December 15th: Holiday Pyjama Party!

Tonight we will ring in the holiday season with a Pyjama Party! The girls can wear their pjs or other comfy clothes.


We have lots of fun activities planned including photo crafts, cupcake decorating, games and music.  

Reminders:
We will break for the holidays and resume our meetings on January 5, 2016. We hope you all enjoy some fun family time over the break!

December 8th: Science Night

Air-propelled planes and catapults and science fun, oh my! Our Sparks will be going into science overdrive tonight as we continue working on our Exploring and Experimenting Keeper. 

Call-out for next year's leaders!
Have you ever considered volunteering as a Unit Leader? 3rd Riverside South Sparks is looking for new leaders for the 2016-17 program as all of the current leaders' Sparks will be moving up to Brownies (and likely taking us along with them!) Speak to one of us or send us a note if you would like more information about how to get involved in Guiding.

December 1st: Hollywood Night!

This week we are ringing in December with a Hollywood style photo shoot! Girls are invited to get dolled up and wear a dress/fancy outfit as we will have a photo booth set up. 

Continuing on with our Exploring and Experimenting Keeper, the Sparks will be investigating the science behind photography and the movies through some fun and interactive games. They can safely wear a nice outfit/dress as none of our planned activities will be messy.

Reminders:
Dress up tonight, and don't forget your indoor shoes!
Last meeting before the holiday break will be December 15th.

November 24th: Exploring and Experimenting Keeper

For the next three weeks we will be learning about science, design, problem solving and the arts as the Sparks work on their Exploring and Experimenting Keeper.

Active Sparks are thirsty Sparks!
At least half of our Unit is making a trip to the bathroom in the first 15 minutes of our meeting! They are also drinking a lot as we're keeping them moving. You can see where I'm going with this...and we need your help: 

1. Send your Spark a small water bottle to reduce trips outside the meeting room to the fountain. 
2. Keep the bottle inside the meeting room where she has easy access to it.
3. Ask your Spark to use the bathroom before the start of the meeting.

This will help reduce disruptions and help us make the most of our (short) meeting time. 

Winter is coming...

• Inside shoes please! Slippery footwear poses a safety hazard in the room
• Leave outerwear outside the room;  bring Sparks bags (with water bottles) inside the room
• Our last meeting before the holiday break will be December 15th; our first meeting of the New Year will be January 5th

November 17th: Girls Count Challenge!

Tonight the girls will be introduced to financial literacy as they take on the "Girls Count" Challenge. A special guest from TD Bank will be teaching our Sparks about Canadian currency, and the girls will learn about the value of money and how much $5 can buy. Our guest will talk about her role in the bank and introduce finance as a career option for girls.

November 10th: Sparks Remember

Special Guest

Tonight we are honoured to have a special guest from the Canadian Military who will be speaking to the girls about the importance of teamwork and what it is to be prepared. The girls will learn why Sparks (and all levels of Guiding) wear their uniforms on Remembrance Day, and we'll do a fun team-building game and craft together.

Sparks can wear a poppy if they have one.

Sleepover House-keeping:

Our sincere thanks to everyone who participated in our Mom and Me Sleepover. We hope you all enjoyed this special time with your little Spark! 

Please let us know if your Spark is missing a pair of boots - 3 pairs were left behind, I'm attaching a photo to help track down the owners. 

Saturday, November 7th: Sleepover!

This Saturday, November 7th is our Mom and Me Sleepover. We'll be starting the evening's activities at 5:00 p.m. and we expect to wrap up by 9:00 a.m. Sunday morning. Full details, including location/address, itinerary and a list of what to bring were emailed to you on October 6th. 

