CREATIVE RIDGEWOOD Y NAME PRESS
RIDGEWOOD YMCA 69-02 64th Street , Ridgewood, NY 11385 October 2012 ymcanyc.org/ridgewood
THE RIDGEWOOD YMCA NEWSLETTER FOR MEMBERS, STAFF AND FRIENDS
In This Issue RIDGEWOOD Y TEEN PROGRAMS: NURTURING FUTURE LEADERS TODAY! Ridgewood Y Teen
The Ridgewood Y's Teen Programs are registering participants this month. These programs provide a variety of activities all geared toward the attainment of leadership and teambuilding skills, encouraging teens to make a positive impact on the lives of their peers, their schools and their communities. The programs also entertain and educate, and are a great way to augment curricular activities during after-school hours and on weekends. Here's an overview of the programs now in place:
LEADERS CLUB – Nurturing tomorrow’s leaders today, this program helps develop skills for more effective interaction with others, as well as offering college and career exploration and guidance. The program meets weekly in small, counselor-led groups. JUNIOR LEADERS CLUB – Similar to the Leaders Club, Junior Leaders is designed for youth in 6th through 8th grades. Opportunities abound here for leadership training, service-oriented learning and community work. TEENS TAKE THE CITY – This dynamic leadership-development program offers NYC teens an opportunity to roll up their sleeves and get involved! Teens engage in community mapping to determine creative new ways of bettering their neighborhoods, working in small groups to develop policy or legislative proposals that are later debated at City Hall! Students then implement initiatives through youth-led service and learning activities.
Programs: Nurturing Future Leaders Today! Trick-Or-Treating Tips for Urban Kids Meet The Staff The Y's Youngest Leap Into Fall Eating Seasonal – And Local! Humor – The Best Medicine!
Y Core Values It’s great to see the Y’s four core values of CARING, HONESTY, RESPECT, and RESPONSIBILITY in action. Here's an example we recently noted. Tell us about some you’ve seen! Caring – Ricky is always caring about others in his job!
The Ridgewood Y Teen Programs – social responsibility at its best! Get engaged, and get registered, by contacting Program Coordinator Otis Washington at owashington@ymcanyc.org or (212) 912-2180, ext. 4817.
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TRICK-OR-TREATING TIPS FOR URBAN KIDS
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Zombies and aliens, pirates and princesses, ghosts and ghouls will soon be roaming city streets. Dressing up and going trick-or-treating is a Questions, cherished childhood rite of passage that should be enjoyed by everyone. Comments, “Celebrating Halloween in an urban environment, however, presents a Ideas? unique set of challenges for families to consider,” says to Marty Forth, Senior Director of Teen Programs and Services at the YMCA of Greater New Contact Caitlin Moonesar
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York. In this edition, the Ridgewood Y provides 10 tips to help make this year’s Halloween spooktacular fun and safe. [Continues on the next page]
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MEET THE STAFF GABRIEL MARTINEZ Q.: What is your current position at the Ridgewood Y? A.: I am a Fitness Center Instructor, Y Personal Fitness Coach, Personal Trainer, and Group Exercise instructor. I try to be a bit of a jack-of-all-trades within Ridgewood, helping out whoever needs help regardless of which department. At the end of the day, we have to function as a family to be successful. Q.: How long have you worked for the Y? A.: At the end of September it was one year. Q.: What do you like best about Ridgewood Y? A.: There are so many things I like about the Ridgewood Y. The members are great and friendly, the staff is fun to work with, and I love that there are lots of opportunities within the Y. Q.: Best advice you received or would give someone who was considering moving with the Y? A.: As someone who has been working most of his life, I can tell you that there are not many jobs which provide as many opportunities to advance as the YMCA. Dedication, hard work, and going out of your way to help someone now and then will get you far with any career. Q.: Tell us something about Gabe that we might not know? A.: Two things that not many people know about me: I just started teaching as an adjunct at Brooklyn College; and I have a black belt in karate. Q.: What is your favorite healthy snack? A.: Definitely apples with peanut butter. At first I thought I would never try it, but after that first taste I was sold. (Granny Smith apples work the best!)
