Hello dear readers! About two months ago, I had come to the decision I wanted to become a Big Sister with Big Brothers Big Sisters. I had never really considered the idea until my cousin mentioned how much her friend loved being a Big. Why this had never occurred to me, I don't know. But it was almost like a light switch had gone off. If I was a cartoon character, a nifty little light bulb would have appeared over my head. I just felt it in my gut that this was what I needed to do. The number one thing on my bucket list has been to make a difference in someone's life, particularly a young girl. Working with adolescent or pre-adolescent girls is what I've wanted to do with my Women's Studies minor. This could be it; this could be my calling.
As many of you know, I've done quite a bit of volunteering for the Y in the last two years. I love it fundraising for the Strong Kids Campaign, and GNO has made a tremendous impact in my life. As much as I love working with the GNO girls, though, I was starting to feel like I wanted something more. I wanted to have a more one-on-one experience, or be able to directly impact someone's life. I decided that this could potentially be the perfect opportunity for me.
At the beginning of the year, I made a vow that this year I was going to stop "talking about it" and start "being about it." Becoming a Big was my first stop in the Be About It journey. I knew that if I didn't jump on this desire right away, I would put it on the back burner, never do anything about it, and feel lousy. I looked up BBBS online, gave it less than a week's thought, and called the Green Bay office. I went in for an orientation meeting, and two weeks later, I had an interview set up.
I knew the interview would be pretty intense since it was for the responsibility of taking care of a child, but holy shit. It. Was. Insane. I think it's fair to say it was the most intense interview I've ever had, far more so than any job interview I've been on. It was super intimidating, and by the end, my nerves were shot. The questions were far more difficult than I ever could have anticipated, and were pretty loaded.
After three agonizing weeks, I got a call that not only was I accepted, but they had found me a Little right away! The enrollment specialist at BBBS told me a little about her, and I couldn't have been more excited to me her. She's an only child who is adopted and has been struggling emotionally, particularly with being adopted. I personally don't have any experience with adoptions, but my parents divorced when I was in middle school. I struggled with it a lot and eventually went to counseling. I hoped with my past of questioning parents and my position in the family that I might be a good resource for her or might be at least a little relatable. I accepted the position and antsily waited another week or so to meet her.
Last week we were officially matched. The "match" is mostly paperwork. A lot of paperwork. It was actually kind of dull, but absolutely necessary. The enrollment specialist went over the organization's rules, guidelines and policies and Little, her parents and I signed a rain forest worth of documents. After we had signed our names so many times I was fairly certain I had just signed my life away, Little and I got to hang out for the first time. I took her to experience Smart Cow yogurt bar for the first time and she loved it. Naturally, as any other nine year old would, she dumped in so many sugar-coated toppings that she couldn't come close to finishing her portion.
Before meeting her, I was told my Little was a little on the shy and quiet side. I was fully prepared for her to not talk to me at all, but I was pleasantly surprised at how much she engaged in conversation. She answered all of my questions and even initiated a few of her own. I had quickly started to learn about her and she is pretty damn awesome from what I can tell so far. She doesn't like Bieber, but does love P!nk (one of my all-time favorites), hates swimming (samesies) and likes Monsters, Inc and Despicable Me. She's self-proclaimed obsessed with horses, loves bike riding and Social Studies and hates Math. I know next to nothing about horses, but I'm excited that it will give her something to teach me. All in all, we're pretty much a match made in Big Sister heaven.
Showing posts with label Girls Night Out. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Girls Night Out. Show all posts
Tuesday, April 23, 2013
Saturday, February 9, 2013
Sucky and Super Saturday
In the last few weeks:
Sucky:
Sucky:
- I lost a family member and a friend within two weeks. It's been incredibly emotional and it sucked. A lot.
- I had to move out of my house into a temporary residence just to move again in another few weeks. Read more about it here.
- I hate everything about winter, and it's been a rough one already this year. I even had to miss work one day because it would not have been safe for me to make the commute.
- I had the flu wicked bad and missed almost a full week of work. Three weeks later, Man Friend is now out of commission with the same thing.
- Girls Night Out is not having convening this session. The program as a whole is being evaluated and I will be so bummed if they end it.