Important Reminders:

• Mom/the accompanying female relative must bring with them their completed "Personal Health Information - Adult" (H.2) form (if not previously submitted)
• Foam mattresses preferred as there is no room for wide air mattresses 
• We bring the food, you bring a water bottle (each)
• We'll be doing an outdoor activity so please dress appropriately

November 3rd: Tour of the Ottawa Humane Society

This week's meeting will take place at the Ottawa Humane Society. Our Sparks will be given a tour of the facility as part of our "In My Community" keeper, and we hope to meet a new furry friend or two. 

Parents are responsible for getting their Spark to and from the Ottawa Humane Society. Keep in mind we must have your Spark's permission form (SG.2-OHS) on file in order for her to attend. Please bring it with you if you didn't drop it off last week.

Location: Ottawa Humane Society, 245 West Hunt Club Road
Tel: 613-725-3166
Tour starts: 6:15 p.m.
Tour ends: 7:15 p.m.
Cost: Free for your Spark, $3.00 each per additional person (parents, siblings*)
*You are welcome to either drop off your Spark or accompany us on the tour. Siblings in attendance must have an accompanying parent.

Please help us prepare the animals (and their caretakers) for our visit by confirming how many people from your family will attend. Kindly email this information to Ellen (Moonbeam) asap.

What to Bring and Wear:

• Girls to come in uniform, and bring indoor shoes
• SG.2-OHS Permission form - required in order for your Spark to attend

October 27th: Hallowe'en Costume Party!

Come in Costume!
Girls are encouraged to wear their favourite costume this week as we celebrate Hallowe'en with spooktacular games, crafts and a treat or two!

Ottawa Humane Society Tour - Nov 3rd:
For our following (November 3rd) meeting, we have arranged a tour of the Ottawa Humane Society as part of our "In My Community" keeper. Permission form and details will be sent by email. There is no cost for your Spark to participate, however parents and/siblings who wish to join us for the tour are welcome to at a cost of $3.00 per person. It is important that you please drop off your completed permission form (SG.2) at the Hallowe'en party and confirm any parent/sibling participation so that we can finalize our numbers.

What to bring and wear this week:

• Hallowe'en costume! No uniforms needed this week.
• Ottawa Humane Society tour permission form (SG.2) - parents/siblings can pay their admission directly at the OHS but please inform us of numbers

October 20th: Neighbourhood Walk and Emergency Preparedness Challenge

This week we continue our "In My Community" Keeper and we will be starting the meeting with a Neighbourhood Walk! Girls should keep their outerwear on when they arrive as we will be heading outside straight away, after going over some safety rules. A flashlight would be a great idea if you can send one along. Please send your Spark dressed warmly as we will be walking outside for approximately 20 minutes rain/shine. 

When we return, we will be working on our first "Challenge" of the year: Emergency Preparedness. The Sparks will learn about different types of emergencies and what they can do to be prepared and stay safe.

What to Wear and Bring tonight:

warm clothes! (jacket, splash pants, sweater, hat, mitts, boots)

a flashlight

cookie payment if we missed you last week ($60)

Sleepover permission form (SG2 Sleepover.doc) with payment ($35) 

Deadline for Sleepover registration is tonight!

October 13th: In My Community

This week we will introduce our "In My Community" Keeper, which we will be working on for the next several meetings. Tonight's topic will be water - the water cycle, the origin of water, and water as a precious resource. We'll be learning through fun games and a craft. Our craft will require one empty (500 mL) plastic water bottle per girl, so please send one with your Spark if you can.

Girl Guide Cookies are in!
The Girl Guide cookie campaign is GGC's main fundraising event. Proceeds support Guiding activities in our community, help us provide diverse and exciting programs and activities to girls and assists girls and leaders with attending camps and events.

Each Spark is asked to sell one case (12 boxes) of Girl Guide cookies, in the fall and spring. The fall shipment (Chocolate-mint) has arrived and we will be distributing cases to the parents at tonight's meeting. We ask that you purchase one case ($60) upfront from one of the Guiders and then recover the costs as you sell the boxes ($5 per box). If you wish to purchase more than one case, please let us know. Payment can be made by cash, cheque, or on-line.

