YMCA

Medway Public Schools to Open School Based Food Pantry

⋅ Client News, School News ⋅ , , , , , , , , , ⋅ 0 Comments

Medway Public Schools
Armand Pires, Superintendent
45 Holliston St.
Medway, MA 02053

 

For Immediate Release

Tuesday, Feb. 12, 2019

Media Contact: Benjamin Paulin
Phone: 781-428-3299
Email: [email protected]

Medway Public Schools to Open School Based Food Pantry

MEDWAY — Superintendent Armand Pires is pleased to report that a school based food pantry will open at Burke-Memorial Elementary School this spring.

This past summer, Medway Public School officials partnered with representatives of the YMCA and the Medway Village Church Food Pantry to discuss how they could create a program that would supply students in need with food for the weekend.

The YMCA has partnered with other local schools to create similar programs to send students home with food.

“I think in any community, Medway included, there are students who are in need, families who are in need,” said Dr. Ryan Sherman, Director of Wellness at Medway Public Schools. “We already have a system in place where we can provide them with lunch, and at some of our schools breakfast, free of charge, every school day. But then we’re not sure how, or if, they’re getting all the food they need over the weekend.”

After applying to Stop and Shop for a grant to support a school based food pantry program, the district was awarded $1,600 this January. The funding from Stop and Shop will allow the school to build shelves, purchase backpacks, and buy food for the new program.

“This program will allow us to discreetly send students home with backpacks supplied with food for the weekend,” Sherman said. “We want all our students to feel safe and healthy and ready to learn. One of the building blocks of that is not being hungry. This is an easy way for us to make sure that basic need is met.”

The optional program will start by serving a group of 15 students. Those students will be among 50 to 70 children who are eligible for free and reduced lunches at the school.

The backpacks will include simple foods students can eat on their own, like granola bars and apple sauce, as well as meals they can prepare with an adult, like a pasta dinner.

The district is aiming to begin the program in early March, and is currently looking for parent and community volunteers to prepare the backpacks for each weekend alongside volunteers from the Medway Village Church Food Pantry. Those interested in volunteering can email Sherman at [email protected]

Those interested in donating food items to support the new program can do so by leaving bags marked “Food Pantry” at the church office of Medway Village Church at 170 Village St.

###

Easton Public Schools Partners with YMCA to Teach Students Water Safety

⋅ School News ⋅ , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , ⋅ 0 Comments

Easton Public Schools
Dr. Lisha Cabral, Superintendent
50 Oliver St.
North Easton, MA 02356

For Immediate Release

Monday, Feb. 11, 2019

Media Contact: John Guilfoil
Phone: 617-993-0003
Email: [email protected]

Easton Public Schools Partners with YMCA to Teach Students Water Safety

EASTON — Superintendent Lisha Cabral is pleased to announce that all Easton Public School second grade students will have the opportunity to learn essential water safety skills this year through the district’s ‘WaterWise’ program with the Old Colony YMCA.

The district’s partnership with the YMCA on the ‘WaterWise’ program began with a pilot of the course that was offered during the 2016 to 2017 school year, where two classes of second grade students from the Center School learned water safety techniques.

During the 2017 to 2018 school year, the program was opened to every second grade student in the district. This year, approximately 220 second graders will complete the program, and attend a weekly class at the YMCA for five weeks.

“It’s crucial for children to learn how to be safe in and around water,” Superintendent Cabral said. “We are so elated to partner with the Old Colony YMCA to teach students these skills. It’s our hope that through this program, many generations of students will learn water safety lessons that will serve them for years to come.”

According to the website of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) drowning is the second leading cause of accidental deaths in children between the ages of one and 14.

Serah Selmon, executive director of the Old Colony YMCA, said the goal of the WaterWise program is to “drown proof” the community.

“Living in the Bay State, we (both organizations) knew we had a responsibility to keep our community safe,” Selmon said. “Any opportunity to give a child new skills, new lifelong fitness opportunities, better ensure safety and increase access to even more caring adult role models, is a win.”

Students in the program are taught to never get in the water unless they have clearly asked permission from a responsible adult. The course also teaches children “Swim-Float-Swim,” a safety technique where a child will swim, rest, and continue swimming when ready, should they find themselves in a position where they cannot touch the bottom of a body of water with their feet. Additionally, the course teaches students not to enter the water if someone else is in trouble, but instead to throw a floating object or reach out to the person in need of help while lying flat on their stomachs.

The WaterWise program also teaches students boat safety basics, including the importance of wearing a life-jacket.

The YMCA partners with Easton Public Schools in several other ways as well, including the before and after school programs run by the YMCA that are held at all Easton Public Elementary schools.

###

*Joint Release* Rochester Public Schools And The Granite YMCA Partner For New Academic Enrichment Program

⋅ Client News, School News ⋅ , , , ⋅ 0 Comments

*Joint Release* Rochester Public Schools And The Granite YMCA Partner For New Academic Enrichment Program

Rochester’s schools and the YMCA are joining together to give area middle school students opportunities for after-school involvement

ROCHESTER — A partnership between the Rochester School Department and the YMCA of Strafford County, a branch of The Granite YMCA, will bring a site-based learning center to Rochester Middle School in the upcoming school year.

