There is good news from our clubs in Tel Aviv – the winter is very hot and full of activities!
Winter at Tel Aviv After School Centers: Greetings from a Warm Home
The first PANDA group in Bat Yam: learning how to cope with crisises
We have recently opened the first PANDA group in the Yad Rachel Afterschool Center in Bat Yam. The group is dyadic, which means it provides a therapy to 7 parent-child pairs from the group.
PANDA (The name is based on the Hebrew abbreviation of the sentence “Here We’ll learn the ways to cope”) is a new and a very special program, dedicated to self-regulation amongst children. It is based on the latest knowledge in the field of building and strengthening the ability to self-regulation, including techniques of mindfulness, cognitive-behavioral methods and narrative interventions that are applied creatively and playfully.
The first meeting was a preparatory meeting for parents only, next week we will also meet with the children and start working together and learn about new methods of coping with various kinds of crisises.
Year Closing Event in Alon Shvut Center
Yesterday the children and their family members of the Alon After School Center of Yad Rachel in the Alon Shvut community gathered for a festive event to mark the end of the year of joint activity with the parents. The families met at Ammunition Hill and tried some challenging activities in which the parents and the children together coped with climbing to huge heights, walking on ropes and surfing in the omega while helping, encouraging, and especially enjoying together.
After that, Mastershef’s cooking activity took place and the families received a great meal othey nade together.
This activity summarizes a year of joint activity with the parents during which they regularly arrived at the program and received a unique quality time together with their children. We were very excited all year long to see them at the Center and enjoy their cooperation. We were also excited to see the children and parents enjoying the various joint activities.
A meeting with the writer Mirik Snir
As a part of the project “After the the reading” for encouraging and strengthening the passion to read in Yad Rachel After School Center “Erez” we held a meeting with the writer Mirik Snir. Preparation for the meeting started long before the activity: in the month preceding the arrival of the writer, children read some of her books, during learning activities for parents and children they wrote together some interesting questions for Mirik. In addition, every parent and child received Instructions and materials for making an animal from the story “If suddenly I meet a lion”. The exhibition presented the animals to the writer on the day of the meeting. During the meeting Mirik told children stories, answered their questions, presented them with signed books and held a conversation parents on their responsibilities as adults to expose children to books and enrich their world. Both parents and kids really liked it and it appeared to us that all of the sides got a lot of positive experience from this activity.
Parent-Child group in Ein Tzurim Center
Recently we completed a therapy group for parents and children in Yad Rachel Parent-Child center for the community of Nitzan. During the meetings families created mosaic on the wall in the shape of the heart. The work required a lot of patience, perseverance, and planning and result in no doubt filled everyone with excitement and pride.
This work is another one of the many ways in which we try to get people to feel comfortable in the Center and feel that the Center also belongs to them and they are part of it.
Mother’s Day in Jasmine Center
Towards upcomming Mother’s Day celebrated soon by Arab society, in Jasmine After School Club for Arab society in Lod there was held a spacial parent-child activity. The families met a yoga teacher, who read them a story and practiced exercises movements according to the figures that appeared in the story. The attendance ind themcollaboration of the families was high. Some families whose children are not regularly in the Center, also came to the event. There was great excitement among mothers and children and they seem really enjoying it.
This week in Yad Rachel Centers in the Central District
Tel Aviv – an important activity – a fun day out for the Center’s children a in an experiential center ”Mahuti” (Meaningful).
Lod – As part of the mothers Empowerment Group Jasmine Center, they started yoga class.
Ramle – team building evening was arranged for two Center’s teams and also a baking workshop for parents – presented by parents of one of the children. Fun to see the dedicated and creative work was …
Hanukkah Celebrations in Afterschool Centers
All our Centers celebrated Hanukkah with a scope of special festive activities. Most places have held a party together with the parents, providing unique and fun experience while discovering together symbolic meanings of the holiday, its customs and traditions, the connection between these symbols, paying attention to the emotional aspect of working with children and family members. Nitzan and Mavki’im Centers held the traditional event Mishpahanuka. Both Centers offered the children and their parents a full day of activities. The families were engaged in a very special way and shared the experience with children. The feedbacks in both Centers were very positive and exciting. These days were made possible thank to a huge effort of the teams before and of and during the activities. Here is a short video link tor you to have a taste of this unique experience:
Healthy nutrition workshop for parents of Afterschool Center children in the South
The Yad Rachel Afterschool Centers in Yishuv Nitzan and Yishuv Mavki’im started a nutrition workshop for parents this month, provided by “Leket Israel”.
The workshop is taught by a nutritionist, and during the meetings the parents learn about healthy nutrition, receive tips and recipes for healthy meals, and even practice cooking. In our work with children and parents at Activity Centers, we touch the lives of the families and the kids and try to improve their quality of life in various aspects.