February 22, 2023
Emily Gordon from Artful Living and Learning was the instructor today as our dance instructor with "Dancing Through Emotion".
We were very pleased that Michelle Waalkes, Director of Artful Living & Learning brough some guest obervers with her--Caroline Eberhard Manager of Education and Community Engagement from the Canton Symphony Orchestra, Alexandra Nicholis Coon, Executive Director at the Massillon Museum, and DaNita Berry, Cirriculum Coordinator at the Massillon City Schools. So please to have you with us ladies!
This week we were thrilled to have our second Preschool Class from our 14th Street location here for the very first time. it was a small group due to some absences but what care and love they were show my our seniors (Grandmas and Grandpas) on their first day!
They began with the "Happy Song" with motions of course.
Emotions was the theme of the day as every emotions was shown on their faces and through dance - happy, sad, angry, scared, and mad.
Everyone was encouraged to show their emotions through expression and dance.
Music was playing to encourage their feelings... they had to show expressions to go with the music.
Brightly colored scarves were given to each participant while another song was introduced to show speed of emotions - fast ...slow.. Hiding their face behing the scarves was also fun while removing them with boo and showing facial emotions.
The final song as always was the "The More We Get Together the Happier We'll Be"..
All the children were then asked before they go to turn again to the seniors and tell them how they are feelin after their first class and the the seniors did the same.
What a wonderful class with learning how we can show our emotions and it is OK to do so! Lesson Learned!
The children were so emotional with their first day at Grandma Grandpa Day that they kept going around the room from senior to senior to keep saying goodbye - they did not want to leave....so emotional....so special... they now have a whole additional group and Grandmas and Grandpas here at JRC!
February 15, 2023
Amanda Crowe and Karan Kanish from the Canton Museum of Art were with us today to create "tactile Velvet Plushie Hearts".
The Parkway children were with us today to join our seniors "Grandmas and Grandpas" for a morning of artistic expession.
In addition we were very pleased to welcome close to 30 guest observers through Leadership Stark County Alumni and current class participants while including any community additions that wished to attend.
We began with our children greeting the seniors and then the Pledge of Allegiance.
The program began with moving in motions with their foam hearts - some dancing also.
"Patty Cake" brought back memories from the seniors while with the children were introduced to a new interacting hand and motion song...
Amanda introduced a bowl, rolling pin, spoon, flour and clay dough as items to use to make the artistic dough cookies in this art project.
She introduced mixing the different colored doughs with each other to form new colors.
They flattened out the dough to place as art cookies on trays.
They then decorated them with all different shapes of items and glitter.
Straws were added to cups to have a pretend drinking and pretend eating the art cookies.
They then drew on their hearts with markers to add a special person to be their valentine.
The program closed with a heart song with motion and dancing.
A great time was had by all including our observers who enjoyed seeing this program for the very first time!
February 8, 2023
Yoga was the morning's activity for the IG Program with a brand new instructor - Kristie Leahy-Comsia.with "Love and Connection" as the program for February.
Today we had a Preschool Class from our 14th Street location coming to our program for the very first time. With shyly walking in the room as they were instructed to go around the room to greet all the Grandmas and Grandpas -immediately the seniors greeted them with open arms! Wow - what a wonderful introduction to Grandma and Grandpa Day!
JRC will be alternating the children each week - one week from our JRC Learning Center 14th Street (alternating two classes from there) and then alternating with JRC Learning Center Parkway with both classes of Preschoolers able to attend at the same time. Hoping in the future to be able to have two classes weekly with additional funding required for programming - so give a donation it you can!
We, of course, as always began with the pledge of allegiance.
Body motion and breathing while forming a heart shape of love began the program. The "Freeze Dance" was then enjoyed by all. Then the "Twist".
Poses were next including Cobra, Chico, Mouse accompanied by a story and Tree poses. Heart hands connecting with the children and the seniors.
A'Dante was the Twist Dancer and Harley was the Greeter of every Grandma and Grandpa as stars of the day! First day ever and Stars already - WOW!
February 1, 2023
Lindsay Bonilla, our Storyteller was back from her trip to Columbia to help the group act out a wonderful story "It Could Always Be Worse" - a Yiddish Folktale.