Mom and Me Sleepover - November 7th-8th
Janine (Sunshine) emailed parents on October 6 with full details on our upcoming sleepover. To register, please submit your completed permission form (SG2 Sleepover.doc) and payment of $35 total for Mom and Spark (families with two Sparks pay $52) by October 20th.

What to bring this week:

1 empty (500 mL) plastic water bottle

Payment ($60) for 1 case (12 boxes) of Girl Guide cookies

Sleepover permission form (SG2) and payment - registration deadline is October 20th

Tip: Need help figuring out where to sew/affix pins and Keepers (badges) on your Sparks' sash? Have a look at this handy resource. 

October 6th: Shoot for the Stars Enrolment Ceremony!

Please join us tonight for our Shoot for the Stars Enrolment Ceremony! Our first-year Sparks will be officially enrolled as members of Girl Guides of Canada, and our returning Sparks will be welcomed back and awarded their second-year Sparks pin. Please drop off your Spark at the usual meeting time and then return for the ceremony which will begin at 6:50 p.m. Light refreshments to follow.

September 29th: Being a Spark

We had an exciting first meeting! It was fun to see the new Sparks asking the returning girls about what it means to be a Spark, a theme we will be continuing at our September 29 meeting. This week we will be talking about the Sparks uniform as the girls learn what they need to wear and bring to each meeting. They were very keen to start using their new pink tote bags, so getting them to pack them for Sparks shouldn't be a hard sell - going home with their own sash might prove more of a challenge! Feel feel free to affix a label to the inside of the sash (I'll bring some with me on Tuesday).

We will also be making invitations to our Sparks Enrolment Ceremony (to be held October 6th at 6:50), so save that date/time and stay tuned for more info.

Reminders:

• Girls must be signed in and out - clipboard is on the table
• Health Form - please hand it in to one of the Guiders at drop-off
• Annual dues ($30)  - payment can be made online or you can provide us with a cheque

Tip: Want to receive an email when meeting information is posted to this blog? Just enter your email address in the box at the top of our home page and click submit. 

See you on Tuesday!

September 22 Meeting: Being a Spark

Tonight, we will be learning about each other and working on our "Being a Spark" Keeper. We will review the Rules (ask permission to use the washroom, must take a buddy, etc.) and the girls will be introduced to our opening and closing songs along with the Sparks' motto, "I promise to share and be a friend". We will do a craft and play a getting-to-know-you game and the girls will hopefully go home remembering at least one of their new friends' names.

Lori and her Journal:

Each week, a different Spark will get to take home our Unit's doll, Lori, along with her journal. Your Spark can record her week's adventures with Lori in the journal by drawing a picture or inserting a photo. We would ask that a parent help his/her Spark write one or two lines describing the picture to help her with storytelling in our sharing circle. Please remember to return Lori and her journal at the next meeting so that she can continue her adventures with another Spark.

We would like to gather with parents at the start of the meeting to go over some administrative items and procedures, but we will keep it brief.

What to Bring:

• Completed Health Form
• Dues in the amount of $30 (cheque payable to Girl Guides of Canada, Ontario Council, citing 3rd Riverside Sparks in memo)
• Indoor shoes (if weather is wet)
• Water bottle (optional)

Looking forward to welcoming our new and returning Sparks on Tuesday!

Welcome to 3rd Riverside South Sparks!

We have an exciting year ahead planned for the girls, and can’t wait to get started! Our Sparks will be involved in many activities that will help them strengthen their potential, meet new friends, and help them get to know themselves and the world around them. Through these activities, the girls will work towards earning "keepers" and several "challenge" badges - all of course, while having lots of fun!