Super:
- Even though my friend's funeral was one of the toughest things I've had to do in a long time, it brought together many people. I got to see his family, and some of my friends I hadn't seen in quite some time.
- This blog reached and passed 2,000 views. Patience and effort is paying off!
- I just got signed up to fund-raise for the Strong Kids Campaign with the Y again. Stay tuned for deets!
- Man Friend and I finally got some stress-free alone time and our first date out to dinner by ourselves in months. It was so needed and I had such a good time.
Thursday, October 18, 2012
GNO Lock-in
Saturday night, we had our first-ever GNO Lock-in. Even though I decided to leave at 11 instead of sleeping over, I had a blast with the girls and it was a hugely successful night. I found out on Monday at regular GNO that the girls didn't go to bed until about 5:30 a.m. so I was quite glad I left when I did.
The Lock-in was similar to Camp U-Nah-Li-Ya trips in the fact that it was all of the Green Bay GNO girls together. How many girls is that, do you ask? 76. That's right, 76 sixth grade girls together. And that is exactly why I didn't stay over night.
But in all seriousness, it was actually a great time, and I had just as much fun as the girls did. The biggest difference between the lock-in and typical GNO sessions, or even the camp trips, is that there were plenty of different activities and things for the girls to do, and although activities and time frames were staggered, they never had to do one thing at a certain time. In our Monday sessions, we have a theme and the girls all have to be participating in large and small group activities and the physical component. With the lock-in, they had the opportunity to choose how to spend their time.
Because the Y decided to cut GNO short by a few weeks in order to go up to Camp earlier in the year, they decided to bring some of the guests and themes to the lock-in. The girls were able to do facials with Mary Kay and learn about healthy skin care habits, got to learn about and practice self defense moves as well as lock-in specific activities.
A big hit for a lot of the girls was the two-hour open swim option. I, of course, wanted nothing to do with the pool so I have no idea what they were actually doing, but the majority of them nearly ran us over to get there when we gave them the ok. The girls who didn't want to swim, or only wanted to for a little while, were able to play board games, Wii Just Dance, and paint their nails. One of the volunteers apparently is a nail-painting guru because she brought half of the Health and Beauty section at Walmart with her. Seriously, she had a bin full of nail polishes and application tools. She even had those little image roll-on things. I watched her working on some of the girls' nails and they all turned out wonderfully.
I played a game of Sorry! and more importantly, got to meet some new people. The point of GNO and all of our efforts are to get the sixth graders to open up and make new friends, but it's just as beneficial for the volunteers. I have a really hard time talking to new people (though I've gotten way better) and it's really cool to meet other volunteers with similar interests. Our Sorry! game consisted of me, two other volunteers and a girl from a different school. I can't speak for any of them, but I think we enjoyed ourselves.
My final hour at the lock-in was spent watching the girls prepare for their garbage bag fashion show. You read that right. Garbage bag fashion show. The girls had to break up into small groups and had to make one item of clothing out of a garbage bag. They were able to glam up their outfit with strips of fabric, duct tape, foam stickers, glitter, ribbon and pipe cleaners. I was amazed at how well some of the groups did. One group's dress was actually so good it looked real. Many groups made dresses, and the majority were clearly strong channels of creativity. ...And there was also the group that decided they were going to make a cape that was "just random," aka, they just dumped a whole bunch of shit on their flat bag and wore it as a cape. While not the most creative and thought out, they did make me laugh.
If there is one thing those girls are good at, it's making me laugh.
The Lock-in was similar to Camp U-Nah-Li-Ya trips in the fact that it was all of the Green Bay GNO girls together. How many girls is that, do you ask? 76. That's right, 76 sixth grade girls together. And that is exactly why I didn't stay over night.
But in all seriousness, it was actually a great time, and I had just as much fun as the girls did. The biggest difference between the lock-in and typical GNO sessions, or even the camp trips, is that there were plenty of different activities and things for the girls to do, and although activities and time frames were staggered, they never had to do one thing at a certain time. In our Monday sessions, we have a theme and the girls all have to be participating in large and small group activities and the physical component. With the lock-in, they had the opportunity to choose how to spend their time.
