Random Photos from Winter Session

Here is a random assortment of pictures from our Winter session. We had a lot of fun!

Goodbye Winter!

Hello Blog Friends!

Yesterday was the last day of Winter session at Sheridan Beacons. We like to do it big on the last day of each session.

We recognize our young people for their accomplishments in the previous session. Some youth from each unit were recognized for their special contributions or achievements.

Here are our k-2 special award winners

And our 3-5 special award winners

Here are our 6-8 special award winners

But the awards did not stop there. Each young person who participates in Beacons got an award. Everyone was recognized for one of the YMCA's four core values, Caring, Honesty, Respect and Responsibility. The staff work together to decide which value each young person displays the most.

Here are some of our K-2 youth with their certificates
Then everyone at Beacons got an ice cream sandwich! The k-2 youth were really excited!
Even though some people needed to wash their hands after the ice cream! And everyone else enjoyed their ice cream, even though some people were feeling a little loopy!Then, before we knew it, it was time to go home. Here are some pictures of people leaving. (sob!) We'll see you all after Spring Break!

Beacons is WHAT?!?!

L.I.T.s Visit the Food Shelf

Hello Blog world!

Today our LIT group visited a food shelf at Northeast Lutheran Church. The LITs have been to the food shelf for the last few weeks. The church is not far from Sheridan, and since the weather is a lot warmer (even if it is rainy) our group decided to walk over to Northeast. Some of the youth didn't want to get drizzled on, so they decided to improvise some rain gear:
Our youth helped pack up some items into bags for the food shelf

Then they set them out

Check out the produce available at the food shelf!Our youth also got a chance to meet with the manager of the East Side Food Co-Op. She brought a bunch of food from the co-op to cook with our youth. She brought some different types of roasted vegetables for our youth to sample. There were a few different types of beets, and some other veggies:
Today they got to cook breakfast and lunch. For breakfast, they made delicious scrambled eggs. They started by sauteeing some onions, green peppers and mushrooms

Cracked some eggs

and grated cheeselots of cheese And, yes, sometimes you have to taste it. Just to make sure it's all good!
And for lunch? Quesadillas! Two kinds. One with beans and cheese and one with red lentils and cheese. With full bellies, people got a little goofy...

What an awesome trip to the food shelf! Thank you to our friends at the East Side Food Co-Op!

A Beacons Trip to First Amendment

Hello Blog world!

Beacons' Mural Madness group went on a trip yesterday! They got in the Y bus and headed to First Amendment Arts, which is an award-winning art gallery located in the studio, and run by Burlesque Design of North America, a Northeast Minneapolis-based design and screenprinting studio.

Our young artists learned about screen printing and different types of careers that someone can have as an artist. You don't have to paint canvases all day to be an artist, and our youth got a chance to see that in action!

They got to see some posters

And to see the paints they use to print on the posters, stickers and t-shirts

Then they hung out in the art gallery, checking out the landland art on display

And everyone enjoyed the disco ball!

Everyone got to take home a really cool small poster to cut out and put on their desk in a little scene!

Thank you First Amendment! We had a blast!!!!!!!!!!