She began as always with her Story Adventure Song - with singing and motions.
Before the story began Lindsay was questioning the group about "Complaining about something in life" - everyone had something to say.
Throughout the story Lindsay began with choosing characters - first Farmer Adam, his wife, mother-in-law, baby and teenagers. They were asked to make sounds of complaining such as scolding, crying, stomping, pouting, snoring - what a loud group living in a tiny house.
The Rabbi was chosen to give advice to Adam throughout the story.
The Rabbi suggested animals to be added to the household such as; chicken, dog, goat, and cow. What an even noisier house it became when all were added with sounds and habits.
When the Rabbi suggested all animals were removed = the Farmer Adam realized things were not so bad with just his family and he appreciated everything in his life all the more.for what he has.
January 25, 2023
Canton Museum of Art with Amanda Crowe was our program today with a special art project of "Winter Watercolor Mosiac" creations. Another instructor Karen Kanish also was on hand to assist.
Amanda began with breathing, stretching and exercising to get everyone ready to use their hands, fingers and arms to create their masterpiece Mosiacs.
What do we need when going out in the snow? All their many responses were getting them ready to create.
We began with shaving cream in a pan and adding watercolor paints. Then swirling and blending the colors and shaking branches in to add glitter.
They used pieces of paper to put in the shaving cream and pat down to absorb the color and then tearing the sheets to add to their final landscape paper.
The paint brushes were used with snow glue to add to their landscape paper in order to adhere tissue paper and eventually snowflakes, trees and a yarn snowman to complete their winter theme.
Finally some pairs of children and grandmas and grandpas added painted faces to their snowmen.
As you see below - each creation was unique and expressive...
January 18, 2023
Sarah Donnelly, a Yoga Insructor was on hand for a "Wonderful Winter" program of exercise and yoga.
After the pledge of allegiance and the hello train, Sarah began with stretches, patting hands, warming hands, and holding an imaginary hot chocolate cups while doing breathing exercises.
The falling of snowflakes while imitating the motion and asking everyone what they like to do when it is snowing outside.
They were all yelling out suggestions - building a snowman being the most popular so everyone was directed to act out the motions while exercising.
She introduced a book about a grumpy penguin always complaining where a walrus taught him to enjoy the good things in life and look on the positive side by not complaining. A great lesson learned. What did the walrus like and love in his life and everyone was to ask each other this question.
Scarves were passed out to everyone to connect the chlldren with the grandmas and grandpas while stretching and exercising. A song was played to twirl the scarves in motion while exercising.
They ended with namaste and savasana - I bow to you and then relaxation.
January 11, 2023
Emily Gordon was on hand today as the instructor from Artful Living and Learning as our dance instructor.
Her program was "Dancing through Winter" and that is surely what they all did!
She warmed everyone up with clapping and stomping to rhythm and music.
She asked the question - What do you do in the Winter Season? The answers were making snowmen, throwing snowballs, etc. she then continued with acting out each activity and incorporating dance.
Pantomime was the activity of the day with ice skating, sled riding, making snowmen and snow angels - and turning into dance moves.
The children were instructed to keep going back to the grandmas and grandpas and both dancing and using pantomime while exploring all the activities of Winter.
After all the activities were complete they rested with pantomime of drinking hot chocolate and discussing (children and seniors) what their favorite Winter activity was.
Bowing as always ended the session....
January 4, 2023
This was a new year for JRC and the introduction of a new program - The Wilderness Center presents "My Wild Day".
Jennifer Simmons was the instructor for The Wilderness Center beginning with a wildlife pine cone craft made with Crisco and Bird Seed for the children and the seniors to make to put outside to feed wildlife throughout the Winter.
The second project was the "My Wild Day" posters. Beginning with photos of each pair of a child and a senior - taken once they arrived and printed to complete their poster at the end of the class. With each poster they selected different Ohio wildlife to add to their poster while the Grandmas and Grandpas (seniors) read the fact about that animal to the preschooler. They each were able to take their poster home.
What a great first program of the new year learning about Ohio wildlife and creating a food item for them to eat this Winter!