Because the Y decided to cut GNO short by a few weeks in order to go up to Camp earlier in the year, they decided to bring some of the guests and themes to the lock-in. The girls were able to do facials with Mary Kay and learn about healthy skin care habits, got to learn about and practice self defense moves as well as lock-in specific activities.
A big hit for a lot of the girls was the two-hour open swim option. I, of course, wanted nothing to do with the pool so I have no idea what they were actually doing, but the majority of them nearly ran us over to get there when we gave them the ok. The girls who didn't want to swim, or only wanted to for a little while, were able to play board games, Wii Just Dance, and paint their nails. One of the volunteers apparently is a nail-painting guru because she brought half of the Health and Beauty section at Walmart with her. Seriously, she had a bin full of nail polishes and application tools. She even had those little image roll-on things. I watched her working on some of the girls' nails and they all turned out wonderfully.
I played a game of Sorry! and more importantly, got to meet some new people. The point of GNO and all of our efforts are to get the sixth graders to open up and make new friends, but it's just as beneficial for the volunteers. I have a really hard time talking to new people (though I've gotten way better) and it's really cool to meet other volunteers with similar interests. Our Sorry! game consisted of me, two other volunteers and a girl from a different school. I can't speak for any of them, but I think we enjoyed ourselves.
My final hour at the lock-in was spent watching the girls prepare for their garbage bag fashion show. You read that right. Garbage bag fashion show. The girls had to break up into small groups and had to make one item of clothing out of a garbage bag. They were able to glam up their outfit with strips of fabric, duct tape, foam stickers, glitter, ribbon and pipe cleaners. I was amazed at how well some of the groups did. One group's dress was actually so good it looked real. Many groups made dresses, and the majority were clearly strong channels of creativity. ...And there was also the group that decided they were going to make a cape that was "just random," aka, they just dumped a whole bunch of shit on their flat bag and wore it as a cape. While not the most creative and thought out, they did make me laugh.
If there is one thing those girls are good at, it's making me laugh.
Saturday, April 28, 2012
Camp U-Nah-Li-Ya
Last Saturday was the end-of-session day trip to Camp U-Nah-Li-Ya with Girls Night Out. To conclude each session, the GNO groups from all the Green Bay Ys spend a day at camp. This particular trip was rather small, only two groups. It ended up working out just fine that way. 30 sixth graders is a tad more manageable than 60.
This was my third time up with GNO, and maybe the best. Certainly better than in December, that's for sure. The girls were super well behaved and seemed to really enjoy themselves. There was only one minor meltdown when one of the girls had a giant spider land on her and she started crying. Otherwise, a definite success.
The weather was beautiful, better than what we had anticipated. The sun was out all day, it was decently warm after lunch and there wasn't any snow. Because it was so nice out, we actually got to spend the whole day outside, whereas the last two trips we spend at least half the day inside.
The day was broken into two main chunks, survival skills and canoeing. My group did the survival skills section first, and the staff guy had made it a Hunger Games theme, which I think the girls really liked. It was cool to be able to make it into something relatable for them. I feel like survival skills were more appealing to them when they could think of it in terms of a movie instead of just because.
The girls learned how to build a fire, and became part of the one-match club. They split into two groups and had to use their new knowledge to build a mini fire. Each group had an area to build in between two steaks in the ground and a string tying them together. The first group to get their fire big enough to burn their string won.
When the fires had been put out, they moved a little farther into the woods and learned how to build shelters. Of the three trips, this group of girls had the best teamwork by a landslide, and thus, had the most successful shelters. I've found that typically one or two girls designate themselves to be leaders and completely take over while other girls stand in the background. Last Saturday, the girls communicated great, shared the work, and followed instructions to result in working shelters.
After some large group games/icebreakers and lunch, we headed out to the lake for some canoeing. I'm not even going to pretend like I was excited for this. In fact, I was really hoping we wouldn't go. Well, we did. One of the girls was really scared too, so we got paired together. At first I thought putting two scared people together was probably the dumbest idea ever thought of. Neither one of us really wanted to even get into the canoe. We both just stood there, trying to think of excuses for why we couldn't get in. I think we both realized at the same time that we weren't going to get let off that easy. Trembling, I got in and sat down. Although we didn't master turning as well as most of the other teams, and we were still uneasy, we managed
to get out to about the middle of the water and we saw the giant snapping turtle.
