Recently, our two Grade 7 classes had the opportunity to visit our neighbours at the Centre for Dreams, an adult day program for people with intellectual and developmental disabilities, located at McCowan and Highway 7. This excursion was an extension of February’s Care & Share Day in which the Grade 7 classes organized a fundraiser for their charity of choice. In addition to collecting money to donate to the Centre for Dreams, Ms. Hoover, one of our vice-principals and Grade 7 teachers, wanted our students to have a tangible and meaningful experience of serving others. It was an opportunity to practice what our students have been learning all year at Wesley – to be CRISP (Compassion, Respect, Integrity, Servant’s Heart, Perseverance).
Our two classes participated in similar activities during their respective visits. Upon arrival, our students were warmly welcomed by Centre for Dreams staff and invited to participate in their “Morning Announcements” routine. This involved a walkthrough of the date, weather, and any news that members wanted to share. Some of the members talked about getting a new hair cut, a new top or even what they had made for dinner the night before. Even one of our Grade 7A students was brave enough to go to the front and share her news that included her dinner and recent swim meet in California! The morning meeting ended with the “Power Punch”, an energetic leader-led chant and response to be positive, take advantage of opportunities given, demonstrate willingness to engage, be eager and show respect.
The rest of the morning at the centre was divided into three activities – time in the Mindfulness Room, making music through body percussion, and the life skills relay race . Mixed teams of students and centre members went through each station together. It was a fantastic opportunity for our students to observe, become aware, empathize, participate and learn.
In the Mindfulness Room, students participated with members in breathing exercises to help everyone relax and focus. They also had an opportunity to learn about the centre’s mantra – BTL: Beyond the Label. This is a call to inspire members to persevere and live beyond their disabilities. From that presentation, the topic of bullying was discussed. Students and members were partnered together to write down their feelings about being bullied. After the exercise, they were encouraged to let go of those feelings by folding or ripping the pieces of paper and throwing them into a mock “fire” and replacing those feelings with good ones.
During the body percussion session, students and members created music using their bodies by snapping their fingers, clapping their hands, tapping their laps, sliding their palms, and stomping their feet. They followed several YouTube videos, doing the actions requested of them, following the beat. It was amazing to see how well the members were able to do this as some of our students and teachers found it challenging at times to keep up! During the Grade 7A visit, several Just Dance songs were also included into the mix.
The last activity was led by one of our Wesley Class of 2019 graduates who is doing her internship at the centre. The Life Skills Relay consisted of four challenges – sorting bean bags by colour, sorting laundry into three categories – whites, colours and darks, sorting plastic cups by colour into a dishwashing rack, and shopping for items using a grocery list. The students and members were divided into two teams. Four representatives from each team competed against each other. When one team member completed their task at a station, they pressed a buzzer, which indicated that the next person in the relay could start their task at their station. The winning team was the first to completed all four segments. The relay race was completed several times to allow the competitors to try different stations. As the races took place, the cheering grew louder and more creative. Students could be heard cheering for members and vice versa! It was a very exciting and loud rotation.
After the three stations were completed, everyone regrouped into the main dining area. Several members got up to share a few words of appreciation. The morning passed by quickly. Everyone had fun and many of the students talked about their experiences during the walk back to Wesley.
We are very thankful for the opportunity to visit the Centre for Dreams. We look forward to another chance to meet with our new friends and neighbours soon!