Meet our Unit Leaders:

Janine Kaye "Sunshine"

I have been involved in guiding for over 15 years, 5 as a girl and the last 10 as a leader at various age levels in our neighbourhood. I'm looking forward to my second year working with the Sparks. I have always thought the Guiding program at all levels does a great job of teaching the girls to be good to themselves, their community at the larger world around them. My daughter Arya will be a second year Spark and I also have a two year old son who may make an appearance or two over the year as an honourary Spark. I'm looking forward to using my background in Science and Engineering when planning the Exploring and Experimenting Keeper activities this year! 

Krista Hanniman "Maple" 

As a girl I participated in the Guiding program for 6 years.  I learned many valuable skills and enjoyed being a part of the sisterhood of Guiding.  Fast forward a few (or more than a few) years and I have had the pleasure of sharing these experiences with my oldest daughter as her Brownie leader.  I now look forward to enjoying the same with my youngest as her Sparks leader, and to helping all of our Sparks learn and grow.

Nicole Grimes "Giggles"
As my daughter Lily heads into her second year as a Spark I am very excited to be making my debut into the Guiding program as a first time leader. I am quite impressed with the organization and its values. I come from an athletic background, work as a professional accountant and enjoy photography, knitting and sewing to name a few. I can't wait to meet the girls and have a great guiding year!

Ellen Nadarajah da Silva "Moonbeam"

Guiding for me began as a Brownie in Brockville, where I was introduced to camping, nature exploring and photography. In May, I volunteered at our spring camp, and I'm excited to be joining the Unit Leaders for the full Guiding year. I'm a mum to three, and my daughter Soraia is a returning Spark. I've been an English teacher in Portugal, and now work for the Public Health Agency of Canada. I look forward to sharing my love of culture and languages as we work with the girls on achieving their "The World Around Me" keeper. Who knows, they may even learn a little Portuguese! 

Meeting Schedule and Location:
Our meetings are held at the Rideauview Community Centre in the front meeting room on Tuesdays, from 6:15 p.m. to 7:15 p.m. This year's program will run from September 22, 2015 to May 3, 2016 for a total of 30 weeks. There will be no meeting on December 22, 29 or March 15. There may be additional meetings for camping trips and other activities throughout the year and you will be notified of these dates as they are confirmed.

Drop Off / Pick Up Procedures:
All Sparks must be signed in at drop-off and signed out upon pick-up. We will review this procedure with you at our first meeting.

Communication:

Details of the coming week's meeting activities will be posted on this Blog weekly, and will help your Spark to come prepared! The easiest way to stay informed is to sign up for automatic notification by email when a new Blog entry is posted. You can do this by simply entering your email address in the box at the top of our home page and clicking submit.  

As our primary form of communication with you regarding meeting activities will be via this Blog, please advise us if you do not have regular internet access or access to email. Permission forms will be emailed to you or provided in hard copy. Leaders are available to answer questions before and after each meeting, and you are more than welcome to contact us by email or phone.

Uniform:

All Sparks and Leaders should wear their uniforms to meetings and special events. The Sparks uniform consists of a Sparks t-shirt (either the new blue one or the older pink one), a scarf and a sash, with dark bottoms when possible. These items are available for purchase online at www.thegirlguidestore.ca.

We ask that you attach all keepers to your child’s sash. Some, but not all of the keepers and crests are iron-ons. Other earned crests could be attached to the sash or a camp blanket or poncho if you wish.

Dues:

Dues will be collected at the start of the program to cover our weekly activities (crafts, snacks etc.) The amount is $1.00 per week for a total of $30.00 per girl. Please make cheques payable to Girl Guides of Canada, Ontario Council, noting 3^rd Riverside South Sparks in the memo line. Thank you!

Health Forms, Allergies and Special Needs:

We require that a completed "Personal Health Form - Girl Members (H.1)" is on file as of the first meeting. Please bring it to the first meeting. Hard copies will also be available on-site and must be submitted before you drop off your Spark.

If your child has allergies or special needs, please notify the leaders. 