When we finished canoeing, there was a little extra time left and the instructor took us on a nature walk through camp. We got to see some the brand new buildings, and got to see a bunch of turtles. The instructor told us that in the middle of the afternoon, the turtles like to come out of the water and soak up the warm sun, so if we were extra quiet, we would be able to see him. Believe it or not, 15 sixth grade girls managed to stay silent and we got to see at least 20 painted turtles and five or ten of the big snapping turtles. It was a phenomenal sight to see (pics coming soon).
This was my third time up with GNO, and maybe the best. Certainly better than in December, that's for sure. The girls were super well behaved and seemed to really enjoy themselves. There was only one minor meltdown when one of the girls had a giant spider land on her and she started crying. Otherwise, a definite success.
The weather was beautiful, better than what we had anticipated. The sun was out all day, it was decently warm after lunch and there wasn't any snow. Because it was so nice out, we actually got to spend the whole day outside, whereas the last two trips we spend at least half the day inside.
The day was broken into two main chunks, survival skills and canoeing. My group did the survival skills section first, and the staff guy had made it a Hunger Games theme, which I think the girls really liked. It was cool to be able to make it into something relatable for them. I feel like survival skills were more appealing to them when they could think of it in terms of a movie instead of just because.
The girls learned how to build a fire, and became part of the one-match club. They split into two groups and had to use their new knowledge to build a mini fire. Each group had an area to build in between two steaks in the ground and a string tying them together. The first group to get their fire big enough to burn their string won.
When the fires had been put out, they moved a little farther into the woods and learned how to build shelters. Of the three trips, this group of girls had the best teamwork by a landslide, and thus, had the most successful shelters. I've found that typically one or two girls designate themselves to be leaders and completely take over while other girls stand in the background. Last Saturday, the girls communicated great, shared the work, and followed instructions to result in working shelters.After some large group games/icebreakers and lunch, we headed out to the lake for some canoeing. I'm not even going to pretend like I was excited for this. In fact, I was really hoping we wouldn't go. Well, we did. One of the girls was really scared too, so we got paired together. At first I thought putting two scared people together was probably the dumbest idea ever thought of. Neither one of us really wanted to even get into the canoe. We both just stood there, trying to think of excuses for why we couldn't get in. I think we both realized at the same time that we weren't going to get let off that easy. Trembling, I got in and sat down. Although we didn't master turning as well as most of the other teams, and we were still uneasy, we managed
Thursday, February 9, 2012
There is no better exercise for your heart, than reaching down and helping to lift someone up*
I've been spending a lot of time at the Y lately, and my time there has become something I really look forward to. This week, I've been there three evenings, and those few hours each night have been the better parts of my week.
Monday - GNO week 2
GNO was really fun this week. I think the girls, and the volunteers, enjoyed themselves quite a bit. This week is one of my favorites of the whole program every session, especially since we did completely different activities than we have in the past two sessions. The theme of Hopes and Dreams is really great to see the girls start to open up. We learn what they're passionate about, what they want for their future. As a group we read Oh the Places You'll Go, and had two smaller activities in which we discussed how to attain goals, the difference between long and short term goals, and how sometimes you can't always achieve all your goals and how to deal with that. Our physical activity was kick-boxing. The girls seemed to really enjoy it and, much to my delight, all participated again. The instructor told them they were the best group she's taught so far, and I'm certain she meant it. I'm so proud of them already. It's relieving to not have to constantly scold or argue with them. I really enjoyed kick-boxing and it was a great workout. It totally kicked my ass in a good way. Unfortunately, my stupid leg couldn't handle all the jumping associated with the workout and I was only able to participate in about half of the activity.