Trick-Or-Treating Tips for Urban Kids… [Continued from front page] 1. Do Your Homework: Research community Halloween parades or trick-or-treating events. Check City and community bulletin boards and websites. “There are great Halloween events happening all across the city,” says Forth. “And there’s safety in numbers.” 2. Canvass the Building: Sometimes trick-ortreating means never having to leave one’s home, especially if you live in an apartment building or housing complex. Find out what Halloween happenings are planned in your building or residential complex and if your building isn’t hosting an event, suggest one! 3. Keep Costumes In Sight: “In an urban setting, trick-or-treaters are likely to cross the street often,” says Forth, “so avoid costumes and masks that hinder sight lines and always adhere to stop signs, traffic lights, and street crossings.” And remember: costumes don't have to be expensive to be good. 4. Dress Appropriately: Late October can be cold. So, if needed, remember that a coat and hat take precedence over a killer costume! 5. Don’t Go It Alone: If both parents are working or unavailable to join their child trick-ortreating, arrangements should be made in advance for the child to be accompanied by a caring adult. And, says Forth. “Halloween is a festive, communal occasion—encourage kids to buddy up.” 6. Stick to the Stoop: Trick-or-treating exchanges should occur in building doorway entrances, house porches, or brownstone stoops; there is never any compelling reason to enter a stranger’s home. “The most important thing is that the child should always remain within the parent or guardian’s line of sight,” explains Forth. “Don’t wait
by the curb while your child goes trick-or-treating; stick close by their side, especially around houses that are heavily adorned with Halloween decorations that might obscure visibility.” 7. Before Night Falls: Even if your child is dressed as a vampire, you should aim to complete your trick-or-treating rounds before nightfall. “That’s one way to avoid some of the uglier aspects that have attached themselves to Halloween—like shaving cream fights and ‘egging houses,’” says Forth. 8. Good-For-You Goodies: For those planning on spending Halloween handing out holiday goodies, consider investing in healthier options. These might include individually sealed string cheese, 100-calorie baked treats, packs of sugar-free gum, and bags of low-fat popcorn. “And remember that inexpensive prizes and gifts—stickers, costume jewelry, marbles, baseball cards, and comic books–can be fun alternatives to food, too,” says Forth. 9. Inspect, Don’t Expect: Once trick-ortreating is through, it is the parent or guardian’s job to inspect carefully and edit a child’s sugary bounty. “Immediately dispose of anything that has been previously opened, anything that isn’t properly sealed, anything that looks water-damaged or tampered with in any capacity,” warns Forth. “If you cannot confirm where it’s been or what’s been done to it, simply eliminate it. That goes for healthyseeming treats like apples, too—washing a piece of fruit given to you by a stranger is not sufficient.” 10. Conspicuous Consumption: Once you have had a chance to inspect the loot, it’s time to set some limits. “It’s important to establish with your child what healthy consumption might look like,” says Forth. “Setting those boundaries in an open and collaborative way can be a good way to instill lessons about healthy living and the importance of willpower.”
THE Y'S YOUNGEST LEAP INTO FALL
September was a month of new beginnings and excitement. Ridgewood Y's My Little Academy welcomed new and returning families and their threeyear-olds, and our new students had a great time getting to know their teachers and making new friends. The parents loved the new classroom and learning centers. Students explored the room and learned classroom rules. Since this is a creative curriculum program, students were asked what they would like to learn about this year, and responses included such great topics as dinosaurs, airplanes, ice cream, pets, and butterflies. During September, students also learned about each other's families – and a special study was done on apples! A host of activities and crafts projects dealing with apples culminated in a delicious theme-appropriate finale – student and teachers together made applesauce.
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EATING SEASONAL – AND LOCAL!
There are plenty of benefits to eating seasonally and locally. Seasonal and local foods are typically cheaper, since you don’t need to pay for the foods to be shipped across the globe; and some research shows they are healthier – and taste better, too! Be sure to take advantage of all of the great fall foods in New York: apples, potatoes, pumpkins, and winter squash. All of these foods taste great in a bunch of dishes!
HUMOR – THE BEST MEDICINE! “I ran three miles, staggered into the lobby, and took the elevator back to my apartment. No point to overdoing this exercise junk." -- Stephanie Plum (Janet Evanovich, in "Two for the Dough")
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