Healthy Kids • Y Stories • YMCA Child Care
YMCA Child Care: More than just babysitting
20 September 2019 - by Dawn Yan
For over 3 years now, Ellie has been attending YMCA Child Care and Before and After School programs at Oscar Peterson YMCA in Stouffville, Ontario. Like many parents, Ellie’s mom, Antia, initially thought of Before and After School Care as “just babysitting.” That was before she saw the difference the Y made in her daughter’s life.
This beautiful letter of recognition, addressed to our supervisor at Oscar Peterson Y, shows just how much her perception of YMCA Child Care has changed:
Hello Julie!
Over the years that we've been at [Oscar Peterson] YMCA, I have always loved all the staff and teachers who look after Ellie. All of them were always, and continue to be, so loving, caring, and interested in Ellie's well-being…
In particular, I wanted to let you know how incredibly wonderful Nicole has been/is.
I had the privilege of joining the YMCA Kids Challenge a while back and I mainly went to see the chant that Nicole had worked on with the kids. I know it was just a chant, but it made me so happy to see how well they did and most importantly, how proud they were of themselves. Nicole had worked hard with them the past couple of days/week(s) learning and practicing the chant….
You really see the thought and care Nicole puts into developing learning plans and opportunities. The kids are engaged and interested and often take and integrate the learning at home. For example, I know that one of the many things Nicole has been teaching them about this spring is birds and I know that because during our family nature walks after school, Ellie would be able to identify a particular bird (either from seeing it or hearing it) and note it down to tell Nicole the next day. It turns out they have been keeping a journal/tally of the different birds they come across.
I always thought of Before and After School care as babysitting; a place where Ellie has to go to make sure she stays alive while I rush to or back from work. But now I’ve come to realize that it’s so much more.
I love seeing the different artwork and activity sheets that the kindie kids do posted on the wall or brought home. I love hearing about the different books Nicole reads to them that relate to the topic they've been learning about.
You can see how hard Nicole works with them and how genuinely proud she is of them when they accomplish or achieve something. That, in turn, makes the kids so happy, proud, and confident and I couldn't ask for anything more.
Yours truly,
Antia
CCW & ECE Appreciation day is right around the corner and we couldn’t think of a better way to celebrate our educators than by sharing the spotlight with them this October. Stay tuned for more YMCA Child Care stories coming soon!
This beautiful letter of recognition, addressed to our supervisor at Oscar Peterson Y, shows just how much her perception of YMCA Child Care has changed:
Hello Julie!
Over the years that we've been at [Oscar Peterson] YMCA, I have always loved all the staff and teachers who look after Ellie. All of them were always, and continue to be, so loving, caring, and interested in Ellie's well-being…
In particular, I wanted to let you know how incredibly wonderful Nicole has been/is.
I had the privilege of joining the YMCA Kids Challenge a while back and I mainly went to see the chant that Nicole had worked on with the kids. I know it was just a chant, but it made me so happy to see how well they did and most importantly, how proud they were of themselves. Nicole had worked hard with them the past couple of days/week(s) learning and practicing the chant….
You really see the thought and care Nicole puts into developing learning plans and opportunities. The kids are engaged and interested and often take and integrate the learning at home. For example, I know that one of the many things Nicole has been teaching them about this spring is birds and I know that because during our family nature walks after school, Ellie would be able to identify a particular bird (either from seeing it or hearing it) and note it down to tell Nicole the next day. It turns out they have been keeping a journal/tally of the different birds they come across.
Half the time, I'm not sure whether the things Ellie learns are from day school or the YMCA and that means a lot to me.”
I always thought of Before and After School care as babysitting; a place where Ellie has to go to make sure she stays alive while I rush to or back from work. But now I’ve come to realize that it’s so much more.
I love seeing the different artwork and activity sheets that the kindie kids do posted on the wall or brought home. I love hearing about the different books Nicole reads to them that relate to the topic they've been learning about.
I love that Ellie's time at the YMCA is so meaningful and purposeful. And of course, I love seeing the passion Nicole exhibits for the kindie kids.”
You can see how hard Nicole works with them and how genuinely proud she is of them when they accomplish or achieve something. That, in turn, makes the kids so happy, proud, and confident and I couldn't ask for anything more.
Yours truly,
Antia
CCW & ECE Appreciation day is right around the corner and we couldn’t think of a better way to celebrate our educators than by sharing the spotlight with them this October. Stay tuned for more YMCA Child Care stories coming soon!
