Home school p.e.

The YMCA of Greater Des Moines offers a monthly home school p.e. class at its Walnut Creek branch, located at 948 73rd St. Your support group is encouraged to have a representative present at home school p.e. organizational meetings. Phil Simmons is the contact for meetings, at 224-1888 and phil.simmons@dmymca.org. Three Sisters has no further information. Julia's note: the following is excerpted from my local support group's notes from the last home school p.e. meeting.

1. Home School P.E. will meet the 3rd Friday of each month with the exception of March.  (That date is March 26, 2010.)  Home School P.E. begins September 18, 2009.  The program runs from 1:00-4:00 (optional- swimming from 2:55-3:50). A snack is provided. 
2. There has been a price increase that is consistent with all YMCA fees.  Non-members will be charged $5 and Members will be charged $2.  Pre-registration is available through the Walnut Creek  YMCA Website.  They are making a concentrated effort to go paperless.  All participants not pre-registered will need to pay at the front desk on the day of H.S. P.E..  http://www.dmymca.org/branch/walnut_creek.asp?bid=5
3. They will be dividing the children into 5-8 year olds, 9-11 year olds, and Teens.  This program is open to K-12.  PLEASE NOTE:  5 year olds will need to be accompanied by a parent for the first session they attend.  Please plan on staying with your 5 year old the entire session. If they want to swim, the parent will need to be in the water with their 5 year old as well. Going forward you may be asked to attend with your child if they are struggling in the program.  This has been implemented because of the numbers of children attending and their available staffing.
4. VOLUNTEERS NEEDED!  In order for the program to be a success, Phil is asking for a minimum of one (more would be great) parent volunteer for the class and 2 parent volunteers (again, more would be great) for the pool.  The parent volunteers for the pool would need to be in the water.  The class volunteer  is needed from 12:45-3 and the pool volunteer would need to be available from 2:30-4:00.  At the very bottom of this thread, I will include a duty description for both.   If you sign up prior to the session, all fees will be waived for your children for that session. This is a great opportunity to get Dads involved too!
5. You may email Phil Simmons at phil.simmons@dmymca.org if you are interested in helping out.
   
6. Knowledge is power,  if your child has health, developmental, or behavior issues, please share that with Phil.  He has a great deal of experience working with a diverse group of children and wants every child to have fun, be safe, and get the most out of the program.
   
7. FYI- Child Watch is only available to YMCA members who remain on site. There is a limit of 2 hours. 
8. YMCA values:  Caring, Honesty, Respect, and Responsibility.
9. FYI- Partner with Youth Campaign takes place in February 2010.  The Y relies on individual donations and support from the United Way.  If you like the home school program and would like it to continue, please consider donating during this campaign.  This would be a great way for us to show our appreciation and support for the Y.
10. There is a possibility of the Ankeny YMCA also offering a Home School P.E. program.  If they do, they will coordinate with Phil at the Walnut Creek Y so that dates do not overlap. One of his personal goals is to have a Home School P.E. class at different Y's so that children would have the opportunity to attend on a weekly basis

Volunteer Descriptions:
Class Volunteer

• Teach and demonstrate the YMCA mission and values through conduct and enforcement of rules.
• Present yourself in a professional manner both verbally and non-verbally.
• Maintain safe environment with participants.
• Facilitate snack time.
• Help Coaches to create a safe and fun P.E. experience.
• Be present on your volunteer date from 12:45-3:00 P.M..
• Be prepared to engage in activities and conversations with kids.
• HAVE FUN!

Pool Volunteer:

• Teach and demonstrate the YMCA mission and values through conduct and enforcement of rules.
• Present yourself in a professional manner both verbally and non-verbally.
• Maintain safe ratios in water for supervisors and kids (1:10).
• Help kids transition from locker room to pool safely, and in a timely manner.
• Help lifeguards to create a safe and fun pool experience.
• Be present on your volunteer date from 2:30-4:00 P.M..
• HAVE FUN!