent and child activity, providing the child
with a safe, comforting, and fun introduction to
swimming. The YMCA Swim Program is about
creative positive experiences in the water, and
helping our children build strong identities.
Safety Tips from the Royal Lifesaving
Society of Canada:
Stay “within arm’s reach” of children. Keep
children under five (5) years of age within arm’s
reach at all times around water. If your child
knows how to swim and you are out of the
water, keep your eyes on the pool at all times.
Always watch children closely when they’re
playing with inflatable toys.
If children can’t swim, insist that they wear
an approved lifejacket or personal flotation
device (PFD) at all times.
Don’t dive or go head-first into the shallow
end of the pool, and never dive into an above
ground pool. Protect your neck. Many head
and spinal injuries are caused by horseplay in
backyard pools.
Always swim with a “buddy”. In case of emergency, someone will be available to assist you.
Establish a set of pool rules…and ensure that
everyone follows them.
Learn to swim and learn lifesaving skills.
Go further…take a Lifesaving Society
program offered at the NDG Y Center:
Bronze Medallion, Bronze Cross, and National
Lifeguard Service® (NLS). Contact the Aquatics
Coordinator for more information.
Source: The Royal Lifesaving Society of Canada
Restrict access to backyard pools and ensure
there is a lockable gate and fence around the
pool. Keep a security perimeter around bodies
of water.
Editor
François Bertrand
Design
David Bouquet
Contributors
François Bertrand
Charlotte Smoley
Lindsey Whitelaw
Sandra Chong
Publisher
Notre-Dame-de- Grâce Y Centre
4335 Hampton
(514) 486-7315
MISSION The YMCAs of Québec is a charitable organization that, beyond the physical fitness activities it offers, helps children, youth, adults
and seniors improve their well-being.