Final Reminders:

1. Please send a pair of indoor shoes when the weather is wet outside. It will help keep the floor clean and safe for everyone in the room.
2. Your Spark may wish to bring a water bottle. The girls tend to get thirsty and this will help reduce trips to the water fountain.
3. Please ensure your Spark goes to the washroom prior to the start of each meeting. If we can minimize washroom breaks the girls will get the most out of our short time together.

We welcome your feedback and suggestions throughout the Guiding year, and donation of craft supplies are always appreciated!

Your leaders for 2015-16

Sunshine, Maple, Giggles and Moonbeam

Medievel Spring Camp 2015: Everything you need to know about camp

When: This weekend May 8-May 10
Where: RCMP Campground: 415 Nichol Island Road, Manotick

Important Times:  Friday Drop Off: 6pm
                              Saturday Drop Off: 7am
                              Saturday Pick Up: 8pm
                              Sunday Pick Up: 10 am
***You can pick up earlier on Sunday but we might not be packed up 100% and you may have to help****

Menu:

Friday: Pappa Jack Popcorn and Drink

Saturday:
Breakfast: Egg, Cheese and Sausage on English Muffins, oranges

Morning Snack: Apples and Oranges

Lunch: Picnic Lunch: Sandwiches: Chicken, beef, cheese, lettuce and veggies

Dessert: Smores in a bag (crushed up graham crackers, marshmellow, chocolate)

Snack: Granola bars or Rice Krispie Squares

Dinner: Roast Turkey, Wedge Fries, Salad

Dessert: Cake

Sunday Breakfast is leftovers and cereal

Itinerary for the weekend:

Friday Night: Make name tags and flower head bands

                      Dance Party

Saturday: Camp Opening

                 Wide Game with entire camp: Capture the dragons

                 Hike: Scavenger Hunt

                 Picnic Lunch

                 Hike back to camp

                 Quiet time

                  Crafts: Mother's day gifts

                              Banner for the Medieval banquet supper

                              Decorate Goblets for banquet

                   Medieval Supper with entire camp

                  Camp fire

                  Bed

Sunday:  Pack up everything

               Breakfast

               Outdoor Game

               Park until pick up

Important Notes: Please make sure you pack everything on the kit list.

                           Please make sure you leave accurate contact info...we will confirm at drop off

                           If you are picking up or dropping off ...please respect designated times

It is going to be a great weekend.  

Year End Party

Can you believe it.....Our Last Meeting...

Tonight is all about fun...

Station 1: We are going to be decorating our camp t-shirts.  Please note girls must wear camp t-shirts on the Saturday at camp. We are going to be spray painting with stencils...who knew you could get fabric spray paint.

Station 2: Decorate Cupcakes

Station 3: Make memory scrapbook page c/w pictures from the year.

Station 4: Complete outstanding memory book items

Station 5: Play a game!

We are also going to have a snack (eat our cupcakes) and maybe even a dance party if there is time.



Reminders:

If your girls have enjoyed this year...please make sure you sign them up for next year.  Enrollment for next year is happening right now...so make sure you secure your spot.

Advancement: St FX Highschool  Monday May 11th. All girls advancing up to Brownies should attend.  1st year Sparks are also welcome to participate.  Please arrive at the school at 6:15pm

It has been a great year....Thanks for all your support and help throughout the year. It has been a blast.  You should all be extremely proud of your girls.  They are amazing people!

Thanks again.

Jewel, Sunshine, Sparkle

April 28th

Going Camping Keeper

We are going to continue with our Going Camping Keeper.  Tonight we will be making a camp fire craft and will be taking a 20 minute hike.  Please make sure your sparks dress appropriately.

Reminders

May 5  Year End Party: This will be our last official meeting night. We have lots of fun activities planned. We will be decorating our camp shirts. Please note that the girls will need to wear these shirts on the Saturday of camp. Please make sure the shirts get packed.  We did yellow shirts last year and it was awesome for keeping track of all our little sparks.  If they escape we can see them for miles in their florescent shirts LOL!