Tuesday - Strong Kids Campaign kick-off
A few months ago, I asked the lady in charge of GNO if there were any other volunteer opportunities. She got back to me about a fundraising campaign that helps bring in money to GNO and other youth programs. I jumped at the opportunity and chose the online option. After just under two months of anticipation, the kick-off was last night. The biggest reason for the kick-off was so the phone campaigners could start making their calls, but it also started the annual fundraiser and gave really strong information about how the program works and who it benefits. This fundraiser helps send kids to the Day Camp, brings in money for activities and supplies for GNO, and gives scholarships so people can keep memberships. After hearing personal stories from children and families who have benefited from the Strong Kids Campaign, I was even more excited to start raising money. It's so incredibly rewarding to know I'm helping kids participate in programs they otherwise may not be able to. I'm also very excited to be able to bring some donations for my girls. As a program, there isn't much they have for themselves. We share supplies, rooms and equipment with the daycare programs. The hope is also that donations will reduce the fee that each child has to pay to participate. I couldn't be more excited to be part of such a great institution as the Y.
Wednesday - Zumba
I've been going to Zumba (nearly) every week and I'm so glad I found this class/instructor/exercise. Basically, I was given a bunch of free passes to attend just her class since I don't have a membership, but do an assload of volunteering for the Y. I have so much fun that sometimes I forget I'm even working out. It's a great full body workout that doesn't aggravate my tempramental leg too much. This week the instructor brought back some old songs from a few months ago and even a brand new one. "The best part about doing a brand new song is if I screw up, you guys won't know!" I can tell I'm finally starting to get in shape because I wasn't so out of breath, and actually wasn't even feeling tired until the tail end of the 45 minute class. I'm also starting to get more flexible and was able to stretch a lot further.
*Bernard Meltzer
Monday - GNO week 2
GNO was really fun this week. I think the girls, and the volunteers, enjoyed themselves quite a bit. This week is one of my favorites of the whole program every session, especially since we did completely different activities than we have in the past two sessions. The theme of Hopes and Dreams is really great to see the girls start to open up. We learn what they're passionate about, what they want for their future. As a group we read Oh the Places You'll Go, and had two smaller activities in which we discussed how to attain goals, the difference between long and short term goals, and how sometimes you can't always achieve all your goals and how to deal with that. Our physical activity was kick-boxing. The girls seemed to really enjoy it and, much to my delight, all participated again. The instructor told them they were the best group she's taught so far, and I'm certain she meant it. I'm so proud of them already. It's relieving to not have to constantly scold or argue with them. I really enjoyed kick-boxing and it was a great workout. It totally kicked my ass in a good way. Unfortunately, my stupid leg couldn't handle all the jumping associated with the workout and I was only able to participate in about half of the activity.
Tuesday - Strong Kids Campaign kick-off
A few months ago, I asked the lady in charge of GNO if there were any other volunteer opportunities. She got back to me about a fundraising campaign that helps bring in money to GNO and other youth programs. I jumped at the opportunity and chose the online option. After just under two months of anticipation, the kick-off was last night. The biggest reason for the kick-off was so the phone campaigners could start making their calls, but it also started the annual fundraiser and gave really strong information about how the program works and who it benefits. This fundraiser helps send kids to the Day Camp, brings in money for activities and supplies for GNO, and gives scholarships so people can keep memberships. After hearing personal stories from children and families who have benefited from the Strong Kids Campaign, I was even more excited to start raising money. It's so incredibly rewarding to know I'm helping kids participate in programs they otherwise may not be able to. I'm also very excited to be able to bring some donations for my girls. As a program, there isn't much they have for themselves. We share supplies, rooms and equipment with the daycare programs. The hope is also that donations will reduce the fee that each child has to pay to participate. I couldn't be more excited to be part of such a great institution as the Y.
Wednesday - Zumba
I've been going to Zumba (nearly) every week and I'm so glad I found this class/instructor/exercise. Basically, I was given a bunch of free passes to attend just her class since I don't have a membership, but do an assload of volunteering for the Y. I have so much fun that sometimes I forget I'm even working out. It's a great full body workout that doesn't aggravate my tempramental leg too much. This week the instructor brought back some old songs from a few months ago and even a brand new one. "The best part about doing a brand new song is if I screw up, you guys won't know!" I can tell I'm finally starting to get in shape because I wasn't so out of breath, and actually wasn't even feeling tired until the tail end of the 45 minute class. I'm also starting to get more flexible and was able to stretch a lot further.
