Hey Moorelands!
March is finally here and with a weekend of (slightly) warmer weather behind us, the team at Moorelands is feeling positively spring-like! Our buoyant mood is also thanks to the absolutely brilliant night we had at Laugh Out Loud in Leaside #6 on Friday night! The comedy was great, the food was delicious and the Leaside folks were so much fun – we had a blast! We would like to thank all the organizers, sponsors and attendees of LOL#6 so much for fundraising for Moorelands and supporting us as we help kids shape brighter futures.
The proceeds from LOL#6 will go to support our Budding Leaders After-school Teams in Thorncliffe Park and Flemingdon Park. Right now at BLAST Thorncliffe, our participants are learning Frisbee as part of their physical literacy program. The kids in our program love the opportunity to play physical games and learn new sporting skills. But it’s also a fantastic opportunity for them to practise and learn about positive character qualities such a good sportsmanship, fairness and respect.
Marc Garneau Lead Excel Demonstrate participants came back together last week to review, discuss and evaluate their first two months of volunteering at our BLAST programs. Through this program, our Marc Garneau Youth LED participants have been putting their leadership skills to good use and developing their ability to communicate effectively, set goals and strengthen their decision making and teamwork skills. The debriefing element is an integral part of the program as the participants reflect on what makes a successful leader and learn how to build upon challenges in preparation for the next round of volunteering. Check out the pirate flags that Marc Garneau LED kids helped BLAST Thorncliffe create.
During the month of February, BLAST Grenoble have been focusing on ‘Things that start with F’…last week they made Funky Frogs! This craft activity taught participants art skills but also gave them the opportunity to work on their social skills like cooperation, communication and sharing. Plus, did you know that crafting is good for your health? CNN reported last year, that undertaking craft activities can have a positive effect on your health as it can ‘ease stress, increase happiness and protect the brain from damage caused by aging’ – Let’s all get making Funky Frogs!
This week the Valley Park Youth LED program will begin their second semester. Over the next 8 weeks, participants will be targeting a new leadership quality every week and then working to develop those qualities over the course of the program. We’ll keep you updated here about how they get on…
Finally, make sure you’ve got Tuesday May 26th marked in your diaries… tickets for our Gala event at the Palais Royale – featuring Jazz legend, Molly Johnson – will be on sale VERY soon. Tickets are $150 and you DO NOT want to miss out on the fantastic evening!
Don’t forget, we’re still looking for your stories to share on our Alumni page.
Have a great week!