May 8, 9, 10  Sparks camp!

May 11 Advancement Ceremony at St Francis Xavier Highschool.  All Sparks are welcome to attend and the 2nd year girls moving on to Brownies will be honoured. It is a great night and the girls love it.  Each girl will be given a certificate and pin and will be welcomed into Brownies.

April 21: Earth Day

Dads are invited to join us at Sparks tonight to celebrate Earth day.

We will be making bird feeders out of recycled Juice and Milk containers. Should be a fun-filled night.

April 28th: Going Camping Keeper
                   We are going to continue talking about camp and preparing the girls for the big Spring Camp.

April 14th Going Camping Keeper

In preparation for our upcoming Spring Camp, we are going to dedicate 2 full meetings to camp.  We are going to go through everything that is going to happen at camp, the rules at camp, housekeeping chores etc.  We want to make sure that when the girls are actually at camp, there are no surprises.  I remember last year, some of the Sparks could not grasp the fact that they had to wash their own dishes.  One little spark, told me that she didn't have to wash her dishes because it was her mom's job. I looked around and said, "I'm sorry, which adult is your mom?" The little girl, looks at me and says," Well she is not here, right now." "Well, you better start washing your dishes or you are going to have crusty eggs and bugs, mixed with your dinner" Needless to say, she was not impressed, but she washed her dishes.

One thing I learned from last year, put the girls outfits together in ziploc bags with labels, and stress the fact that they need to put their dirty clothes back in the bags.  When you get 70+ six and seven year old girls, all getting dressed at the same time..it is complete chaos.  When they each have a bin full of random clothes,  you have 70+ girls saying they can't find something. It takes about 2 hours to get them all dressed and ready to go.  Also, we end up with a mountain of unclaimed socks and underwear. Another tip, if you want to see your daughters belongings again, please label everything. Items with names, usually find there way back to their owners.

*************please return your camp permission forms by next week****************

APRIL 21st- EARTH DAY

We have a special night planned to celebrate earth day. We would like to invite all the dads to come to Sparks, so that they can help to make bird feeders.

MAY 5th-  YEAR END PARTY
We have not worked out all the details but it is shaping up to be an amazing night!

MAY 8, 9, 10   SPRING CAMP

MAY 11 - ADVANCEMENT CEREMONY
                  St. Francis Xavier School
                  6:15-7:45pm
                  Please enter through side door
                  All girls are invited to participate and the girls moving up to Brownies will be honoured.


           

April 7th Mice and Mischief

Tonight we have a special guest Kathie Compass.  Kathie is a storyteller and will be acting out a story with the girls.  She also has a craft.  Should be a fun night.


*********Please don't forget Thursday April 9th******

All Sparks moving up to Brownies next year (Gr.1s) , the 2nd Riverside South Brownies have invited us to join them for a night to see what Brownies is like.  This meeting will be held at St Jerome in the Gym from 6pm-7:30pm.  The Brownies have a lot of fun things planned for the Sparks.


Spring Camp

This years Spring Camp is going to be May 8th to May 10th.  Our theme this year is Medieval. We have lots of great activities planned, including a real Medieval Banquet in which all the units will eat together at long tables...We are going to be making jewelled goblets to drink from and will be having a wonderful feast.

We will be distributing more info and permission slips in the next few weeks.

Easter Celebration

This week we are going to celebrate Easter.  We are going to have an Easter Egg hunt, make an Easter Craft and play some Easter themed games.

Coming up in April....

April 7th  Guest Storyteller

April 14th  Going Camping Keeper

April 21th  Bring your dad to Sparks...we are going to be making bird feeders

April 28th   Going Camping Keeper

Thinking Day a Huge Success!

Just to give a quick follow up on our Thinking day Donations.

Our numbers were entered into the Words In Action website and all the girls should be happy with how well our area did in this great cause.

Here is what happened with the donations we collected.