*Bernard Meltzer
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
GNO week 1
Good morning, dear readers! Last night started up a new session of Girls Night Out, and so far, I'm very excited. Each session is with a new group of girls from a different school. This semester, I'm working with girls from the middle school that I went to and that my younger sister is attending as well. While it may be too early to tell, this group of girls already seem more behaved than my last group. My biggest hope for the next two and a half months is that they really are this well behaved and their behavior stays this way.
I'm working with another advisor this session (three different advisors thus far) and she seems to be really good at her job. She said it's her fifth year in the program and I can definitely tell. She's very firm, and starts off like that so there will be no questions later in the program...but not bitchy firm. I can tell already I'm going to like her. She relates to the girls well, but makes it known she has a low bullshit tolerance. The perfect balance, if you ask me.
The first week is like the first day of the semester in school. We explained the program, introduced ourselves and talked about the expectations of GNO. After a few ice breaker activities, our physical activity was Zumba. I was really excited for the Zumba, especially because the class was taught by the lady whose class I take every week at the Y. Most of the girls seemed to really get into it. After the night ended, a friend/dance teacher at the Y actually wrote on my page that the Zumba instructor told her how impressed she was with the girls. We're off to a great start! The only problem that I had was not realizing we were going to be doing a physical activity on the first night. I wore Chucks instead of quality tennies and was a tad dehydrated. Which means that today my calves are killing me with every step I take. Oh well, you win some, you lose some.
The advisor told us some of the other physical activites that we're going to be doing, and I'm really excited for them as well. Some of the activities are repeated every session and some are new, to me at least. We will be doing yoga, step, kick boxing, and relay races, among others.
I'm working with another advisor this session (three different advisors thus far) and she seems to be really good at her job. She said it's her fifth year in the program and I can definitely tell. She's very firm, and starts off like that so there will be no questions later in the program...but not bitchy firm. I can tell already I'm going to like her. She relates to the girls well, but makes it known she has a low bullshit tolerance. The perfect balance, if you ask me.
The first week is like the first day of the semester in school. We explained the program, introduced ourselves and talked about the expectations of GNO. After a few ice breaker activities, our physical activity was Zumba. I was really excited for the Zumba, especially because the class was taught by the lady whose class I take every week at the Y. Most of the girls seemed to really get into it. After the night ended, a friend/dance teacher at the Y actually wrote on my page that the Zumba instructor told her how impressed she was with the girls. We're off to a great start! The only problem that I had was not realizing we were going to be doing a physical activity on the first night. I wore Chucks instead of quality tennies and was a tad dehydrated. Which means that today my calves are killing me with every step I take. Oh well, you win some, you lose some.
The advisor told us some of the other physical activites that we're going to be doing, and I'm really excited for them as well. Some of the activities are repeated every session and some are new, to me at least. We will be doing yoga, step, kick boxing, and relay races, among others.
Monday, December 12, 2011
Sucky and Super Sunday...a day late
Life has been a tad hectic lately, so Sucky and Super Sunday is a day late this week. At least it's only a day late.
Sucky:
Sucky:
- My bad leg has really been flaring up. I have 85 year old woman legs, and have varicose veins coming in. The doctors can't do anything about it, and it hurts wicked bad. The last few days have been terribly painful...and people keep accidentally bumping into it, making it significantly worse.
- I've had a headache every day for at least a week. I've had a problem with headaches since I was in about 4th grade, so I'm pretty used to them. Lately, though, it's been worse. I know they're mostly stress-induced because they're not like my typical aches. Sometimes I worry my body will become immune to Aleve.
- Nothing, really. Aside from feeling like I'm physically falling apart at the seams, it's been a pretty decent week.
- Tuesday my man friend and I decorated Christmas cookies. We're experiencing a lot of firsts together as the holidays approach, and I couldn't be happier to be spending them with him.
- Saturday was the last day I got to spend with my GNO girls. We went up to a camp about an hour away where they played games, learned how to build a fire and did some team-building exercises. It was actually quite a bit more fun than several of the weekly sessions.
- Saturday was the first of the two ugly Christmas sweater parties I have this year. It was so much fun, and everyone looked so ridiculous! My sister, cousin and I all rocked matching sweater vests, turtlenecks and knee high socks.
- Sunday I got to actually watch the Packer game. I missed the last two because of work, so I was really excited to see it this week. It was a great game to catch: an easy 46-16 win against the Raiders, putting us at a 13-0 record so far.
