June 2016

We opened the doors to our first six
participants at the Market Mall Satellite on April 27, 2016. In the past few
weeks we have added 4 brand new participants and we anticipate the arrival
of our last 2 participants by the beginning of June. With Trisha Lazaro as
our leader, the staff Diane, Debbie,
Keith and Jeanelle have come together
to provide strong supports to the participants.
We have had lots of visitors at the office and we have been out and about in
the community. We have visited all
the satellites, as well as returned to the
main building to help out with Contracts work. We have been bowling
and playing mini golf on a weekly basis. We go to the park frequently and play soccer, football, badminton, Frisbee and horseshoes. We have enjoyed movies and popcorn and baked mug cakes in the microwave. We have also taken up Tai Chi and many of the participants
find it enjoyable and relaxing.
The participants are also keeping busy ripping books, doing in-services, and building new skills. All the participants
take part in day end cleaning activities to help the office stay clean, to learn about taking ownership and responsibility
and to obtain new skills. We look forward to the day when we are going out to work placements in the community.
Welcome Kevin, Evgeny, Brad, Todd, Shawn, Zena, Breanne, Katie, Wyndham, Scott, Brooke, and Kelly.
Diane Vanderauwera
I hope your summer is well under way because things are sure heating up at Cosmo. The renovation process has begun.
Unfortunately, we don’t have a date of completion but we have a very good crew working on it, and we hope to make
some major improvements. The goal is to create a brighter, more open feeling that benefits participants and staff alike!
The opening of the satellites could not have come at a better time. This extension of Cosmo Industries has greatly enhanced the diversity of our program and provided much needed space when we couldn’t use the 34th Street location. A
big thank you to the community for coming to our aid, as well, with regards to the additional space in the two Church
facilities. This allowed our staff to provide some level of consistent programming that might not have happened without
their generosity.
We as Board members are extremely blessed to have a staff and management team that cares as much as they do about
the wellbeing of each and every participant. When the flood damaged the building, it didn’t
damage the spirit. Don’t worry, we are still in good hands!!
On behalf of my fellow Board members, please enjoy a safe, sunny summertime.
Kindest Regards
Brent Rempel Board Chair
Recently, the day program explored different countries through armchair travel. So far this year, we have traveled to
twelve different countries including Ireland, Germany, Italy, Australia, China, Peru, France, Israel, India, Mexico,
Greece and Pakistan. During armchair travel we make food from the country we explore. We also make a craft, a flag,
and usually watch a slideshow and/or video. Trying different foods from each country is the favorite part of armchair
travel. We have sampled some very
unique foods such as Chinese lychee
nut fruit, Australian marmite and spicy
Pakistan masala. Recently, we had a
student named Rida, who did a presentation on her birth country Pakistan.
Rida gave everyone henna tattoos, this
was a highlight for everyone!
none
Dave Parkalub
Brianna Branton
Misty Stack
Wyndham Yip
Kelly Desjarlais
Joseph Wilby
Brooke Hawman
Mary Opsal
Rita Osika
Doug Failler
The vocational areas at the centre planned a Western
Day. The fun filled afternoon consisted of indulging in
burritos prepared by staff and participants, relaxing while
watching a Western film, using our creative talents to
decorate cowboy hats, and having Wheel Chair Barrel Racing. Spectators enjoyed watching and cheering on our participants as they zoomed through the division in wheelchairs in a race against the clock!
While Contracts is often a very busy environment with the many contracts we have, we
like to take time to have fun and enjoy spending time with our friends.
We continue to come up with and create
new experiences for our participants and look
forward to continuing to make fun memories
together.
Ashley Gursky
Participants have been enjoying
Rider Training Camp. Especially the
opportunity for signatures and photos!
Time to get connected again to express the feedback from some of our participants at Knox United Church.
Neil – “I like it here because I work hard ripping books. I like to work in the
church. I like to go for walks by the river. I get to go to Tim Hortons. I like the
group of people and the staff here. We also bake different things.”
Linda – “I like to be here because I work with books and people and staff are
very nice.”
Charlene – “I love it here because it’s nice and quiet. Staff let me do my own
thing and we get to go out for walks and outings. There is a lot of room here.
We do nails and staff are very good and we get treated well.”
Annette - “I like to go outside for walks by the river and see the ducks.”
Jennifer – “I like to go for walks. I like the water fountain. People and staff
are nice to me. We do lots of fun things.”
Kim – “I like the church. I like to help wash dishes and go on outings. We
have fun days. I like the people and the staff are nice.”
Some participants
from Seniors
enjoyed lunch and
a short
program at
St. Michael
Community
School
You can protect your family and still have fun under
the sun.

Cover up. Wear light-coloured, long-sleeved
shirts, pants, and a wide-brimmed hat made from
breathable fabric. When you buy sunglasses, make
sure they provide protection against both UVA and
UVB rays.