All the backpacks and school supplies went to Featherston Public School in Ottawa. They were very enthusiastic about the donations and they would like to send a thank you to all the girls that helped to fill 20 backpacks with supplies that are greatly needed by the school population, which is made up of families that are new to Canada.

We donated one box of books (at least 50) to Canyon Walk Day Care Centre, which is attached to Steve MacLean Public School and also the meeting room for the 4th Riverside South Guides. This day care centre was a school age centre that recently became a preschool/ toddler centre and did not have a very large age appropriate library for the young children that attend this facility. They were happy to receive the donation of some great books.

We donated the rest of the books (which filled 3 large boxes-about 150 books) to Arch Street Public School. This school, like Featherston, has a limited budget and a lot of children in need of many things and they were surprised and excited by this unexpected donation.

Thank you again for helping us with this great community service project and making our Thinking Day event a success.

To learn more about Words In Action Project follow the link.

 https://nsp.girlguides.ca/default.aspx

March 24: Moving and Acting

Tonight our meeting is going to focus on moving and acting. We will be making a craft, dancing and acting out different scenarios.

We also have the chocolate and vanilla cookies to hand out. Please bring a cheque or cash, $60 per case. The cookies are $5 per box. The money we raise goes to help our unit by craft supplies etc.

Thanks

Jewel Sunshine Sparkle

2015-2016 Guiding Year

We’re excited to share with you details about our 2015-2016 online registration for girl members!

When does online registration open for the 2015-2016 Guiding year?

DATE & TIME	REGISTRATION OPENS TO...
Monday March 30, 2015, 10 a.m.	Girls returning to the same unit.
Wednesday April 29, 2015, 10 a.m.	All remaining members (advancing to another branch or changing units). Girls returning to the same unit may continue to register.
Thursday May 28, 2015, 10 a.m.	New girls. All current girl members may continue to register.

How are girl membership fees changing in 2015-2016?

As announced to all adult members and families in January by Sharron Callahan, Chief Commissioner, Girl Guides of Canada-Guides du Canada, the national portion of the GGC membership fee is increasing by $10. As a result, the membership fee to register a girl in Ontario and Nunavut for 2015-2016 is $160, plus a $4

transaction fee for each online payment processed.

****Please note girls that are in currently in Grade 1 should be applying for Brownies and that would be April 29th, 2015 at 10am*** There are 2 Brownie groups in Riverside South...one is Monday night at the community center and the 2nd one is Thursday nights at St Jerome Gym. There are a lot of 2nd year Sparks so I recommend that you reserve your spot in Brownies as soon as you can on the 29th. They are going to fill up quick.

For your info, Jenn Raponi and Vanessa Alsukkari will be moving up as leaders for the Thursday night Brownies group in the St Jerome Gym.  Janine Kaye will become the contact guider for 3rd Riverside Sparks. We are looking for new leaders in both groups. Please contact us if you are interested in applying.

Thanks

Jewel

March 10: Pirate Night

We have been working really hard this year earning badges and have decided we deserve a fun night. Tonight we are going to have a Pirate themed night. We are going to play some pirate games, do a pirate craft and sing some pirate songs.  Should be a fun night.

March 17: No Sparks this week due to March Break

March 24:  Cookies are here....

These are the chocolate and Vanilla cookies. We have 30 boxes to sell. Each girl is asked to sell at least one case of cookies. Please bring a cheque for $60 per case...made out to Girl Guides of Canada.  Please let us know if you can sell more that one case.

Important Dates:

April 9th: Bridging with Brownies

 The 2nd Riverside South Brownies have invited our second year Sparks, who are thinking about continuing on to Brownies, to join them for a meeting.  They will be planting seeds and doing some stuff related to their key to the Living World. The meeting is Thursday nights from 6-7:30pm at St Jerome (gym). Please let us know if your Spark is interested in attending and we will let them know the numbers.  