Tuesday, October 18, 2011
GNO week 4
Yesterday's session elicited some mixed feelings. It started off a little rough. And by a little, I mean it wasn't even organized chaos. Luckily, though, it ended significantly better than it started.
I went into the session already grouchy, with little desire to be there. In fact, I debated not going at all. Last week's session really left a sour taste in my mouth. I had been frustrated for two weeks prior, and last week topped it off. Fortunately, I won't let myself give up so easily. Begrudgingly, I went.
I got there about 10 minutes early, as per usual for the volunteers, to find a handful of girls there already and getting their snacks out. The other volunteers weren't there (I later found out they got stuck in traffic) and the advisor wasn't there (we find out about 5 minutes after the program started that she was sick) and the volunteer coordinator (the advisor's boss, essentially) had no idea what was going on. An entire pitcher of lemonade got knocked over and one of the girls slipped in the puddle. Without the advisor, we had no activity planned and had to completely wing it. Luckily, though, the program has a binder with the theme for each week and two options for activities.
The executive decision was made by the volunteer coordinator to have us keep the same small groups for the duration of the program. I couldn't have gotten better news. The five girls in my group actually listen, want to participate, are fun to talk to, and don't get super obnoxious. If I got stuck with the sassies, I'm not sure how much longer I could have done it.
Our physical activity of the night was a kind of gym game. Each small group got a sheet of paper with different exercises on it that the group had to complete together: 4 laps around the track, hula hoop for 1 minute, jump rope for one minute, 25 jumping jacks, 10 push-ups, 25 sit ups and to come up with a group name and cheer. My girls came up with the Pretty Purple Pandas. The gym games were actually really fun and the group as a whole actually participated. A rough start ended up being one of the most successful sessions so far.
I went into the session already grouchy, with little desire to be there. In fact, I debated not going at all. Last week's session really left a sour taste in my mouth. I had been frustrated for two weeks prior, and last week topped it off. Fortunately, I won't let myself give up so easily. Begrudgingly, I went.
I got there about 10 minutes early, as per usual for the volunteers, to find a handful of girls there already and getting their snacks out. The other volunteers weren't there (I later found out they got stuck in traffic) and the advisor wasn't there (we find out about 5 minutes after the program started that she was sick) and the volunteer coordinator (the advisor's boss, essentially) had no idea what was going on. An entire pitcher of lemonade got knocked over and one of the girls slipped in the puddle. Without the advisor, we had no activity planned and had to completely wing it. Luckily, though, the program has a binder with the theme for each week and two options for activities.
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| This picture really stumped them. |
The theme this week was about beauty, inside and out, and what it means to be beautiful. One thing we focused on was a "celebrities without makeup" game. We had pictures of female celebrities without makeup and the girls had to guess who they were. We had "after" pictures of the celebrities all glammed up to show them after the guesses. Many of the girls were really surprised and didn't even recognize all the stars. Beyonce and Lady Gaga really stumped them. We also had the girls get together in small groups to focus on themselves. Each girl got two sheets of paper and had to finish the sentence "I'm beautiful because..." on each square. I suggested having one sentence for inner beauty, or their personality as I had to explain it to them (I'm sure your kidneys are beautiful, but I mean your personality), and one for their outer beauty. They seemed to enjoy this activity and it elicited a lot of productive conversation amongst them. It was really interesting to see them give themselves compliments, and what they thought was positive about themselves.
The executive decision was made by the volunteer coordinator to have us keep the same small groups for the duration of the program. I couldn't have gotten better news. The five girls in my group actually listen, want to participate, are fun to talk to, and don't get super obnoxious. If I got stuck with the sassies, I'm not sure how much longer I could have done it.
Our physical activity of the night was a kind of gym game. Each small group got a sheet of paper with different exercises on it that the group had to complete together: 4 laps around the track, hula hoop for 1 minute, jump rope for one minute, 25 jumping jacks, 10 push-ups, 25 sit ups and to come up with a group name and cheer. My girls came up with the Pretty Purple Pandas. The gym games were actually really fun and the group as a whole actually participated. A rough start ended up being one of the most successful sessions so far.