Thanks to a generous five year grant received from the NH State Department of Education, a 21st Century Learning Center will launch in the 2017/2018 school year.

“I know firsthand the importance of youth development, academic support, and enrichment activities for youth,” said John Harris, President and CEO of The Granite YMCA. “I can’t think of a better program with greater potential to positively complement students’ development than the 21st Century Program.”

This six week program emphasizing leadership, character development, and academic support will run daily out of the Rochester Middle School from 2:30 – 5:30 p.m. Serving up to 50 students per week, The 21st Century Learning Center has the potential to impact and serve over 150 students over the course of a year. A full day summer component will also be available to approximately 25 students for a four week period. Summer participants will engage in academic activities in the morning and will then be bussed to YMCA Camp Coney Pine for outside camp activities in the afternoon.

“Middle School students are unstructured from 2:30 pm until 5:30 pm when parents get home, not to mention many of the extracurricular school activities tend to dry up in the late fall/mid-winter time of year,” said Stephen LeClair, Rochester Title I Director. “This collaboration will provide a tremendous service that is highly needed in our district, in addition to fostering the potential of our students through offering extra support outside of school hours.”

The 21st Century Program will be broken out into three concentration areas: academics to provide students with homework help, tutoring, and project follow through; enrichment activities which will be offered in response to the expressed interested of the students featuring First Aid and CPR training, photography, cooking, and more; and wellness and recreation where students will enjoy physical fitness activities including yoga, martial arts, snowshoeing, soccer, and archery to name a few.

“This partnership is an exciting opportunity to further engage our students and encourage them to grow and explore new areas of interest,” Superintendent Michael Hopkins said. “I know that our staff is eager to launch this program and give our middle school aged students a unique outlet to express themselves and broaden their horizons.”

“One of the many wonderful aspects of this program is that we enable students to find their voice and discover new interests,” said Rachelle Hennessy, Associate Branch Director at the YMCA of Strafford County. Students participate in enrichment activities by selecting five options, one for each day of the week, which will then be offered for the full six-week cycle.

Hennessy added that the 21st Century Program not only benefits the students, but also the community as a whole. The large offering of enrichment activity options coupled with mentoring and tutoring allows for further collaboration with local business owners, other non-profits and organizations as well as community volunteers and even AmeriCorps/Vista recruitment opportunities.

For more information, please contact Rochester Middle School Principal Adam Houghton at 603-332-4090 or via email at houghton.a@rochesterschools.com or Rachelle Hennessy at the YMCA of Strafford County at 603.332.7334 or via email at [email protected].

###

About the Rochester Public Schools

Located in the heart of New Hampshire, the Rochester Public School district is home to the following schools: Spaulding High School, Rochester Middle School, Chamberlain Street School, East Rochester School, Gonic School, Maple Street Magnet School, McClelland School, Nancy Loud School, School Street School, William Allen School, and Bud Carlson Academy. The district strives to offer students a broad scope of educational experiences and opportunities.

 

About The Granite YMCA

As one of the state’s longest standing and most enduring non-profits, The Granite YMCA focuses on youth development, healthy living, social responsibility, and family strengthening. Across the state, its six branches engage 30,000 men, women and children – regardless of age, income or background – to improve their health and well-being, and provide opportunities to give back and support neighbors. In 2016, The Granite YMCA provided financial assistance and free services valued at over $1.63 million to 19,872 individuals.  To learn more, please visit www.graniteymca.org.

Camp Burbank Hosts Cookout for Reading Police Department

⋅ Client News, Police News ⋅ , , , , , , , ⋅ 0 Comments

rpd_patch

Reading Police Department
Mark D. Segalla, Chief of Police
15 Union St.
Reading, MA 01867

For Immediate Release

Friday, August 5, 2016

Contact: John Guilfoil
Phone: 617-993-0003
Email: [email protected]

Camp Burbank Hosts Cookout for Reading Police Department

READING — Chief Mark D. Segalla is pleased to announce that the children and families of YMCA Camp Burbank hosted a cookout for members of the Reading Police Department to thank them for their service.

Approximately 20 Reading Police Officers and 55 campers and family members attended the cookout, which was held at the local YMCA on Aug. 3. Each family “supported” an officer, paying for their meal, which catered by Fuddruckers, and eating dinner together.

Campers made police-themed goodie bags for the officers, which contained different types of candy with relevance to a police officer’s daily duties. Examples include “Lifesavers, to remind you of the many times you’ve been one,” and “Tootsie Roll, to help you roll with the punches.”

They also gifted a framed picture to the department that included fingerprints from all involved campers.

“We are so thankful to everyone at Camp Burbank for going to such great lengths to make us feel welcome and supported in the community,” Chief Segalla said. “It’s such an honor to serve residents as kind as those in Reading.”

The Reading Police Department would like to thank all the campers and families who attended the cookout, Fuddruckers for catering the event, as well as the YMCA employees who organized it: Laura Auriti, MaryAnn Hanafin, Claire McNally, Hayley Yaffe and Gina Colarusso.

###