May 8-10: Spring Camp at RCMP Campground

Please save the date for our Spring Camp. The leaders are holding a planning meeting later this month to pick a theme etc.  More details to follow.

March 3rd: Sing Ontario Sing Challenge

Tonight we are going to do the Sing Ontario Sing Challenge with help from some 4th Riverside South Guides. The Guides are going to run the entire meeting. They will be bringing a craft for the girls and we are going to have a big campfire (sit in a circle and sing songs...no actual fire).  The Sparks will get to learn some new songs and earn another badge.

February 23rd: MONDAY NIGHT MEETING

Thinking Day Meeting

Monday Feb 23, 2015

St Leonards Public School Manotick

6pm-7:45 pm

What to Bring:

Indoor Shoes in Sparks Bag
2 books ...1 to swap and 1 to donate
school supplies to donate
$1

Thanks

Jewel Sunshine Sparkle

February 10: Girls United Challenge

We will be working on the Girls United Challenge for the next two meetings:

Girls today need to know how to get along with others, how to build strong connections with each other, how to be a support for each other and how to build strong rewarding friendships. “I Believe in We!” is a list of 26 activities that Girl Guide units can use to promote healthy relationships and prevent bullying. These activities highlight the negative impact of social aggression and bullying and create a sense of caring, belonging and mutual responsibility between all girls.

We will be making peace pins, listening to 2 stories, making posters about how to be a good friend etc.

January 27th: Being Healthy Keeper

The girls will be finishing off their Being Healthy keeper and this week's theme is about keeping active and fit. If any of the girls have completed some or all of their Healthy Bingo sheet please have them bring it back and we'll have some small prizes for any who participated.

January 20th, 2015

Zumba Night

As part of our being healthy keeper, we need to talk about the importance of keeping physically active.  Tonight we are going to talk about ways to keep active and have invited a Zumba instructor to run a short class for the girls.

Should be a fun night.  Make sure all girls remember their indoor shoes.

Jan 13: The Great Grocery Store Scavenger Hunt

Keeper: Being Healthy
Location: Your Independent Grocer (Moncion's)
                 (Earl Armstrong/River road)
Time: 6:15pm-7:15pm (we will meet at the front entrance at 6:10pm)

Girls can bring indoor shoes, if they want, or boots are fine. We will have a room to put our coats and stuff.

Tonight the girls will be separated into small groups of 3 or 4.  We have a fun scavenger hunt planned to teach the girls about the different foods that are available, where they are located in the store, how much the cost, etc.

1. The girls will be running around the store looking to match items which are pictured on their sheets     to the actual items in the store. They will then need to identify the price of that item.

2.  They will then need to find fruits and vegetables that match all the colours of the rainbow.

3.  They will also be looking to find foods that start with all the letters of the alphabet.

When we have completed all the challenges, Moncion's is providing a snack for the girls. We will be in the Electronics Room (the one that is now empty in front of the cash registers)

Should be a fun night. Please make sure that the girls arrive on time. We will be starting at 6:15pm sharp.

********Not the best night to go grocery shopping :)  ********

Thanks

Jewel, Sunshine and Sparkle

January 6th, 2015

Happy New Year!

We are going to start the year off with our Being Healthy Keeper. The girls are going to learn about the Canada Food Guide, the importance of eating well and being active.

Jan 6: Introduction to Canada Food Guide
          Importance of eating a healthy breakfast
          Healthy Snack Relay

Jan 13: Grocery Scavenger Hunt at Moncion's Independent Grocer.    
             We will be meeting at the Grocery store at 6:10pm to get started right at 6:15pm.
             We will be playing a game in the grocery store. This will take the entire hour so please make               the girls arrive on time.

Jan 16-18 Winter Camp
                ***Kit List and specifics about the camp will follow*** Leaders are having our final camp                 meeting January 8th so we can send along more info after that.

January 20: Zumba Night

January 27: Being Healthy Keeper


Thanks

Jewel, Sunshine, Sparkle