Monday, October 3, 2011
Girls Night Out, weeks 1 and 2
Last week, Girls Night Out started. It's one thing I really look forward to every week, and makes Mondays a little less "Monday." Start watching for Monday posts about GNO, in addition to other weekly(ish) posts. This is one thing that's consistent every week, so I can almost guarantee a post a week will be dedicated to my Monday evenings with my girls.
Week one: The very first session is mostly getting to know each other. The volunteers meet each other, we briefly go over what to expect in the program with the adviser, we get to know the girls, and of course, the girls chat it up with each other. We made a "quilt" for the class for one of our ice-breakers. Each of the girls, including us volunteers (my favorite part of the program is participating in the activities with the girls), decorated a square of paper. We had to write our name, and could decorate it to show our personality. When we were all done, the squares got put together into a quilt.
Our physical activity of the night was line dancing. The girls learned the Electric Slide, the Cupid Shuffle and one or two other moves.
Week two: This week's theme was goals, hopes and dreams. For the very first part of the night, we had a guest speaker. Miss Teen Wisconsin came in to talk to the girls about winning the pageant, and what it took her to get there. After explaining what the pageant was like, and how hard she had to work to raise the money herself and work towards her goal, she opened the floor to the girls to ask questions.
Then we broke into two groups for a small group activity. I was only a leader for one activity, so maybe next week I'll have more insight into the other small groups' work. The activity I was in charge of was to write a letter to themselves. The girls had to answer what a goal for themselves was for a week from now, two weeks from now, six months and a year. Some even went an extra step to add in a life-time or more long term goal. If there's one thing I've learned from last spring's session and tonight, it's that kids in this age have a very hard time answering questions about themselves on their own. They constantly ask what the right answer is or what they should put. I make sure the girls answer all the questions on their own, and make it clear that there is no right answer. Whatever they feel is the right answer. I do, however, help them if they're really stuck by asking them open-ended questions to start prodding them in one direction or another.
The girls did some more line dancing tonight, which I don't think they were too fond of. They didn't seem too thrilled to line dance in the first place, let alone doing it two weeks in a row. We did the Electric Slide and the Cupid Shuffle again and also learned Amy's Dance, which was to the Saturday Night Fever song. Just like last week, the volunteers enjoyed the Cupid Shuffle more than the sixth graders.
Week one: The very first session is mostly getting to know each other. The volunteers meet each other, we briefly go over what to expect in the program with the adviser, we get to know the girls, and of course, the girls chat it up with each other. We made a "quilt" for the class for one of our ice-breakers. Each of the girls, including us volunteers (my favorite part of the program is participating in the activities with the girls), decorated a square of paper. We had to write our name, and could decorate it to show our personality. When we were all done, the squares got put together into a quilt.
Our physical activity of the night was line dancing. The girls learned the Electric Slide, the Cupid Shuffle and one or two other moves.
Week two: This week's theme was goals, hopes and dreams. For the very first part of the night, we had a guest speaker. Miss Teen Wisconsin came in to talk to the girls about winning the pageant, and what it took her to get there. After explaining what the pageant was like, and how hard she had to work to raise the money herself and work towards her goal, she opened the floor to the girls to ask questions.
Then we broke into two groups for a small group activity. I was only a leader for one activity, so maybe next week I'll have more insight into the other small groups' work. The activity I was in charge of was to write a letter to themselves. The girls had to answer what a goal for themselves was for a week from now, two weeks from now, six months and a year. Some even went an extra step to add in a life-time or more long term goal. If there's one thing I've learned from last spring's session and tonight, it's that kids in this age have a very hard time answering questions about themselves on their own. They constantly ask what the right answer is or what they should put. I make sure the girls answer all the questions on their own, and make it clear that there is no right answer. Whatever they feel is the right answer. I do, however, help them if they're really stuck by asking them open-ended questions to start prodding them in one direction or another.The girls did some more line dancing tonight, which I don't think they were too fond of. They didn't seem too thrilled to line dance in the first place, let alone doing it two weeks in a row. We did the Electric Slide and the Cupid Shuffle again and also learned Amy's Dance, which was to the Saturday Night Fever song. Just like last week, the volunteers enjoyed the Cupid Shuffle more than the sixth graders.
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