 Limit your time in the sun. Keep out of the sun
and heat between 11 a.m. and 4 p.m. When your shadow is shorter than
you, the sun is very strong. Look for places with lots of shade, like a park
with big trees, partial roofs, awnings, umbrellas or gazebo tents. Always
take an umbrella to the beach.
 Use the UV Index forecast. Tune into local radio and TV stations or
check online for the UV index forecast in your area. When the UV index
is 3 or higher, wear protective clothing, sunglasses and sunscreen.
 Use sunscreen. Put sunscreen on when the UV index is 3 or more.
 Drink plenty of cool liquids (especially water) before you feel
thirsty. If sunny days are also hot and humid, stay cool and hydrated to
avoid heat illness. Dehydration (not having enough fluids in your body) is
dangerous, and thirst is not a good indicator of dehydration
Taken from www.healthycanadians.gc.ca
A group from the Life Skills Training Division had the opportunity to
visit the Rayner Barn facility on the U of S campus. We watched a short
video on the important role Saskatchewan has in agriculture throughout the world before heading up the nearby elevator to get a good
look at the dairy facility. Everyone enjoyed the educational experience of
seeing how dairy cows are milked. We got a kick out of the automatic milking
machine that some of the cows were trained to use when it was their time to
be milked. The trip was an udder delight!
-Cody Roger
There has been great enthusiasm from
participants who have been working at A
& W. This placement initially started at
Stonebridge and since then has branched
off to 2 other locations. The participants
have different reasons why they enjoy
working there, for some it’s because of
the A & W staff and customers, for others it’s the tasks they do there. Both the
A & W staff and customers
enjoy the participants and
positive work relationships
have been built, also the
value in the work ethics
they bring each day is noticed!
Here at Arlington Cosmo we have the opportunity to work out in
the community around us! We work 50% in our building and 50%
out in the community. We have recently started a "Swimming Club"
outing which gives 4 participants each month the opportunity to put
their swimming skills in action! Utilizing the public swim times
is also a great way to learn more about swimming and about the many
leisure facilities we have here in Saskatoon. So far we have been to
Lawson Civic Centre where we enjoyed the wave pool and hot tub. In
the future we hope to check out the many indoor and outdoor pools
that Saskatoon has to offer!
-Ashley Weiman
On Thursday June 9th, 2016 we
were delighted to have Brad Johner
and Donny Parenteau perform for us
at the Cosmo/Elmwood Gym Program. We got to hear Brad’s famous
hit “I’d
Rather be
Lucky”, also
“Pirates of
the Saskatchewan”,
songs by
Johnny Cash
and the
iconic tune
“You are the Miracle”. Brad Johner
and Donny Parenteau are two of our
favourite Telemiracle cast members. We enjoyed singing and dancing with you during the show -- thank
-you for coming and please come
back again soon!!
We are a staff of 3 and support 24
participants in their homes. We spend
our days at Parkridge, Sunnyside, Circle Drive Alliance,
Samaritan Place, Extendicare, Porteous Lodge and 4 different group homes. At Parkridge we have a large group
that loves to recycle and play games. We have enjoyed
reading a novel and are excited to start a second reading
group.
It's also great to go out for walks and to sit
in the courtyard. We have even found a couple geocaches
on our walks. The participants at Circle Drive Alliance
do lots of recycling. We've had many games of Yahtzee
and Trouble. They have a beautiful
courtyard where we have the opportunity
to visit, enjoy the flowers and listen
to the birds. We have plenty of opportunities for outings. They have gone to
the forestry farm, Market Mall, a Rider
practice and a visit to Cosmo. Upcoming
we have a few outings to Pike Lake,
heritage days at Wanuskewin, and the
Forestry Farm.
Although everyone enjoys this time they
are really looking forward
to returning to Cosmo!
Five participants and a direct support professional
provided our mail services at an on site location, City
Hall of Martensville. Amy, Direct Support Worker
from the Contracts Division, along with Rebecca,
Jim, Kathy D, Kathy H and Adele were the ambitious
group who
applied
their skills
in completing a
mail job
that involved
folding in thirds, inserting and labelling.
A great effort was made by all and the customer
was pleased with the exceptional service!
Christi Adams
After Cosmo flooded in April 2016, the Personal Supports
Division, along with all the other Divisions from the main
floor were transferred into the Contracts Division area, and are
continuing supports for the participants that are coming to
Cosmo.
The Personal Supports Division, the office and Treatment
Room are located in the Contracts Division Area. The Training Room is being utilized for personal care. The room is set
up for participants to have privacy while personal care is provided. Five personal care staff are at Cosmo to support participants, two personal care staff are supporting participants
that needed to stay at Elmwood Lodge, and one personal care
staff acts as a float to support all Cosmo Program sites that are
needing extra staff.
The changes made in the area where we support our participants are quite challenging but the quality of care for our participants is still our top priority. Somehow, each day, we
make sure our participants feel comfortable and happy.
Lyn Morales, Personal Supports